ORPHAN PREVENTION: Oti and her 8 kids

Oti's Family

Wow! We've been here about six weeks, and already our hearts have experienced so many emotions. Being called to love and care for the orphans and impoverished here in Mexico is both heartbreaking and rewarding. 

Here in Cancun we work with two children's homes - San Jose & Esperanza. We also partner with a government organization (DIF-CAT), where the kids - from babies to teenagers - were removed from bad/abusive home situations. As I was holding a baby there today, it broke my heart to think about what she has already been through and how sad it is that her primary care-giver is a gov't nurse. Nonetheless, this is a safe place for these kids to stay when they have no where else to go. The children's homes and the DIF-CAT are reactive responses to kids who desparately need someone to take care of them. For various reasons the parent(s) have decided that they can't or won't take care of their children.

We are also working proactively with impoverished families, with mothers who desparately want to keep their children. Think of it as orphan-prevention. (We believe, and research would support it, that the best place for a child to be is with his/her family. Ideally mom, dad and siblings.) So for the next several blog posts, we want to introduce you to Oti, who is trying to keep her family together. We will show you pictures of Oti's kids and give a little info about each. It is our hope that many of you will pray for this family and each child as you get to know them.

 Oti is a 36 yr old single mother of eight children, ages 1-15 yrs. Her husband died of AIDS about a year ago.Until last year when Back2Back (B2B) started working with them, none of the kids had gone to school, because they couldn't afford the school supplies, uniforms, etc. Needless to say, they are very far behind, but Oti loves her kids and wants to keep them together...under her roof. Despite a poor housing situation, little food, and health issues, including a protruding hernia (not sure if that's the official term), Oti isn't willing to give up.



This is where Oti would launder clothes. We're hoping
to be to able to provide a new washer and dryer for her.

Currently Oti and Ricardo, her oldest son, make a little money by selling fruit and candy on the street. But Oti has a dream. She wants to make money by starting a laundering service.We this family weekly, pray for them often and have purchased school clothes, supplies and are paying a tutor to help her kids. We've done work on her house; provided food and other needs as well.

Today Jenny the oldest daughter (11) showed me her 1st grade homework. I hugged her and told her how proud I was of her. She smiled BIG and hugged me back.

We hope the story of Oti and her kids will give you a glimpse into the lives of some of the people God called us to serve. Thanks for ALL your support. We couldn't be here helping without your involvement in our ministry.