Asked & Anticipated Questions

问题和答案的一般利益没有直接处理在 Tijuana in Turmoil page are found here. We will supplement this page as new questions emerge.

I am not sure why Westmont is putting our children in harm’s way.

这句话来自一位家长，这反映了我们需要更清楚、更完整地阐述韦斯特蒙特大学的学生是如何在墨西哥参加“波特的粘土”之旅的.

Although for grammatical convenience it is commonly said, even by Westmont, that we send student groups out for ministry, strictly speaking we do not "send" anyone on a missions trip. Rather, 我们为志愿从事校外事工的学生提供支持和指导, both locally and around the world.

Westmont has no requirement that students or others participate. 因为多年来，我们看到陶土项目为两国人民带来了改变生活的好处, we see value in assisting the students who choose to participate. 至关重要的是要认识到，每个参与者都是志愿者，他们已经被告知您和我们可以获得的信息, 在选择这个事工的机会上，他做出了一个独立的、知情的决定. 我们特别鼓励学生让他们的家人参与他们的决定过程.

出于安全考虑，一些学生选择退出该项目, and others are free to do so at any time. If the program ends up "smaller", then a consequence may seem, by human measures, to be a less effective ministry. However, our gracious sovereign God is able to feed 5,000 people with five loaves, 因此，如果在学生的个人判断中，伤害的风险超过了他们的使命感，那么他们不需要觉得自己让上帝或同龄人失望. That's completely fine. 我们不希望任何一个学生因为一种责任感而忽视了他们对个人安全的关注而参加. 愿这只是那些对自己呼召有信心的人喜乐的时刻吗.

The media paint a pretty bleak picture.

我们认识到，媒体对墨西哥非常实际的问题给予了充分的注意, and those reports are alarming—to us as well. 这就是为什么我们投入了大量的精力去看新闻标题背后的东西. We have consulted people who live and work in the affected areas, and who are able to offer insights not commonly represented in the news.

On occasion, 当韦斯特蒙特观察到特派团旅行的特定地点存在无法维持的风险时，我们将撤回我们的支持. 根据我们目前掌握的所有信息，我们确信波特的粘土不是这种情况. That could change. We will continue to be very diligent in actively discerning the many factors involved and sources available (news; government; international travel specialists; and so on).

如果国务院说你不应该去，那你为什么还要去呢?

最近针对墨西哥发布的信息指出了谨慎的旅行者应该注意的许多问题. However, the State Department recommends not 游客不应该去，但如果他们去了，他们应该采取适当的预防措施. 我们实施的计划远远超过了美国领事馆建议的措施. 尽管目前对墨西哥的建议级别是“加强警惕”," it still stops far short of directing people not to go or, if there, that they should leave.

Why don't you send students in buses rather than cars?

用几辆公共汽车就能把学生送到恩塞纳达，当然比通常开70辆左右的汽车更方便. However, once there, 学生们每天分散到遍布恩塞纳达地区的20多个教会地点，其中许多地方是大型巴士无法到达的. 我们也考虑过用货车代替轿车——但同样，后勤方面的复杂性不利于这种解决方案. Many of the sites have only five students present, and their start/stop times are variable, and even unpredictable—sometimes from day to day. With a carful of students, each site can have a vehicle readily present in event of emergency; otherwise, 一群被面包车(或公共汽车)扔下的学生可能会在需要的时候被困住. We considered busing students down and then renting cars in Ensenada. This was deemed a less than optimal stewardship, 因为在恩塞纳达，成本要高得多，而且在安全性和便利性方面没有任何好处, 更不用说安排几十辆出租汽车退房的协调工作了, checked in, and so on.

Will participants always travel in caravans?

在墨西哥境内往返恩塞纳达的旅游团总是乘坐大篷车. 只要有可能，我们鼓励并期待车队在恩塞纳达旅行. 然而，一些部委的网站是由单车车队提供服务的. In other cases, errands will be run, security monitors will operate, and other occasions will arise where travel will be in single-car mode. To the extent feasible, we aim to limit solo travel to daytimes. 由于工作的动态性，不可能预测或控制在Ensenada区域内涉及单车旅行的情况. However, this has been the practice for many years without notable incident, 而且我们也没有发现恩塞纳达的犯罪现场有什么变化值得今年格外小心.

Will participants be safe?

We don't know. We think so and we expect so, but we simply don't know.

We apply our best judgment to the risks we face. Usually things turn out fine, or better. Sometimes they don't. We don't mean to be cavalier or flippant. 但现实情况是，在波特粘土或任何其他风险投资中，每个参与者都需要承担个人责任，评估参与的利弊，并对适合他们的风险程度做出自由和独立的评估.

Are you going "come heaven or high water"?

We will monitor the situation, consult among ourselves and with good counsel, pray, and exercise prudence in determining what seems wise to do. 我们还将继续为参与者(和他们的家人)提供信息，以告知他们自己的个人选择. We are willing and able to adjust as circumstances warrant. 决定风险和回报之间的平衡是一个判断问题，不同的人对此会有不同的看法. We earnestly intend to be thoughtful, attuned and prayerful, and we appreciate your prayers for wisdom.

在什么情况下，学院会决定撤回资助?
以下是一些会促使我们考虑减少旅行的例子:
- if we saw evidence that ministries such as ours were being targeted
-如果针对一个或多个参与者或其他类似群体的特定威胁
——如果暴力模式的变化表明它影响我们的可能性显著增加
- if the US State Department specifically said that we should not go, or that we must depart the republic 
这些项目说明但不限制可能影响结果的输入类型.