What a joy it was to be able to teach the story of creation to four of God’s beautiful children, all members of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Anapra, Mexico.  Since public gatherings, including churches, are not yet allowed in Juarez, staff from Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) and San Pablo Lutheran Church located in El Paso, have been doing at-home visits to help the Mexico mission-churches they partner with.

A San Lucas family agreed to host a Wednesday children’s Bible story time on Genesis 1

The Missions and Ministry Team started visiting three families on a Wednesday in early May.  With two weekly visits, they have been able to visit one family in Kilometer 30, where Iglesia Luterana Santisima Trinidad, shepherded by Pastor Jose Hernandez, dedicates time and resources on reaching out to the families in this impoverished community.

Visit with Jesús in KM 30 resulted in counseling and a musical way to share God’s Good News

They then spend majority of their Wednesday and Saturday visiting over five families in Anapra, both from San Lucas and Iglesia Luterana de La Santa Biblia.

“This is beautiful,” Pastor John Benito Morejón, a recent addition to the YLM music ministry and currently undergoing the call process to be an associate pastor at San Pablo Lutheran Church, shared after joining the team this past week, “We are taking God’s Word and His love to people in so much need.”

Studying God’s Word with young Javier, who is interested in becoming a missionary

The team shows up on Wednesdays to do Bible studies with one family, counseling with another, and to connect for the purpose of relationship building with a third and fourth.  On Saturdays, they bring families food boxes filled with produce and other food items, and they also bring the Word of God in the form of children’s books, music, evangelism, and Bible story telling.

Meaningful relationships have been built between families and YLM’s Missions and Ministry Team members

“First God,” Elsa, a member of La Santa Biblia raising her two grandchildren on her own, always states when the team shows up to visit them every Wednesday and Saturday, “God first and He provides.  He sends you and we are so grateful.”

While La Santa Biblia is unable to meet for worship or Bible study, they still do small distributions of food on Wednesday mornings.  Their deaconess, Rosy Lira, expressed how helpful the YLM/San Pablo Team has been; “I have so many families, and there’s so much need.  It’s good to know while I find ways to get food for these families, the ministry team from YLM and San Pablo are bringing God’s Word to them, since they can’t go to where God’s Word is usually preached.”

It’s a beautiful ministry God has put in place during this season of distance, waiting, and anxiety.  He has watched over His servants as He directs them to continue taking His Word, love, grace, mercy, and kindness into Juarez, where the surroundings may be seen as ugly, but the people are oh so beautiful.