It all began with a dollar

Bienvenidos! Welcome your virtual mission trip with Open Arms. We are so grateful to have you along for this journey!

On Day 1 of your journey, we want to do some introductions. We want to introduce you to the beautiful country of Mexico! You will experience what it is like to travel down the Baja Californian Pacific coast to our campuses. Later you will meet our founders, Daniel and Heidi Elizarraraz, who will share with you the heart of Open Arms and insight into the culture of the communities we serve. This will lay the foundation for everything you will see and experience over the course of your trip.

Welcome to Mexico!

Travel itinerary:
Day 1

Watch “Welcome to Mexico”
Watch “Founders Talk”
Watch "OA Impact in La Mision - Family Rescued from Orphanage"
Discover: Take a more indepth look into Open Arms
Live Event - 6:00 pm (PST) with Daniel Elizarraraz
Devotional: Study how God is a father of the fatherless
Bonus Excursions: Take tours of our two campuses and explore the natural beauty of Baja California!

Keep scrolling to find all your resources for Day 1 of your virtual journey!

Watch: Welcome to Mexico

Travel Notes: Your journey to Mexico begins here. Mexico is a country filled with amazing natural beauty and warm, welcoming culture. As you begin your travels in Mexico, you will notice the beauty, but you will also begin to see the poverty as well. It is common to see buildings broken down or half constructed. You will see beauty as well as ashes as you journey south through Baja California.

You will also meet the hosts of your virtual trip, Jairo Pitalua and Alex and Taryn Potter. They live on our campus in Camalu. Jairo was born and raised in Mexico, while Alex and Taryn are missionaries serving with us from the States.

Reflection: What new insights did you gain about Mexico? What surprised you?

Watch: Founders talk

Travel Notes: Open Arms Mexico has been serving Baja California for over 15 years. Through OA, countless lives have been changed and families kept together.

Daniel and Heidi Elizarraraz, the founders of Open Arms and pastors of Open Arms Church, share their personal testimonies of how God called them to the vision of keeping families together.

Watch: OA IMpact in La Mision - Family Rescued from Orphanage

Travel Notes: We at Open Arms are called to do the preventative work. Our mission is to provide the care and fill in the missing pieces needed before families get to the point of abandoning their children to orphanages, or before they are broken apart by substance abuse, poverty, and tragedy.

Over the next few days, you will hear the stories of several families that have been with Open Arms from the beginning. Hear their testimonies of where they were and where God has delivered them to through the years.

Discover: Open Arms

Travel Notes: Open Arms exists as a preventative ministry to keep children off the streets, out of orphanages, and with their families where they belong. We exist to fight for families through the most practical ways, like providing childcare, parent classes, and resources, as well as a biblically based community.

Discover more about our mission and the programs we run to accomplish these things at our campuses.

Discover

Live Event - 6:00 PM (PST)

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Join Conversation

Travel Notes: In Mexico, we are battling a global poverty-driven orphan crisis. By some estimates throughout the world, there are 153 million boys and girls without families. Many orphans in Mexico are “economic” or “poverty” orphans. They have parents, but their parents are unable to care for them financially.

Open Arms exists to stop families from being torn apart by poverty. Meet Daniel Elizarraraz, one of our founders, as she shares some of the reasons why we do what we do.

Devotional Reflections

Pull out your “Character of God” devotional journal and begin to reflect on the character and nature of God. Take some time and open up your Bible to discover more about the great God that we are serving.