Meal Nine - MexicoSpotlight on Mexico•Region: Latin America and Caribbean•Population: 113,724,226 (July 2011 estimate)•Area: slightly less than three times the size of Texas

• Life expectancy: total population: 76.47 years• Urban population: 78% of total population (2010)

Printable Table TentPrint the table tent, designed for the Mexico meal. This table tent includes conversation starters and information about your gifts to ELCA World Hunger in action.

PlacematsPrint and use different placemats during your Lenten meals to raise awareness about hunger, poverty and related issues. Available in a separate PDF.

ProgramThis 30-minute program, specifically designed for the Mexico meal, contains a reading, litany, monologue, prayers and discussion questions.

Table PrayerTo those who have hunger, give bread. And to those who have bread, give the hunger for justice.

Story: EsperanzaEsperanza used to sell small goods door-to-door to make a living. On the outskirts of Mexico City, where millions of people live in extreme poverty, she struggled to provide for herself and two teenage children. When the price of tortillas and other staple foods skyrocketed, she feared that her children would go hungry...Read the full story.

Local RecipesPopular foods in Mexico include burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tacos, beans and rice. We recommend beef tacos. Find these recipes and more at www.mexicanfoodrecipes.org.

ELCA World HungerLenten ResourcesLent is a time of prayer, service, and self-examination. During this time, many of us choose to live simpler lives, remembering those who do not have the food, money, or resources to simply live. Here are some resources to help your congregation remember those who are hungry and living in poverty this Lenten season.

Lenten Meal SeriesDoes your congregation host meals before Lenten services? Why not join together for a meal and help fight hunger at the same time? Enjoy global cuisine while learning about the world and how gifts to ELCA World Hunger are making a difference. Instead of charging for the meal, collect donations to support ELCA World Hunger. Complete plans for six meals are available on the following topics: Bolivia, Cambodia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Egypt, and South America.

Meet EsperanzaEsperanza used to sell small goods door-to-door to make a living. On the outskirts of Mexico City, where millions of people live in extreme poverty, she struggled to provide for herself and two teenage children. When the price of tortillas and other staple foods skyrocketed, she feared that her children would go hungry.Then Esperanza received a small loan from a microfinance association in her neighborhood that is supported by ELCA World Hunger. This microfinance program gave Esperanza an opportunity to become an entrepreneur. She started a small store in her home, which now generates enough income to support her family. Each week she hosts meetings on her patio with other members of the program.Members of the microfinance program are involved in all aspects of its operation, including administration of the loans. Members support each other in paying back the loans; the repayment rate is over 90 percent. Because of this

program, Esperanza sees real change in her community and is able to sustain her family.

ELCA World Hunger

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ME

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www.

elca.

org/

hung

er

Aaron Cooper/ELCA

Your

gift

s to E

LCA

World

Hun

ger s

uppo

rt m

icrofi

nanc

e pro

gram

s in

Mexic

o and

in m

any

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ate o

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ail i

t to:

ELCA

Wor

ld H

unge

r, P.O

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717

64, C

hica

go, I

L 60

694.

To

give

onlin

e with

a cr

edit

card

, plea

se

visit

www.

elca.

org/

hung

erdo

nate

.

Mee

t Esp

eran

zaEs

pera

nza

used

to se

ll sm

all g

oods

doo

r-to

-doo

r to m

ake a

livin

g. O

n th

e out

skirt

s of

Mex

ico C

ity, w

here

mill

ions o

f peo

ple

live i

n ex

trem

e pov

erty,

she s

trugg

led

to p

rovid

e for

her

self

and

two t

eena

ge

child

ren.

Whe

n th

e pric

e of t

ortil

las

and

othe

r sta

ple f

oods

skyro

cket

ed, s

he

fear

ed th

at h

er ch

ildre

n wo

uld

go h

ungr

y.Th

en E

sper

anza

rece

ived

a sm

all l

oan

from

a m

icrofi

nanc

e ass

ocia

tion

in h

er

neig

hbor

hood

that

is su

ppor

ted

by E

LCA

World

Hun

ger.

This

micr

ofina

nce p

rogr

am

gave

Esp

eran

za a

n op

portu

nity

to b

ecom

e an

entre

pren

eur.

She

star

ted

a sm

all

stor

e in

her h

ome,

which

now

gen

erat

es

enou

gh in

com

e to s

uppo

rt he

r fam

ily.

Each

wee

k she

hos

ts m

eetin

gs on

her

pa

tio w

ith ot

her m

embe

rs of

the p

rogr

am.

Mem

bers

of th

e micr

ofina

nce p

rogr

am

are i

nvolv

ed in

all

aspe

cts o

f its

op

erat

ion, i

nclu

ding

adm

inist

ratio

n of

th

e loa

ns.

Mem

bers

supp

ort e

ach

othe

r in

pay

ing

back

the l

oans

; the

repa

ymen

t ra

te is

over

90

perc

ent.

Bec

ause

of th

is pr

ogra

m, E

sper

anza

sees

real

chan

ge in

he

r com

mun

ity a

nd is

abl

e to s

usta

in

her f

amily

.

