Children and the elderly are affected the most during a crisis of food shortage

These last few years, food insecurity has increased throughout the world, with children and elderly suffering the most. In areas like the Chihuahua mountains, where indigenous tribes make their home, the lack of food is leaving painful scars within their communities as children die of malnutrition or mothers who lose their life due to lack of proper medical care.

Mission-churches Gloria Dei, San Lorenzo, and San Esteban are helping their communities by providing needed eggs and dairy to the most vulnerable

For the last six months, Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) has been working side by side with a Juarez non-profit organization called Juarez Mio. Through this partnership, YLM has provided thousands of pounds of food along with medical equipment and supplies for the rural clinics within these indigenous communities.

“These resources, along with food, were distributed among several communities,” Eloisa Robledo, one of the members of Juarez Mio, “The people of the communities we went into –San Jose de los Reyes, de La Matanza, del Venadito, and rural areas of Guadalupe and Calvo, as well as Guacareachi –have expressed their gratitude for the actions taken to help them during this time of drought and inflation.”

Pastor Misael Tovar, along with his ministry team, has been working to help vulnerable families within the communities of the Chihuahua mission-churches. These last couple of months, they’ve distributed blankets, backpacks with school supplies, and dozens of eggs and dairy products.

Receiving food is an answer to prayer for many indigenous families living in the mountains of Chihuahua

“The prices for food are skyrocketing, especially for eggs and dairy,” Pastor Misael explained at a staff meeting, “We’re working with the most vulnerable members of our community and providing them with these basic food items.”

Food insecurity in the sierras is at an all time high due to a two-year drought and inflation

Eloisa, along with Cesar Chavez who oversees Juarez Mio’s program, Todos Somos Maiz (a play in words for “Together we are more”), have endeavored to get food into these small communities since learning of their hardship due to COVID and a drought that’s impacted their abilities to grow their own food.

“Cesar and Eloisa shared a video of a young girl, about twelve, in the hospital for malnutrition,” Pastor Karl Heimer, CEO of YLM, explained several months before, “They did what they could but it was too late. She died because she didn’t have enough food. We knew we had to do something so it wouldn’t happen to another child, and working with Juarez Mio has allowed us to provide much needed food for hundreds of people.”

As YLM and Juarez Mio continue to work together to bring mercy into the sierra, we seek your prayers and support to be able to help provide critical resources for these children of God, helping us bring the love of God to them in tangible ways.

Be a part of the answer to their prayers by donating today!