False suicide reports shine light on Tarahumara plight

By Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times
January 18, 2012

On December 10th, 2011, we held our third annual benefit. Our benefactors this year contributed well over twice the amount from last year. Our total came to $10,495. We are grateful to all and look forward to a New Year filled with our desire to continue to help others.

A special word of thanks goes to Bianca and Maria Eugenia!!!!

Announcing a new feature of the website. We have added a new page to the website named "Bookstore". As a grand opening special, we are offering a brand new item, hot off the presses. It's title is "A Tarahumara Wellness Story" by Father Pedro. It is a 30 page document illustrated with many full color photos that details all the projects and work being done by the mission.

Our hearts are full of gratitude to each of you that contributed to our 13th annual Auction/Benefit for the Tarahumara Children's Hospital Fund held October 1, 2011. This year far exceeded our wildest expectations with a gross revenue total of $138, 161.10 - our best ever!

Imagine lives so impoverished that most of the community's children die before reaching the age of five. The children are part of a tribe of 60,000 Tarahumara Indians, who live in caves and primitive huts, with unsafe drinking water, parasites, and devastating malnutrition.

Picture all this in an area of unsurpassed scenic beauty, with mountains and canyons and a rich cultural heritage - just hours from El Paso, Texas.

This is the situation that Father Verplancken found when he came to Creel, Mexico in the early 1960's.

Father Verplancken built and lead a dynamic mission to the Tarahumara people. In addition to constructing and operating health clinics, a boarding school, distributing food and milk, drilling water wells, he worked tirelessly to preserve the art and heritage of the descendants of the Uto-Aztec people.

Today, the work is carried on by the efforts of the staff and volunteers he welded together during a lifetime of service. Please join us in our work to maintain the legacy of the Tarahumara people.