Children of northern Mexico given a new lease on life

“My name is Priscila,” the letter begins. “And I am nine years old. I have suffered a lot. I thought being with my mother that everything would be different, but no …

“From the time I returned to her, she would spank me and scold me, because I don’t know when to go to the bathroom. Since the abuse, I have no feeling. My maternal grandmother hates me. I think everyone wants to do me harm.”

Priscila was among the forgotten children of northern Mexico given a new lease on life thanks to the Guardian Angel Rescue Mission, an orphanage launched two decades ago through the efforts of Puebloan Ben Perea and other unselfish givers.

Tragically, young Priscila’s hope for a fresh start was violently crushed before it had a chance to blossom.

“They raped and killed her,” Perea said with a jaded matter-of-factness borne over two decades of doing God’s work in a godforsaken land. “She was recuperating pretty good in the orphanage until she ran away.

“And that’s when the bad people got a hold of her. She was missing for two weeks and then they found her body. She had been shot three times in the head.”

Priscila’s soul-crushing story is all-too-common in a part of Mexico besieged by poverty, abandonment, crime and misery. It’s for that very reason that Perea, 80, and a retired contractor, made a vow to himself — and a promise to thousands of children thousands of miles away — that he would do all in his power to be a bearer of hope and happiness in the seemingly insurmountable midst of heartbreak.

“Twenty years ago, when I made the decision to take on this great responsibility and accept the challenge, it was the scariest moment of my life,” Perea said. “I knew the odds were against me. But if not me, then who? There would never be a perfect time.”

It was at the Guardian Angel Rescue Mission in Chihuahua that Perea — regularly arriving with food, toys, clothing, blankets, water and, perhaps most importantly, optimism — first crossed paths, and hearts, with Priscila.

And others like Irvin, Marcos and Alicia, youngsters who, despite a similar distressing start, saw their lives turn around through Perea’s holy handiwork.

“I was brought to the rescue mission because I was abandoned by my mother and left with my great-grandmother,” wrote Irvin to Perea. “I was too small and did not know why they brought me here.

“I am now 8. Immediately, I was happy to be here because there was food, clothes, toys and other kids to play with. Poppy Ben is nice to me and treats me like his very own.”

Born in 2002, Marcos, too, was abandoned and left to fend for himself.

“I don’t know where my mother is. I had never gone to school and did not know how to talk and would point at whatever I wanted,” the youngster wrote. “I felt very out of place when I arrived.

“Now I feel at home, because I am treated well. I have food and I go to school. Sometimes we plant chili and flowers at school. And I have learned to pray and I enjoy going to church.”

Although not mother-less, Alicia said she was sent to the orphanage to study, as her family had no money to pay for her education.

“I had to walk 30 minutes or so to go to school in the mountains,” Alicia told Perea in a letter. “Many mothers would abandon their children at school. They would not return for them, because they could not feed and clothe them.

“I am happy here at the mission because I am fed well and I have all I need. Ben treats me like his own daughter.”

In addition to his deliveries to the orphanage, Perea has, over the past few years, shifted his focus to an area where the need is much greater, the stakes much higher.

The hidden and nearly inaccessible mountain dwellings as many as 60 abandoned children are forced to call “home.”

On a regular, almost monthly basis, Perea, oftentimes with fellow Puebloan Calvin Turner and others, makes the long and treacherous journey through drug cartel country and up into mountain ranges without roads.

There, truckloads and truckloads of donated blankets, water, food, clothing and other life-sustaining essentials have been handed out to the children, ages 8 to 12, who eagerly await the arrival of their earthly savior.

“The government won’t go up there unless the military is with them,” Perea said. “This is cartel country. It’s dangerous, and there’s not even a road. It’s a trail.

“I’ve had guns pulled on me and my life threatened. But my love of children is stronger than fear. I won’t stop going because these are children who have nothing, not even clean water. Many have been sexually abused. If it wasn’t for us, they would starve.”

Over the past 20 years, Perea has diligently honored his vow, regardless of the conditions or situation, without expectation of reward or recompense.

“God expects my arms to be outstretched and extended like his,” Perea said. “My responsibility is to be the compassionate hand of God.”

If there is a payment, it’s the heartfelt words of children like Priscila — who, if just for a fleeting moment — knew that someone, somewhere, cared.

“Today, I give thanks to God for the persons that care for me,” Priscila wrote. “For Sister Tencha and for Benjie. God bless you for doing so good to so many boys and girls like me. I love you.”

Eternally grateful for the untold generosity of countless benefactors who have made his missions possible, Perea is hoping the giving will continue.

“What we need is a covered trailer,” he said. “With my truck, we can only get so much food and things loaded in. A trailer would allow us to take so much more to the children.”

