Building in Mexico This Summer!

Homebuilding in Mexico 2021 - by Anna Cunningham

Project Mexico started 2020 just like everyone else, carrying on as normal, planning for the year to come. In that planning stage, we interviewed and accepted 17 families to receive houses from our summer Homebuilding program. But as the entire world shut down, we saw our US/Mexico border limit traffic as well. No volunteers were able to come that summer, and no homes were built. We had high hopes for the summer of 2021, but as the first week of June rolls around, the border limits have not been lifted, and the summer program is still suspended.

As Work Trip Coordinator, my primary goal and responsibility are to provide homes to families in our local community. Project Mexico has always relied on volunteer labor to build the homes and volunteer participation fees to buy the homebuilding materials and fund the orphanage. As 2020 ended and we trudged into 2021 the border remains closed.

After months of border regulations I realized that if these families were going to get homes this year, it would have to be done in a different way.

Because volunteers are still not permitted to travel to Mexico, we found ourselves with a labor deficit. This season we will implement a new building plan that involves the local community. As the need increased everywhere, our ability to help disappeared. This inspired the creation of our Community Build Initiative.

I have been meeting with each family asking them if they can gather people to do the labor if we provide the materials. The response to this idea was received very positively and the families immediately began to look for help.

I am working with the families and our material providers to organize dates and building plans but the missing piece of the puzzle is sponsorship of the materials. Because we are not receiving participation fees from visiting volunteers, we do not have the budget to fund these homes.

This is why we are calling on our community to participate remotely and sponsor the homes of our selected families.

This is new. Brand new. In our over 30 year history, we have never used this model, but current circumstances forced us to adjust our plans so that we can continue fulfilling our mission and provide homes to the families who we promised houses to almost 2 years ago.

Each time we encounter adversity we have the opportunity to succumb to it, and let it defeat us, or we can rise above, adapt, and handle it with grace. Homebuilding in 2021 will not, and cannot, look like it has looked in the past. This does not change the fact that we have committed ourselves to provide shelter to those in need.

We are doing what we can with what we have and ask for your support in our new initiative so that we can continue providing homes for those in need.

A Test of Faith: A Letter from Fr. Nicholas Andruchow

Dear family and friends, 

Christ has risen! Cristo ha resucitado!

I hope you all had a blessed Pascha/Easter. In addition, I hope you all are well during these turbulent times. The Lord calls us to have faith in the storms and the recent crisis around the COVID-19 is truly a calamity to which level the world has rarely seen. Living here south of the border has given us a different perspective.  Presbytera and I are safe and have been mostly keeping close to the Orphanage grounds avoiding contact with people off-site. This has limited our exposure to the virus but has allowed us to grow closer to the community and all the boys. This experience has made it clear that the fast pace of modern society can be exhausting and possibly unnecessary. 

We are in new territory

Whoever would have thought the safest place to spend Holy Week would be at an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico. We were not only sheltered from the virus but because of our unique situation, we were all strengthened by the ability to worship together. All thirty of us ate together, did morning prayers together, and attended the 14 Holy Week services together. The boys all rose to the occasion because since we did not have the support of the local Orthodox community these young soldiers were expected to chant all the services, clean all the candle stands and serve in the altar up to 3 hours at a time. I am so proud of them. Similar to the rest of the world they have not seen any of their school friends in over a month, they have not had any school sports activities and they all are taking classes on-line. All these changes have created significant more responsibilities for the orphanage staff but the team has made many sacrifices to provide great care for the boys.

A true test of faith

One of the reasons I left my community in Northern Arizona nine years ago was the need to minister to the hundreds of youth who come every summer and build homes for needy families. For obvious reasons, this summer will need to be adjusted due to the realities of the Pandemic. There will still be plenty of construction happening through Project Mexico but compared to recent years this summer will be abridged. This is difficult for two reasons. First, some of the families in hardship will have to wait for relief to receive more stable housing. Second, the surplus income from the homebuilding registrations will be significantly less, therefore, putting substantial pressure funding the Orphanage operations. Proceeds received from people who come to help build homes cover the expenses of the orphanage. When there are fewer people building homes, there is less financial support. We are all doing our part to cut expenses and the Lord is giving us a prime opportunity to grow in faith.

