2024 Registration Docs
Registration Steps
1. Pay Travel Fee
2. Obtain Valid Us Passport
3. Fingerprinting
4. Safe Environment
5. Registration Forms
6. Youth Only
7. Drivers Only
8. What's Next
​Only after you have been accepted, the payment, along with all your paperwork and other requirements, must be completed ASAP. The remainder of this page lists all those requirements for travelers to participate. Please read through the entire page and complete all the required forms, applications, fingerprinting, online training, etc. You must resubmit all the required paperwork, even if you have gone on the trip in previous years. Please also be sure to read the final section titled "What's Next?
​
Where do I submit the paperwork once completed?
​
The entire packet of completed paperwork should be submitted in full. You may email scanned documents or email or hand carry to the following location, either in person or via postal mail:
St Simon Parish,
Attn: Joan Mibach
1860 Grant Road
Los Altos, CA 9402
jmibach@stsimon.org
(650) 880-1416
​
If you have additional questions, you may also contact the following individuals:
​
Parishioners of Holy Family:
Mimi Bini, mbini@sbcglobal.net
​
Parishioners of St Julie's:
Joanna Thurmann, joanna_thurmann@yahoo.com
​
Other travelers:
Monica Rising, tjmissions@gmail.com
1.
​
​
The total cost of the trip is $900 per person.
There are two portions to the cost of the trip: Fees and donation for program supplies.
​
-
The travel fee pays for housing, security, food and traveler supplies in Tijuana, travel and car insurance, gas for drivers. (not tax deductible) $400.
-
The donation portion is to pay for the tools and supplies used to build homes and run programs (tax-deductible) $500. Fundraising with a minimum goal of $500/participant is necessary to fund our programs. If you wish to opt out of fundraising, you donate $500 in addition to your $400 travel fee.
Your spot is *not* secure until you have paid your travel fee. The total price per traveler is $400 plus $500= $900 total. The $400 payment will be due ASAP and the fundraising/donation will be due by your trip departure date. Fundraising/Donations should be due by June 15, 2024.
To pay the fees, you can use any of these 3 payment methods:
PAYMENT METHOD #1.) Make a check payable to "BASICS" and mail to "BASICS, 958 Cascade Drive, Sunnyvale, CA, 94087" Write "TJ Ministry Travel Fee: <name(s) of volunteer(s)> " in the memo line. It is important to include the volunteer's name.
PAYMENT METHOD #2.) Pay online without credit card fees using the venmo app, (must use venmo balance or bank to pay without a fee.) Pay your participant fees via venmo to @gobasics or info@gobasics.org. Write "TJ Ministry: <name(s) of traveler(s)> " in the What's it for box.
​
PAYMENT METHOD #3.) Click the appropriate Donate button below to pay your Travel Fees via PayPal.
Pay Travel Fee
$400
(Travel Fee)
$500 (Donation)
$900
(both)
​
​​
​
In order to re-enter the US at the completion of the trip, you need either a valid (1) US passport, (2) US passport card, (3) permanent resident green card, or (4) passport from your country of citizenship, potentially with a US Visa (you need to check this). If you require a US passport or passport card, or it expires within 6 months of our trip, PLEASE APPLY IMMEDIATELY as it can take up to 2 months for processing. You will need to submit 2 clear and recognizable photocopies of your main passport page.
If you are close to the departure date, you can attempt expedited passport processing through the San Francisco Passport Agency.
​
​
Obtain Valid US Passport
2.
​
​
​
Volunteers 18 and over (before the end of the trip) must be fingerprinted once in the Diocese of San Jose, at a location approved by the Diocese of San Jose, per the instructions below. Please read through all the information in this section. If you have had fingerprinting completed at any parish or school within the Diocese of San Jose after 2008, you will not need to repeat the fingerprinting. But we will need to verify the results. Let us know which parish you were printed for. We cannot accept fingerprints that were done for any other organization such as Boy/Girl Scouts, public school, or for your job. The fingerprinting itself only takes about 5 minutes to complete. However, fingerprinting locations and procedures depending which parish you are a part of, if any. Please check the 4 options below.
-
St Simon Parish: go to this link and follow the instructions there.
-
Resurrection Parish – if you are part of this parish, go for fingerprinting to the Verify Group Inc. It is located at 262 E Hamilton Ave, Ste A, Campbell, CA 95008. Phone (408) 761-2156. They are open 9 am - 5 pm M-F for appointments. Walk-ins are received from 1-4pm Tues-Friday. You must have a valid government issued ID. Print the Fingerprint Form- 246 Resurrection 2015 complete it and take it with you when you go to the office. There is a $20 fee. After you have been fingerprinted, contact Tania Wong, the faith formation administrator at Resurrection twong@resparish.org or (408) 245-5554 x27), and she will confirm the fingerprint information with the diocese.
-
Holy Family Parish. Contact the office (408-265-4040) to follow their procedure.
-
St Julie Parish: We need to verify if you have already been fingerprinted by the diocese. If not, we will give you the Verify form and instructions to get fingerprinted. So contact the Parish Office. Address: 366 St. Julie Dr. San Jose CA 95119. Phone Number: 408-960-8027 (ask for Yolanda). You will also need to fill out the attached Participant Activity Waiver form.
