Mexico - Build Cisterns in Xpujil
August 1 - 8, 2022
Todd and Maria Luke’s Gospel-driven outreach to build cisterns in Mexico gives families, suffering from poor health due to lack of clean water, access to an abundant supply of rainwater that makes a family healthier. Ch’ol Presbyterian laymen organize families to work together to build cisterns that collect rainfall, and American partners work with our Mexican partners to lighten the physical load.
Xpujil is in the southern part of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, close to Belize and Guatemala, and is about a 6-hour drive from Cancun International Airport. Todd Luke will be your host, meeting you at the airport with a rented vehicle and serving as your driver during your stay in Mexico.
Groups are 4-8 people and there are 3 trip length options beginning Monday, August 1.
The 4-night option (Monday-Friday) involves work on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, flying home Friday. The 6-night option (Monday- Sunday) involves work on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, Friday spent experiencing local culture, return home Sunday. The 7-night option (Monday-Monday) involves work on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, experiencing local culture on Friday, worshiping on Sunday, return home Monday. On Friday of the 6-night or 7-night options, the team will experience local culture, including visiting Mayan ruins, significant archeological sites, and a bat cave where hundreds of thousands of bats fly out at dusk.
Workdays are from 8:00 am–5:00 pm to build cisterns. Led by our Ch’ol Presbyterian partners in 40-minute spurts, we shovel sand and gravel into five-gallon buckets that are emptied into a cement mixer. During downtime, we interact with the cistern recipient families and our local coworkers. Lunch at the worksite is prepared by our Xpujil partners, who have years of experience feeding American work teams.
Groups stay in the 4-room Guest House in Xpujil, located on the Luke family home property. Each room has 2 twin-size beds, 2 hammocks, a ceiling fan, a floor fan, and a bathroom with a rainwater shower. Hot water is available upon request. Bottled water is always available. Breakfast is usually between 6:00-7:00 am, lunch between 11:00-1:00 pm, and dinner between 6:00-8:00 pm, all prepared by our Xpujil partners. Daytime temperatures normally reach the high 80s (and upper 90’s April – August), with overnight temps dropping into the low 60’s in winter and low 70’s in summer.
Passports are required and any participants under the age of 18 must have a signed affidavit from both parents permitting travel to Mexico. As required by a decision of Outreach’s trustees, all travelers must be fully vaccinated. A negative COVID test result is required to return to the U.S. Make sure your tetanus immunization is up to date. Bring $50 to convert to pesos to purchase snacks at one of the two small general stores near the Guest House. Todd Luke will help the group exchange dollars for pesos.
Ground costs per person are $95 per night plus $600 for a cistern. Costs for flight to Cancun and PCR test for re-entry to the U.S. are each participant’s responsibility. To request your place on the team, send your non-refundable deposit of $150, trip application, waiver, and a copy of the information page of your passport to The Outreach Foundation, 381 Riverside Drive, Suite 465, Franklin, TN 37064. For more information contact Carol Dublin at carol@theoutreachfoundation.org or call (615) 778-8881.