Since 1987, The Mission has celebrated 33 Christmases in Mexico. Now, we have the pleasure of celebrating in Romania as well! 

At the Mexico campus, there have been countless Christmas parties, piñatas and birthday cakes for Jesus. After our Christmas talent show, put on by the kids, and the tamale family dinner, new Christmas pajamas are handed out as very excited kids get put to bed to the promise of only one more sleep until Christmas morning. 

We have not been in Romania for as long, so we are in the exciting and fun stage of introducing traditions there as well. This year, we will be hosting a big family Christmas dinner with all of the kids and their parents!

“I had never experienced a Christmas morning, until I came to The Mission with my siblings when I was twelve years old. Seeing the room full of presents and lots of kid’s faces lighting up, was something I will never forget. Tangible love was in the room.  When I was 19 years old, I became house mom in that same house I grew up in. I wanted the girls to experience what I did that first Christmas. Celebrating Christmas each year at The Mission is so full of love, joy and family. To this day, I am still in contact with a few of the families who sponsored me as a young girl. We write each other and they have continued to send me gifts each year.” - Susana, Youth Pastor, Mexico base. 

Anyone can partner with us in making Christmas special for our kids. Whether you are a current sponsor or simply would like to join in on the fun, we would so appreciate your partnership! 

It was the summer of 2017, God had been speaking to us about serving in Romania for almost two years. The process of purchasing our 85,000+ square foot building was a miraculous adventure with the Lord; our first day in the new facility was in the spring of 2018. 

While we were purchasing the building and remodeling part of the first floor, our team still wanted to serve the kids we’d come to Romania for. They were the “why” behind it all. With that, we decided to rent a small house in the middle of one of the most impoverished Roma [Gypsy] villages in the area. It had dirt floors, a small wood stove for heat and one semi functioning window. Despite the conditions and the challenge of navigating a completely different culture, our team put into practice the many parenting tools we have gathered over the past 32 years. We knew how to care for at-risk children and began with the basics.

One of the first things we realized was that the communities we wanted to serve in Romania, mostly Roma villages, spoke a language of violence.  In their nation, they were considered outcasts. Throughout the early history of Romania, the Roma people were enslaved; it wasn’t until 1856 that they were freed. The affects of hundreds of years of oppression are still very much present in their day to day lives; leaving them marginalized and under-resourced. This left the family structure shattered and undefined. Within the villages, violence was used in place of words. Education was a privilege that paled in comparison to the need to survive. These were the children we were saying yes to. 

In that little house, we began falling in love with the Roma children. Most of them were not enrolled in school and spent their day with us. We played with and fed them. The language barrier being ever present. The parenting tools we’d accumulated over the past 32 years came into practice but were not easily embraced by these children who were most often left to care for themselves. The consistency we brought, in that little house, began to build their trust for us.

Today those same children, with quite a few more added to the group, are completely unrecognizable. In the moment it isn’t always easy to believe that your consistency and perseverance are making a difference; but looking back you can see the mountains of change behind you.

Each day we see enormous growth compared to our “little house” days. Just last month we hosted our very first kindergarten graduation. It isn’t easy to describe how massive of a moment that was for us.

The kids were incredibly excited and proud of themselves; but not only that, their parents attended. That alone speaks volumes to the hard work of our team. These are the parents from those heavily oppressed villages who are raised to believe that violence works better than words and that education wasn’t attainable or needed. They were beaming. It was such a big step towards gaining more trust with the parents and in turn, towards our dream to restore not only children but their entire family. This is why we do what we do. 

It was 2004, Carmen was five years old, when she, her six other siblings and mother were living underneath a gazebo in a public park in Tijuana Mexico. At just five years old, she was dreaming of becoming a math teacher. Twelve years later, Carmen has just graduated from our three year School of Missions and has begun working in the on-site jr high and high school; teaching children who have similar stories to hers. She has plans to attend university part time, while continuing to work at The Mission. Her younger siblings are still living at and growing up in our orphanage; each of them thriving. 

