A Vision, the history
Duane Wulf and Frankie overlooking Magdalena in 2010.
Over 12 years ago, there was a vision and desire to be able to provide jobs for the kids living at Casa Vida y Esperanza in an effort to keep them connected to the mission and give them a better start after they “aged out” of the orphanage system. Without a family to support them through that next stage in life, historically, gaining good employment for orphans was a very difficult task. Through prayer and open doors, God provided a way for this vision to become a reality. In 2009, The Fatted Calf, a non-profit 501c3 was established. Through that effort, a “for-profit” organization in Mexico (Productos Cárnicos la Misión, “PCLM”) formed to became the parent company of Carnísimo, a meat processing facility.
Carnísimo opened doors for business in 2010 to provide career training and job opportunities in a gospel-focused environment. In addition to employing people from the Magdalena community, several teenagers from the children’s home were able to take advantage of this opportunity.
In years following the initial efforts at Carnísimo and in keeping a mission-focus, PCLM added additional “Business-As-Mission” units and gave many more former residents of CVE work experience. Rancho Agua Viva started in 2015 and the restaurant Carnísimo Burgers opened their doors in 2018. Today the vision to provide job opportunities and career development continues with the leadership of the current missionaries working with The Fatted Calf, Jonathan & Bere Aupperle and Andy & Erin Ott.
Ministries Working Together
Frankie
Francisco “Frankie” Damian Alcaraz Martinez, 25, spent several years of his childhood at the children’s home, Casa Vida y Esperanza (CVE), where seeds of God’s love and the truth of a Savior, Jesus Christ, were planted in his heart. Eight years ago, Frankie left CVE as a teenager to explore life outside of a Christian environment and took a turn down a wrong path and into drugs. After hitting bottom, God put on his heart some of the people who had been with him during his time at CVE and through various contacts he was able to get in touch with one of the missionaries. The seeds God had planted so many years before, had borne fruit and God was faithful to call him and give him grace to repent of his sins. After this renewed interest in connecting with the believers from his past, his faith is watered through Bible studies, discipleship at work and relationships formed with HarvestCall missionaries. Jonathan Aupperle, Frankie’s boss says, “Frankie has a hunger and thirst for the Word of God. He brings his Bible to work and reads it on his downtime and is asking questions to myself and to Martin, another Christian employee. He has a desire to honor and please God which has resulted in him desiring to marry his girlfriend and mother of his kids and be baptized. It's just been a pleasure watching the Spirit working in Frankie and grow his faith and obedience to the Word."
Frankie appreciates having a job with Carnísimo Burgers to provide for his family and enjoys being in a Christian work environment where he is able to grow in obedience and in God’s Word. Francisco asks for prayers that his family would also come to experience the transformation brought about by a relationship with Jesus.
“ So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.”
February Update
Carnísimo
Rancho Agua Viva
Carnísimo Burgers
