Maria’s husband was brutally murdered in front of her and her young daughter. After fleeing her home, Maria was nearly kidnapped right off the street in Tijuana. She finally made it to the U.S. after years of waiting to be reunited with family, only to be stuck in the messy and challenging legal process of receiving asylum, the high cost of living, and no legal way to earn money.

Maria and her two children desperately need $17,500 to buy them the first six months of stability they will have known since the day violence tore their lives apart three years ago. Read Maria’s story to learn more about her resiliency and how you can be a part of meaningful transformation in this family's life.

For the safety of the family, names were changed and photos obscured.

 

Javier and I met Maria and her two children in October 2019, the day they arrived at El Chaparral, the border crossing in Tijuana. Maria was standing there, dazed, not knowing what to do next. Sofia was six; baby Tomás was six months old.

 

 

Only one week before, Maria, her husband Salvador, and the children were living happily in west-central Mexico.

 

 

The wonderful life they had changed forever one night when bullets rained through the walls of their living room. Salvador was shot and killed instantly as Maria and Sofia witnessed everything. Even after learning the brutal murder was meant for someone else, the ongoing threat and danger for Maria and her children was real. Afraid for their lives, Maria fled her home with her children nine days later, hoping to cross the U.S. border to be with family.

 

When Javier and I found them that day, they were still in shock. Sofia was so traumatized that she couldn’t speak. We invited them back to La Casa de Paso, the emergency house for women and children asylum seekers Javier and I opened at the border.

 

Maria tearfully told us, “My husband was the BEST husband, the BEST father, the BEST man.” She showed us many photos, including a video of them singing in their minivan. Maria explained that she and Salvador were childhood sweethearts. They met as neighbors when they were three years old.

 

Realizing she wouldn’t be crossing for many months, a cousin in Tijuana said they could stay with them. During the next year Javier and I continued to help, often inviting them for meals. Sofia was eager to learn English, so I helped her with her English, and she patiently helped me practice my Spanish!

 

Everything seemed okay until late one night during COVID, when Javier got a frantic call from Maria. Men knocked on her cousin’s door that day asking if she was there. She was terrified and didn’t know what to do. Javier immediately sent an Uber, and they came to La Casa that night with all their belongings. They stayed for two weeks until Javier found them another place to stay. He warned Maria not to tell anyone where she was.

 

For Maria, the constant fear and worry never abated. Tomás was often sick and was admitted to the hospital several times during that year with respiratory illnesses.

 

 

Maria was nearly kidnapped and sex-trafficked once leaving a grocery store. A store clerk, observing what was happening, ran out and grabbed her.

 

Maria struggled with increasing anxiety and depression, and Sofia grew anxious any time Maria was out of her sight.

 

When I returned to Tijuana in March 2021, I was sad to see they were still there, waiting to cross. I submitted a Humanitarian Parole Visa for them. It was granted! They finally entered the U.S. in May 2021.

 

During their last month, Javier and I invited them to move into La Casa to save money. On their last night we had a special movie night. The kids look happy and relaxed, but Maria’s face tells a different story, capturing all the worry in her eyes as she contemplates the next day.

 

 

 

Javier and I say one final good-bye the following morning.

 

Standing in line to cross the border

 

They successfully crossed the border and are now in the United States. They live near Maria’s two sisters whom she hadn’t seen for 20 years.

 

A tearful reunion with one sister at the airport

 

For many asylum seekers, including Maria, daunting challenges remain after entering the U.S.  Asylees cannot legally work. They qualify for few benefits, and lawyer fees for the representation they all need are extremely costly. Most asylees must rely on family or on the kindness of strangers to simply exist for about a year. Maria’s sisters love her dearly but have neither extra space nor enough extra money to help her.

 

In August, Maria found a small but affordable room to rent that was available for only three months. They must move by November 30, so for now they found an unheated garage to rent month-to-month. With winter approaching, we are concerned about their well-being and pray this living situation is temporary.

 

 

These three beautiful humans, full of energy and heart and dreams, need our help! They need a clean, safe rental that doesn’t exacerbate Tomás’s respiratory problems and that allows Sofia to remain in the excellent bilingual school she now attends. She LOVES school and her English is improving fast!

 

Maria recently told me, "The light is back in Sofia’s eyes."

 

 

Tomás is a smart, happy three-year-old. Maria says with a knowing smile, "He is a very sweet and loving boy, but he can be a little rascal at times!"

 

 

 

Maria had Tomás baptized on the day of a special mass for the father he will never know.

 

Maria is an incredibly strong woman who has spent the last three years in survival mode. Often she has felt a level of isolation and depression that made her consider giving up many times. Despite experiencing violence, extreme stress, and ongoing safety worries, Maria says she perseveres for one reason—her children need her. More than anything, she wants them to have a better life.

 

 

With financial support right now, Maria will be able to focus her energy on healing from the trauma she has experienced and on creating a new life here. After almost three years, she will be able to take a deep breath and physically and emotionally unpack, knowing she and her children are finally in a safe place they can call home.

 

Maria dreams of a career in social service where she can help motivate people. With her unmatched work ethic, intuition, and perseverance, Maria has the potential and desire to make a real difference in her community and beyond. To succeed in the United States, however, she knows she needs to learn English. With financial help until she can legally work in 6-8 months, she could invest some time in learning English and be there fully for her children—a privilege she has not been able to enjoy for years.

 

Maria is quick to acknowledge that everyone has pain and struggles. It’s hard for her to ask for anything for herself. She doesn’t have to ask. We can show her she is not alone. Your help now will have a profound and generational impact on this beautiful family. We know they will all three pay it forward a thousand times.

 

• Pay $5500 still owing for legal services for her asylum case

• Pay $2000/month toward rent/utilities for 6 months = $12,000

 

GOAL: $17,500

 

Please donate as generously as you can. You can also help by sharing this story and by personally inviting friends and family to join you in meeting this goal.