Tijuana Ministry Update – July 2021
St. Simon Parish has traveled with the Tijuana Ministry immersion mission program for ten years. About 350 members from our parish, along with others throughout our Diocese, have traveled to the La Morita area on the far outskirts of Tijuana where we encounter, serve, and work with the poorest of the poor. We build houses, provide a summer camp for about 200 children each year, and serve teens and mothers in programs designed to help them come together as a community. Due to COVID and the restrictions placed on traveling, especially across the border, we had to cancel travel plans in the summer of 2020 and again we have cancelled the mission for 2021. We hope to be able to travel by the summer of 2022.
We travel to Tijuana to fulfill our mission to foster friendship and spiritual growth by reaching across borders to bring God’s people together. By putting our faith into action, we build lasting and vibrant communities in collaboration with BASICS (Brothers and Sisters in Community Service), and the Oblate Missions of Maria Inmaculada Parish in the La Morita area of Tijuana. We are called to serve because of the overwhelming need for help and the few organizations serving the people in the area. Tijuana gives us an up-close experience of the global issues faced by the poor living just 20 miles across our southern border. We do not get a global perspective for solving issues of justice for the poor if we only address our local community needs. We provide travelers with opportunities for education, immersion and commitment to promote human dignity.
As we did in the summer of 2020, the Tijuana Ministry will be overseeing home builds this fall, “remotely”. Working with friends in Tijuana who will perform the hands-on construction, we here locally are planning for the materials and funding to build a minimum of 2, hopefully 3 houses over the next few months. The parish in Tijuana suffered a devastating loss by fire of one of their remote chapels. The Oblates have rebuilt the Chapel and have asked for our support to build a small home for the caretaker who provides security for the property. In addition, we hope to build at least two more houses for families we met in early 2020. Both of these single mothers are in need of better housing conditions for their children.
Single mother, Maria Del Sagrario Munguia has two children Alexa, age 7, and Gabriela, age 9.
Maria’s house is in very poor shape due to water damage. When it rains the water runs through the tiny one room house. There is mold in the walls, and the house is deteriorating badly. The youngest daughter, Alexa, has an epileptic disorder and is seeing a neurologist for seizures and attention deficit. It takes a full day to travel to doctor visits. Maria works at a recycling center as a cashier and makes the equivalent of about $50.00 per week. She works long days so the grandmother watches the children after school. We hope to build this family a new house Fall, 2021.
Susana Ibarra Fajardo, is a single mom with two sons, Angelo Ibarra, age 9, and Christian Ibarra, age 7.
Susana has been homeless for quite a few years. She received this property from her sister but has not been able to afford to build a home for her boys. She works 12 hour shifts at a medical equipment factory and makes about $75 a week. She and her boys live with her parents now, but there are 10 people in the small house and it is inappropriate for the children. The three of them have 1 bed that they share and a dresser for their clothes. The father does not support the family. The grandmother watches the children while Susana is working. If we raise the funds we hope this will be one of our projects for Fall, 2021.
This is a sample of the standard house we build in Tijuana. It is 16’ x 32’ and includes 3 bedrooms, a bathroom with flushing toilet and shower, and a living room. Each house costs about $9,000 to build. When we travel on our mission trips we usually have two or three construction teams, made up of travelers from parishes in our Diocese. It takes about 2 ½ days to complete one house and we build simultaneously so that we are able to complete 3-4 houses in a week.
We are grateful for the support we receive from members of the St. Simon Parish Community and hope that if you haven’t been on a mission trip yet that you will think about joining us in 2022. Each of us can participate in the Tijuana Ministry mission trip, some by traveling, all by praying for the success of our mission and for the people whom we serve. Please join in our Tijuana Ministry prayer. For more information please enjoy this video, or contact Joan Mibach, jmibach@stsimon.org.
Lord Jesus, Carpenter and Healer,
We ask that you look upon the multitudes in Tijuana who have too little to eat,
Have too little shelter, and
Struggle each day to find work and ways to care for their family.
We pray for the sick who have little resources to be healed.
We ask you to guide us and open our eyes and hearts to their plight.
Help us to hear their voices and learn from their faith and wisdom.
Show us how we can help.
In your name we pray. Amen