LA MESA
This program started as a thought in Brad’s head as he was driving past people on the side of the road begging for money at the red lights in El Progreso. God whispered to him, “I know their name. I want you to know their name, so they can know My name.”
The name “La Mesa” comes from Luke 14:13 where it says, “but when you give a feast invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,” and that is exactly what we do. They are given a name tag so they can be known by only their name, not what they do, not where they live, just by who they are. Most Tuesdays, 120 people come in and are seated at a table, served a plate of Chinese rice, and are treated with the value Jesus says they have for the entire night. For a lot of our friends at La Mesa, this is the only day of the week they get called by their name and the only day of the week they get to eat a full meal. We end the night the same way each week; Brad or a guest speaker gives a short message and they are given the opportunity to get to know Jesus. They come for the food, but they stay for the relationships.
La Mesa provides not only meals for those who are hungry, but it is also teaching the local church here how to better love their community one Tuesday night at a time.