One of the great joys of my life as a parishioner at St. Michael’s by-the-Sea has been my experiences visiting the children at Vida Joven de México. Since 2016, we as a parish have been proudly serving the orphanage, which provides a loving home for abandoned and abused children in Tijuana, Mexico. Vida Joven is genuinely a life-changing place where desperate kids are cherished and empowered.
While St. Michael’s consistently supports Vida Joven through prayer and donations, perhaps the most significant shared impact is to be found in our visits to the orphanage. Over the past few years, my family and I have had the great pleasure of visiting the kids several times, and during these repeated visits, we have had the opportunity to witness amazing transformations. We have seen sweet Diana grow from a shy and timid little sister into a role model for her siblings and peers. We have witnessed abandoned children welcomed into a loving and vibrant home.
The orphanage, currently home to 25 children, is located in an industrial area of Tijuana. The current location is cramped and has a tiny courtyard for safe outdoor play. For the past year, the organization has been researching and exploring moving the orphanage to a new location. Praise to God, they have found a site and are in the process of raising funds to build the new orphanage.
The next visit to Vida Joven will take place on Saturday, October 13th. There are five seats remaining on the bus, and I hope you will join the group! We meet at a church in Chula Vista in the morning and travel south together in a van provided by Vida Joven. The orphanage is a short 10-15 minute drive once we cross the border into Mexico. We spend a couple of hours with the children before returning home. The only things you need are a valid passport, a lunch for our return trip, some patience crossing back into the US, and room in your heart. Come to meet Diana, Jeffry, Karla, and Daniel. Let their hope be a light unto your faith. Please reach out to me at vidajoven@stmbts.org with any questions you may have about the trip or to sign up.
Thank you for supporting Vida Joven, and I look forward to sharing churros and stories of our visits together for many years to come!
Written by parishioner, Wendy Belt.
