Harvest Child Care Ministries operates an orphanage in Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. Berea Ministries is proud to be a partner in this wonderful work that God is doing. The orphanage is located on five acres of property on the edge of town. This home serves sixteen boys and sixteen girls between the ages of six and fifteen. Two beautifully decorated dormitories provide the children with their own bed, for the first time in their lives. The large bathroom has two showers. The children are allowed to decorate their section of the dorm to their satisfaction. They are excited to display school work and photos. Each dorm has a small sitting area with a couch, chair, television, and book case. The children keep their belongings in cubbies with their names on them.

Children are cared for by two sets of houseparents for each dorm, who work a schedule of seven days on and seven days off. The houseparents have their own living quarters directly behind the dorms.

Before coming to the orphanage, the children have experienced abuse, abandonment, and neglect. Most of the children lived in villages with no access to running water, proper sanitation, and often no food. Many have never excelled in school and are several grades behind. The school system in Mexico is not required to accept children they do not want to work with. Fortunately, the schools in Tuxtepec are excited to work with our children. Education is not free in this country. Fees must be paid and the children are required to wear a uniform. To help the children catch up, the houseparents tutor them every afternoon. School is year-round in Mexico.

A large kitchen/ dining room combination is one of the favorite buildings on the property. Here meals are served family-style. Everyone sits down together and enjoys the food as well as conversation about the events of the day. The children's favorite food is rice and beans! This area serves as an indoor recreation area on rainy days. A foosball table is available and movies can be viewed as a group.

Outdoors, there is a basketball court, playground equipment, and trampoline. Weekends are filled with outings such as going to the park, swimming, and camping.