Expressions of the Love Avenue in Mexico
By Luis Soto, Pastor and Regional Director
Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
During my childhood, my parents sent my three siblings and me to take food daily to my maternal grandmother, who needed this service. At that time, I did not appreciate this as an opportunity to share love by being of service. On the contrary, I considered it a burden and a waste of time compared to spending time playing the typical childhood games with my friends.
As a person in Christ, I appreciate the experience now as a wonderful blessing. We experience great joy and enthusiasm as a GCI community that participates in the ministry of Jesus by delivering food to those most in need, specifically in two of the congregations in Mexico.
One of these congregations is in northeast Mexico, in the small town of Francisco Villa, Tamaulipas. It has a population of approximately 5,000 people. The members of this congregation are rooted in GCI and have built their own meeting venue, led by master construction worker and pastor, Rigoberto Pantoja. The pastor, his wife, Esthela, and their children, Joel and Flor, represent a united family. Rigoberto and Esthela have gathered and led a group of enthusiastic members who continually participate and extend the love for God to their community.
As part of showing the love of Jesus to the community, they carry out a campaign in which the congregation periodically distributes meals and groceries to the less fortunate in the little town. This demonstration of love has led to the opening of doors in some hearts and homes as well. They are introduced to Jesus through prayer and Bible studies.
The other GCI congregation is in Los Reyes de la Paz, outside Mexico City. The family of Pastor Alfredo Oloño and his wife, Alma, reside there. In their home, they have established a distribution center. For this project, they partner with enthusiastic volunteers from the Mexico City congregation, under the leadership of Pastor Natanael Cruz. They receive boxes of groceries donated by a supermarket chain. The members redistribute the groceries to 60 boxes that are weekly shared with families who are in need in that community. When the neighbors arrive to pick up the boxes, approximately 35 willingly stay to receive the joy of spiritual food. Through the exposition of the word of God, Pastor Oloño presents them with a Bible study.
What inspiring reflections of divine love of our Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus invites and calls us to join Him in continuing to show God’s love in our communities. Let us appreciate this great blessing!
