Mission Statement
Fishers of Men
is an organization of evangelical
Christians
whose mission is to glorify God
by meeting the basic needs of
our neighbor
while seeking the integral transformation of that person.
Victor Zaragoza
was fleeing for his life. The gang
members would likely kill him if they caught up with him. Running in a grassy area, he tripped and
fell. They would be upon him in seconds.
Since the age of 9 he had been living on the streets, part of a
gang. One of seven children, at age 6 Victor had watched his father walk down the
street and out of his life. Working to
support her large family, Victor’s mother had little time to give the children,
so Victor dropped out of school and found acceptance with a gang of boys in a
rough section of Mexico City.
Eventually he became the gang’s leader.
Victor enjoyed the camaraderie of the gang and the excitement of
fighting and stealing. He had acquired
the nickname “Mequetrefe,” which means
“troublemaker.” But in his moments alone
he felt empty and knew something was missing in his life. He began to think more seriously about God,
stole a Bible from the home of a friend, started to read it, and attended a few
church services.
Now, lying in the grass, waiting for the enemy gang members to find
him, Victor remembered a song from a church service based on a statement from
the Bible in Psalm 3:3, “But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory
on me and lift up my head.” He heard the gang members
approach, then pass him by, having failed to spot him hiding in the grass. Victor knew it was a miracle they hadn’t
discovered him. Eventually, at the age
of 20, Victor gave his life to God. He
began to work in a church in Mexico City, sometimes going on their medical
mission crusades.
Julie Claassen was enjoying her teenage years playing in the Toledo
Youth Orchestra and studying to maintain good grades. The daughter of a pastor, she enjoyed the
opportunities she found for ministry in her father’s church, including
participation in a mission trip to Mexico at the age of 16. It was on this mission trip that she felt a
call to go into full-time missions. She
also had a passion to meet the needs of poor and abandoned children and hoped
to find a way to combine her sense of calling to the mission field and to
children without hope.
During college, Julie spent a semester studying at a language institute in Mexico. While
attending a church in Mexico City, she met Victor. Upon returning to the U.S., Julie began to work among the migrants in Indiana. Arrangements were made for Victor to join
her, and they worked together in the migrant ministry, while also working to
establish a Hispanic church. They were
married in 1998 and served in the newly-founded church for the next five years.
A New Life
in Mexico
Victor and Julie poured their lives into the church in Indiana, but their
hearts were in Mexico. A new pastor was
found for the church, and in June of 2003,Victor, Julie and their toddler son
packed up their van and headed to Mexico.
They had a dream to conduct medical missions and to take in unwanted
children. Such a unique plan would not
likely fit into the structure of any existing mission organization, so they
made the decision to establish their own mission, Fishers of Men.
After a few months they purchased several acres of land on a mountainside south of Mexico City within sight of the volcano Popocatepetl. The land had not been farmed for years. Walking through the waist-high grass, making
their way through an old avocado grove and climbing the rock-lined terraces,
they began making plans to build a small home.
Like the pioneers in early United States history, Victor and Julie
began the process of taming the wild land to make it their home. The house was built with donations from
supporters and volunteers who came on short-term mission trips. A large holding tank to provide household
water was moved into place. Slow-moving
local bureaucracy resulted in Victor stringing their own electrical and telephone wires.
A chicken coop and roofed stall were built. Chickens and a milk cow were purchased to
provide fresh eggs and milk. A garden
was planted to supply fresh vegetables.
The goal to be at least partly self-sustaining was beginning to take
shape.
The steep dirt road to the property became nearly impassable with
the heavier traffic of the water truck, family vehicles, and visitors to Refuge
Ranch. A major project was undertaken to
pave approximately 400 feet of the steepest grade of the road. Again, funds donated by supporters and
short-term mission teams provided the resources to make it happen.
Two lives and two dreams have merged at a crossroad on a
mountainside in Mexico, giving birth to a mission Victor and Julie call Fishers
of Men. The ministry has two
facets. Refuge Ranch provides a home for
abandoned and abused children. The
Evangelistic Medical Mission Crusades provide medical treatment for the poor
and are an opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ.
Refuge Ranch
The land, house, animals, and gardens of Refuge Ranch provide the backdrop
for the ministry to unwanted children. Currently, Refuge Ranch is home to 18 children; 14 have been rescued from neglect and abuse, one was orphaned, and three are the biological children of Victor and Julie.
Angelica and Diana, ages 18 and 17, are sisters and came from a life on the streets of Mexico City.
Martita, 16, and Lolis, 14, also siblings, experienced the death of their mother during Lolis’ birth
and subsequent abuse from a stepmother and alcoholic father. Martha, 13,
also survived the death of her mother and an abusive alcoholic father. Fidel, age 11, was abandoned by his family and was found living in a
village jail. Five year old Ana was willfully surrendered at birth by her single mother of
five other children. Jocelin, age 9,
joined the family when her single mother, Victor’s sister, died
unexpectedly. Four year old Daniel was
dropped off with a missionary couple when his mother no longer wanted him. The couple contacted Victor and Julie who
took him into their family. Five
siblings,
Fatima, Leo, Miguel, Carolina, and David, ranging from ages 11 to
2, joined the family when their mother abandoned them to the care
of an elderly
woman who couldn’t handle them. Alejandro, age 11, is
the most recent addition after repeatedly being passed off from one
extended family member to another.
Josiah, now 10, Caleb, who is 7, and Ruth, age 6, are the biological children of
Victor and Julie. All of the children are home schooled and enjoy playtime among the hills, trees and
animals of Refuge Ranch.
Construction has begun on a much larger home that will accommodate more children and staff. The new
facility will also be the headquarters for the Evangelistic Medical Mission
Crusades.
Evangelistic
Medical Mission Crusades
Teams are made up of doctors, dentists, nurses, dental hygienists,
paramedics, children’s workers, cooks and general volunteers. Hair stylists are also often part of the
team, as many of those ministered to have never had a real haircut. Teams travel to poverty-stricken areas where
medical care is nearly non-existent.
Medical conditions are diagnosed and treated and medical supplies are distributed,
including anti-parasite medication, multi-vitamins, and diabetic supplies. Each
person who comes for treatment has a one-on-one encounter with a crusade
volunteer who shares the message of Christ and gives the opportunity to accept
Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior.
Helpful spiritual literature is also provided. Other crusade volunteers interact with the
village children through songs, games, crafts and Bible stories in order to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them.
Several mission trips are conducted each year, the number largely
determined by the availability of funds and team workers. The majority of the team members are from
Mexico, though some come from the United States. Teams range in size from 10 to 40. Crusades are only held in areas where there
is an existing mission or church in order to ensure more effective follow-up.
The national religion has minimal impact on people’s individual
lives and is often little more than empty ritual permeated with superstitious
beliefs and practices. The purpose of
the medical missions is to provide much-needed medical care while offering the
hope and help that come through a personal faith in Christ.
A young gang leader on the streets of Mexico City and a girl raised in a Michigan pastor’s home seemed to be on very different paths, but they each came to a crossroad in their lives, finding each other and a life together. Victor’s vision of carrying out evangelistic medical missions and Julie’s dream of taking in unwanted children have merged into the ministry they call Fishers of Men. Together they seek to carry out their dreams and God’s call on their lives on a mountainside in rural Mexico.