ME

XI

CO

www.

elca.

org/

hung

er

Aaron Cooper/ELCA

Your

gift

s to E

LCA

World

Hun

ger s

uppo

rt m

icrofi

nanc

e pro

gram

s in

Mexic

o and

in m

any

othe

r cou

ntrie

s aro

und

the w

orld

. A g

ift o

f jus

t $1

25 is

eno

ugh

to p

rovi

de a

mic

rolo

an

to a

wom

an re

ady

to s

tart

her o

wn

smal

l bus

ines

s. W

ill yo

u m

ake a

gift

to h

elp

som

eone

like

Esp

eran

za? P

lease

give

toda

y.

YES!

I wo

uld

like t

o sup

port

ELCA

Wor

ld H

unge

r.

I h

ave i

nclu

ded

my g

ift of

$12

5.

Oth

er $

____

____

____

✁

Make

your

chec

k pay

able

to “E

LCA

World

Hu

nger.

” Pla

ce yo

ur g

ift in

your

co

ngre

gatio

n’s of

ferin

g pl

ate o

r m

ail i

t to:

ELCA

Wor

ld H

unge

r, P.O

. Box

717

64, C

hica

go, I

L 60

694.

To

give

onlin

e with

a cr

edit

card

, plea

se

visit

www.

elca.

org/

hung

erdo

nate

.

ORDER OF SERVICE

PRAYER:Lord, do we really have any idea how the rest of the world lives? Do we? Do we really know poverty? How many of us know real despair? The kind that seals us in and leaves us with dust in our mouth instead of food. How many of us have visited outside our comfort area? How many? What then should we do? How then shall we serve?

Move us into compassion. Cover us with your grace and move us beyond our guilt. Our little is so much. If we only knew. Amen.

READING: Luke 3:10-14 (NRSV)And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”

MONOLOGUE: Esperanza (Pretend to close door) I’m having a meeting on my patio right now: members from the microfinance program here in Mexico City. (laugh) No, we are not bankers. Not really. We meet weekly to support each other in our new businesses. Who would ever think that I would be a business woman, much less running a meeting?

I use to go door-to-door selling odds and ends to bring in some money. Now people come to my door.

My name is Esperanza. I live on the outskirts of Mexico City. There are millions like me here in Mexico City. We work hard, but prices keep going up. Incomes do not. How many doors did I knock on? Not enough to provide for my children. I had dreams of starting my own store, but those were impossible dreams. I just kept knocking. Sometimes it wasn’t enough.

Do you know what a micro loan is? A small loan. A hundred dollars. Maybe less. I received a small loan from a microfinance association in my neighborhood that is supported by ELCA World Hunger. Through the microfinance program I became an (pause here to proudly enunciate) entrepreneur. I started a small store in my home just like I’d envisioned. My store generates enough income to support my family. Just a little has made so much possible. (open hands)

Through the program, we’ve not only been given a micro loan but the responsibility to operate it. That’s what we’re talking about tonight. We’re making it work. Our repayment rate is over 90 percent. Do you know the Bible story about the boy with a few fish who fed 3,000? Micro loans are like a few fish.

calling

Chicago, IL 60694-1764.

Mexico

continued on back...

Seed money to grow a whole village. It’s making a difference not only for me but for Mario, Juan, Abilia, Abram and Lena—others who have benefited from this program.

(Look back over shoulder at imaginary patio and laugh) I guess they heard their names. OK! I’m coming! (calling to friends)

(Returning to audience) I’d better get back to my meeting. But, don’t forget: Through your gifts, God’s love has been poured out upon us through the work of ELCA World Hunger. We are so grateful and so encouraged! Que Dios los bendiga!

LITANY:Leader: Do you know the Bible story about the boy and the fish and loaves?Congregation: We know it. Leader: Well then?Congregation: That’s fish and bread. We’re talking money here. Real money.Leader: Yes, I know. So what’s the problem?Congregation: I am the boy with the lunch, and I’m not sure I want to share it.Leader: It’s just two fish. Congregation: Can I keep the loaves of bread?Leader: That’s up to you. But you know ... Congregation: We know. Leader: There are a lot of hungry people out there. And there’s always Jesus waiting to bless it.

PRAYER: We get two messages, Lord. One says share. One says save. How do I listen to both? I open my closet and see more than two coats. Is my need that much greater? These are hard questions because the answer is so clear. Raise us up, Lord, so we can see beyond our own lifestyles. Show us through the ELCA World Hunger program that our little is a lot. Amen.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is your understanding of how a micro loan works?

2. The ELCA says a lot about grace. We know we don’t earn our way to heaven. It’s a gift. However, A church leader once said, “Now that you don’t have to do anything, what are you going to do?” Reread the Scripture used in the service. Notice how many people asked the same question. What was that question? How might the ELCA World Hunger program become part of your “doing?

3. Are there places in your life where excess is dragging you down? How might you rid yourself of some of the burden of possession and lighten the load of another at the same time? Brainstorm fun activities your congregation could organize in order to support ELCA World Hunger and the micro-loan project.