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A House of Hope
Casa de la Esperanza is an orphanage located in Tijuana, Baja California. Casa is home to an average of 60 children and 10 workers. The primary mission of our ministry is to show the children, and those who care for them, the love of Jesus Christ through regularly scheduled visits. These visits allow us the opportunity to share Christ’s love with our consistency, playing with, holding, and engaging the children in activities, and by providing them a safe, clean and healthy home with ongoing maintenance and construction projects.It is so wonderful to build relationships with these children by visiting consistently.
Monthly Visits
Our day begins by meeting in the parking lot at Capo Beach Church. Once we are all together, we car pool for those who need a ride, and then head south. We meet again at the "Last U.S. Exit" before crossing the border, where we buy car insurance (approx. $20 day) and make a quick stop at the McDonald’s for refreshments and to regroup. Then we caravan across the border to the orphanage, which is about 15 minutes south of the border.
View Casa de la Esperanza in a larger map
As we drive through the gates of Casa and begin to see the children's little hands waving, we know we're in for a very special day.The children love visitors and are always delighted to see us.
1st Saturdays of Each Month - Construction Visit
The Construction Team meets at 6:00 am and departs at 6:10 am. The tasks are varied because most of the work required is maintenance so we are doing things from concrete work, carpentry and plumbing to painting and pumping up bicycle tires. The kids love interacting with us as we work, and the older ones like to participate and learn a new skill, but it's all about the children so we have fun while we work. If you come with the work team but someone in your family doesn't want to work, no problem, the kids love a new friend and will enjoy you playing with them.
3rd Saturdays of Each Month - Children’s Ministry Visit
The Children’s Team meets at 7:15 am and departs at 7:30 am. They arrive about 10:00 am and begin the day by unloading the food for lunch, distributing birthday presents and greeting the children. While the day is not particularly structured there is a basic pattern we follow for the day. We start with activities that might include crafts and/or games like coloring/painting, soft ball, balloon volley ball and/or jump rope. Before lunch we always sing happy birthday to the birthday children and then serve them lunch which is usually pizza, fresh fruit, drinks, and birthday cake! The rest of the day is spent with the kids. The time passes quickly and before you know it, it's time to say "Adios" and head back home.
Border Crossing into US
The lines coming back into the US can be long, but many great discussions have been had while sitting in the car with friends and volunteers who have joined us for the day. If you want to commit to joining us on a regular basis we strongly recommend a passport card for the passengers or a Sentri Pass for the vehicles, this makes crossing a breeze. Talk to us if you’re interested for more details. The passport card costs about $30, and the Sentri Pass to clear to vehicle through costs about $25 for the application and $100 for the pass. There are Sentri lanes at Otay Mesa and at the San Ysidro border crossing.