Authentic Faith

This Spring, 2023, I was blessed with the opportunity to join the Project Mexico organization as a member of their long-term staff. At face value, that might sound like a trivial matter, but in all truthfulness, it’s a miracle, since just a year ago I wasn’t aware Project Mexico existed. 

Last December, while searching for summer internships, I recalled a comment a friend had made about ministry work. Without a name to search for, I searched until I discovered Project Mexico’s website. I promptly filled out an application for a summer-long internship, unrelated to my field of study, on the opposite side of the continent in a foreign country.

Project Mexico asked me to come for the spring break build and then to stay on as an intern for the summer. At last, I found myself boarding a one-way flight to Tijuana, Mexico. God works in mysterious ways, and “in a general sense, the Orthodox Church considers everything which is in and of the Church as sacramental or mystical.” It is all a great mystery that our simple minds will never be able to fully comprehend; thus, man was made to have faith in God.

“What is ‘experience’ in spiritual life, dearest Father?”
“A comb that you acquire when you go bald.”
“So, isn’t it useless?”
“No, because you can then use it to comb the hair
of others!”

”

— Saint Porphyrios’ Testimony of Metropolitan Neophytos Morfou

Genuine faith is not a blind leap in the dark but rather confidence in the goodness and power of God, or the existential everyday trust in the promises and gifts of God. He is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.”

What else do we require?

Personally, I know I have been blessed greatly. The seasons between homebuilding feels very different and beautiful in a peaceful way. I’ve been working with our homebuilding coordinator, interviewing families and learning the life stories of the people we serve. I’ve also been working with the children of St. Innocent Orphanage, who force me to examine my shortcomings and to grow. Most importantly, I’ve been given the opportunity to live and work with people who desire to serve Christ.

“What is ‘experience’ in spiritual life, dearest Father?”

“A comb that you acquire when you go bald.”

“So, isn’t it useless?”

“No, because you can then use it to comb the hair of others!”

--Saint Porphyrios Testimony of Metropolitan Neophytos Morfou

With God’s help, let us walk by faith, in humility and in gratitude. Let us not bury and hide our talents, but “whatever we do, do it all for the glory of God.” Let us expose our darkness to the light of Christian truth, “for whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord.” Amen.

Written by Margarita Mavroeidi - Long-term Missionary Staff

Leap of Faith

I grew up in Worcester, MA. taught me what is needed to live a successful life.  As a young boy, we would play football without equipment, just a ball and a lot of scratches and bruises.  I learned quickly that the person who is the fastest and strongest of the line has the greatest advantage.  This applies directly to our lives in Christ as we struggle on a daily basis.  Starting the first moments of the day with Jesus on our lips lets us leap from our beds in faith in God.  We spring from the darkness of sleep to face the challenges of the day with Christ in our hearts.  After 25 years serving the Church, I have learned that starting the day with Creed makes the demons of the world tremble.  Yes, every morning I read the Nicaean/Constantinople Creed to give me strength and a swift call to action to face whatever the world brings me.  Leading Project Mexico as the Executive Director I am faced with constant challenges and diversity but in Faith, I have the upper hand and leap to serve Jesus overcoming the darkness.

Leading does not mean you know exactly how to get to where you need to go.  God is challenging us to grow the Church in Tijuana.  Just miles from the American border, the Mexican people are thirsting for the Truth and yearning to feel Jesus’ loving presence.  As a result, we have been charged to open an infant orphanage to care for children from birth to four years of age.  As well, the local community has grown so much that a church needs to be built off the grounds of the ranch property.  Both endeavors have been thoroughly considered and we have a clear path forward, but there still is so many unanswered questions that can only be addressed once we take the first steps.  This is faith.  This is leaping up to be challenged not knowing how all the problems will be solved but with the solid hope that ALL the problems will be overcome. Jesus Christ’s Church will grow, caring for the suffering, and bringing encouragement to all.

I have said many times that taking care of children who have been orphaned is the “toughest job you will ever love.”  Yes, I love my work and it is very difficult.  We are charged to excel and care for boys with so many physical and spiritual wounds. Leaping to face the challenges is essential.  But I do not face it alone.  I labor with Jesus in my heart.  My springboard is the Holy Spirit being filled with God’s Grace, and I am filled with Faith that I can do it.  My leap of faith is the fact that I leap with Jesus holding my hand and this comfort allows me to persevere. 
 

Recently one of our boys shared with me that the St. Innocent Orphanage only became his home after much tragedy.  Until he was six he lived in the Tijuana prison because the Mexican law several decades ago allowed an incarcerated woman to keep her children with her even if that meant the young child would have to share a home (jail) with thieves, murderers and criminals.  This story I share not to paint a picture of pity but rather remind us of the difficulties we have to overcome in order to bring hope and rescue the distressed.  The Orthodox Church has risen to the occasion for over 35 years in Tijuana.  Jesus is holding our hands and we leap with faith having the strength to change the world into a better place.

