I live in an impoverished area of Mexico, where many people live day-to-day without any kind of savings account.  With the event of the coronavirus, more and more people are losing their jobs and sources of income, making it difficult for them to have enough money to buy food. 

At the beginning of April, our Kids’ Bible Club team decided we needed to do something to reach out to the families of our weekly ministry.  When trying to determine which families were in the greatest need, the answer was that all of them were in need.  Through various donations, we were able to provide 42 families with basic food and household supplies.  We also included Bible story books, coloring pages, colored pencils, and other little goodies for the children.  Attached to the packages was a card with Psalm 62:8, “Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge”, and we told the families that this was a gift from our church.

One of the results of that initial delivery of food and supplies was that we asked for people’s phone numbers so that we could create a WhatsApp group of the children who usually attend our Saturday Kid’s Club.  This past month our team has worked to record videos of Bible songs, verses, and lessons to send out to these families each week, along with craft ideas as well.  We are encouraged to now be more in touch with whole families and to see many parents helping their children to have their own Kid’s Club at home.  Our prayer is that the Lord uses this time to reach not only the children with His love and Word, but that He also reaches their families.

Two weeks after our first delivery of food, our church vestry decided that it was time for the church to also put forth money to continue loving our community through another delivery of food and supplies, this time to 100 families.  We decided to give packages to each family in our church, regardless of need, to the families we had been able to bless the first time, and to a number of other needy families in the neighborhoods around our church.  On the attached card we stated that if the family didn’t need the items, to please pass them on to someone else who did need them, and thus we encouraged our congregation to be generous as well and continue shining Christ’s light to those around them.  Once again, everyone was greatly blessed to know that God loves them and was providing for them; one family hadn’t eaten all day because they didn’t have any food left in the house. 

This is a unique time in our world’s history and we as Christians have the responsibility and privilege to share Christ’s love and His message of salvation to those around us.  I am excited to see how the Lord uses these tangible examples of His and His Church’s care for people to draw them unto Himself.  We don’t know who is watching our online Sunday services, but our hope is that some of these families who have received the invitation to join us are doing so and are hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.