Each year, our Association of churches undertakes a significant mission-packing food that is sent around the world. This food, packed with love and care, is distributed by Christian Organizations to people in need, with the hope of sharing the gospel. The impact of our efforts has been felt in South Sudan, the Dominican Republic, and Congo, where our food has provided sustenance and hope in times of crisis.
On August 21 of this year, I received an email that the 226 food boxes, which would provide 48,816 individual meals, had finally made it to Congo. On October 1, 2023, 398 members of our Association representing 18 churches packed the food. From there, the product was loaded on pallets, placed in a container, and shipped.
It took almost a year for the food to make it across the world. The food had left Denton County, where it was trucked to Arizona, loaded on a container, and taken to a port. It was then loaded on a container ship routed around the Cape of Good Hope, hundreds of miles out of the way, then to Singapore to avoid the war-affected Red Sea route. On April 28, it made port in Tanzania. It was then trucked to Goma, Congo, where it was held up in customs for three months. At that point, it was released to Mama Zawadi, who oversaw getting it to the correct location. It was then loaded on a trailer, then a dump truck, and finally placed on a handmade boat that would take it to its destination. It is hard to imagine that food containing rice, nutrients, and spices packed on an assembly line of people in Texas could go so far.
Thank you, Denton Baptist Association, for what you did. 398 people from 18 of our churches came to Camp Copass. They ranged in age from 3-90. They stood around two tables in 16 different stations, placing an empty bag below a funnel, where young children poured in rice, soy, and spices for taste. It was then passed to an individual who weighed the bag and added or took out the product. That bag was placed in the hands of someone with a heat press that sealed the bag. The bag was then put on a counting grid and stacked. Once there, 36 bags were placed in a box, sealed, and loaded onto a truck.
I am excited to extend an invitation to you for our 2024 food packing event. This year, the event will be held at Camp Copass on Sunday, October 6. We have two different packing times available for your church to participate in: 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Please note that some of our flyers incorrectly stated 4:30 p.m. as a packing time. To sign up your church for the event, please click on the following link.
We also ask you to buy some food boxes for $76.00/box. As previously stated, last year, we packed 226 boxes. At this point, we will be packing 105 boxes. We need your help increasing the boxes of food we will pack. We could accomplish that goal if we had 16 more churches or individuals who could give $500. We could achieve that goal if 32 churches or individuals gave $250. We could add the necessary funds to meet our goal if we had 105 churches or individuals who gave $76.
Come join us for Serve Together, the hands-on mission project that is literally making a difference across the world.