QUEMADO—A nondescript beige building outside town silently bakes in the sun. Rare travelers passing on the highway in front of it seldom notice the structure or the small sign that rests near the road to mark its presence.
But each week, this simple shed becomes a bustling beacon of hope for the hungry and hurting throughout the region. On Wednesdays, droves of Texas and Mexico pastors line up their vans, trucks and cars, waiting their turn to pick up food, blankets and supplies to take back to people in their communities who need it.
More than 300 churches from both sides of the Texas-Mexico border pick up food every two weeks from Cornerstone Children’s Ranch. In a matter of days, the ministry distributes as much as 20,000 pounds of food. Annually, the ministry serves about 40,000 people.
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Students from the Texas A&M University Baptist Student Ministry volunteer at Cornerstone Children’s Ranch in Quemado, southeast of Del Rio. (BGCT FILE PHOTOS)
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“We’ve got a Band-Aid this big, and we’ve got a boo-boo that’s huge,” said Lori Mercer, who founded and directs the ministry with her husband, Steve.
“The children are hungry. The parents don’t have the wherewithal to do it. I’m constantly looking for quilts and blankets because of the fact that a lot of our families live in pallet palaces consisting of pallets and cardboard. When it rains, the water comes down, the roof leaks and they sit in water.”
The Mercers took an initial leap of faith 11 years ago, feeding one child. Cornerstone Children’s Ranch has developed into a regional food provider for people in need, giving hope to a diverse population that includes the imprisoned, homeless, jobless and impoverished by providing food, blankets and clothes.
The Mercers’ ministry is part of Texas Baptists’ commitment to feed the hungry through Texas Hope 2010, an initiative encouraging believers to pray for others, care for people in need and share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.
Cornerstone Children’s Ranch recently received a $5,000 Texas Hope 2010 Care Grant through the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger.
Children touch the Mercers’ heart the most, and a desire to help them drives the ministry. The thought of children going without food visibly shakes Lori.
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“These are not just my children,” Lori Mercer said. “These are your children, too. I ask you, ‘Would you treat your children this way?’ This is what God calls us to do.”
The food helps pastors feed children physically, she added, but it also empowers them to feed children spiritually. They connect with children by helping fill their stomachs. Soon, children are asking the pastors why they are sharing food. Then, pastors share the gospel.
“When you’ve fed the stomach, the mind can start listening to the Scripture, and the heart can be opened,” she said. “Then, the pastors have the opportunity to give the word and win souls to the Lord.”
For more information about the Children’s Ranch, visit www.childrens-relief.org. For more information about the Texas Baptist Offering for World Hunger, visit www.texasbaptists.org/worldhunger. For more information about Texas Hope 2010, visit www.texashope2010.com.
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