Back in 2004, to avoid the domestic violence and abuse at home, their biological mother and all of the kids found themselves trying to survive while living in a public park.  Their mother was unable to keep a steady job and Carmen says it was up to her to care for, feed and protect her siblings. Over the next few years, Carmen and her siblings were in and out of social services holding centers. Carmen says that her siblings are her strength and inspiration to keep going. In 2008, through some of The Mission’s staff members, Carmen and her siblings came to our local church. They began attending regularly and built a relationship with our team. Shortly after that, they moved on campus and into our orphanage. Carmen says she specifically remembers who from The Mission team, welcomed her that day. That was the beginning of her process of redefining family. 

All seven of the siblings were born prematurely. Carmen remembers the day her younger brother, Edwin was born. It was so quick that a policemen ended up catching him; their biological mother was working, selling newspapers on the sidewalk, when it happened. He had health complications that affected his feet and legs and was unable to walk until having a surgery at five years old. Even still, walking was a difficult task and running was impossible. One day, some of The Mission staff prayed for Edwin’s feet and legs; we watched God heal him before our eyes! Edwin ran around campus and to this day is a living, breathing testimony of the Lord’s faithfulness. 

We are incredibly grateful to Carmen for letting us become her family and trusting us to love and care for her and her siblings. Throughout her life she has had very clear visions and dreams from God, that have guided her to the confidence she exudes today. It was, and still is, truly an honor to have each of them in The Mission family.

For quite a few months now, the world has been experiencing an unprecedented season of quarantine. Our prayers are with all of those affected by COVID-19. The Mission, in both Mexico and Romania, have been following the respective governments' guidelines in order to keep our communities, kids and staff safe. Because of this, we have not hosted a mission trip since February. You can read more about how that has affected the ministry here.

For the first time in 32 years, we did not have any of you join us for a summer trip! We have sincerely missed your partnership and the momentum that each of you bring to our work in the nations. In this time, we have been intentionally focusing on areas like infrastructure, administration and of course, continuing to care for all of our incredible kids. Keep an eye out for a new way you can partner with us and advocate for our kids, from afar!

Currently, both Romania and Mexico are still closed to non essential travel. Until that is lifted, we will not be hosting any missions trips. With that being said, we are accepting bookings for 2021 and would love to help you with that. If you would like to start planning your next trip with us, please don't hesitate to reach out to our team at groups@themissioninc.org.

We are praying that you and your family are safe and healthy.

_______________
The Mission Team

Delia is 12 years old and has been part of our 12-hour care program in Romania since 2018. On one of the very first scouting trips our team took to Romania, they met Delia in one of the Roma [Gypsy] villages outside of town. As the team walked through the village, asking God what He wanted to do in Romania, Delia followed. She was very hungry for affection and attention; Delia never left their side that day in 2016. 

The village where Delia lives with her parents and older siblings is called Sapte Noiembrie; it is extremely impoverished.  As soon as we opened up the 12-hour care program, after the scouting trip in 2016, Delia joined The Mission family. Even before we officially opened, she would often come to the facility just to see what was happening. Now, she is with us every weekday and even joins us for church, on her own, where she volunteers in the children’s church classes. That is where we have seen her come alive! Delia has a true gift for teaching and is brilliant with younger children. We are honored that God coordinated that day in 2016, just to make sure that Delia got to be part of The Mission family in Romania and experience His love through us. Together, we are dreaming with Delia for her future and cannot wait for the day that we get to see her graduate university and become the teacher that she is dreaming of being. Partner with us by sponsoring Delia or a child like her, today.

In Mexico, our incredible education team orchestrated a pop-up graduation for our 90 students that were graduating from preschool, elementary, jr high and high school! It was our biggest graduating class yet! Although we couldn’t host a graduation on-site, we are so thankful to have been able to love them in this way. Five of our high school graduates, three of whom grew up in our orphan-care program, have even decided to continue on and join our School of Missions! They will be starting classes this September; we are immensely proud and cannot wait to see how God moves through each of their lives.

CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITIES

At The Mission campuses in both Romania and Mexico, we have over 450 children enrolled in K-12th grade and our family care programs. Our family care program, at the Mexico campus, was opened in 1991. The elementary, jr high and high school opened later in the following years. That journey began after seeing a massive need in the communities surrounding our campus in Tijuana, Mexico; childcare was expensive and out of reach for most families. Along with that, most families needed two incomes which meant that both parents were working. After looking into it, The Mission team found that many teenagers dropped out of school to stay home and take care of younger siblings.

As of 2018, we are honored to be not only serving families in Mexico but also in Romania. We do this through providing a safe place for kids while their parents are working! Due to COVID-19, we have been unable to gather children enrolled in 12- hour care programs, on campus, in either Mexico or Romania. Since March, our team has been making sure all of those children are still being cared for through regular social work visits. During those visits we determine how to love and serve their families during this time of quarantine. For the families with two working parents, who are unable to cease working, The Mission team has provided in-home childcare.

Normally, those kids would be with us from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. While with us they would get two meals, education and take part in our after school program. Because of that, we have been delivering food to families each week. Since then, several families have shared with us testimonies of God’s provision during this time. A couple of families who said they did not necessarily need the food donation, were giving it away to others in their neighborhood. They shared that ever since then, they have seen God’s faithful hand of provision increase even more in their lives. Please continue to pray with us for the abolishment of the virus and the safety of our kids and team. Thank you for partnering with us!

I was 17 years old when I moved to Tijuana, Mexico to serve The Mission. For the first several months I didn’t have a specific role; I did whatever needed to be done. That included anything from picking up garbage to cleaning outhouses. Eventually I became the primary care-giver of 22 girls in the orphanage. I cared for them five days a week, for 24 hours a day. Since I was ten years old, I had dreamt of having an orphanage that would love kids unto their complete healing. When I finally had the opportunity to take a step towards that dream, I felt unequipped. I decided to dig in; my “yes” to those girls and to my dream was strong. I learned that in the midst of feeling unequipped, God will equip you with all that you need. It was a challenging season but it is only because of my continual “yes” to those 22 girls, that I am where I am today.

Looking back, I can see that it wasn’t just one “yes” to taking care of them. Each time one of them woke me in the middle of the night or threw a fit, I got to say “yes” all over again. One day, when I felt particularly overwhelmed, I heard God say that consistency is what I could bring to The Mission and to my girls. Consistency in my “yes” to serving Him and my “yes” to caring for them.

When you say “yes” to partnering with God, it isn’t a one and done sort of thing; He requires all of you. All of your life, time, finances, dreams, relationships...the list goes on. Every time you are confronted with a challenge, you are also confronted with an opportunity to surrender to Him once again as you say “yes” to leaning on His strength and not your own. The fruits of that season were not only the skills I acquired but the lives that were transformed around me. Because of my “yes” and consistency, I have Sheyla. She and her two sisters [three to six years old] arrived in 1995. They were brought by their biological mother because she did not have the means to care for them.

[Sheyla, her husband and son]

When they arrived, the girls’ hair was so unkept that they had dreadlocks full of lice and feces, along with open sores on their scalp from untreated ringworm. They were incredibly malnourished and ready for family. I specifically remember getting to give them their first bath. As I washed the caked-on-dirt off of their bodies, cut their hair, picked out lice, gave them clean clothes and care bears; I knew that they were mine. This was what my strong “yes” and consistency could bring. I was their house mom for one year and then eventually began overseeing the entire orphanage program. In 2008, I began leading The Mission as a whole, alongside my husband. Sheyla and her siblings were with us for many years; well into their teenage years.

Each of them were flower girls in my wedding. Now, 25 years later, Sheyla’s step daughter is in the high school and I get to snuggle her baby boy at church; we are still in relationship.