___

Information from: The Pueblo Chieftain, http://www.chieftain.com

“My name is Priscila,” the letter begins. “And I am nine years old. I have suffered a lot. I thought being with my mother that . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • tropical-storm-erick-hurricane-watch-southern-mexicoTropical Storm Erick Strengthening as Hurricane Watch Issued for Southern Mexico Tropical Storm Erick is forecast to become a hurricane before making landfall in southern Mexico. A Hurricane Watch is now in effect from Bahias de Huatulco to Punta Maldonado. Tropical Storm Erick continues to gather strength off Mexico’s southern Pacific coast and is forecast to become a hurricane by Wednesday, according to the latest advisory…
  • huracan-erick-2025-mexico-peligroHurricane Erick Becomes Eastern Pacific’s Strongest Cyclone of 2025, Eyes Mexico’s Southwest Coast Hurricane Erick rapidly intensified off Mexico’s Pacific coast, becoming the second hurricane of the 2025 season and threatening southwestern Mexico with dangerous wind, rain, and storm surge. This story is available in Spanish: El huracán Erick se fortalece rápidamente y amenaza la costa suroeste de México The 2025 eastern Pacific hurricane season continues to surge…
  • tropical-storm-erick-warnings-mexico-coastHurricane Erick will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta Hurricane Erick Puerto Vallarta will bring heavy rains to Puerto Vallarta by Friday but poses no risk to the northern coast of Jalisco. Meteorologist Víctor Manuel Cornejo López, of the Civil Protection scientific committee for the Bay, reports that Hurricane Erick will deliver significant rainfall to Puerto Vallarta without threatening the region’s safety. According to…
  • tropical-storm-erick-oaxaca-hurricane-warningTropical Storm Erick Threatens Oaxaca as Mexico Activates Civil Protection Plan Mexico activates a civil protection plan as Tropical Storm Erick strengthens. The storm may become a Category 2 hurricane, putting 22 municipalities in Oaxaca at risk. The Government of Mexico has activated its civil protection plan as Tropical Storm Erick moves closer to the country's southern Pacific coast, with Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Guerrero under direct…
  • Know your consumer rights in Mexico Is it legal for restaurants to include the tipPuerto Vallarta restaurants face 33 percent staff shortage Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta face a 33% staffing shortfall as they prepare for a busy summer holiday season, aiming to boost sales by up to 60% despite ongoing labor challenges. As Puerto Vallarta prepares to welcome a surge of summer tourists, the city’s restaurant sector is grappling with a serious staffing problem—operating with roughly one-third…
  • puerto-vallarta-flooding-first-storm-2025Puerto Vallarta hit by flooding, fallen trees, and damaged roads after first storm of the season Heavy rain and a nighttime storm caused widespread flooding, road closures, and downed trees in Puerto Vallarta. Several key roads remain impassable. PUERTO VALLARTA — The first major storm of the rainy season swept through Puerto Vallarta overnight, leaving behind extensive damage across the city, including widespread flooding, blocked roads, and fallen trees. By morning,…
  • tropical-cyclone-mexico-pacific-june-2025New Tropical Cyclone Likely to Form Off Mexico’s Pacific Coast This Week Meteorologists warn of a 90% chance a new tropical cyclone will form midweek off Mexico’s Pacific coast, as Dalila weakens and rains persist across southern Mexico. As Tropical Storm Dalila moves farther out to sea and becomes post-tropical, meteorologists are turning their attention to a new disturbance brewing off Mexico’s Pacific coast, which is highly…
  • american-woman-drowns-santa-maria-los-cabosAmerican Woman Drowns at Closed Beach in Los Cabos Despite Black Flag Warning A 57-year-old American woman drowned at Santa María Beach in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, on June 17, despite black flag warnings indicating the beach was closed due to dangerous conditions. Los Cabos, Baja California Sur – Tragedy struck the beaches of Los Cabos on the afternoon of June 17, when a 57-year-old American woman…
  • Queretaro rainsRain washes away 71 homes in Querétaro and El Marqués Rains from Tropical Storm Dalila caused flooding and landslides that damaged 71 homes in Querétaro and El Marqués. A 30 million peso contingency fund has been activated. Tropical Storm Dalila left a trail of destruction across the metropolitan region of Querétaro, with heavy rains causing flooding and landslides that affected at least 71 homes in…
  • sargassum-slams-cancun-playa-restaurantsSargassum Crisis in Cancún and Playa del Carmen Forces Restaurants and Beach Clubs to Cut Staff Businesses in Cancún and Playa del Carmen report steep losses due to sargassum, with restaurants losing diners and beach clubs sending staff on unpaid leave. Restaurants and beach clubs along the shores of Puerto Juárez in Cancún and Playa del Carmen are grappling with a sharp downturn in business due to a relentless invasion of…
Scroll to Top