When Larry Jones met 8year-old Jose at an orphanage in Baja Mexico early in March, he immediately fell in love with the clever little boy.

Jones and 20 others who work for the Moorpark Unified School District were delivering books and toys to children at Niños de Baja, a ministry in El Porvenir, a town of 1,200 about 20 miles northeast of Ensenada.

During their two-day stay, the visitors quickly bonded with kids eager to interact with the newcomers, said Jones.

“Jose started throwing paper airplanes with me. He made incredible planes that flew across the entire room with amazing accuracy,” said the retired history teacher.

Jones, who coached the award-winning MHS Academic Decathlon team for many years, and the young boy played other games together before retiring for the night.

When Jones and his group returned to the orphanage the following day, Jose saw him through the window and ran to the door to grab his hand, wanting to play tag. The pair then made more paper airplanes, played with Hula-Hoops and, after Jones showed Jose how, they thumb-wrestled.

“He caught on fast and beat me in his second attempt,” said Jones, who plans to visit the orphanage again soon to bring baseball gear and other items for Jose.

“Jose is a sweet, outgoing boy who stole my heart.”

The trip to El Porvenir was part of a professional development project to help teachers learn what Mexican immigrant students and their families encounter before they come to the U.S.

“Visiting the elementary schools, the day care center and orphanage gave us insight into some of the academic and social background of many of our students,” said Jones, who administers the grant program for MUSD.

Alison Drain, director of Niños de Baja, said Moorpark teachers, students and parents have been generous contributors to the orphanage for many years.

“ They’ve been amazing about collecting school supplies, sending shoes and socks and buying vanilla from us so we could buy blankets,” Drain said.

Commissioned by Camarillo Christian Church, Phil and Alison Drain retired early and sold their home in the Santa Rosa Valley in 2005 to volunteer full-time for the Niños de Baja ministry.

Jones said the couple have a passion for the Mexican people and their culture and had participated in mission projects in Mexico for many years before making their full-time commitment.

Alison, 55, was a teacher, school principal and district administrator who worked with bilingual families in Moorpark for 28 years. Phil, 59, owned an insurance agency in Canoga Park for more than 20 years. Their work experience and talent were a perfect match for the Niños de Baja’s ministry, which never had on-site directors before.

“There is an indescribable joy that comes from what we do, and looking back on our lives and our careers, it truly feels like all of that was just prep for what our real purpose in life was,” Alison Drain said.

“It’s hard not to lose your heart to these kids—they really are adorable,” she said.

Before arriving at the orphanage about two years ago, Jose was left on his own to wander the streets.

“He’s a real sweetie who is friendly to most everyone, but Larry started making paper airplanes with him and the two really connected,” Drain said.

In addition to providing a loving and safe place for abused and orphaned children, Phil and Alison Drain are improving economic conditions in El Porvenir, creating jobs for cooks and construction workers while building schools, dorms for volunteers, houses for teachers and a volunteer fire department.

The ministry also donates supplies provided by about 40 churches and organizations to help residents of the town.

The U.S. directors for Niños de Baja are Darryl and Judy Lloyd, who live in Newbury Park. They said Phil and Alison Drain are doing a tremendous job helping the children heal emotionally.

“When the kids come there, they have a lot of interaction with teachers and the people who visit. So there’s real healing that takes place for kids who don’t trust anybody and who are very scared because they were abandoned and hurt by adults,” Judy Lloyd said.

For more information visit www.ninosdebaja.org.