EsperanzaIt was ten years ago when my husband, Randy, and I first became aware of the children living at Esperanza. This home is located approximately 18 miles north of Rocky Point just a few miles east of Highway 8, the main road from Sonoita. We had been coming to Rocky Point for the last 35 years bringing friends, family, children and grandchildren to the wonderful experiences Rocky Point has to offer. We had seen the small sign that advertised “Esperanza Por Los Niño’s Children homes, Donations accepted” many times on the way back to the US and wondered about the children’s home and just where it was located. The sign was difficult to read and there wasn’t any home close by, just a long dirt road.

On one of our trips I ask my husband if we could check it out and we ventured down the dirt road for almost three miles before we saw what looked like a small ranch home with a bus parked out front. Curiosity got the best of us so we parked and went in.

To our surprise we found twenty some children living there with four staff who took care of them 24/7/365. The facility was bleak but the children and staff were friendly and happy. Our Spanish combined with the Director’s English resulted in us being able to do very little communicating. However, the need was evident and the love for the children great. That visit was just the beginning of our involvement and many more trips for us visiting the children’s home. Each time we had guests visiting us we would take them and our dog Coco out to Esperanza, along with 5 dozen donuts for the kids and staff. The children and staff were always kind and cheerful and many of our guest were struck with a desire to help. We have seen the missionaries and children gratefully accept all help, donation and services offered with humble and sweet hearts.

Since the first time we found the children’s home, Esperanza has grown in numbers of children and structure. Esperanza is now serving forty plus children, yet there are still only the same 4 committed missionaries and their families. Many new and additional needs exist at Esperanza as most of the children are now teenagers and their school schedules and activities all happen in town. Five trips a day are required to meet school schedules, doctor’s visits, grocery shopping and all of the other life activities the children are involved in. As the children and numbers have grown the preparation and cooking of food has greatly increased, additional housing is required, clothing, and the parental and emotional needs of the children have become a tremendous demand and an important part of the services. As you can imagine these responsibilities and others have greatly increased the financial need, yet funding has remained very small. In spite of this lack, through the generosity of individuals who happen down that dirt road, some things have improved. The bus is gone, vans and a car now replace the obsolete bus, more bathrooms, and beds have been added to accommodate the additional children. A small playground has been constructed and a fence put around the grounds.

Esperanza is thankful for the many groups, churches and people from Rocky Point and the US that have participated in the support of Esperanza over the last 20+ years. Christmas gifts, repair projects, and donations have been a life line for the children. Our hope is to establish mechanisms that will help sustain this support by creating this annual event. We hope to bring those who have supported the children in the past together with new potential supporters to begin an effort to sustain Esperanza in the future.

A new group of people called “Friends of Esperanza” are just beginning to form and this event is a beginning and an open invitation for locals and visitors to participate in the great mission of supporting Esperanza. Our goal for the groups is to increase the number of services and staff, identifying dollars and people who can help support the children and missionaries. We appreciate the efforts shared in the past and seek the efforts of others who would embrace the children and the future of this organization.

Esperanza is a local Puerto Peñasco not for profit agency and donation are tax deductible. Esperanza has a local Board of Directors and all dollars go directly to the support of the children and their missionaries. We need help!!!

April 30th is the big day! Sponsors, Volunteers, donations, prizes, are all needed!!!

Each child is in need of a sponsor who will donate so the child can participate in 5 fun filled beach activities. Each activity will require a minimum $25 donation or a donation of $100, which will allow the child to participate in all 5 events. The events will be opened to the public for the same donation and the community is welcomed to participate. If people, companies, or agencies are interested in helping, please contact Michelle Auer at 480-283-3843.

Become a sponsor, donor or volunteer by emailing micauer@gmail.com. Or stop by the Sonoran Sky event planner’s office and talk with Olympia to find out what you can do to help! All donation should be made to “Word of Life Church” with a note to, Esperanza Fund Raiser. They can be sent to, 6703 N. Idaho Rd., Newman Lake WA, 99025.

The children of Esperanza are not able to be adopted, instead each child hopes for their family to one-day return and bring them home or to finish school and take what they have learned and succeed in the world. The funds are greatly needed to ensure the sustainability of Esperanza, and the 40 children whom are maturing and going out to make the world a better place. Each time I go Esperanza there are new children’s faces, looking for help and a future that is bright. Let’s join together and embrace the future as their supporters!

Eternally grateful.

This article is brought to you by the Sonoran Resorts Sales Team, www.sonoranresorts.mx, Jim Ringquist, Director of Sales and Marketing.