The church was full with people who came to celebrate the birth of our Savior before the Christmas Festival

After two years of doing drive-by distributions for the jackets and toys, the members of San Pablo Lutheran Church (San Pablo) felt it necessary to find a way to re-connect with their community. Partnering along with Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) to help provide toys, jackets, and blankets for members of their congregation and surrounding community.

Members of San Pablo worked together to provide food, activities, crafts, and many other fun things for adults and children

“Our members rose up to the challenge,” Maritza Muñoz, a member of San Pablo since she was a child, shared afterwards, “They offered to bring the food, help oversee the different booths. It was a joy to see people coming and enjoying the time spent connecting over food and fun activities.”

The Saturday morning event began soon after the weekly Drive-by Food Pantry was done, with close to 100 people coming to the church, where Mariachi San Pablo greeted everyone with traditional Christmas music. A beautiful message on the Gift of a Savior given by San Pablo’s senior pastor, Rev Dr. Karl Heimer, followed before everyone walked out of the church for the traditional posada led by Mariachi San Pablo.

Over 200 toys and jackets were picked up by parents and grandparents before they joined the festivities

Afterwards, those who were registered for jackets and toys headed towards the Music Building, where Dayamy, a member of San Pablo, helped give out 289 toys and 257 jackets, while Fabiola, a volunteer from Juarez, helped distribute 496 blankets.

Free food was given out, homemade menudo and champurrado (a Mexican kind of hot chocolate) enjoyed by people, some of them simply coming to enjoy the festivities though they weren’t picking up toys or jackets. Adults and children took time to decorate sugar Christmas cookies and Christmas crafts were given out to children.

After the posada, children enjoyed the tradition of hitting a piñata full of candy before receiving their candy bag

There was also hot dogs, popcorn, and aguas frescas, along with regular hot chocolate. Several of the San Pablo youth volunteered to run two of the booths. Maritza’s teenage son and nephew dressed up as Santa and his elf helper to offer pictures with Santa for everyone. Mia Barrientos helped oversee the Cake Walk booth, where thirteen different winter themed cakes, baked and decorated by Nataly, one of San Pablo’s youth, were won by excited children and adults who expressed joy to be taking a beautifully decorated cake home for their family.

“It was such a good thing to see,” Pastor Heimer expressed afterwards as people helped clean up the main parking lot where the event was held, “I enjoyed watching the congregation working together to make this happen.”

“We hope to do it again next year,” Miguel, one of San Pablo’s elders, shared afterwards, “It was tiring but it was so rewarding and so much fun.”

Plans are being made by the San Pablo congregation to see about doing another festival, this time for Easter.