GOOD NEWS TO GROW ON
Greetings!
Although the peak agricultural season in SW Florida has passed, Misión Peniel finds itself cultivating its soil and planting seeds for new growth in EVERY season! We are excited to share some of the highlights from the beginning of this year and let you know what we are looking forward to in the seasons ahead with inspiration, compassion, perseverance, and hope!
Ministry highlights & hopes:
Pan de Vida (Bread of Life), a weekly outreach to homebound clients, directed by Marifrans Castillo de Estrada
• 23 clients received 3 hot meals prepared weekly at the mission and delivered every Monday.
• Bags of pantry items, meat, eggs, and milk were delivered twice a month.
• Hygiene items were prepared/delivered monthly. Multiple churches collect these items throughout the year, for which we are extremely grateful!
• Prayers continue for multiple clients experiencing ongoing health issues.

There is a wait list for new clients as we seek additional funding to support them. The average food expense to sustain 22 clients is $900 per month. Transportation is approximately $100/month. Contact us if you would like to directly support this outreach ministry.
Food Distribution
• Average food distribution for this half of the year: 498 households per week! This includes Friday’s regular afternoon food distribution, Pan de Vida clients and food boxes that were delivered to individuals and families facing difficult times.
• Approximately 32 volunteers helped with pantry and garden produce preparation and distribution every week. That’s over 100 volunteers a month!
Volunteers from the community and various churches and other organizations/groups are a vital part of the ministry of Misión Peniel! Check out available volunteer spots on our website's calendar.
Pastoral Work
• Rev. Miguel Estrada continues assisting with the application process for the National Center for Farmworkers Health/USDA Food and Farmworker Relief Grants. This program through Misión Peniel's application process has generated $588,000 in farmworker relief since the fall of 2023! It ends in September of 2024.
• Approximately 30 families and individuals monthly received pastoral support through hospital, home, and jail visits, as well as with counseling and spiritual guidance.
• Rev. Estrada continues to provide accompaniment and spiritual guidance with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

Both Miguel and Marifrans enjoy traveling to churches and groups in SW Florida (or online for further distances) to provide the latest updates and build partnerships! Keep inviting them!
Music Academy
• Juan Pablo Oliva continues to provide private and group lessons to 10 students on Saturday mornings at the mission. In addition to piano and guitar, students learn music theory as well. Students are encouraged to participate in periodic recitals, showcasing their progress.

We are seeking additional funding to continue building this wonderful outreach to youth in the Immokalee community. Volunteer options exist, too! Interested is helping support this outreach? Contact us by clicking here.
Church and Partnership Engagement
• New blankets, towels and pillows were delivered to each Pan de Vida client thanks to donations from First Presbyterian Church, Naples.
• Community Presbyterian Church, Englewood delivered soccer balls with scriptural messages. These were distributed on a Friday, much to the delight of the youth!
• Faith Presbyterian Church, Cape Coral and Burnt Store Presbyterian Church, Punta Gorda held separate diaper drives in March and May, delivering greatly appreciated diapers & wipes in support of the mission’s ongoing diaper distribution program. What a blessing!
• Pine Shores Presbyterian Church, Sarasota, and a few other individuals brought refurbished bicycles that were shared with those in need (both youth and adults). These provide an important source of transportation community members.
• Cultivate Abundance, our garden partner, continues to provide beautiful, fresh and culturally appropriate produce that is part of our weekly distribution. This is a unique feature of Misión Peniel’s food distribution. The community LOVES this!
• Confirmands from Church of the Palms came to serve and learn more about the significance of a ministry such as Misión Peniel.

Misión Peniel's annual Backpack/School Supplies Campaign has begun! See details and printable flyer below. Contact Marifrans if you’d like to get involved: marifrans@peaceriverpresbytery.org 
Discernment and Prayers for the Journey Ahead
• One of the biggest challenges Misión Peniel faces is finding a permanent home. Our lease will end in another year and we are having tremendous difficulty finding property or an existing building to purchase. We ask for your fervent prayers and any "leads" as we continue to persevere in prayerful discernment.
• We are currently exploring the possibility of Misión Peniel becoming its own 501(c)3 and move our status from being a ministry of Peace River Presbytery to becoming a covenant partner of the presbytery. We value feedback from churches, other organizations and friends of the mission in the coming months. Reach out to Miguel or Marifrans Estrada or Ruth DeYoe (click on names for email link).

Misión Peniel is a growing mission with a big heart and a small staff which is primarily supported financially by churches and friends of the mission. We have always relied on weekly volunteers from local churches and a few partner agencies to serve and build relationships within the community. We are grateful for all those who share in this ministry and thank God for the opportunity to serve together, with Christ’s compassionate and transforming love.

Living into Hesed and Sumud…
God continues to work through Misión Peniel in the spirit of Hesed (God’s love, mercy, kindness, and grace) and Sumud (steadfast perseverance), as we serve those in the farmworker community of Immokalee, Florida. May we come together in spirit and/or being as we seek to serve others in the midst of challenging realities with Hesed and Sumud…

“Our great God is still our refuge and strength.
God knows our problems and fears.
Thus we have no business doubting God
even though the earth is convulsed in tragedy or its human masses threatened by ethnic hatred, war, disease, drugs, crime, or uncertainty.
God is here among us. God continues to be our Refuge and Strength.”
—From Psalms Now, by Leslie F. Brandt.
A modern day paraphrase of Psalm 46:1-3,7
ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL
BACKPACK CAMPAIGN
"I thank my God every time I remember you. In every prayer for all of you, I always pray with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now..." --Philippians 1:3-5
Contact Us
Get in Touch Today!
Misión Peniel
PO Box 1204
(208 Boston Avenue)
Immokalee, FL 34143
Donations Needed: A printable list is available by clicking here.