As she packed her suitcase and headed to Tijuana, Joselyn didn’t know exactly what she was searching for. All she knew was that she needed something deeper than a college routine and more human than a professional title. Her heart whispered that there was something more out there… and she decided to listen.
Joselyn Miel Ajis Martínez, 22, from Nezahualcóyotl in the State of Mexico, was raised as an only child in a loving home but one without an active spiritual life. Mass wasn’t part of her childhood. If faith was present, it was quiet and distant.
During her university years, that silence became even more noticeable. “I had friends, plans, activities… but there was still an emptiness,” she recalls. An emptiness that achievements and companionship couldn’t fill. That’s when a friend connected to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate told her about a mission in Tijuana and extended a simple invitation: “Come and see.”
Joselyn hesitated. She was afraid she wouldn’t fit in or feel out of place. But something inside her kept nudging her forward—the need to live something real.
What she found was the opposite of what she feared: a vibrant, humble, deeply human community. People who lived their faith with joy not by imposing it, but by sharing it. She discovered that the celebration of Mass didn’t feel like a duty, but a moment of connection, a space where respect, humility, and service weren’t just nice ideas, but ways of life.
The presence of Father Jesse was key approachable, joyful, and real. He spoke about God in simple words, but with deep truth. For Joselyn, it was the first time she felt part of something sacred. “I had never experienced Mass like that before,” she confesses. And that experience sparked a question in her heart she could no longer ignore: What am I really looking for in life?
Her time at the Mission didn’t just change her perspective it changed her heart. “There, I learned to believe in myself not because I can do everything, but because God walks with me,” she says with conviction. She realized that faith isn’t a theory to be studied, but a life to be shared. That humility isn’t weakness, but shared dignity. That a Mass can feel like home.
Today, Joselyn lives her spirituality as part of her everyday life. And she wants to go back. She longs to dive even deeper into the mission… and has even started thinking about attending a Search retreat, where she hopes to keep growing and encountering God.
Joselyn’s story reminds us that God often hides in unexpected places. That sometimes all it takes is a sincere invitation, a Mass experienced with an open heart, or a step outside your comfort zone for something inside to shift.
Would you like to experience something like Joselyn’s journey? The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate open their doors to all who wish to share and live out the Oblate charismas missionaries and agents of change.
And to you who make this mission possible through your support thank you. Thank you for believing that every story, every encounter, and every step in faith can transform lives. Thank you for being part of this community that builds hope and love in Tijuana and beyond.
Leave a Reply