As some of you may have heard, the new archbishop who oversees the nuns who work at the orphanage in Guaymas decided to close the home as they are consolidating their staff. The nuns are being reassigned to work at an orphanage in Mazatlan and they will be taking the beds and other supplies with them to that orphanage. The nuns reached out to the Sonora state agency that oversees these kids (DIF) and already has plans to relocate their children to other homes. This was a very unexpected change and we have been assured that there is nothing about the effectiveness of the home or their funding that led to this decision. Because the nuns are assigned where they go, there really is nothing they can do to keep the orphanage open and they also want to show support to their archbishop. Despite our best efforts, they strongly resisted our offers to communicate directly with him to ask him to reconsider or delay. 

So, we still have limited information, but about half of the children will be moved to new homes by DIF starting this week. Right now the nuns are working with DIF to take the rest of the children with them to Mazatlan.  Our Director in Baja, Erendira, will be communicating with DIF and following up on the situation for those children and initiating contact with the orphanages where the children may be placed. The land and buildings will revert back to the local government (it is Ejido land – you can learn more about that on Wikipedia) who the nuns have already met with. Those over the Ejido have shared their intention that they will be reaching out to other orphanages in the area to see if they may be interested in the facility for their children. SO, big changes that are surprising, frustrating, and quite challenging. We have no idea which orphanage may be moving into the existing facility or when, so there is a lot up in the air and I’m sorry that we can’t provide more information yet. 

Erendira has made contact with DIF in Sonora and within a short period of time they will let us know where the various children have been placed and we will then be making contact with those orphanage directors to reconnect with the kids and explore expansion with new homes there. Erendira will be providing us more updates as she gets them. We do not know yet whether we will be offering additional support to the orphanage in Mazatlan where the nuns will be moving or how soon we may expand efforts to connect with additional orphanages in the Guaymas area. Establishing new relationships can take time and we aren’t sure how soon we may be offering trips in the area again. I will be reaching out to each of you who are donating funds monthly to this specific home to discuss how you may want to continue supporting the children in their new home or if you would like to change your focus.