-
Other Parish: If you are part of any other parish in the Diocese of San Jose other than St Julie, Resurrection or St Simon or Holy Family, go to your parish office and ask what their procedure is for fingerprinting. Follow their procedures and email Monica at tjmission@gmail.com when you have had them done and with which parish.
-
If you are not part of a parish, go to Verify group and tell them you are from the Tijuana Ministry and have the results sent to St Simon Parish. You will pay $20.
​
​
Fingerprinting
You only need to do fingerprinting one time for all our trips or for any Parish within the Diocese of San Jose.
3.
​
​
All Volunteers
Please familiarize yourself with our Covid-19-protocols.
P
Adult Volunteers
To provide safety for the youth that will be traveling with us and the youth that will be in our programs we are implementing the Diocese of San Jose safety protocol. The following training courses are required for adults who serve with youth and/or vulnerable adults. The VIRTUS® online training course Protecting God’s Children (PGC) is mandatory and must be renewed every three (3) years by volunteers.
Teen Volunteers (Ages 14 – 18)
Youth between the ages of 14 up to their 18 birthday, must complete the VIRTUS® Healthy Relationships for Teens online training course for volunteer service eligibility and must renew the training every 2 years to maintain eligibility up to 18 years of age. Once the teen reaches 18 years of age, they are required to take the adult training programs in order to continue their service. Teen Training Course: Healthy Relationships for Teens (LINK)
– First-Time User Registration: Registration Link.
– Healthy Relationships for Teens Registration Instructions: Instructions
Complete the class and provide a copy of the certificate that at the end of the class to us. Keep a copy for yourself as well.
Safe Environment
COVID-19 protocols
4.
VIRTUS online Safe Environment training.
​
​
​
The following forms must be filled out and signed to help in an emergency. If the traveler is under 18 the parent must sign. The end form is a release of liablility forn and should be read carefully before signing.
​
Please note that no special vaccines or immunizations are required. Updated Tetnus shots, Hepatitas A, and TB vaccine are recommended but not required. Please check with your doctor for special concerns. We need a copy of your Medical Insurance form.
​
2023 Registration Form Medical and Waiver.pdf
You can provide the forms to Monica Rising, Joan Mibach at the St Simon rectory, Mike O'Connell at Resurrection, Mimi Bini at Holy Family. You can also email them to tijuanaministry@gmail.org
​
Registration Forms for all Travelers
5.
​
Because the Tijuana Ministry is an immersion experience to a foreign country we set the minimum age for traveling to be those who are entering high school, typically 13 or 14. Travelers under the age of 18 will be required to travel with a parent or a designated adult, 25 years of age or older, to act as guardian during the trip to Tijuana. Our experience is that the daily routine and program logistics combined with the need for constant safety awareness may be too rigorous for middle school or younger aged travelers, and we discourage participation until high school. However, to accommodate a family participating in the ministry, a child of middle school age may be considered to travel on a case by case basis, and must travel with a parent.
If during our training sessions, program leaders become concerned about the maturity and safety awareness of a youth traveler, regardless of age, we reserve the right to delay participation in the Tijuana Ministry to future years.
Parents: Travelers under the age of 18 will be required to travel with a parent or a designated adult, 25 years of age or older, to act as guardian during the trip to Tijuana. If a parent is not going, use this form as an example of permission to act as guardian of a minor: CHANGE THE INFORMATION TO REFLECT YOUR INFORMATION. 2023 TJ Permission for Unaccompanied Youth.pdf
Youth & Parents: Complete the required Tijuana Ministry Youth Contract: 2023 TJ Ministry - Youth Guidelines and Disciple Policy.pdf
Youth Only
6.
​
​
​
​
You will need to submit:
-
copy of your driver's license (you must be 25+ if you plan to drive someone other than your own family)
-
copy of vehicle registration
-
copy of US auto insurance
-
copy of Mexican insurance, if you purchased it on your own. Otherwise, you will fill out the BajaBound Mexican insurance form and we will purchase Mexican insurance on your behalf: Mexico Insurance Form - BajaBound
​
Read the Driver Information Page
Drivers Only
7.
What's Next
1.
Mandatory Orientation Meetings
2.
Registration Documents
​
Aside from the above, you also need to attend the traveler orientations below:
​
TJ Traveler Orientation
June 7 (Thurs), 7-8:30pm
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 964 7614 5549 | Passcode: 295151
​
2023 Traveler Orientation Meeting Slides.pdf
​
TJ Final "All Hands" Meeting (in person)
June 25 (Sun), 4:00-6:00pm
St Julie Billiart, 366 St Julie Dr, San Jose, Sullivan Center
mitted to travel. Find out what to expect, pack, etc.
​
2023 Traveler Orientation Meeting Handout.pdf
​
​
All registration documents are listed below:
​
2023 TJ Registration Form Medical and Waiver.pdf
2023 TJ Permission for Unaccompanied Youth.pdf