Our History

In 2009, the Pastor at Trinity Church Dallas began talking about members who volunteered. He mentioned a young man who came on his own during the week to help around the building vacuuming carpets, cleaning windows, dusting, and anything else that needed to be done.  Pastor Joe Martin was talking about Juan Terrazas.

Juan was a member of Youth With A Mission (YWAM Dallas). Through the Director of YWAM, David Funke, founding members of the organization grew to know Juan and the other children the mission served in East Dallas.

One Sunday after church, one of our Left In America founders, Debbie Walker Blair visited with Juan. Juan told her about his life and how his music had become his way of communicating his journey. Debbie immediately heard the voice of God saying that this story needed to be told. It’s a story of those who are lost and find love and hope in Jesus Christ by developing faith in him and his chosen path.

Several Sundays later, Ed & Debbie Blair had the privilege of listening while Juan told the full version of how he came to live at YWAM. They sat in amazement as they heard how he was brought to America at the age of 5, and how his dad was deported and his mother followed her husband back to Mexico. They couldn’t imagine leaving a young boy of just 14 years old in another country. Furthermore, they were amazed that a young boy left on the streets of Dallas at such a young age, had evolved into the fine young man now eating lunch with them.

Ed and Debbie could not get Juan’s story out of their heads. Finally, one morning Debbie said, “You know, the story needs to be told—the story about children who have been left in America after their parents are deported.” They both realized Juan and his story should be shared with others. This profound realization led them to write a book.

During the process of writing Juan’s story, their eyes were further opened as to how “normal” his experience was. After researching and talking to people, they realized how many children in America shared similar stories. They made it their mission to challenge Americans to do something about the children who have been left in America; Churches, Christian Organizations, and Christians have a choice to make. Currently, the plight of the children of illegal immigrants has no easy solution outside of individual acts of love and care by Christians who love God and love people. What would have happened to Juan had he not met the Lord or encountered kind men and women who cared for him? What will happen to all of the other children who have been left alone in America? It was this question that led Ed and Debbie to form the Left in America Organization.

* Left in America (LIA) started as an organization in 2013, though work began a year earlier on the book: “Left In America”, “The Story of Juan Terrazas”.   LIA was officially incorporated as a 501c3 Texas Non-Profit Organization in 2015.  In 2018, the official 501c3 name was changed to HIS Plan Organization, with Left in America included as one of its ministries.