Gratitude: A letter from Executive Director, Father Demetrios

Every organization and ministry is an interlocking chain. From supporters to staff to the beneficiaries of our ministry.  Without you we could not have made it through the last 32 years of building homes for families without and providing a home to boys without one. Together, we have weathered many storms, and together we will make it through this one.

In the midst of this crisis, we are blessed to receive three new boys to our orphanage this week. Just as you may have children at home from school; we have moved all of our 17 boys to home and online schooling at the ranch with the aid of our dedicated teachers and tutors. To stay healthy and active we’ve begun training for the St Innocent Run for Hope Charity Half-Marathon and 10K.  

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your continued support as we hunker down for this Lenten journey with the hopes to be reunited together soon. We have identified families who are in an even greater need for homes this summer due to the virus. A house will provide them with safe, affordable, and secure housing that is also treated with our lime wash paint that is a natural antibacterial and antimicrobial!

While none of us know when the shelter-in-place orders and travel restrictions will lift, we will be flexible for our groups and volunteers and continue our mission. We are also working to mobilize you, our many donors, alumni volunteers, and friends to assist one another in your own community through our partner ministries across the country. The harvest is plentiful, and truly we need laborers more than ever in this time to bring in the harvest.  

You can support our ministry and those most vulnerable by praying, volunteering, and getting involved, and most importantly by staying safe and helping to eliminate the continued spread of COVID-19.

We will be in communication as new information becomes clear for this summer, but either way, we at Project Mexico and Saint Innocent Orphanage will continue to be here to support the poor, the widows and the orphaned with your help. I personally thank you for your continued support, and if you are in a position to increase that support now, you will make a significant impact in our ability to continue this great ministry!

Thanks to the recently passed legislation and stimulus, the Charitable Giving Incentive now makes all gifts to non profits tax deductible in 2020 regardless of whether you itemize.  It also raises the giving limit from 60% of AGI to 100% of AGI:  Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act CARES Act (Pub. L. 116-132).

Please consult with a tax professional to determine if your gift will be tax exempt.

Through the prayers of Our Most Holy Theotokos, and the blessings and intercessions of St. Haralambos, we pray for your health and good strength as we approach the Crucifixion and Look towards the Joyous Resurrection of the Lord!

With the Love of Christ,

Fr. Demetrios

Stories of Hope: A Project Mexico Podcast Episode 1

Stories of Hope

Hosted by Luke Andruchow, Stories of Hope is a Podcast exploring the faith-affirming experiences of Project Mexico.

Episode 1
In this episode, host Luke Andruchow chats with home building coordinator Oliver Fahling about identifying families in the community for a home, building for summer 2020 and going to law school.

COVID-19: A Letter from Executive Director Fr. Demetrios

Operating a Non-Profit During a Crisis

Remain Calm and Minister to Those in Need

Like many organizations, we are concerned and being proactive in our response to COVID-19. Like many non-profits, we are no strangers to crisis, especially operating a home building volunteer program and orphanage in Baja, Mexico. We are responsible for the lives of our boys and staff on the ranch as well as hundreds of volunteers who join us each summer to build homes for families in Mexico. With regard to the current world crisis, we will approach this as Orthodox. Listening to the science and experts, remain calm and minister to those in need and at risk.

First and foremost, the safety of all Project Mexico boys, staff and volunteers is paramount to the successful operation of the orphanage, ranch and our teams on our build sites. At the Orphanage, we are practicing and implementing strict hygiene protocols to limit exposure and contamination. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide additional updates to the trustees as it evolves. 

First and foremost, at this time do not anticipate any change to our summer 2020 Home Building schedule. However, we are preparing contingency plans in the event that travel restrictions and travel bans are still in effect in the summer. As of now, the restrictions seem to point towards a relaxing of restrictions around mid-May, though we know this is correlated to the containment of the virus. 

We are waiving our 90-day cancellation policy. You can, if necessary, cancel your home building work trip up to 24 hours on the day of your trip. In fact, with airlines waiving change fees, and lowering fares, now may be the ideal time to book your flights and retain maximum flexibility. 