The consistent “yes” that I gave to those girls 25 years ago, not only transformed me but transformed them as well. I got to love them when their biological mother couldn’t. When Sheyla came to enroll her step daughter in the school, she proudly walked around our campus telling her, “This is where I grew up.” That is something we are extremely proud of. Our team has created a home and family for children, not an institution that they are ashamed of. What a beautiful experience it was to see the girl I first met in 1995, when she had dreadlocks full of lice, now married with three beautiful children. Not only that, but she was proud to call The Mission home and us her family. That is what my consistent “yes” was for. At times, it can feel that what you are doing isn’t “significant” but if you stay the course you will get to see the fruit of your labor and the manifestation of your dream. You get to see your Sheyla, 25 years later.

Genea Horner
Senior Leader of The Mission

Genea has been serving The Mission full-time since she was 17 years old. She is now co-leading the ministry with her husband, Jimmy. To see more stories like Sheyla’s, follow Genea and The Mission on social media @geneamarie and @themissionorg.

We pray this finds you well! Just last month, we shared that The Mission was facing an immediate loss of $150,000 due to missions trips being cancelled because of the precautionary measures being taken against COVID-19. Since then $186,473 has been given to The Mission’s COVID-19 Aid Fund! Thank you for your incredible generosity! Because of it, we are now covered financially through May 30th. Our team is overwhelmed by the swiftness of your response and filled with hope as we continue to work in the nations. Currently, all groups have cancelled through May 30th. As none of us know how long this season will last, we will keep you updated on how COVID-19 is affecting The Mission’s finances as we head into summer; what would be our busiest “missions trip” season. Each of your donations truly makes a difference. Thank you for being part of The Mission Family!

The Mission has not and will not cease any of the programs we currently have to care for children in the nations; although that does look different now. Each day we have the privilege of caring for 595 children, in different ways. Whether a child was part of a 12-hour care or 24-hour care program, our team is doing an incredible job with continuing to care for them in ways that honor what our government is asking of us. At the Mexico campus, although schools have been shut down, our team has put together an online program for the over 300 children enrolled in grades K-12. For any families that cannot access the internet, we are delivering schoolwork to their homes. In-home childcare has been provided for the families whose parents are unable to cease working. 

In both Romania and Mexico, we are providing social care visits to the families who are not part of our 24-hour-care, as well as food delivery when needed.

Our orphan-care team is doing an incredible job of coming up with creative and fun activities for all of our 24-hour-care, kids! From beginning garden projects, to crafts and even a few special cooking classes. Please continue to pray for our team as we navigate this season!

Like we have said before, although missions trips have ceased during this time, the need for “missions” hasn’t. We at The Mission are continuing to faithfully provide for all of the children who call us family. We are declaring, daily, for supernatural protection over all of our campuses; all while taking the precautionary measures our governments have asked of us. 

We wanted to reach out to you personally, in response to COVID-19 and The Mission. Our entire team is praying for a quick abolishment of the virus and the safety of those most at risk. As we are sure you have been experiencing, these are unprecedented times. First of all, thank you for your incredible faithfulness in choosing to partner with us; whether that be through donations, child sponsorship or joining us for missions trips. It all makes a difference. As you can imagine we, along with countless other organizations, are being deeply impacted by the preventative measures being requested by governments. When a global crisis like this presents itself, “missions” doesn’t end although missions trips generally do. Because of that, unfortunately, one of our main sources of income ends as a result. Multiple trips, along with the Jesus Culture Missions trip scheduled later this month, have been cancelled or postponed in the past few weeks. These are incredibly difficult conversations to navigate. It is a balance that can only be lead by the Holy Spirit, as we lean on God and say no to fear; all while using common sense to keep one another safe and honoring what our governments are asking of us. Because of multiple trip cancelations that have happened in the past few weeks, we at The Mission are faced with over $150,000 in immediate lost revenue. Our hope in sending you this letter, is to be fully transparent with the repercussions that this will have on The Mission. As you probably know, the prices visiting missions teams pay goes a lot further than just the meals, ministry and work project supplies they would be participating in. A large percentage of that income is how we cover the cost of the many programs we have that feed, educate and care for children, daily. Currently, The Mission cares for 595 children on a daily basis through orphan-care, education programs, feeding programs and more. That being said, we are asking you to join with us in prayer for an end to COVID-19 as well as for supernatural provision of that $150,000 and even more as we prepare for further trip cancelations.  If you feel lead to partner with us in the midst of this, we would be extremely grateful. You can do that by making a donation to help offset the unintended effects of so many recent cancelations. You may do so by following the directions below.

