Kenneth Copeland Ministries has partnered with Alvarado Ministries International to build a soup kitchen, church and child-care center as well as educational and vocational training centers in the city of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, one of the poorest parts of that country.
Building a Place of Transformation
Sergio Alvarado knows the streets of Juárez, Mexico. He was once a product of them, a young man without purpose or a sense of belonging.
He clearly remembers the feeling of hopelessness that overshadowed his childhood and the sense of loss he felt from the absence of his parents. His father was a drug addict; his mother, a young single woman who turned to prostitution to care for her children only to lose her life to the streets—first to alcoholism and eventually to liver disease.
Once he became a Christian and came to America, Sergio thought he had left Juárez behind. God had delivered him from his past life and given him a new life, complete with a heart for the Lord and a supportive wife.
Then one day, Sergio heard of a woman who was ministering to the children of Juárez. Suddenly, he was face to face with the Juárez he had left so many years before. The urge to visit those children who reminded him of himself at a young age wouldn’t leave him alone. It was the beginning of his journey back to his hometown—not just physically, but spiritually as well.
Sergio sensed God calling him to build a place of healing, transformation and hope for the children of Juárez and their families. Today, Centro de Fe Vida Abundante (Faith Center Abundant Life) is under construction in Juárez. With the help of KCM’s Partners and Friends, Sergio’s ministry, Alvarado Ministries International, is in the process of building a church and center that include a soup kitchen and educational areas in one of the poorest parts of Juárez. Once finished, the soup kitchen and its dining room will serve 160 people at a time, while the church’s sanctuary will hold 300. The second floor of the main center will have rooms for Bible classes, services for kids, dormitories and more. The land surrounding the center will hold educational workshops where young people will learn skills like woodworking, sewing and welding, which will allow them to provide for their own families in the future.
As Sergio will tell you, building the center has not been an easy task. It’s been an uphill battle to overcome bureaucratic red tape, governmental oversite and financial need. But despite the obstacles, progress continues to be made because God is faithful. What He starts, He finishes.
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