Font Resize
JUAREZ - What do a half-dozen men in their 50s and 60s do with their time on the weekend before the Christmas holiday? That's easy. They go to one of the most dangerous cities in the world - Juárez - and spend the afternoon with scores and scores of orphans, bringing a little holiday cheer to the faces of young ones affected by the drug violence.
Dr. Daniel Manuchia, Dr. Kent Richards, Juan Lucero, and Miguel Coronado, all of Las Cruces; Scott Nelson of Chicago, and myself, Jim Spiri of Albuquerque, were all encouraged to take the trek Dec. 18 and visit an orphanage in Juárez called Rescue the Multitudes.
All of us, in one way or another, were corralled by our friend Daniel to take the time and visit just a few miles south of the border where another world exists. All of us agreed at the end of the day it was the right thing to have done.
Seeing the faces of the children whose lives are directly affected by the drug violence is something that cannot be read about only. It has to be experienced and all of us who went on that short journey to Juárez are deeply moved by how simple things can bring big smiles to young faces.
Leading with your heart
For the past several years, Daniel has been helping Jorge Beltran of El Paso care for orphans who are from the streets and back alleys of Juárez. Beltran, who is originally from Juárez and now lives in El Paso, works at a small construction operation doing concrete and landscaping jobs, but has spent most of
His wife, Estelle, stands by his side quietly supporting him all along the way. The people around him call him "Pastor," but Jorge is just a simple man doing profound things. He is in his early 50s and has a very slender build. He rarely has time for anything other than going to and from El Paso and Juárez, making sure that the children are taken care of.
Not so long ago, there were only a few places he had to care for, but now the number is up to eight locations and always growing. "We have over 1,200 children that need assistance and we expect the number to continually grow as the violence in Juárez does not seem to be ending," Beltran said.
Many of the children have lost one or more parent in the violence that has wreaked havoc on Juárez, especially in the past three years, during which an it's estimated that more than 8,000 people have been murdered due to the drug violence.
When asked why he does this work for the orphans, Beltran replied, "Well, we love the kids. We want to help this city, it is where I was born. We want to help as many as we can." It is a daunting task ahead of him. Listening to this simple man give simple answers humbles anyone. Juárez is a tough place. But, as in any place across the globe, life must go on.
'Catch the vision'
Scott Nelson, who is a longtime friend of Daniel dating back to the time when both of were students at New Mexico State University in the early 1980s, made the trip this year from Chicago, where he is an agricultural teacher on the south side. Nelson, who is 53, teaches farming on 73 acres to inner city teenagers and boasts of having the largest FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter in all of Illinois.
"Daniel has encouraged me for several years to participate in helping the orphanage out. I got my students and some other friends and co-workers back in Chicago to catch the vision and together we were able to collect $2,400 for the orphanage," Nelson said. "But seeing the faces and the joy the simple presents purchased for the kids brings is worth so much more than money can buy. I'm going to try and come next year as well."
'Beautiful children'
Dr. Kent Richards, 66, is a cardiologist practicing in Las Cruces and on his first visit to the orphanage. He is also an avid photographer and was captivated by the children all day long as he was seen taking countless of photographs.
"This is a good thing to be doing on this weekend." Richards said. "I see a lot of beautiful children having a good time. It's very important that they have the chance to have more good times, and we all should do what we can to help. It's very important we care for the children to be able to build these life experiences on," Richards said.
'Whatever I can to help'
Miguel Coronado and Juan Lucero both work and live in Las Cruces, just about 50 miles northwest of Juárez. Coronado is 50 years old and Lucero is in his early 60s. Both have deep roots in the Hispanic culture and heritage. Coronado's parents were both farm workers from Mexico who raised six children in the Pacific Northwest near Walla Walla, Wash., known as the onion capital of America. Coronado has come to the orphanage on two previous years and is familiar with the mission.
