Mexican food funds a Mexican journey

South of the border cuisine was the fare at a fund-raising dinner to provide travel expenses for a mission group who will go to Mexico in a few weeks.Three Sisters Fellowship has sent a group to Mexico several times over the last few years to assist at an orphanage located near Tijuana.

This year's trip will be the first time in two years that the church has sent a group to the orphanage; last year they were not able to make the trip.

"Two years ago we had 36 who went, and there were 25 students and 11 adults," said Reverend Joe Cockrum, the youth pastor at Three Sisters Fellowship, who has been at the church for about five years.

The destination of the mission is just across the border in Mexico.

"We are going down to an orphanage called 'Rancho desus Niños,' which means 'Ranch of His Children.' Steve and Cathy Horner are the founders, and they have an absolutely amazing facility," said Reverend Cockrum.

The orphanage has grown over the years and is now expanding into other areas of help.

"The orphanage has between 40 and 50 full-time kids that are orphans from Mexico, and they have started a day care facility, as well. They are also building a hospice center for the elderly who have a lot of needs in that area," said Reverend Cockrum.

The idea for the addition of the day care facility was born of a local tragedy.

"The ranch is 13 miles southeast of Tijuana, and day care started out of a building that burned down next to one of the schools that they have in Tijuana. A single mom had to lock her kids in while she went to work in the factories that are located along the border," said Reverend Cockrum.

One of the founders of the orphanage, Steve Horner, saw that they could help, according to Reverend Cockrum.

"Steve said that we need to do something about this, and so they started busing the kids in at 5:30 to 6 in the morning and then busing them home so that the moms can work and not have to worry about their children," he said.

The delicious smells of Mexico floated throughout the air during the fund-raiser, as hungry crowds descended on the buffet - but the pleasure was all for a good cause.

"We are raising money to offset the cost of transportation down there. In the years past we haven't done that so that the money that it costs for the trip came out of the money that we were using to assist their project," said Reverend Cockrum.

The planning for this year was ambitious, and everything appeared to be on track.

"This year we decided to raise funds to cover the cost of the trip, which will cost us about $3,000 dollars. We are hoping to raise about $4,000 so that we will be able to leave a good love offering to help them. We will give them everything in excess of what it costs us to travel there and back," said Reverend Cockrum.

"We are leaving the day after Easter and will come back on April 1. We will be gone eight days in total. We will be taking 11 students and six adults."