On Nov. 1, members of the Church of the Nazarene Mexico South District prepared and delivered food to some 350 Africans who were at the southern border of Mexico.
This came as a response to a request from the commissioner of immigration regularization in Chiapas, Mexico, who met with different Christian denominations in Tapachula to ask for help to meet the needs of hundreds of Africans currently at the southern border of the country.
The Church of the Nazarene, represented by District Superintendent Roberto López Fajardo, committed to provide food for six months on Fridays and Saturdays, which represents 700 plates of food a week. The funds will come from local churches that have joined the cause and from the district.
In the first food delivery, a group of women met to prepare the food. Later, they delivered the food to the immigration station where children came to them with their plates ready to receive food. After the children came the adults. With the help of a translator, they took a moment to thank God for the food.
“ . . . (the people are) living in tents and in difficult hygienic conditions,” said Edi Montejo, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries coordinator in southern Mexico. In the face of this need, the church is offering great help. A local church water project has also provided the necessary water.
“These have been difficult days for the African community. The immigration process is slow and can drag on for several months. In the midst of this situation, the Church of the Nazarene continues to share faith and hope in Jesus Christ. We must be a church that loves, heals and saves. The Bible declares in Matthew 25:35, ‘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.’ It is beautiful to see the Nazarene family sharing the love of Jesus Christ, which is one of the objectives of NCM. (We want) to encourage every Nazarene to live compassion as a lifestyle,” Montejo said.
Source: Edi Montejo, NCM Coordinator, southern Mexico
