One group of people in the villages who are often overlooked are the elderly. The majority live separate from their families and therefore have to cook, clean, and take care of themselves without any help. However great their physical need, what most of them crave the most is to have someone to talk with. Montserrat Gonzalez recognized this need and began the elderly food program in 2013. After researching and visiting the villages, she found elderly men and women who were in great need of someone lending a hand in helping them with food, health, and love. This year, our newest missionaries to join the El Faro team, Tommy and Katie Matthews, assumed responsibility in July and the program has continued to grow strong. Katie is a nurse and when Montserrat asked her if she was interested in taking over the program she quickly accepted. She has always had a heart for the elderly and a desire to serve them in whatever way possible and felt God was leading her to serve these people in the communities surrounding El Faro.
Once a month they visit they deliver the food and pray for the seven families
that live in three different communities. The 
participants of the Elderly Food Program are widows and elderly couples, many of whom help care for their grandchildren and are unable to work due to physical illness or age. They partner with two of the girls from the kitchen, Sucely and Sarita, who donate corn, beans, and rice from their store in the village. In addition, different families here at El Faro also help give food towards the ministry. With each visit they provide pasta, tomato sauce, chicken soup, chicken bullion, soap for washing clothes/bathing, bleach, matches, toilet paper, cereal, milk, Incaparina (a vitamin-enriched drink), sugar, oatmeal, oil, rice, beans, corn, maseca (torilla flour), and occasionally candy. Sometimes families have special needs such as clothing, fire wood, or bedding, and they try to fulfill these requests as best they can. Additionally, they provide vitamins and basic over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and cough drops that have been left over from past medical trips and are hard for our families to find and purchase.
One of our families, Lalo and Luisa, have been married for over twenty years. Two years ago Lalo suffered from an unexpected illness that left him weak and unable to work or fulfill the tasks of daily living, such as gathering firewood and fishing. His wife, Luisa, and other family members and friends took over these responsibilities, however, Lalo lost much of the independence he once had. Having seen the difficulty he has with walking, we decided to ask friends and family to donate towards purchasing Lalo a walker. During our visit in October we gave Lalo the walker and his reaction was priceless, smiles from ear to ear and truly grateful for the gift he had received. A few days later, Tommy returned to Lalo’s house to build him a covered ramp making it easier to get in and out of his bedroom and kitchen.
Through their experience with Lalo and many of the other families, they are reminded of how basic our needs as humans are: food, shelter, and most importantly, love. Their hope for this ministry is that people would know they are loved. “Despite age, abilities, or marital status the Creator of the Universe desires a deep, intimate relationship with them. their hope is they would feel valued and listened to. Our hope is that they would glorify Jesus for the ways He provides for them and their love for Him would overflow.”
The need to reach out and help these families in the community is real and the more they are out in the community they realize there are more families, especially single parent households, who could use this type of support and encouragement. To provide food and other basic items to each family costs $30 per month. In 2015 we hope to expand our program and provide twelve or more families with food, fellowship, and prayer. We are excited to see the way God is going to impact lives using this ministry, all we have to do is be available and ready to serve Him.
If you are interested in partnering with this ministry and provide a monthly provision of food to an elderly family in need, please contact Tommy and Katie at: tkmatthews721@yahoo.com or mission website
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