Please understand that this is a dynamic and ever-evolving response to the rapidly changing situation around the world and in the US response to COVID-19.

If business returns to normal this will leave us in good shape for the summer home building 2020 season. As we develop contingency plans and opportunities to support our ministry in response to this crisis, we will release those as soon as possible for you to have the options you need to: continue to support our ministry and to address the safety and travel concerns of your group members and parishes.

As the stock market has reacted to the pandemic,  your financial support of the Orphanage is more crucial than ever. We have a loving and dedicated staff caring for 17 growing boys. Our Orphanage may prove more crucial than ever in the event of more children being orphaned due to the Coronavirus.  

We plan to continue our ministry and grow it to meet the needs. This will only be possible through your generous support, prayers, goodwill, and strength of giving to assist us in this time.  We are also coordinating with our partner ministries of the Orthodox Church to mobilize and assist them in their own COVID-19 responses.

While we are all focused on our loved ones and our own health and financial concerns, as Lazarus laying at the door of his neighbor, the poor, widows, and orphaned are always at hand awaiting whatever generosity and humanity we can give, even the widow’s mite makes a difference. In particular, with food kitchens and homeless shelters closing due to restrictions on crowd size, this leaves those most vulnerable at particular risk for exposure and hunger.  

Orthodox have been ministering to the poor, widows, and the orphaned since Pentecost and the Apostles appointment of deacons to minister to the needy. This is our faith, this is our response, this is our way, that in times of affliction and need, we respond by conquering our fear with the hope of the Lord who conquered death by trampling down the ability of death to determine our lives. He freed us from the fear of death and gave us the hope to live more abundantly, both in this world and in the world to come.  

Therefore, it is important that we muster our strength and keep those values and work even harder than before, renewing our efforts through the ministry to those in need in times of great crisis. 

I ask that you please keep all of the boys and staff and missionaries at Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage in your prayers,

With the love of Christ, 

Fr. Demetrios

Executive Director

Missionary Profile: Oliver Fahling

OCMC Missionary – Oliver Fahling

My name is Oliver Fahling. I studied at Mississippi College and played on the soccer team. My previous job was as a lift attendant at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho. I enjoy reading about history and philosophy and will be attending law school this Fall, following in my father's footsteps.

Why did you decide to become a full-time missionary, and also specifically work for Project Mexico?

I decided to intern at PM after getting tired of working odd jobs for a few summers to help pay for school. As for deciding to be full-time, it was not much more than saying yes to the opportunity to be the Home Building Coordinator when it presented itself after two summers as an intern.

Describe your role with Project Mexico. What are your responsibilities and contributions to the organization?

My main responsibility is overseeing the construction of homes that are built by volunteers. Most of my work is preparation and takes place before volunteers arrive. This includes interviewing and selecting families, purchasing materials, constructing the wall systems, arranging material deliveries, running off-season work trips, and a few other things. There are also many subsidiary responsibilities that solely exist in the summertime, such as managing summer interns.

Tell us about how you have grown personally since you came to work for Project Mexico full-time?

I don’t get as angry anymore. In dealing with many things at one time and many different personalities all at the same time it is absolutely necessary for one’s mental stability to realize that some things won’t go the way I planned it. And that they might take a little longer than they should. I also realize that I am not always right. So, these revelations have helped me be more patient.

I’ve also noticed that I now love meeting people who land anywhere on the personality spectrum. I suppose I’m learning to appreciate people more as they are.

What is a personal talent or interest that would surprise people to learn about you?

I have a tendency to sweat while I eat, I think it’s genetic.

Missionary Profile: Thomas Ingram

OCMC Missionary - Thomas Ingram

My name is Thomas Ingram. I grew up in Huntington Beach, California. I was baptized Roman Catholic as a baby and had a Catholic education all the way up until college. However, in my early teens, I started attending Protestant mass on Sundays. Because of my Protestant influence, I attended a Quaker University in Oregon. This is also when I encountered Orthodoxy. After my sophomore year, I went on a short-term Protestant mission trip to Romania and Moldova. Our group leader thought it would be important for our team to experience an Orthodox Church service (liturgy) in Romania so as to understand the Romanian culture better. It was the first time I had been to an Orthodox service. I left that liturgy with many questions. When I returned to Oregon, I began attending an Orthodox church in Portland. Two and half years later I was baptized Orthodox. Glory to God!!