When asked what he was doing on this day at the orphanage, Coronado quickly replied, "I am here with some old friends and some new ones, getting back into an appreciative mode for what we have, surrounded by people who have hardly anything. Just being here spurs me to do whatever I can to help." Coronado works in home remodeling and is an accomplished carpenter.
'The face of God'
Juan Lucero is a Las Cruces optometrist. This was his first journey to the orphanage. Lucero had heard that because of the depressed economy some orphanages were going to be closed. What he learned was that the orphanages didn't close, they just reduced the number of children, which left a lot of kids with nowhere to go.
He described the day as "one of those experiences that are peak experiences. One that brings you closer to the face of God."
When asked if he had reservations about going to Juárez, Lucero admitted he had some safety concerns but readily concluded that the way last Saturday's journey went was the way to do these type of things.
"If your heart is in the right place, you will be fine," he says. He looks forward to coming again next year.
The link: Daniel
The one who brought us all together for this trip is Daniel Manuchia. I've known Daniel for about a dozen years. He has a knack for pulling together all kinds of folks from different backgrounds into one simple project, which happens to achieve amazing results.
When asked how he pulls off this type of mission he says, "All I do is tell people what's going on and good people brave the risks and cross the river and see what's going on under the leadership of this amazing man, Jorge Beltran. I'm trying to get people aware of what Jorge is doing on basically what amounts to a shoestring budget managing 1,200 orphans."
Manuchia goes on to explain how Beltran makes sure that all the school-age children get to school and receive some type of education. He also said that along with his own brother David, who lives in Florida, they were trying to coordinate volume purchasing of necessary food items from Sysco Foods at significantly reduced rates to stretch the orphanages' food dollars as far as possible. Manuchia says that with the economy in Juárez not only suffering from global problems but with the drug violence affecting local businesses in the area, the city can hardly any help to the growing orphan problem.
Little goes long way
Manuchia said that with a few thousand dollars, Beltran was able to purchase hundreds and hundreds of bags of toys and distribute them to more than 1,000 kids. He draws on the analogy of the Bible parable "... about turning five loaves and a few fishes into feeding the multitudes, this is it right here."
After talking briefly with Daniel I had to let him go. He had several kids tugging at his arms wanting to wrestle with him on the cement playground.
He made one point very clear. "People need to know that right here in the middle of Juárez where a couple million people live and where all one hears about are drug killings, life goes on despite the violence. Real people are doing real things, like the work at this orphanage and the others."
Life goes on
And on it goes. I found myself taking scores and scores of photographs, mostly of children enjoying the day. Yet, from time to time, there was the hint of something deep behind the eyes of each child. As in any country I've been to over the decades, Mexico has its share of problems. Yes, the drug violence gets major headlines and there is no doubt that Juárez is a rough place to be.
But on the other side of the coin, life does indeed go on. There are always huge obstacles to overcome in any society and Juárez is surely no exception.
Having gone to Juárez this past Saturday, one week before the Christmas holiday, taught me much about not having to look very far for big missions taking place. As one of those half dozen men in their 50s and 60s who happened to have his arm twisted into making a journey just south of the border by my friend Daniel, I have once again found that doing just little things yields big results.
There are few I've met like Jorge Beltran, who has found much peace in caring for the multitude of orphans in Juárez, where he is originally from.
One might not think that Beltran would stand out in a crowd. But I know a crowd of orphans in Juárez that are always standing in front of him. Perhaps now, others will see the need to help carry him along the way in the mission of Rescuing the Multitudes.
For more information on how to help care for orphans in Juárez, contact Jim Spiri at: jimspiri@yahoo.com or call (505) 898-1680.
Editor's note: Combat photographer and author Jim Spiri, 55, of Albuquerque grew up in Las Cruces, along with his wife of 37 years, Candi. The two Mayfield High School graduates worked in the Middle East in war zones from 2004 to 2007. Most recently, Spiri went to Afghanistan in July and spent almost three months on the front lines with the troops.
