In April, when Costa Rica started to feel the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Church of the Nazarene in Los Angeles developed an initiative to help families who were being affected. They called this project “Ayuda Conmigo” which means “Help with me.”
The project is a joint effort, as members of the church and associates make deposits into the church’s bank account, according to their means. The money goes to a shared fund which is strategically divided to help families in need.
One of the first families to receive assistance was a young man named Pablo and his mother, Yessenia. Yessenia used to work in catering for special events but with the arrival of the pandemic and because of the restrictions, she no longer could.
Thanks to the financial contribution of the “Ayuda Conmigo” initiative, they were able to sustain themselves during the first weeks. Then, with the funds they received, Pablo and Yessenia decided to start a small, fast food home delivery business called “Comida rápida Yes.” The new business has been successful and is now the family’s main source of income.
A short time later, they decided to give a part of their earnings to the church in order to help other families. “God has been so good to them,” commented pastor Andrés Fernández. “At the start of the pandemic, this family needed financial support from “Ayuda Conmigo” and, just a few weeks later, they were giving out of the fruit of their business so that other families could benefit.”
Additionally, since it is a home delivery business, Pablo and Yessenia needed to hire someone to deliver the orders. They gave this job to a young person in the church who was out of work, so that he could also gain an income for his family. “It is beautiful to see how a family that received financial help was proactive in being able to multiply this money, to the point where they can now give from their resources to help others,” said pastor Fernández.
The pastor also said this shows that the combination of a church concerned about the community, a family making good decisions, plus the help of the Lord is a wonderful equation for the overall development of individuals and the expansion of Christ’s mission in this world.
“We give God thanks for families like this young man and his mother who demonstrate the fact that God continues to multiply the talents of those who make themselves available to work. We also thank everyone at the Church of the Nazarene Los Angeles and all the donors who invested their resources so that this project could move forward. Above all, we thank our God who is the one that made it all possible. Without His love and help, it would be impossible to see real results.”
Source: Pastor Andrés Fernández, Church of the Nazarene, Los Angeles, Costa Rica
