History and Mission
History
Esperanza para los Ninos was founded in 1991 by a North American missionary named Jeff. He started caring for the children in his small trailer. He soon realized that he could not care for them all by himself and he asked for help from others. Thus began a journey of love and devotion to children who often live in unbearable home situations. Esperanza exists to give them safe refuge and spiritual nourishment. These children have been victims of violent home situations, abuse, and homes torn apart by addictions, divorce, and abandonment. Children come to stay at Esperanza through the Mexican authorities and sometimes from their parents.
The mission of Esperanza is to care for and develope the children in their charge to become adults who will lead solid Christian lives, helping others, caring for those in need around them, and being good citizens.
The Christian staff attends to their education and builds their moral character based on good Christian values. Above all, they are in a safe place where they are given unconditional love in the spirit of Christ. The children are driven into Puerto Penasco for school every day. They attend church once a month in town, but in order to save on gas, they hold their own church service and Bible studies at Esperanza the other Sundays of the month. There are no religious requirements for these children to be cared for at the home, but their philosophy and educational outlook is Christian based.
One example of how they teach the children to “walk the walk:” Several times a year Guillmero, the director, takes the children out to some of the poorest areas, collections of shanties, near the children’s home. They take with them a large bag of beans and rice. The children are given a cup to dip into each bag and share their food with each poor family in the nearby Colonia. They are teaching the children that “no matter how poor you are,… no matter how little you have, you are to share what you have with others.” The kids share willingly and happily, and thank you for doing the same.
