Last year, San Pablo Lutheran Church (San Pablo) did their Joy Distribution a little differently from previous years. The family event was repeated this year, on December 16^th, an hour after the last 2023 Food Pantry Drive-Thru finished distributing food baskets and other food items to families experiencing food insecurity.

Members of San Pablo worked together to set up all the different tents, creating stations for games, crafts, face painting, cake walk, pictures with Santa and food.

Members provided buñuelos, Mexican hot chocolate, hot dogs, and nachos. Cakes were baked and decorated by another one of San Pablo’s members, and every fifteen minutes, kids and adults were able to play for the opportunity to win one of those holiday themed cakes.

With the help of Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM), this small congregation distributed over 150 toys for girls and boys aged 18 months to 12 years, as well as over 150 blankets to families and individuals in need. Along with these needed resources, this congregation made sure to share the Gospel in multiple ways during this event, from an opening devotion and prayer to members connecting with those who attended, close to 100 people.

“This year, we had more kids come to the Christmas Festival,” one of the members shared afterwards, as several of them worked together to clean up at main parking lot, “This is an event we are doing again.”

As kids went from one station to the next, parents and grandparents headed to the station where the toys were given out. Registration of children, which started in November, allowed for an orderly and quick delivery of toys, most of them in white or black bags to help keep the mystery of gifts intact.

Adults who didn’t register for toys received a blanket upon request, as well as participated in the cake walk, even taking pictures with Santa and getting something to eat at the Food Station.

The smiles on everyone’s face brought a level of festivity and joy to the two hours, making the event enjoyable for all who served.

San Pablo Lutheran Church is grateful to continue partnering with YLM in their efforts to reach out to their surrounding community, to provide for the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the lonely, along with bringing the Good News to hearts in need of mercy and grace.