For two decades, a ministry supported by Churches of Christ has served orphaned, abandoned and abused children in Cozumel.
By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle
COZUMEL, Mexico — Scott Eller steered a rented Nissan March through Cozumel as his wife, Andrea, talked about their “home away from home.”
Driving away from the cruise ships and sandy beaches that draw thousands of tourists to this Caribbean city, Eller paid close attention to the motorcycles and bikes that dart across the island’s busy intersections.
“Now, is that telling me that road is blocked?” he asked as he encountered an orange-and-white striped sign.
Road closures are common during Cozumel’s Carnival events — revelry that precedes the Roman Catholic observance of Lent.
The Oklahoma couple’s recent visit to Mexico’s coastal state of Quintana Roo coincided with raucous parades punctuated by loud music, fireworks and honking horns.
Related: Flight delays and new friends: My trip to Cozumel
But the Ellers, members of the Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa, were in Cozumel for a different kind of celebration — the 20th anniversary of a Christian home serving orphaned, abandoned and abused Mexican children.
“I’m going to say we’ve been here between 30 and 35 times because we’ve been coming here for 20 years,” Andrea said as the couple approached the Ciudad de Ángeles — “City of Angels” in English.
“Then at some point we started coming twice a year,” she added. “And now, because I can work remotely, I come sometimes three times a year.”
This story appears in the online edition of The Christian Chronicle.
Featured photo by Bobby Ross Jr.
The Ross News 