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The Zaragoza Family

Josiah, Victor and Julie's oldest biological son, was born in Indiana in April of 2001.
Two years later, in June of 2003, Victor, Julie and Josiah answered God's call to move to Mexico.

In March of 2004, Angie and her sister Diana, who were 9 and 10 years old,
came from living in an abandoned storefront in Mexico City with their birth mother to become part of the Zaragoza family.

Two weeks later, Victor and Julie's second biological son, Caleb, was born.

When Caleb was two months old, Martha, age 6, walked alone from her mountain village seeking treatment at an EMMC.
She came home from the mission trip with Victor, leaving behind a life of abuse and malnutrition,
increasing the Zaragoza family from one to five children in a span of two months.

Ruth, Victor and Julie's third biological child, was born in November of 2005.

Ana has been part of the family since her birth in August of 2006. While pregnant, Ana’s birth mother,
young, impoverished and struggling to raise five children, asked Victor and Julie to take Ana into their home.

In July of 2007, Fidel, at age 7, joined the family after an EMMC,
in which Victor discovered Fidel living in a jail cell, having suffered abandonment by all of his relatives.

When Martita was two years old her mother died during childbirth. After eleven years of abusive treatment from her
alcoholic father, stepmother, and other family members, Martita sought safety at a Christian mission. The missionaries
contacted Victor and Julie who welcomed Martita into their family in February of 2008 when she was 13 years old.

In July of 2009, Daniel, joined the family at the age of 21 months when his birth mother abandoned him.
Severe congenital heart disease required surgery at age five which led to his death on September 8, 2013.

Jocelin joined the family at the age of 7 in August of 2009 upon the sudden death of her single mother, Victor’s sister.

Lolis is Martita's biological sister. For almost two years after Martita joined the family, attempts were made to also bring
Lolis into the family. Finally, in December of 2009, at the age of 12, Lolis joined her sister at Refuge Ranch.

In February of 2011, Victor and Julie added five siblings to their family – Fatima, Leo, Miguel, Carolina, and David,
who ranged in age from 10 to 2. Their mother had left them to the care of their elderly grandmother
who was unable to adequately meet their needs.

Alejandro joined the Zaragoza family in November of 2011 at the age of 11 after having spent those first 11 years
being jostled from one living situation to another, including relative's homes, shelters and even the street.

The Staff of Refuge Ranch

Cirino Cruz is a mason by trade and heads all of the building projects at the ranch.
He also takes care of the livestock and does general handyman work.
He and his wife Nancy have two children, Berenice & Bernabe.