Why did you decide to become a full-time missionary, and also specifically work for Project Mexico?

I never saw myself as a missionary when moving down to Project Mexico. When I had gotten the invitation from Project Mexico to live down there to help spearhead their agricultural and beautification desires, I considered it a good opportunity to be a part of an Orthodox organization (which I had been desiring) and to do agricultural work which I enjoy doing. It wasn’t until time went on a little while longer at Project Mexico that I thought, “I guess my work could be technically considered missionary work.” 

What are your responsibilities and contributions to the organization?

My role with Project Mexico is diverse; a standard feature of Christian non-profit organizations. While my main role is centered around the implementation of agricultural projects and the beautification of Project Mexico by such things as planting trees, creating beautiful spaces, and helping spearhead our animal program—my duties also include helping facilitate the maintenance of our vehicles with our local mechanic as well as maintenance of the facilities. I repair broken pipes. Work with local electricians when we are having issues and make sure the Orphanage has clean drinking water. I also fundraise and travel to parishes to support the projects I implement.

How you have grown personally since you came to work for Project Mexico full-time?

I have been stretched in certain areas of my life while living at Project Mexico. I have, probably more than ever before, been starkly confronted with what it means to actually put my trust in God. There have been several challenging situations where the way to move forward was out of my control and/or capability. These situations created the opportunity for me to be humbled and to put my faith and trust in God.

You can make a difference today! Support Thomas’ hard work with a monthly donation for a cup of coffee, burrito or donate for an agriculture project on the ranch.

A Call to Action by Faith Gunderson

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, "I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)

Back in 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall over southeast Texas, and completely devastated the area. Harvey was the costliest hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Katrina back in 2005, inflicting an estimated $125 billion in damages. The flooding that occurred in the area was catastrophic. Two years later, Houston, and the surrounding areas, are still trying to put the pieces back together. There are thousands of people who are still waiting for the relief money they were promised. There are thousands who are still living in homes that were severely damaged by the hurricane. There are thousands who are still displaced and don’t know if they will ever be able to move back into their homes again.

Because of the devastation that Hurricane Harvey caused, there are still numerous relief organizations that are actively working in the area, trying to get people back in their homes. One such organization is IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities). Since its beginning back in 1992, IOCC has provided more than $692 million in aid for people all over the world, with it’s U.S. focus being primarily on disaster relief (hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, etc.). Deploying teams of volunteers, and with the help of Orthodox churches from all over the United States, IOCC has been working endlessly to help hundreds of people affected by disaster. There are many different ways that volunteers can be involved with IOCC. Teams of volunteers are often called in after a disaster hits to help begin the clean-up process, and then later on down the road, they may go to help with the rebuild process.

This past May, I had the opportunity to partner with IOCC and attend their training to become an Emergency Response Team Leader. This training helped prepare myself, and about 30 others, to lead IOCC’s disaster response teams when the need arises. This was an overwhelmingly positive experience. I left ready to take action, and ready to go serve as soon as possible. Late in August, I was finally able to join a team of volunteers on a rebuild in Houston. Myself, one of IOCC’s Team Leaders, and three other volunteers joined another organization called, Team Rubicon, to start the clean-up and rebuild process on a house just outside of Houston. The home belonged to an elderly lady. Hurricane Harvey had, fortunately, not flooded her home, but it had done extensive damage to the roof. Basically, despite receiving aid from FEMA, and having contractors come out and “put on a new roof,” it had been raining inside of her house for the past two years, causing parts of the roof to completely collapse in, mold to grow up the walls, and completely ruining the flooring and many of her belongings. All of this while she was still living in the house.        