Over the past 32 years, we have experienced many times of need as a ministry; God has never failed to provide and meet us there. We know this will be no different and are eagerly awaiting to see what provision looks like this time. God bless you as you navigate this season in faithfulness and thank you again for all that you do; we are extremely grateful for your partnership in both prayer and finance. As a team, we are declaring the supernatural abolishment of the virus and can’t help but feel that this month especially, as we celebrate His resurrection, is the perfect time to see that.

Loving Him, 

Genea & Jimmy Horner
Senior Leaders of The Mission

*The financial amounts are being updated live.

REDEFINING FAMILY

About 12 years ago, the Lord began re-defining “family” within our team. For over 30 years we have been welcoming children into The Mission family and everyday, through the privilege of loving them, we get to dive deeper into His heart for what family should look like. 

We wholeheartedly believe that God desires to bring a fresh revival to the nations through family. Within the Kingdom, family is so much more than biological ties; it is the body of Christ. There is no separation between the over 500 children in our programs, our immediate families, the visiting missions teams we host and our church congregations. Together, we are one big, beautiful and diverse family! We have seen God bring the healing that only He can, the moment our kids understand that there is not a single thing they could do that would put them outside of our family.

Although our journey of re-defining family with God began over ten years ago, just last year, He highlighted a new part of His heart; how to be a catalyst for restoration. John 17:22 says, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.”

In the past six months we have seen a fresh wave of restoration in families through the laying down of unresolved issues and simply loving one another. One of our staff members had not been part of family gatherings for over 20 years because of unresolved issues. In December, they celebrated Christmas with their whole family!

Within churches, we are seeing restoration between estranged members. God is healing disappointment, unmet expectations, misunderstanding and offense as they embrace the opportunity to do family well; even when they feel misunderstood. 

Along with all of that, several young adults who grew up in our orphanage in Mexico, reached out and asked for reconnection with our family. Each of them had left as soon as they turned 18, wanting to explore the world without family input. What a joy it was to say that they always had a place, even when they were gone.

We believe this is something God longs to see throughout the entire world. Our team is passionately pursuing an “orphan-less world” and know that will only be accomplished when the entire church embraces the true meaning of family. If you have recently experienced breakthrough in this area, we’d love to hear your story! Share with us by replying to this email.

RESTORATION THROUGH FAMILY 

“Yesenia is kind, smart, aware, insightful and a thinker. You can usually find her sitting back to observe and assess any given situation. She is thoughtful. When child protective services brought Yesenia to our Mexico base she did just that; assessed us. You see, Yesenia had been a witness to extreme violence and physical abuse, all from males toward females. This was before she’d been taken out of an unsafe living environment and placed in a different orphanage, where she experienced more of the same. The lesson she learned was straight forward; females are vulnerable and males are bad. When Yesenia was placed with us, she sat back and observed. But she also asked frank questions like, ‘Will you hit me?’ and ‘If I steal food, will you hit me?’

Yesenia’s story is not new to me. I’ve been hearing stories like hers for decades in Mexico, Romania and other countries I have visited. The pain and weight of their stories could become unbearable; too much to know or process. BUT, what can’t He do? What pain, hurt and memory, can’t He heal? 

