Christ is Risen!
I hope you all had a glorious Holy Week and Pascha!
Thanks to our faithful friends and fabulous fundraisers, our first-annual Push-ups for Hope Campaign raised over $18,000 for St Innocent School! If you missed the Livestream, you can watch it here on YouTube (scroll forward to the 8:00 min mark). It was hosted by Luke Andruchow and Faeli Heise and we smashed through our goal of 1000 push-ups in an hour!
We realize the Project Mexico experience is unique. Nacho nights at the Tiendita. Spending time in communion with our fellow Orthodox Christians, praying and working together and getting to know the boys in our care. There are elements of the experience that will forever remain unique to our 16-acre ranch in Rosarito, Mexico.
Like many, COVID-19 has altered the way we operate our ministry. The US/Mexico border remains closed to non-essential personnel. Because of the risk posed to the children in our care at the Orphanage, our staff, and the local community in Rosarito, we cannot safely host large groups of homebuilders on site at this time.
While we pray for the potential of limited late summer trips to the ranch and to build for a select number of families in Rosarito, we must continue our critical work this summer. Through service and works of mercy by our dedicated interns and volunteers, we honor our commitment to our boys at St Innocent Orphanage, the food and resource-deprived and the unhoused. We must continue to fulfill our mission even in the midst of these challenges.
This year is an opportunity for our ministry to aid those affected by the crisis of the past year. It also presents an opportunity to our volunteers to make a positive difference and most importantly, for you to live out your faith by putting the gospel into action and redeem these unusual times.
For the last year, we've strived to create the best possible experience inspired by our 33 years of homebuilding. We are blessed to offer our unique spiritual programming you've come to expect in Mexico at a number of locations across the United States, including in Boston, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Texas, Florida, California and in Puerto Rico.
Additionally, by serving this summer at one of our new sites, you are directly supporting the Orphanage. Our homebuilding trips provide 40% of our annual budget for the operation of the St Innocent Orphanage and School.
We have 30 interns who have been training all Winter and Spring to serve throughout these locations from June - August. They will support your volunteer trips with our unique service-learning program. We have selected service opportunities in community outreach, humanitarian housing, and disaster recovery that you and your group can participate in close and far from home. Our programming is adapted for each location to guide each volunteer in how to Serve Christ in the Other no matter where we serve.
In Christ,
Fr. Demetrios (JP) Andrews
Executive Director
Project Mexico and St Innocent Service Works