As you may or may not know by now, I experienced a harrowing ordeal last Sunday in Puerto Vallarta. But as terrifying as much of the day was, the kindness, graciousness, and generosity of one human and one organization far overshadowed the evil and horror which I confronted.
Early in the morning, two friends joined my husband Yoni and me on what was going to be a day of whale-watching. On our way to the port, we saw a truck curiously parked perpendicular in the road. Although it seemed odd, we thought we’d drive around it…until a guy brandishing a gun started running towards our car screaming and threatening us if we didn’t get out.
Terrified with the gun pointed at us, we got out of the car and started running. The guy drove our car next to the truck and blew it up. As we now know (we had no information/texts/alerts at 8:15am), we were the first targets of a day of terror in our beloved Vallarta; their purpose was to block this major artery in and out of the city.
As the four of us fled the gunshots behind us, Yoni and one friend went to the side of the road and were ultimately picked up by a good samaritan who shoved them in his car and drove them to safety. Our other friend and I fled a different way - up a side street into a small bodega. The proprietor was closing the shop and encouraged us to go to the church across the street where 100+ people were observing the mass.
With the huge church doors open, exposed, and vulnerable, we stood to the side and respectfully observed the service in progress. At one point, I tried to convey to nearby parishioners what was going on outside to encourage them to close the church’s doors - but, my plea was dismissed. After communion, I decided to approach the priest and tell him about the terror which was unfolding. He then conveyed the message to the congregation and encouraged calm.
The woman next to us instructed us (two obvious out-of-place gringos) to approach a man in the front who would help us. It turns out that this man is Fredy Garcia, the owner of Fredy’s Tucan, a popular restaurant here in Vallarta. A staunch volunteer at RISE Shelter (the orphanage directly behind the church), Fredy brought some of the kids with him to attend Mass. He then ushered me and my friend to the heavily secured confines of the orphanage where we were met by the children and workers there with open hands, love, and a safe harbor from the mayhem ensuing outside.
Even with his mounting concern for his own family and business in the heart of the city, he pledged never to leave our side and to see us through the ordeal, however it unfolded. With no internet, our news was limited; we could only peek out and see cartel motorcyclists continuing to roam the main artery where we were stopped and our car bombed. We also saw billowing smoke and heard continuous gunshots and explosions.
At one point, we seriously weighed taking an upper foot path in the general direction of our place; but, we’d still have to descend the mountain into town, past burned out businesses and cars to access the beach and make our way home. Ultimately, we decided it was too risky.
By 7:30pm, with little information and only a hint that things might be subsiding, the three of us decided to make a go of it in Fredy’s truck. Fraught with unknown risk, this decision terrified us as much as the original hold-up. Knowing my friend and I were Jewish, Fredy shouted “shalom, shalom” to the sky before crossing his chest and hopping in his truck. We then embarked into the unknown, darting around burned out cars, trucks, and businesses, not knowing what lay ahead. Even though Fredy could have easily just dropped us off at his house, he insisted on going the extra 2 miles to drop me and my friend door-to-door at my place - and then trek back to his own home alone.
At times when I’ve really started to doubt the goodness of humanity, Fredy and RISE Shelter (the orphanage) have given me faith and a reason to believe. To say they went above and beyond is an understatement. What Fredy did for us and continues to do for RISE Shelter is an act of love and pure kindness.
And what RISE Shelter provides to these children is a loving and safe every-day refuge, even in normal times - let alone during the madness of Sunday's events. Without any government assistance at all (and only with private donations), the organization cares for 40 children who have done nothing wrong and deserve a fair chance.
When I asked Fredy what RISE Shelter’s annual budget is, he told me the modest sum of $250,000 - an amount which is most difficult to raise here locally. He said they have more than enough volunteers. In appreciation for his and the orphanage's extraordinary generosity to these two out-of-place terrified outsiders, I am committed to raising an amount equal to a year of their budget.
If you are looking to find a way to reward those who demonstrate pure selflessness in the face of horror, then please consider making a donation to RISE Shelter in Fredy Garcia’s honor. Here is the link: https://donorbox.org/rise-fundrasing
Should you decide to donate, please make sure to comment that you're doing so in Fredy’s honor.
He's a hero.
Best,
Brad
(Above picture taken when I returned to the orphanage and met up with Fredy there two days after the attack).