Yes, it is true: NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD. I keep the testimonies of what He has done hidden in my heart; there are so many. I could talk for hours about the restored hearts and souls I’ve seen Him care for. Hours and hours. Those testimonies feed me HOPE. I have a deep, abiding hope that believes God can and will make all things new.

When Yesenia arrived at our Mexico base she had already decided that being a girl made her vulnerable to abuse and that men were to be feared. Because of that, she also decided that the safest thing was to be a boy. So, Yesenia dressed like a boy and acted like what she thought a boy would act like; all the while still observing our beautiful team and family. Slowly she came to the realization that men were actually kind, funny, safe and could be trusted. She noticed that the leaders, teachers and care-givers all worked easily together. They hugged, laughed and cried together. 

No one was hitting anyone; no abuse was happening. Through seeing that, Yesenia decided being a girl was possible and began embracing her femininity. 

Yesenia’s story of restoration is a testimony to family. We all played a part in helping her see the truth of who she is. Not all men are to be feared and being female doesn’t make you more vulnerable. Yesenia’s and the countless other testimonies I’ve been witness to have convinced me that restoration is always a full, family effort. It is in family that you find Him moving. I love my job.”

Genea Horner
Senior Leader of The Mission

Genea has been serving The Mission full-time since she was 17 years old. She is now co-leading the ministry with her husband, Jimmy. To see more stories like Yesenia’s, follow Genea and The Mission on social media @geneamarie and @themissionorg.

Since 1987, The Mission has been passionately fighting for the lost, broken and forgotten ones. We have dedicated our entire lives to rescue, love and restore children; to introduce them to the extravagant love of Jesus and welcome them into our family.

In the past 32 years, over 5,000 children have been impacted. It has been an incredible journey of faith. We have seen God miraculously heal, provide and comfort. He is in the here and now.

Although the need is great, we are more hopeful than ever before. God is on the move and it is truly an honor to partner with Him.

Following the call of God has led to many different places. The Mission is now proudly serving three nations and providing much more than orphan-care. Although it is an integral part of the solution to the immediate problem, we are creating programs and facilities that teach what it means to have a healthy family of their own. We are taking care of the orphaned, all while relentlessly fighting to see entire families restored, prospering and healthy.

As this past year comes to a close, we can’t help but reflect on the goodness of God and the generosity you all have shown. Thanks to you, 2019 was our most impactful year yet! More children were rescued, loved and restored than ever before. Your prayer, financial gifts, child sponsorships and missions trips have made all it possible. Some incredible things happened last year and we want to share them with you! Below are just a few of the amazing things that God did. Learn more about the impact that you helped create by reading our annual report.

It truly is one of our favorite times of the year. Each December, it is a complete joy to introduce our kids to this beautiful season and it’s traditions. For some of them, this will be their first time celebrating Christmas.

For over 32 years, our family has been growing and the festivities just keep getting better and more full of life. Our kids look forward to celebrating Jesus’ birthday with parties, decorations, delicious food, and presents! We are only able to reach as many kids as we do, because of your prayer and support. Thank you for your continual investment into this ministry as we fight to see an orphan-less world. We pray that your holiday season is blessed.

- The Mission Team

As 2019 comes to a close, partner with us by giving the gift that transforms nations. Each day The Mission impacts over 650 children. That is only made possible through YOUR generosity.

We know you have options when it comes to end of year giving. Right now, you can give directly towards the work we are doing in the nations. You’ll receive a tax deductible receipt immediately. Online gifts can be made below! Don’t forget to put “#GiveFamily” in the memo of your check or online gift.

Mailing Address: The Mission Inc. PO BOX 360 POTRERO, CALIFORNIA 91963

Christmas at the Mission is an exciting time for us; kids and staff. We love seeing the presents arrive and the anticipation for Christmas morning build. It is always a testament of God’s kindness to see how well each gift suits a specific child. 

Each year, we have a few kids who have never celebrated Christmas.

