About five minutes into Juarez, past the Cordova International Bridge, the Chamizal Park to the right of the main road is currently being used as a home for close to two thousand refugees.  As far as the eye can see, tents have been set up by families and individuals who left their home to seek legal entry into the United States.

Members of San Pablo and volunteers put together 100 bologna and cheese sandwiches to take to refugees

“It’s heartbreaking.  I’ve heard about the people who are waiting to be processed, and how they’re living in tents alongside the border ports of entry, but to see it is a whole different experience,” Rosie Hernandez, a member of San Pablo Lutheran Church in El Paso, TX, shared as she and several other members of San Pablo made simple bologna and cheese sandwiches.  This happened a couple of weeks ago, when members of San Pablo took a hundred sandwiches and several cases of bottled water with them to give out to the refugees currently inhabiting Chamizal Park.

Members of La Santa Biblia and San Pablo ready to give warmth and love in the form of a blanket to refugees

“We need to do more,” Maritza Hernandez-Muñoz, member and mission facilitator of San Pablo, reached out to Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) to see how they could partner together to help these refugees.  They were not the only ones.  Witnessing the obvious need of dozens of people, among them children of all ages, has moved the mission-churches in El Paso and Juarez to find ways to help, especially as the cold weather makes its way through the desert cities.

Rev. Javier Lozano and Deaconess Rosy Lira, both ministry servants at Iglesias Luterana San Lucas and La Santa Biblia located in Anapra, Juarez, brought their desire to reach out these people in need to YLM.

Pastor Lozano shared the love of God to the men, women and children receiving insulated blankets

“The members of our congregations have very little,” Rev. Javier Lozano shared after the weekly Bible study and staff meeting, “But when they see these families with little children living in tents and sleeping on the cold hard ground with very little warm covers or clothing, they see how blessed they are.  They have a desire to respond in gratitude by helping others.”

On Friday, a hundred insulated zip-up blankets were filled with basic hygiene items and taken across the border, where about twenty-five members from La Santa Biblia helped distribute them to people hungry for aid and love.

“We’re immensely blessed by so many people who donate these items to YLM,” Rev Dr. Karl Heimer, CEO of YLM and pastor at San Pablo Lutheran Church, explained in regards to the plans being made by the three mission-churches to continue this outreach effort together, “We want it all to go out to people who are in need.  God has blessed us with these treasures and there’s no reason why we can’t use them to bless those in need.”

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me.  I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”                                                                                                                         ~Matthew 25:35-36