October 31, 2012: As FTN partners again with Root International, a full semi-truckload holding 43,000 pounds of dried peaches and nectarines will be loaded in California. This movement will bring the 1,600 buckets of dried fruit weighing 26 pounds each to the El Paso, TX warehouse. From there the large pails will cross the border and be used in schools, community centers, local churches and several other outreaches.

September 12, 2012: 35 pallets of rice and vegetable meals arrived in Mexico after several weeks of obtaining a clearance from Mexico City. The distributions are now taking place and are being overseen by Root International. Churches in Juarez are helping the needy in the communities. These 272,160 meals will help this area and bring some hope to the hopeless.

Mexico: A Time to Help Our Neighbors

Reaching Mexico has been difficult in the past due to strict border regulations. Instead of being able to take a semi-truckload of food into Mexico, smaller loads would have to be carried over individually, making the task tedious and time-consuming. Thanks to the efforts of our partners, that wasn’t the case in 2011.

In 2012, we provided food for two feeding programs in Mexico. Normally there are strict regulations about taking food across in large amounts, and it has been difficult to reach those in need. Thanks to the efforts of Root International and Jerusalem Evangelical Ministries, we were able to get clearances for rice/vegetable meals, dehydrated vegetable soup, assorted foods, vitamins, dried peaches and nectarines to cross the border in large amounts. The total amount of food and vitamins provided for these outreaches are over 160,000 pounds.

Some of the provisions were sent to people living near Juarez, which has become unstable and extremely violent since the government has failed to keep control of the city. A third of the population has left the city and 10,000 children have been orphaned. The food was distributed to schools, orphanages, feeding outreaches and churches.

Additional provisions were sent to the region of San Luis in Sonora, Mexico. One group who received food was a desert community. The people there live in make-shift shelters, have little or no access to electricity and must boil what water is available before they can consume it. To receive any sort of education, the children must walk a great distance to the city. The food was much needed as one report told that as the distribution of the food began, children came forward asking for bread or any sort of nourishment. “Fortunately, by the Grace of the Lord, and the precious partnering organizations, we had something nutritious for them and their families to eat.”

On July 31, 2012 FTN received a blessing from Feed My Starving Children of 272,160 rice/vegetable meals. FTN then partnered with Root International for a Mexico project. A 53 foot semi-truck was loaded out of Minnesota and moved to El Paso, Texas. The 42,322 pounds of food was off-loaded into a USA warehouse and is being cleared by the Mexican authorities to move the full 35 pallets into Mexico. An update will follow very soon on all the distribution sites.

On July 2, 2012 FTN partnered with Hunger Plus and shipped 42,000 pounds of dried vegetable soup valued at $106,500. This soup was trucked to Yuma, AZ and was off-loaded and prepared for shipment to move across the border. This soup will be delivered to several cities and rural villages in northern Mexico. The main region will be San Luis in Sonora, Mexico.

May 31, 2012: Feeding The Nations worked with Hunger Plus to be able to ship one full semi-truck of food from southern CA to Yuma, AZ and then onward to Sonora, Mexico. The pastors in this region have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for all the food provided.

February 8, 2012:  FTN provided Harvest Fellowship Ministries with 106,195 bottles of liquid vitamins valued at $300,000. The vitamins will enter Mexico near Matamoros, and be used to help the very needy in several planned outreaches.