Visiting Dorcas House: Is it safe?
"Proceed with caution" reads the title of a recent San Diego Union-Tribune article on safety concerns in Tijuana, the city Dorcas House's 40 children call home. Is it safe to visit "our" beloved children right now?
Yes, and no. Indeed, there is no refuting the facts: 843 people were killed in Tijuana last year, up from 337 in 2007. Ninety percent of the deaths can be attributed to drug trafficking, according to Baja California's state attorney. Mexico's federal government has stepped up its prosecution of the lucrative and lethal underground networks that transport drugs from Central and South America, through Mexico, for North American consumption. A record 95 cartel leaders were extradited to the United States this year. In Tijuana, the powerful Arellano Felix cartel has been weakened by these efforts, creating space for lower-ranking lieutenants to spin off new, smaller trafficking cells. The increased competition for control of the world's busiest border crossing has proved particularly deadly.
However, some context is helpful. The State Department acknowledges the relatively recent rise in violence along the Mexico border in its October 14, 2008 update, and just asks travelers to be "alert to safety and security concerns." Only a handful of American citizens have fallen victim to the violence, all of whom were visiting family or conducting business in M exico. Surprisingly, New Orleans had a higher murder rate than Tijuana last year, according to the Union-Tribune.
A few groups scheduled to visit Dorcas House have canceled in the past several months citing safety concerns -- most of these were school-related, which understandably demand greater risk management. The almost 200 visitors to Dorcas since last June, ranging in age from 2-75, know the risks associated with a visit, and go in faith.
Two of our regular visitors to Dorcas House say they simply enjoy laughing, playing and reading with the children. "They call us abuela (grandma) and abuelo (grandpa) and we are honored to be welcomed like family," said Sheri and Bill Bengston, St. Paul's Cathedral parishioners.
Like many others, "I too have been hesitant to travel to Tijuana," said Brianna Kennedy, also a St. Paul's parishioner. "But I realized that these children and their caretakers live in this reality on a daily basis and would certainly be experts about how to stay safe. And if they were courageous enough to venture forth each day to forge a better life, then I too should muster up the courage to participate with them in whatever way I could."
Please pray for an end to this drug-related violence, for a decrease in drug use in the United States at the root of these killings, and for the safety of the children and staff of Dorcas House, and those who visit them. Please contact Colin Mathewson at colinmathewson@gmail.com or 619-977-8173 if you are interested in joining the March 7, April 25, or May 9 visits.