10 Amazing Properties of Lime Wash Paint

Project Mexico Lime Wash Paint

The paint we use on each of the homes we build for the community here in Mexico is slaked and manufactured in Rosarito, Baja California from calcium-rich limestone mined in Mexico on the Ranch of Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage. Our paint is free of solvents that have pushed paints to the top of the household environmental hazards list. Our traditional limewash is made from natural lime and natural pigments.

Exterior slaked-lime paint is designed to produce unique whitewash effects on unpainted brick, stone, and other masonry surfaces. The paint is non-toxic, breathable and UV-resistant. It hardens over the years and will not peel or chip off. Unique white wash effects for unpainted brick, stone and more. Breathable, UV-resistant and will not peel or chip off. Non-toxic formula requires no maintenance.

10 Amazing Properties of Lime Wash

1.        Lime Wash Paint is specially formulated for breathability on brick, stone and other masonry surfaces

2.        After 50-100% dilution with water 4 gallons will make 6-8 gallons of paint and covers 1300-1800 sq. ft. for 450 sq. ft. / gal. depending on surface porosity

3.        A very flat finish provides the non-reflective appearance and gives the natural lime wash look of historic Europe

4.        Resists UV damage, peeling or flaking, for a durable and breathable paint finish with no maintenance, unlike a mortar wash with German schmear

5.        Easily removed with a high force pressure washer within 5-days after initial application

6.        Self-priming, 1-coat process and is applied to a damp surface and sprayed off for a whitewash effect

7.        Dries in as little as 10-minutes and up to 60-minutes, depending on sun and temperature and will not be affected by rain or normal weather conditions after initial application

8.        The non-toxic formula will not harm lawn, trees, plants, and animals

9.        Naturally mold-resistant and breathable reducing the buildup of stagnant moisture

10. Soap and water cleanup cuts time in half and is environmentally friendly

Homebuilding 2024 Dates Released

The 2024 Homebuilding Season Dates Available

Summer 2024

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 1 - May 24 - 30

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 2 - June 5 - 11

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 3 - June 14 - 20

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 4 - June 25 - July 1

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 5 - July 5 - 11

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 6 - July 19 - 25

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 7 - July 30 - Aug 5

• HB24 Mexico - WEEK 8 - Aug 8 - 14

Group Leader Early Registration is open! Submit your Group Leader application to secure your spots now.
NOTE: We will begin processing applications after August 15.

Community Service Internships Abroad at Project Mexico

Open Application for Summer 2023 Internship

Every summer, Project Mexico invites many young adults to participate in our Home Building program. Their primary role is to guide and facilitate our volunteer groups as they build their homes. These passionate, caring and energetic leaders are very special and they represent shining examples of dedicated service in the eyes of our volunteers. Our interns live on the orphanage property and spend time with our boys and they embody all that is special about our commitment to service to others. In order to be invited, our interns must be 18 years of age or older, able to commit approximately 9 weeks during the summer, must have participated in at least one homebuilding event, and must pass our screening process. WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR 2023

Christmas at St Innocent Orphanage

A joyous celebration of Christmas at St Innocent Orphanage

The Spirit of Christ is alive at St Innocent Orphanage during Christmas

Christmas at Project Mexico & St Innocent Orphanage 2022 (Hi-Def, 4k) In this heartwarming video and photo collage, the staff and children of Project Mexico and St Innocent Orphanage in Baja Mexico celebrate Christmas and all its blessings at the only 100% donor-supported Orthodox Orphanage in North America. Because of the efforts of our generous donors, we were able to surpass our $200,000 Annual Matching Grant goal of 2022. This will ensure that the children of St Innocent Orphanage are provided with the best care, education and support they need to be successful.

Twice as Much Good by The Alex Family

 When we first visited the Ranch as a family, we could not have anticipated the impact Project Mexico and St. Innocent Orphanage would have on our lives. The week before Christmas several years ago, we were blessed to visit the orphanage and attend Liturgy in the chapel. With the boys sitting at his feet, Father Nicholas began his sermon. Luke, his son, translated from Spanish, “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 

Father Nicholas’s next words are etched in our minds as he gestured to the boys and said, “You are the rich ones. You have food, shelter, an education, faith, and people who love you. Tomorrow, we will go to the border to feed the poor.” 

The next day, after making countless tamales, we joined the boys, staff, and Father and his family in a caravan and set off to feed the homeless near the border in Tijuana. As word of the food spread, a line formed around the block. Our group worked behind the table to serve tamales, rice, and beans. Father Nick stood in the bed of his pick-up truck and led us in Christmas carols. The experience of being part of the boys’ Christmas preparations and celebrations, for us, remains one of the most powerful examples of the amazing work happening at the orphanage every day.

