“Where do Cows go Saturday night? To the Mooovies! Aw, come on you guys!”
While Mission Village Church member Mike Savage’s corny jokes may not have completely won over the huge crowd at the 100 Backpack Giveaway held on the church’s parking lot Saturday August 17th, his personality, along with his great grilling skills, did.
The beautiful San Diego summer weather complemented the perfect timing for giving away 100 donated Backpacks filled with school supplies for the children of local families, 2 weeks before the start of the new school-year. Lead Pastor Gino Lizarraga, wife Raina, & daughter Mina provided the giveaway honors under the backpack table canopy.
“Uno Hamburguesa coming’ up!” yelled Mike, as church member & Panamanian native Elena Poston, & visiting volunteer Mike Martinez winced at Mike's attempt at Spanish as they helped him pass-out the grilled-up cheeseburgers, hot dogs, & chicken to those waiting in the long line that formed, though it was all in fun.
Rounding out the goodies, were the flavored snow cones scooped up by church members Natalia Aylett & Edith Belman, while church upper elementary & middle school director Brandon George served fresh, old fashioned popcorn, with his wife Kristin Ehlers-George.
Seemingly not to be outdone, church high school, college, & young adult director, Josh Rohr, stayed very busy supervising the House Jumper, while Pastor Jeremy Aylett helped the families play some Disc Golf.
This was the church’s largest & most successful event held yet since the 2018 merger of the Mission Village Church with Mission Valley Church, in keeping with the continued growing membership. Besides putting some cards in with the backpacks, the event was absent what would normally be a conscious effort to promote the church, or Christianity.
"We have no desire to put God in people faces," said Pastor Gino, "that's not the right approach; but showing them the true love, warmth, and open arms of the church as an example of those who worship the Lord, is." Several people attending the giveaway who visited sunday church service the next morning, served to prove him right.
And as for the Backpack giveaway itself? 91 out of 100 were given out, though I’d noticed many were already gone when I arrived just before the event started. “Yeah", said Raina, “there were some people here early…” Ninety-one families with tight budgets helped-out two weeks before the school bell rings in a new year, & some new, potential church members; now that's what one would call an end-of-summer success-story!
Overcast, 60°
