TECATE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO -- Marines and sailors from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar visited the Rancho Nazareth Boys Orphanage here Jan. 12.
The Marines and sailors greeted the children with gifts and food.
The trip commemorates the catholic holiday of Epiphany, the celebration of the three wise men’s trip to visit Joseph, Mary and Jesus.
“We wanted to arrange the trip on Jan. 6, the day of the holiday, but the children were with relatives, so we’ve come a week after,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Israel Narvaez, a Protestant chaplain with the station. “A local grocery chain and some food companies worked with us to bring gifts for the children, as ambassadors of goodwill.”
The visit, organized by the chaplain’s office, featured an American-style barbecue, gifts for the children and multiple renovation projects.
“The children have inflatable jumping houses, piñatas and a new trampoline,” said Narvaez. “On top of that, some contractors have installed new showers, renovated some of the buildings and replaced some of the chain link fence with a new safety wall.”
Upon arrival, the volunteers began grilling hotdogs and hamburgers, putting together a trampoline, and playing games with the children.
“It’s all a good service to the children and seeing their smiles makes the trip worth it,” said Staff Sgt. Staina T. Marrequin, the staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the quality assurance section of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 466. “This is the first time I’ve come on this kind of trip here and I look forward to coming here again.”
Toward the end of the day, the children opened gifts donated by the station chapels congregation. Marrequin and Cpl. John Chacon, another Miramar Marine, also arranged a soccer game with the children.
Closing the activities for the day, Navy Capt. Brain F. Kelly, the command chaplain for the station, led blessings, spiritual talk and songs of praise for the 55 boys at the orphanage.
“When we first came here, the place was in pretty bad shape, so we try to arrange visits a few times a year to help them,” said Kelly.
Kelly has organized these trips to the orphanage since 1996, each time adding improvements to the orphanage and a chances for the children to see the men and women of the military.
“I love the very generous people who come here who love the children and I love the interaction between them,” said Sister Hermalinda, a nun who cares for the orphans.
For information on volunteering with the chaplains office, contact 858-577-1333.