How It Started:
During Pr. Julio Flamenco’s presentation at the 2006 Hispanic Ministries Convocation it became clear to me that ministry outreach is not all about giving to people, but is also about giving people a chance to give back to the ministry that serves them. Was this the prompting of the Holy Spirit? I believe so. With this in mind and heart I approached the Latina women around Trinity Mt. Angel (They send their children to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, and are regularly contacted by the Luna’s and myself) with the thought that as believers in Christ, they have been given a gift by God that they could use to help the Body of Christ. They were interested to know what I thought their gift was. I told them that their talent for making delicious tamales could be used to help support Deacon Miguel and Mrs. Marta in preaching the Word of God to Spanish-speaking people. I asked if they’d be willing to make tamales to sell for that cause and they immediately wanted to know how many and when do we start. Order forms were sent out through Lutheran Women’s Missionary League Zone Rallies and mailings to congregations and individuals. I hoped we’d received prepaid orders for 100 dozen tamales. The Lord richly blessed us with prepaid orders for nearly 270 dozen. How It Worked:
I met twice with the ladies to plan the project. I got a list of ingredients so I could order our supplies. They told me where to get the best prices and when I went there I noticed the name of the wholesaler of Mexican products and decided to deal directly with them to save on ingredients. I ordered the chilis (one case each of four varieties), 25lbs of lard, 150 lbs of maseca (corn flour for making tamales), the big jars of beef and chicken bullion, two bales of corn husks, and various other supplies. Mt. Angel Meat Co. gave us a good deal on 95 lbs of beef, 85 lbs of pork, and 240 lbs of chicken.
The ice storm delayed our ingredients so we didn’t have anything to work with while the ladies were off work. Another tense moment occurred when our ingredients didn’t arrive on the appointed day. I called the wholesaler and was told they wouldn’t fit on the truck so they didn’t send them. After a brief explanation, the sales rep. arranged to deliver our supplies to Trinity, Mt. Angel at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning, the day we were scheduled to begin work.
I was a little concerned about getting help when the time came, and was about to call the ladies to arrange the work party when I received a call asking when we were going to start. A short time later another lady phoned to say she had taken the next day off work so she could help with the tamales. From there on, I knew we’d be all right. Because of the women’s work schedules and the nature of the project, I wound up doing a lot of the work, especially loading the pots, waiting for the tamales to cook, unloading and cooling them, then packing them into the plastic bags and transporting them to the local store that graciously gave us space in their walk-in freezer. But the women were at the church working whenever they could. One Saturday evening as a group was leaving, two ladies asked if they could please come by the next morning before going to work so they could finish the batch they had started. So, at 5:45 a.m. we met at the church and they made 300 more tamales before leaving for work just before 9 a.m. One woman who had just arrived from Mexico the week before, spent three whole days working at making tamales.
The work time was filled with conversation about cooking, family, and the things women talk about when they’re together. At each work session I emphasized the fact that they were working for the spread of God’s kingdom by making these tamales. We talked about the Gospel message of salvation by God’s grace through faith in Jesus as our Savior. We listened to Spanish-language recordings of the New Testament, hearing all of the epistles one Saturday afternoon. Marisol, Eufemia and Rufina were especially gracious and patient teachers as I learned the basics of tamale making. I reciprocated by teaching Marisol how to make pumpkin and apple pies, a skill she mastered very quickly!
When the tamales were all finished, Ruth Petersen, Arlene Janssens, and Ralph Petersen met with me at the Mt. Angel Trading Post where the tamales were stored. There was enough room in the back aisle of the market to set up tables and sort the orders. The next morning, they came back and picked up their cargo for delivery. I was feeling good about having made a few extra tamales until it was discovered that I had failed to enter two church orders into my computer. Between the extra we had made and the few that I made from what was left, we came out even.
Volunteer Time:
Number of Volunteer Workers: 24
Total Hours Worked: 330.25
The Bottom Line $
Receipts from prepaid orders and contributions: $3658
Expenses: 1402
Net for Missionary Fund 2256
The Real Bottom Line:
The gospel was shared every work time. Fellowship and relationships were established and strengthened in the context of serving the Lord. People were empowered through using their gifts to support the ministry. There is a continuing commitment to the project and increased appreciation for the ministry.
What Next?
On January 3 we meet again to make more chicken tamales at a much more relaxed pace. Mt. Angel Trading Post has again graciously granted us space in their walk-in freezer. This time we’ll be ready for all those orders!
Thanks and glory to God for what he has done, and will do.
