We need to raise $7,000 for the house. This includes the slab, a restroom, a living room and 2 bedrooms. All gifts are tax deductible.

Donate to Anita's House

ANITA’S STORY

When Anita was in her 20’s she ended up in Zona Norte, TJ and fell into the sex worker industry. She is now in her sixties and has had a hard life. Zona Norte is an area of Tijuana that sits right up against the San Diego San Ysidro border. It is home to drug addicts, prostitutes, criminals, and refugees. It’s a part of town that no one really chooses to live, but ends up there because of addictions, poverty, personal problems, living a life of crime and more. It’s also home to Mexico Red, a ministry that is educating children who live in Zona Norte with little hope for their future. Many of them have a mom who is involved in prostitution, usually also a drug addict. Kids are left to mind themselves and/or their siblings. The chances of them being swept up into the same cycle of crime, addiction and the sex work industry is likely.

Anita had her life changed when Mexico Red came to Zona Norte. Maya, cofounder of Mexico Red shared this with me:

“I first met Anita when she began helping us feed the children breakfast burritos. When I introduced myself to her, she rolled up her sleeves and showed me her arms covered with cuts and bruises. I asked her what happened and she told me the night before she was attacked by a girl. This girl was a prostitute and Anita’s job at that time was to schedule the girls with their “clients.” The girl was angry with Anita for making her work so much and attacked her.”

Maya said when she found out what Anita’s job was, she didn’t know what to do and how to help. But Anita kept coming to serve food, and Maya began praying.

One day, the Mexico Red staff planned a day in the park, and brought along a large “tub” to see if anyone wanted to be baptized. Lo and behold, Anita chose that day to get baptized. Shortly after, she found a different job, around the corner from the Mexico Red center. She is now managing a little apartment building, and lives with her son and family. But even though her job is “different” bad things still happen where she lives. Anita wants to leave Zona Norte and give a better future for her family, especially her granddaughter.

LET’S BUILD A HOUSE!

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders build in vain” Psalm 127:1

And this is where the story gets really exciting. Several months ago, the COC team was serving on a Saturday at Mexico Red. Along with the COC Team, there was a couple from a ministry in Tijuana called Northwest Outreaches which was established in the 90’s as a house building ministry in Baja. Maya asked Aaron and Liz, and myself if we’d like to meet Anita. And when we did, we learned that Max, her son has purchased a small plot of land where they hope they can build a home and leave Zona Norte.

And so, about a month ago, Aaron from NW Outreaches, Keith and Maya, Pastor Tommy from my church in Fallbrook, and myself went to see this plot of land to find out if we thought we could help.

The plot is remote, in the hills East of Rosarita Beach. It has no infrastructure. It’s a plot of land among others that will be full of houses in the future. Every plot has been sold. Eventually, the Mexican government will provide the infrastructure, but the beginnings will be rustic. Aaron had already visited the plot with Anita and Max, so they know exactly what they have. I asked Aaron, “are they excited about moving her?” (I thought to my American self, I could never imagine living here – no electricity, no running water, no heat or a/c) But Aaron told me, “THEY ARE SO EXCITED?” For them, to be away from Zona Norte, where it’s dangerous and scary, this feels like freedom and hope.

Even the road to get the land is rustic. DIRT. Max will need to find a job in the local town which is a couple miles away. They don’t have a car, so he will need to bicycle or walk. But this is still FREEDOM for this family.

YOU CAN BE A PART OF ANITA’S STORY!

We need to raise $7,000 for the house. This includes the slab, a restroom, a living room and 2 bedrooms. All gifts are tax deductible.

Donate to Anita's House

We also need about 15 people to join the team. Of the 15, we need 5 to be skilled in some basic construction things like driving nail for framing. There will also be painting and lots of things for unskilled folks. We will leave Sunday from the Fallbrook area around noon. Then Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be construction days. Thursday we will do some kind of outreach in the morning and a house dedication with Ana and her family Thursday afternoon.

Dates: July 6-10, 2025

Team Member Cost: $125 -includes meals, lodging, T-shirt, transportation in Mexico. Does not include medical insurance (Add $30 if you want Circle to purchase you volunteer emergency insurance)

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BUILD A HOUSE?

Ahead of our July dates, Northwest Outreaches will have poured a slab, and built a restroom. Our work will be the framing, roofing and finishing of the 2 bedroom + living room home. We are not doing any electrical or plumbing as there is no infrastructure to the land. Eventually the Mexican government will bring these things as more land is developed

The team can be up to 15 people, with a need for 5 skilled in driving nails and construction. The rest can paint, and do other needed things. The house will be built Monday-Wed and on Thursday will be dedicated with the family present. If the son can get work off, he may build with the team.

WHERE WILL THE TEAM STAY?

We will stay at Northwest Outreaches base, and they will handle our transportation, meals and lodging. I saw the base and it's very clean and safe, fully fenced in. Aaron, his wife Liz and two boys live there now. They are originally from Portland. Super sweet family.

The base is about a 25 minute drive south of the Otay Mesa Border. We hope to carpool and Northwest Outreaches will assist as much as possible with their 15 passenger van.

The dorm rooms have bunks and each person will need to bring their own bedding or sleeping bag and pillow. There is no air conditioning, but each room does have a fan. There are flush toilets and showers with hot water please bring your own towels.

Aaron and Liz will provide meals for us and give you a taste of Mexico, however they can also accommodate most food restrictions people may have. The tap water is not drinkable; they will provide plenty of drinking water in five gallon jugs during your time here.

CHOOSE TO BE PART ANITA’S STORY

2025 House for Anita