EL PASO – Members of Lakeside Baptist Church gave thousands of hungry people in Juarez something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
Church members were the primary preparers of Thanksgiving meals for more than 20,000 people Nov. 24-25. The effort is part of an outreach coordinated by Hands of Luke Medical Ministries, an organization led by Marco Samaniego, pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church. Christians from through Texas and beyond came together to donate food, prepare it and serve it in conjunction with Juarez churches, who continue ministering to people after they have fed.
Samaniego said people are open to hearing the gospel after their physical needs are met. Conversations are started through the Thanksgiving outreach that lead to life-changing decisions being made. About 800 people made a profession of faith already as a result of this year’s feeding effort. Leo Samaniego, mission and evangelism coordinator for Hands of Luke Medical Ministries, said Christians are eager to bless others as God has blessed them. “We have been blessed by God in so many ways that we need to share those blessings,” Leo Samaniego said. “This is a Thanksgiving effort. We’re giving God thanks for what He’s given, and out of that we’re giving back.” Marco Samaniego said he sees the biblical miracle of the multiplying of the fish and loaves happen every year. Organizers rely on donations to feed the hungry, but never are lacking in supplies when it’s time to serve. “We feed people abundantly,” he said. “We’re not skimpy about it. And after we’re done feeding these people, we have a freezer or two of turkey.” |