Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Kid's Café


In our neighborhood, there are children who do not eat a nutritious meal regularly due to poverty or parental neglect. To address this need, the Kid’s Café was developed as a ministry partnership between Cuirim Outreach and Iglesia Vida Nueva (New Life Church). Three times a week, Miguel Correa cooks a hot meal for the neighborhood children. Typically, between 70 and 80 children are served at the Kid’s Café each day. The menu changes from week to week. Sometimes Miguel cooks traditional Mexican food (well, it is just food here in Mexico). At other times, he serves more American style meals like hamburgers or spaghetti. Here is Miguel:


Older brothers and sisters bring their younger siblings and sometimes their parents visit to eat and talk. I myself know that several of the children come from families who are barely surviving financially and who could never afford to buy quality meat or vegetables. Before each meal, the children are led in a prayer of thanks to God for his provision.

The Café is more than just a place to eat. Usually after each meal, a member of the church leads the children in a Bible study. This past week, Lourdes taught the children about the Fall of Jericho. She used a flannel graph presentation. It reminded me of being a kid in Sunday School.


Before the lesson, Octavio led the children in a prayer for the victims of a terrible school bus accident in Nogales in which six children died. After the lesson, Octavio led the children in marching around Miguel's truck seven times, blowing whistles and yelling as the Israelites did at Jericho. I wish I had my camera when they did this because it was extraordinary to watch.

The Kid’s Café draws the attention of our neighbors toward Jesus Christ by meeting both their physical and spiritual needs. It has allowed the church to witness further into the neighborhood and offers church members a place to serve, to bless and be blessed. It is a place where children receive instruction on living rightly before God and their neighbors.


Thanks for praying for this work and for these children and their families.
Thanks to all of you who give to the Kid’s Café. As donations allow, we are hoping to be able to build a playground at the Kid’s Café, too.

Dios te bendiga!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm glad God is blessing your efforts and those of the others there helping. I hope you're feeling better Steve! I really enjoy reading your posts and seeing all the pictures. Love, Aunt Sue