Team Rubicon (a veteran service organization that uses disaster response to help reintegrate veterans to civilian life) has been working to reach a goal of rebuilding 100 homes in the Houston area. They are the ones who found this woman, and they will see the house through to completion. We spent the first couple of days working to get all of her belongings out of the house and sorted through. There was much that was able to be saved, but unfortunately, there was also a lot that had to be thrown away because of water and mold damage. Once everything was out and sorted through, we began the demolition process. Everything had to be stripped. Drywall, flooring, cabinets, everything had to be taken out and the house stripped down to the studs and concrete foundation. Team Rubicon has continued on with the rebuild process on this house. In a couple months, this woman will be able to come home to a new home, that will also now be better fortified to hold up against future hurricanes. Even though I won’t be there to be one of the people to welcome her into her new home, when we met on the first day of the rebuild, the gratitude that she showed us for the work we were doing forever changed my heart.

In this day and age, it is so easy to get caught up in the message of hate that is being spread over our communities, our nation, and our world. All we hear about is the bad and the ugly. It’s everywhere. It has instilled a sense of fear in many of us, and because of it we miss, or overlook, a lot of the good that is still going on. We miss out on the good that we can be doing, the love we can be spreading.

There is still so much good that is going on around us, we just need to open our eyes and our hearts to see it! This is so evident in the work that organizations like IOCC and Team Rubicon are doing to help families affected by disasters to rebuild their lives. It’s also evident in organizations like Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage, who are working day in and day out to provide homes, not only to families in need, but also to orphan boys may not have families, or a place to really call home. We can easily be a part of these good things! By opening ourselves up to taking a week out of our busy lives to go on a Home Build (either in Mexico or in the United States), we not only start to see the good in the world once again, but we also start to become that same good we want to see in the world.

We’ve heard the commandment over and over again: “Love thy neighbor as yourself.” But often we struggle to fully understand what that might mean exactly: How do I love my neighbor as myself? Am I to give them everything I have? Do I even know who my neighbor is? What can I do to show love to my neighbor, even if they’re a complete stranger? Here, by giving up just a little of our time to volunteer with these different organizations, we find and easy and tangible way to fulfill this commandment and to share the love of Christ. Even to emulate the love of Christ. And even if homebuilding is not really your thing, the thought of sleeping in a tent in Mexico doesn’t sound appealing, challenge yourself to try to find something that may be more of your thing.

Both Project Mexico and IOCC have many different ways for people to be involved with their missions, and there are countless other organizations out there to get involved with as well. We should not be inactive in our faith when there is so much need in the world. We are called to action. We are called to go! Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), go and care for the needy, the widow, the orphan, the sick, the hungry (Matthew 25:34-40) Going does not have to mean flying halfway around the world. Going can mean walking next door to check on an elderly neighbor. It can mean going downtown to volunteer at a homeless shelter. It can mean running a canned food drive at your school or church. It can mean so many different things! Are you ready?

“What good is it, my brothers, if people claim to have faith but have no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:14-17)

If you’d like more information on how you can answer the call to action and get involved with these ministries, you can check out their websites. Both have a lot of great information on the many different ways you can be involved in their missions.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC): www.iocc.org/take-action/volunteer-opportunities

Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage: www.projectmexico.org/get-involved

If you have any questions, or would like to hear more about my time with Project Mexico and/or IOCC, feel free to contact me: faith@projectmexico.org

In Christ,

Faith Gunderson

WATCH the Building Hope Documentary (VOD and Streaming)

DOWNLOAD

Directed by Adam Lowell Roberts, this documentary follows five teenagers as they build a house in Mexico for a homeless family. They signed up to give, but what they received was tenfold.

Download the film or stream it on Youtube below.

Directed by Adam Lowell Roberts, this documentary follows five teenagers as they build a house in Mexico for a homeless family. They signed up to give, but what they received was tenfold. Please consider subscribing to this channel to be notified about future films.

Project Mexico Gap Year Internship

Project Mexico is happy to announce its first formal year-long internship program.

The program will be held in Eagle River, Alaska and begins September 15, 2019 and will conclude in August 2020 in Mexico. Interns will go to Mexico in early May to prepare for the summer home building season.