Responding in Joy

The life of an orphan is not easy.  Losing your family at such a young age is a tragedy.  These are boys are accustomed to hardships as well as the St. Innocent Orphanage.  For the past 30 years, young children have had a place to heal and grow up on what we call “The Ranch”.  On these 16 acres, we try to teach them that even though their parents let them down, Christ’s Church will never let them down.  With this knowledge, they have learned to be grateful and happy for the little things they have.  It is not going to be easy here at the orphanage but we will all survive.  As a Church, I ask you all to donate now and help these little ones through their difficult times. Your gift of joy calls on God’s abundant love.

In the Love of Christ,

Fr. Nicholas L. Andruchow

Priest/Associate Director

Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage

Migrant Caravan

We wanted to take this opportunity to update our supporters on the migrant caravan that arrived in Tijuana this fall. The caravan consists of people seeking asylum in the U.S. from violence and famine in Central America. This is not the first group of migrants that have arrived in Tijuana. Tijuana has many Haitians, El Salvadorians, South Americans, and Columbians who have settled in Tijuana over the past forty years.  

Mexican authorities and local charities in Tijuana have years of experience and ability in aiding and managing groups of migrants at the US/Mexico border. In fact, most of the fast-paced growth in the city is from migrants who cannot get across the border. Instead, they stay and thrive. 

The migrant caravan consists of political asylum seekers from south and central America. Many are fleeing gang and narcotics-related violence from major cities like Tegucicalpa, Honduras or from rural areas plagued by drought. Thousands have been sheltered at the Benito Juarez Sports Complex and State authorities are busy organizing the camp while limiting disruption for Tijuana residents and businesses. 

A nearby Catholic Charity’s soup kitchen helps feed and supply them. Nuns from the Catholic Charities use volunteers year-round to feed the homeless near the San Ysidro border crossing. At Saint Innocent Orphanage we dedicate the week leading up to Christmas making and distributing tamales at the border while singing Christmas Carols. Last year, our Interns spent their off-time as volunteers at the Nun’s Kitchen.  

“On Sunday the 25th of November my family and I were planning to go to San Diego. As we reached the crossing, frustrated migrants rushed the border. For less than 15 minutes, there was a half-hearted attempt to cross a very hardened border crossing. Mexican police and American Border Patrol agents had been preparing for weeks for this occasion. The entire event was resolved in minutes. Since then, everything has returned to normal. More programs are offered to migrants to assimilate into Tijuana.

Mexican work weeks are often six days of twelve-hour shifts. Thousands of visa holders also cross the border every day to work in America and return at night. There is a well-organized commute system of walking lanes, public transit, and ride sharing. At Project Mexico, I cross four-to-six times a week. 

The migrant caravan revealed to me the immense beauty of the professionals and volunteers in Tijuana who have dedicated their lives and money in the alms giving ministries. This is why people come to Project Mexico. - Mike Saur OCMC Seminarian

The migrant caravan revealed to me the immense beauty of the professionals and volunteers in Tijuana who have dedicated their lives and money in the alms giving ministries. This is why people come to Project Mexico. 

Many charities in Tijuana are showing how to deal with the situation like the migrant caravan with love and compassion. Charities have provided lodging, clothing and food. Many migrants have taken offers of employment. The way the authorities managed and dealt with the situation limited the disruption to a single episode.” - Mike Saur – OCMC Seminarian Intern

Project Mexico hosts 5 OCMC interns and their families, several US staff, including Fr. Nicholas, Pres. Merilynn, and their families live in Mexico. We regularly cross the border numerous times each week and experience little to no interruptions in our operations. In fact, the ongoing plight of the refugees will likely increase the need for our services of building homes and providing support to orphans over the foreseeable future as they await their asylum claims to be heard over the next several years.

The people of Tijuana and Mexico are resilient. We pray this immigration crisis can find a timely workable resolution. 

May the Lord touch your hearts and bless all of you.

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