Recovery ministry
Walking alongside men and women seeking freedom from addiction
Ensenada Ministries walks alongside local rehabilitation centers in Ensenada, Mexico, serving men and women who are seeking freedom from addiction. With visiting mission teams and local ministry partners, we share meals, encouragement, prayer, and practical support, and we tell everyone we meet that transformation is real and possible in Christ.
There is no pressure and no performance here, only presence: we show up, we stay, and we let people know they are not walking the road of recovery alone. Addiction touches families across Ensenada, and the men and women who enter the city's drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers are often the people the rest of the street walks past. They are never people God has stopped loving. Local rehab centers carry the long work of helping them rebuild their lives one day at a time, and we are glad to stand beside those centers, and beside the people inside them, however we are invited to help.
Dormitory for young people in rehabilitation in Ensenada, built by Lake Community Church from Alexandra, Minnesota
Building a dormitory for young people in rehabilitation at El Sembrador
Framing the dormitory for young people in rehabilitation at El Sembrador
How the ministry serves
Walking beside recovery centers, one visit at a time
The ministry's approach to recovery is simple and unhurried: go where the people are, respect the work of the centers, and bring the love of Jesus in both actions and words. Here is what that looks like in practice.
Visiting rehab centers
Mission teams and local partners walk through the doors of drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers around Ensenada, week after week. We do not come to change a program; we come to encourage the people living it, and to let the staff know they are not doing this alone.
Sharing meals and practical support
A shared meal is one of the simplest ways to bring a little dignity into a hard week. Teams help serve meals at the centers, and givers supply groceries, hygiene items, and other practical goods that the centers can put to use right away.
Encouragement and prayer
We listen to stories, pray with men and women, and remind them that God sees them and has not given up. For many, the first real hope they have heard in years comes from a team that simply showed up and stayed.
Hope that transformation is possible
Recovery is a long road, and we intend to walk it with them, one visit, one conversation, and one prayer at a time. We point to Jesus, the One who makes new life possible, and we celebrate every step forward we are privileged to witness.
For churches and youth groups
What does a visit to a rehab center look like?
When a church, youth group, or campus group comes to Ensenada, a visit to a recovery home can be one of the most moving days of the trip. The visit happens under the guidance of local ministry partners, who know the centers, the directors, and the men and women living inside them. Teams do not come to perform; they come to be present.
Every visit is different, because every home and every person is different. But a few things are true of almost every one:
- Hearing testimonies of lives changed, and sharing a song or a word of encouragement
- Sitting and listening, because presence speaks louder than any sermon
- Sharing a meal or helping with a practical project around the home
- Serving with humility, following the lead of local pastors and ministry partners
How you can help
Pray, give, or come and see for yourself
You do not need to be a counselor to stand beside someone in recovery. Anyone can pray, anyone can give, and teams of regular people make these visits happen, week after week. Here are the doors into this ministry.
Pray
Pray for the men and women in Ensenada’s recovery centers, for the directors and staff who serve them daily, and for the teams who visit. The get involved page shares how prayer carries this work.
Pray with usGive
Donations underwrite meals, supplies, and the practical care that travels with every visit. A gift toward recovery becomes encouragement with hands and feet.
Give to the workJoin a mission trip
Come to Ensenada with your church or group and see for yourself. Mission trips include visits to the rehab centers, always shaped together with our local partners.
Plan a tripReach out
Not sure where you fit? Tell us what you are imagining and we will help you picture it. No commitment, no pressure, just a conversation.
Start a conversationA closing invitation
Come walk alongside them
If your church would like to know more about visiting the rehab centers, if you want to give toward the work, or if you simply have questions, we would love to hear from you. There is no commitment and no pressure, just a conversation about where you might fit into what God is doing in Ensenada.
Want to bring a team? Plan a mission trip, or reach out to us and we will help you shape a week that includes time at the recovery centers.
