Joe Brandi
When/why did you originally get involved/how long have you been involved with U4O?
When having a phone call with a close friend Derek Dominquez he asked me how many orphans there were in the world. I responded 100,000 because I have never met an orphan or met any of them before. He was blown away at my ignorance and let me know the huge numbers.
It began out of pain at learning the staggering number of orphans in the world, at the time, 143 million according to UNICEF. I’m a deep feeler and an empath, and the number was so huge, I kept thinking, “What can I do?” At that time, I was a college and young adults pastor and had worked at churches in Santa Cruz, San Diego, and Florida.
I had already committed my life to local ministry and thought I was serving God sufficiently and had no energy or capacity to think about helping the poor in different countries. I also was finally getting paid sufficiently and had been able to buy a house in Florida and didn’t want to even begin to think of losing this American dream reality. A few weeks later, an indian musical came out that I didn’t want to see but the humidity and heat of Florida often led me to the movies where there was great AC.
One hot and humid afternoon, I went to a movie to escape the heat and saw Slumdog Millionaire. The movie gripped my heart and changed my life. In that near-empty theater, I was brought up close and personal to the realities of vulnerable children. I have always protected my sister and female friends, and felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. The specific sub-story that gripped me was the little girl who had no one to provide for her and protect her, who, as she grew up, had to become a prostitute. I have a sister and love protecting the females in my life I love.
I knew that God was calling me and giving me a vision to take action. As I walked out of the theater, it was dusk, and I felt a force around me, like God was putting his hand over me. I felt resistance because I was already in ministry, but he was calling me to do more in other places he wanted to take me. I began to realize that I could let go of the American dream of prosperity and materialism and instead pursue the adventure God was calling me to.
I asked God for more signs to move me towards giving my life to this mission. Within one month, I had severe pain in my body. I avoided doctors, but after a nurse friend emphatically urged me to get it checked out, I found out that I had cancer. After surgery and many radiation treatments, I gave up the comfort of the American materialistic approach to life and said, God, I am open to what you want me to do. I reached back out to Derek, and there was an opportunity to go to Kenya a few months later.
When I went to a 200,000-person slum in Kenya with World Orphans, it was a shock to my system. It was sweaty, dirty, and chaotic, with raw sewage and burning garbage fires. The discomfort made us want to move quickly, and then we passed a little tent. A grandmother with missing teeth who took care of three children was just beaming the love of Christ.
She was part of the local church, and I was convicted by that. All of their belongings hung on a fishing wire, and I was overwhelmed. I stepped outside the tent wishing for a cold Gatorade and to teleport out of there, and in that moment I felt God saying, “Love your neighbors as yourself.”
What if I were born in a slum? Wouldn’t I want someone who has more opportunities to help my painful life be better? And to do it in Jesus’ name. I made a promise to God that I would be a mouthpiece for the poor and for orphans in every way I could. I then let my church know of my new calling, and they let me become a missionary with World Orphans. As a result, I lost my income, couldn’t afford my house, and began living off support raising.
I spent a couple of years working with World Orphans, went to serve in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, as well as poor villages in Central America five or six times. After relocating to San Diego, I’d lead trips with church teams. As a staff member at The Rock Church, I was asked what my dream ministry was. I wrote it down, and they contacted me about visiting orphanages in Mexico.
When I went, I had micro experiences of what had happened in Kenya and realized it’s only 30 minutes across the border. The cost is minimal, and I began to think of how I could recreate the vision based on day trips. When your heart breaks for people and you’re willing to give your life to God, that’s what Jesus did for us.
Jesus entered a painful world full of suffering, died on the cross, and ultimately rose again as Savior. I think of that deep pain every time I hear one of these children’s stories and see how vulnerable they are. Every trip contains pain and beauty, and although it challenges me each time, I consistently feel called to it.
I just want to touch as many kids’ lives as possible and shepherd gringos and North Americans across the border so they can experience that raw, gritty reality. The life-changing transformation that happens even on a day trip impacts the lives of volunteers and the people close to them.
What is your role with Unity 4 Orphans
As founder and president of Unity 4 Orphans, I lead day trips across the border from San Diego into Tijuana through Amigos 2 Familia, make connections with our international partners in Central America, and engage our local community to shine the light of Jesus in dark places.
I travel to Central America to find leaders and people of peace, go to their church, learn about the structure, and visit every year to maintain relationships.
What motivates you to work with U4O?
When we serve those less fortunate together, we create experiences of love, prayer, happiness, and joy. It brings the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and enables us to experience small moments that literally change lives and how people think about their relationships. My goal is to bring awareness and foster relational consistency.
Since 2010, there have been over 220 day trips, and approximately 4,000 volunteers who have come. People who join us come from different backgrounds and beliefs, and the trips not only impact the children but also shine a light on struggles like stress, materialism, introspection, narcissism, and many challenges rampant in our modern society.
By facilitating these experiences and opening a portal to an alternate reality for a day, people see how their resources and time can change one child’s life. Not only that, but it enhances their own moments in life, and they see firsthand that God loves them and is not a faraway, distant God.
Tell us a little more about yourself.
I’m fueled by the love of Jesus, strong coffee, and the search for a perfect surf break. Being in God’s creation, witnessing the power of the wind and waves, fills my spirit and engages my lifelong sense of adventure.
Hearing others’ stories and leading them to a clearer understanding of God’s love is a great privilege, one that I don’t take for granted. I strive to make real connections, whether at a cafe in San Diego or an orphanage in Tijuana.
In 2024, I founded Amigos 2 Familia, which leads day trips to orphanages and community centers in Tijuana every third Saturday of the month. These “Beyond Borders” trips invite volunteers to journey to Mexico and experience firsthand the joy, resilience, and stories of the incredible kids we serve.
I spend my time in ministry as a pastor at Sea Change Church in La Jolla, hosting mid-week groups and Bible studies, and crossing international borders to support U4O’s in-country partners, assess needs, and grow our programs.
