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

Pascha Gratitude Video

Thank you to our generous friends and supporters for a wonderful Pascha!

Check out the video above to see how we celebrated Pascha!

Summer Home Building Options

Homebuilding is essential to the operation of our ministry. 

Did you know?

• Homebuilding provides over 30% of our operating budget for our organization

• Homebuilding supports our Orphanage's ability to house, raise and educate our boys

• Homebuilding provides a safe and secure living for 20-25 families every summer for the past 32 years

• Each home gives a family the means to live safely and thrive, educate their children and better their lives

In the event of the following circumstances here are a few options:

Delayed Season: Groups can shift to build weeks later in the summer at a date of your choosing and this includes flexible dates if our weeks on the schedule don’t work for your group

Border Closure: Alternate trips throughout the United States including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are available and we have published these on St. Innocent Service Works (www.sisw.managedmissions.com/OurTrips)

Travel: Deploy to a local site for your group to participate in a regional or local ministry closer to home in partnership with our partner orthodox ministries throughout the country

Physical Distancing: Our interns will establish local contacts in your area to assist with local homeless and homebound food delivery and outreach.  (Yes, your group could work at a soup kitchen preparing boxed lunches or delivering meals to those in need, which can be done in social distancing, with contactless delivery as social services are exempted under most stay at home orders.)

Voucher: Volunteer homebuilding trip later in the summer, fall, winter, spring break, or summer 2021.

Summer 2021: Launches May 1, 2020 with priority to rescheduled groups (reapply your group’s fundraising towards summer 2021 deposits and trip payments)

Charitable Donation: Meet your fundraising goals and dedicate it to the orphanage’s sustained operations

Financial Hardship Refund: Case-by-case, please contact Fr. Demetrios

Finally, you are our most generous supporters! Each volunteer contributes as much as our average donor, despite their young age, because of all of the hard work of our group leaders in organizing and fundraising!  We expect over 500 volunteers this summer.  We humbly ask that even if you don’t plan to join us this summer, that you use your group’s fundraising links to continue supporting St. Innocent Orphanage’s continued operations. 

If you and your group members can hold virtual fundraisers, and continue to send out requests for support for our Orphanage, our 500 volunteers can reach more than 5,000 or more people to help us support our ministry and continue our mission even during these trying times.  

Since we can no longer meet in a parish setting you may use the crowdfunding links in your profiles that are dedicated to your group’s trip! You can ask your priest to mention your home building trip fundraiser after liturgy, or during virtual coffee hour, weekly bible study, or a specially scheduled digital presentation by your group to the parish!

We will stay in close communication with you as the summer schedule develops.

Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos and St. Haralambos, we pray that the Lord of the Harvest deliver us from this blight, for truly the harvest is plentiful,

Fr. Demetrios

Executive Director 

Stories of Hope: A Project Mexico Podcast Episode 2

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

Episode 2

In this episode, we talk with Fr. Jacob Saylor from Scottsdale Arizona about his history with taking groups down to St. Innocent Orphanage for the past 8 years, how it has impacted his life, and why it is so important for the youth of orthodoxy to come down year after year.

Building a Home During COVID-19

Spring Break Miracle

Our Work Continues

With great hope, we share this update on Rosalba and Maximan’s home build in Rosarito! Due to the travel and border restrictions from the COVID-19 Pandemic our plans to construct a house with Real Break was canceled. However, volunteer coordinator, Oliver Fahling, his brother and several of our older boys from St. Innocent teamed up to complete the build. It was blessed by Fr. Nicholas last Saturday! The family got along great with the boys and shared many laughs together. 

This met a HUGE need for Maximan, who was recently laid off of work for the month of April because of the Coronavirus. In Mexico, we are witnessing firsthand how those who are already in economic hardship are finding it even harder to put food on the table. Maximan has found temporary work as a gardener to make enough to feed his family. Glory to God! But we ask that you fervently pray for the impoverished around the world who will struggle with even more hardships in the coming weeks. 

️Let us continue to find ways of mercy and prayer, as each of us is able, in order to bring hope to those around us!

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.