Fifteen people have given their lives to Christ after visiting a New Mexico church to pick up free burritos and food bags.
The free burrito and food bag handout started when Iglesia Bautista La Familia de Dios, Albuquerque, partnered with nearby Hoffmantown Baptist Church. Volunteers from both churches prepare food bags and burritos to hand out on one Saturday morning each month, starting in May 2026. Mesa Valley Baptist Church also joined the effort because La Familia de Dios meets in the same building as Mesa Valley.
Eleven of the 15 people who gave their lives to Christ did so in May 2026, during the first burrito giveaway. Four other people gave their lives to Christ in June 2026, and the three churches gathered once more on July 25 to hand out food bags and free burritos.
Getting the word out
Around 20 people came to the first handout to pick up food. Miguel Castillo, the pastor of La Familia de Dios, had put flyers around the neighborhood and contacted people about the event. During the second handout, more people came, and the volunteers handed out 24 food bags. During the July 25 handout, the volunteers distributed 30 food bags. The volunteers gave one bag each to an individual or a family. However, a family or person could pick up several burritos.
During that time, the volunteers shared the gospel with the people who stopped by and prayed with them. The volunteers also invited people to come to La Familia de Dios or Mesa Valley Baptist Church.
Castillo came up with the idea of cooking burritos as a way for the church to reach out and share the gospel with people.
The organizers plan to hold three more handouts, one in August, September and October.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Johanna Nelson and originally published by the Baptist New Mexican.