The lives of the boys, but also those of the staff and volunteers, are transformed because of the generous support of donors like yourselves. The staff provides the boys with a loving, family environment and educational opportunities and/or vocational training to give them the chance to lead independent, faithful, and fulfilling adult lives. This year, seven boys are studying at universities in Mexico, a laudable goal within the reach of many of our boys. Vocational training ensures that boys have skills to sustain themselves as young adults. 

This past spring, Alejandro became the first boy from St Innocent to graduate from Hellenic College in Brookline, MA. Alejandro is a model young man for the younger boys in the program to strive to emulate. His powerful example motivates them to apply themselves to their schoolwork, but also to their care and support of one another, like brothers. 

Homebuilding returned with fervor this year, after a hiatus due to COVID. Over 400 volunteers traveled across the border to “do for others” and built sturdy, safe, weather-tight homes that provide impoverished families with previously unattainable stability and comfort. Perhaps the most touching building project was the home completed for Humberto and his family. Humberto is one of our boys, who has grown and matured into a thoughtful young man with a beautiful Orthodox family. 

This Christmas season, your gift can do twice as much good for Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage. We have received a challenge grant that will match all gifts made from now to the end of the year. This year when  you make a tax-deductible gift to Project Mexico, you’re helping to change the lives of the 26 boys who are blessed to call “the ranch” home. 

Your gift also provides inspiring opportunities for Orthodox young adults and their elders to come together in fellowship to build homes for some of Northern Mexico’s most impoverished families, supporting the vital mission work of our Church.

We hope you will join us this giving season with a gift to  Project Mexico & Saint Innocent Orphanage. Please consider making this worthy ministry among your philanthropic priorities this Christmas.

Wishing you the blessings of Christmas.

In Faith,

The Alex Family 

George, Marlena, Ginny, and Ellie

Padre's Fig Jam Now Available for Holiday Gifts

We are so thrilled to share this amazing treat with you! I have spent the last few weeks hand crafting jars of Fig Jam. Each batch of Padre's Fig Jam uses figs cultivated from our home grown fig trees. 

This small batch boutique jam is available exclusively through our online store and also from the Tienda if you happen to be on the ranch. Proceeds from the purchase of these artisanal jams directly benefit the children of St Innocent Orphanage. 

These make excellent gifts. We recommend gift wrapping them immediately otherwise you run the risk of opening and eating through your jar before you can gift it to your friends and or family!

In Christ,

Anna Cunningham

Project Mexico & St Innocent Orphanage

Now Accepting Internship Applications for 2023 Season

Every summer, many young adults participate in our Home Building summer internship program. Their primary role is to guide and facilitate our volunteer groups as they build homes for unhoused families in Northern Baja, Mexico. These passionate, caring and energetic leaders are very special and they represent shining examples of dedicated service in the eyes of our volunteers.

Interested in learning construction management, and leadership, and gaining first-hand experience in missionary work abroad?

We invite you to apply for the 2023 Summer Internship Program!

Please submit your application by December 31st!

In Christ,

Pres. Merilynn

Internship Coordinator

Project Mexico & St Innocent Orphanage

Time in Service by Nathan Liu

“Here at Project Mexico, time moves exactly the way it’s supposed to.”

A volunteer from Washington state shared the above reflection during our end-of-week debrief. He told us that his homebuilding trip to Project Mexico had been a much needed spiritual and physical reset after a challenging year. He explained that time here does not feel like an enemy. At home, we’re often anxiously waiting for the future, desperately pursuing a deadline, or fretting about the past. It is hard to simply be present.

At Project Mexico, we start the day with morning prayers followed by quiet time for personal prayer or reflection. I love those 15-20 minutes of silence. Dedicating that time to God, rather than getting ready for the day, is a wonderful little moment to focus my intentions for the day.

Another Washingtonian volunteer shared that the week at Project Mexico helped her relinquish her need to be in control. She had difficulty with feeling out of control of the schedule and not knowing what to expect from the construction. She reflected that the week taught that she would still be okay despite her lack of control.

On the homebuilding work site, we do not base our schedule off the clock. Rather, we end our workday when we complete the tasks for the day. Likewise, we do not break for lunch at a certain time; we eat when half the day’s work is complete. Learning to go with the flow of the work day has taught me patience and to take things as they come.

The volunteers’ reflections about time reminded me about how we feel during church services. If our hearts are occupied by worldly cares, the prayers seem to drag on forever. But if our hearts are prepared for worship, we forget the passage of time and feel surprised when the service ends. Time stands still, and the outside world fades away.

We can experience time, with God’s grace, as the saints do in the Kingdom. Thanks be to God for gifting that experience of time to volunteers at Project Mexico.