CUIDAD JUAREZ—When David Wall first came to Juarez, he saw children in need— underweight and not growing properly as a result of being malnourished. They struggled to find food to eat and struggled in school.
That's no longer the case. Wall, the pastor of Iglesia Bautista Agape and director of Agape Ministries, launched a feeding program five years ago for elementary-age children in the area. Today, Manna feeds roughly 135 children daily, providing many with their only nutritious meal of the day.
Children in Juarez receive nutritious meals at Manna, a ministry of Iglesia Bautista Agape. (PHOTO/John Hall/BGCT)
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Children run from school to the feeding site, fidget as they laugh, smile and wait in line for food. When they finish their plates, some of them come back for more. They never are turned away.
The food gives the children what they need to grow and develop properly. As a result, they perform better in school and behave better at home. The children who first participated in Manna are set to complete the fifth grade this year. Their school recently was recognized as the best school in Mexico—a direct result, Wall believes, of improvements taking place within the community.
"Thanks to God, things are changing," said Maria Bravo-Silva, whose son Fernando was among the first children to come to the feeding center. "The children are reaching their goals."
The feeding center allowed Iglesia Bautista Agape an opportunity to get to know the children in the community better, as well as their families. The ministry blossomed to encompass regular medical clinics, a school for the arts as well as tutoring programs—each designed to help young people while building relationships with families through which the gospel can be shared.
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| Manna ministry feeds about 135 children in Juarez. |
"It benefits my people, children and family," said Bravo-Silva. "It benefits people in the community like children and families."
Wall's ministry is supported in part by gifts to missions through the worldwide portion of the Texas Baptist Cooperative Program, as well as Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions . Those funds are crucial to the change that is taking place in the community, Wall said.
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"We are able to do great things in Mexico and in this place specifically that would not be possible without the help and support of the groups and people of the Baptist General Convention of Texas," he said.
Wall prays the congregation is known for the love it has for God and its community. Because the church has cared for people near it, residents have been open to hearing and embracing the gospel.
"When we go door-to-door sharing the gospel, people are open to receive it," he said.
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