Zion members (children, youth, and adults) along with members of San Pablo worked together to successfully serve over 100 families in need of food

Established in 1898, Zion Lutheran Church has been a source of support for the mission work taking place in, and through, Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) since before it was established as a non-profit organization. It was through Zion Lutheran Church, and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Rocky Mountain District that the planting of Centro Cristiano San Pablo, later to be named San Pablo Lutheran Church, in the Lower Valley of El Paso became a reality in 1982.

“The pastor at the time saw the need for a Lutheran church within this community,” Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer, pastor of San Pablo Lutheran Church, explained, “I was called to help establish San Pablo in 1982. As our mother church, Zion Lutheran has been a source of support throughout the last forty years.”

Adults and teenagers working together to fill up the non-perishable food boxes

Zion Lutheran has worked alongside San Pablo, as well as YLM, to help reach out to people in the Lower Valley and across the border. Their senior pastor, Rev. Stephen Heimer, does weekly trips to Anapra to help provide spiritual instruction to the growing congregation of Iglesia Luterana La Santa Biblia, one of seven mission-churches partnering with YLM. They also dedicate time and resources to help with the different distributions taking place through San Pablo and YLM.

From collecting backpacks, school supplies, and toys to providing much needed resources such as Spanish Small Catechism books to bringing their youth and congregation members to help with the weekly Saturday morning Food Pantry Drive-Thru.

Members of Zion worked together to fill up 725 gallon bags with a pound of rice each

In April, those with ability to get Thrivent Action Team funds purchased 25 pound bags of rice, the congregation gathering together to separate them into gallon bags, donating a total of 725 pounds to be distributed on Saturday mornings.

Krysia and daughter work together to place cans of vegetables and fruit into boxes

“We know that God wants His care to reach people in need,” Pastor Stephen shared when asked on the motivation behind involving Zion’s congregation in a service like the Food Pantry, “Helping distribute food at YLM is one way we can serve God and love others in an important way.”

The beautiful thing about serving others, though, is that service is a two-way street, with blessings flowing both ways. Krysia Heimer, wife to Pastor Stephen, shared the reason why she involves her five kids, ranging from three years old to fourteen, to the food distribution, as well as other service opportunities hosted and supported by Zion Lutheran.

“These kind of opportunities helps them see the importance of serving others. It gives them tangible examples of a variety of ways we can come alongside others to share God’s love, to deal with some un-comfortability for themselves for a good cause, and to realize how blessed they are, and that even though they are young, they can serve.”

May God continue to bless Zion Lutheran Church with ample opportunities to reach out to people in need, showing the love of God in tangible and simple ways. YLM is truly grateful for this lasting partnership and looks forward to more years of working alongside this, and other, congregations taking the Gospel, in word and deed, to the nations around them.