It is such a treat to introduce to them the reasons why we celebrate and then be with them as they experience all of the festivities and traditions, within family, for the first time. To see the light in their eyes as we celebrate the birth of Jesus together through piñatas, gifts, Christmas dinner and lots of family time is something that we never take for granted. All of this is possible because of your generosity and love for our kids.

If you haven’t already, there is still time to help make this Christmas special! We have made the Christmas drive as simple as possible. At our website, you will find links that allow you to give in the way of your choosing. This year, we have something new! We have created an online registry for Amazon, Target, and Walmart. These registries will allow you to purchase and send gifts directly to The Mission campus. You can also donate to the Christmas fund and our team will use your donation to purchase gifts for the kids that call The Mission home. If you would like to spend your sponsored child a gift, you can do so by following the instructions that can also be found on our Christmas Drive Website. 

 We are so thankful for your generosity. Our Christmases would not be the same without your partnership. Thank you!

TESTIMONY

Mia and Rebeca came to us in June 2018, along with eight other girls, from a Catholic orphanage that was closing down. Their transition to The Mission was unexpected and while Rebeca was able to jump right in, Mia was having a tough time with all of the change. This caused her to put up a wall, not letting anyone in. She struggled to get acquainted with unfamiliarity and it showed in school and at home by acting out. After receiving constant love from our team, Mia decided to give family a try and let us in.

The two girls had never experienced a place where people lifted their hands and danced in worship. Although this was new for them, Mia and Rebeca jumped right in.

Now, Rebeca can be found dancing with her whole heart every worship service.You can even spot her in our new music video, “Tu Gozo”. Mia is expressing her new found freedom through singing and is now the worship leader for our youth group that meets weekly! It is a privilege to introduce children to the love of God and see them begin to walk in their destinies as worshipers. You can join us by sponsoring Mia and Rebeca today.

A STORY OF HOPE

Worship truly is at the center of everything we do as a ministry. Because our team places a high value on daily corporate worship, it has instilled a value for His presence in our children. It is here that God encounters and heals our children and we believe that we are raising up the next generation of worshippers. The multi-campus church in Mexico and Romania as well as the daily worship and devotions held at each base, wouldn’t be possible without our very own Leo Lopez.

Leo is on our Senior Leadership Team and is the Worship Pastor for all of our bases. He is an incredibly anointed worship leader and was one of the first boys in our orphanage in Mexico. Leo has a gift to lead others into encounters with God through his worship and we are honored to have him in our family.

In 1989 Leo was seven years old when he and his two brothers were brought to The Mission, by social services. His father was a violent man and his mother had left them a year earlier. Since she had gone, they truly lost everything. Leo and his siblings were trying to survive in the streets of Tijuana while living in a culvert pipe with their father. 

Leo says that after arriving at The Mission, he began to experience true love for the very first time. A few years after being here, Steve and Cathy Horner, the founders of The Mission, adopted Leo into their family and loved him unto complete healing. 

Leo first held a guitar when he was 12 years old and says that something significant happened in that moment; he knew what his purpose was. He led worship for the first time when he was just 14 years old. Leo is now 38 years old; he and his wife Sandra have five beautiful children whom bring life and light to our entire Mission family. 

We are so excited to announce that Leo and our very own worship team, Música la Misión, will be releasing brand new songs. These songs have carried our team throughout many different seasons and we can’t wait to share them with you all. The first song, “Tu Gozo” (Your Joy) is available on all music platforms now! You can find “Tu Gozo” here and here. To stay up to date, follow along on social media @themissionorg & @musicalamision.

BACK TO SCHOOL SUPPLIES

School just started back up again and we have over 500 children throughout all of our different education programs! We are teaching preschool through high school students and are always in need of supplies. If you would like to help, you can mail supplies to the physical address below or donate at themissioninc.org/donate. Thank you!

Backpacks

Notebooks & binders

Pencils

Pens

Jumbo crayons

Markers

Colored pencils

Scissors

Glue

Tempera paints

Modeling clay

Construction paper