The program will be done in conjunction with OCMC and Saint John Orthodox Cathedral, which will provide a loving, supportive church community for the interns during their stay in Alaska. OCMC missionaries Michael and Jennifer Saur are bringing their immersive missionary experience from Project Mexico to Alaska to help set up and run the program.

Learning service development will include work at the Downtown Hope Center in Anchorage in addition to other social service agencies in Anchorage, Eagle River, and Wasilla. Work with the OCA Diocese of Alaska will be done as well as it becomes available.

There will also be opportunities for Alaskan adventures (i.e. snowboarding, skiing, hiking,etc).

Tuition for the program is $15,000. This covers the entire year and includes travel costs, rent, and a living stipend.

Space is limited, so apply immediately!

To Apply:

Contact program overseer Fr. Matthew Howell FrMatthew@ProjectMexico.org.  

Love Your Neighbor by Anna Cunningham

Home building season is upon us and we started our first week with a training build to teach our summer interns the ins-and-outs of the construction. Because this is the first build of the season, we chose the family with the most immediate needs. In this case our “family" was an elderly woman, her dogs, hens, and plants. 

She makes cookies and sells them in the market for money. All of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren live in southern Mexico and do not have the funds to visit her very often if at all. Because of this, she relies on help from friends in the community and refers to her dogs as her, “familia.” She has limited mobility in her knees and recently had surgery to regain movement in the fingers in her left hand.

She was living in a quaint apartment in Rosarito for years, but the landlord decided that he didn’t want to rent out that unit anymore and told her she had to leave by mid-April. Through the glory of God she had a lot of support from friends in the community who saw her through this difficult time. A friend she works with in the market told us about her situation, so we decided to build our first house of the season for her. Another friend owned property near where we were building the new house and let her stay there during the 45 day transition. Someone else has been looking after the dogs.

Her friends constructed temporary housing near the new home out of left-over wood, boards, and bricks. Tarps were stretched over the top to create a roof. The space was well-constructed, and she was able to adjust her routine to acclimate to it. But each time we went to see her there was a new leak in the tarp roof. 

The land she bought is in a beautiful, peaceful area out in the hills on the outskirts of town. The owner of the land gave her 200 cinder blocks to use as she wished. Similarly, when we arrived on the first day there was a water tap conveniently located near the build site. She told us that a neighbor had put it in the night before so that we would have water during the build. She also prepared the land by hiring out a man with a machine, as many families do, striking a deal with him to exchange a chicken for his work.

Her community stepped up and helped her every step of the way above and beyond the services we provide. Project Mexico arrived with the gifts we are able to offer, built the house, and secured her living space. Project Mexico survives and thrives by blessings from God in the form of donations, interns willing to give their summers building homes, volunteers who work with us, and the local community that has welcomed us since 1988. 

“Let a friend be with you on every occasion, and let brethren be useful in necessities, for they are begotten for this reason.” (Proverbs 17:19, Orthodox Study Bible)

Glory to God for help from friends! 

8 Annual Arizona Walk for Missions

Join Us and Support the Walk!

We’re thrilled to join our friends from OCMC and the Arizona Walk for Missions at another great event in Tempe, AZ this year.

As in year’s past, we’ll raising funds for both Project Mexico and OCMC.

ABOUT:
This project began eight years ago under the direction of Antonia Adams Clement. Antonia, and a committee of representatives from varying Orthodox Churches, from multiple jurisdictions, representing the entire state of Arizona, came together and through the Orthodox Christian Mission Center Ambassador Program, they discovered that 26 Orthodox Christians from Arizona had served the Church as missionaries abroad.

Through this program the fellowship began sharing their experiences and decided to support Project Mexico through funding tutors for our boys at St. Innocent Orphanage.  Speaking to the Arizona Clergy Council (Antiochian, Coptic, Greek, OCA and Romanian member organizations), each parish selected a representative and the Arizona Walk for Missions was born.

Support the Walk with a Donation!

WHEN:
Saturday, May 4 th 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

WHERE:
Kiwanis Park
Tempe, AZ