Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are all very excited about the Big Feed as it is coming up soon. It starts December 27th and goes through the 29th. I think you will find the Big Feed is one of the most exciting things you could ever been a part of. The time between Christmas and New Years is a very hard time in the poor areas of Mexico because many of the people don’t have money to do anything for their families for Christmas. It is a time where drugs and alcohol are at their greatest use because people are just not happy because of the condition they are in. It is also a time where we can share the love of Jesus with the people of Mexico and preach the Gospel to thousands. This year we believe we will feed someplace between 8,000 and 10,000 people. Our desire is for a tremendous amount of our brothers and sisters from the U.S. to come together and roll up their sleeves to help in the Big Feed.
On the 28th we will be doing evangelism in villages surrounding the Big Feed grounds. We will be working hand in hand with the local pastors and their congregations who will be encouraging those who come to know Jesus to come to their churches and continue growing in the Lord. The day of the Big Feed we will get up early and head to Mexico. If you have never experienced the Big Feed you won’t believe it when you see it. We will be cooking someplace between 6,000 and 7,000 pounds of chicken on big metal grills set on cement blocks on the ground. It takes at least 50 to 60 people just to turn the chicken. There will be a carnival set up on the grounds where the kids can come and play games and win lots of prizes. Whether they win or lose, God has provided us with an abundant amount of gifts such as teddy bears and candy that we will be giving out left and right at the Big Feed. Also, everyone who walks onto the field gets a raffle ticket and we hold raffles throughout the day. We are hoping that many of you can help us out with things to raffle off! We need you to bring bicycles, old sewing machines, tools you don’t use anymore, or anything we can use as a draw to bring the people in.
Have you ever seen a crowd of 8 to 10 thousand people lined up ready to eat? Well there is a good chance you will see just that at the Big Feed! It is usually time to feed the people around 3:00 in the afternoon. We feed everyone a leg quarter and beans along with a bottled drink. We also give the kids a gift bag as they walk through the line.
This year we are putting a lot of time into planning and we know it is going to be huge! We need your help and would ask that you would pray about coming! If you want all the detailed information about coming to the Big Feed please continue reading below!
God Bless
Brother Ben
This year’s Big Feed will be held on December 27th, 28th and 29th 2008. The cost for this event is $175.00 per person (children 6 years and younger are free). A 20% deposit ($35.00 per person) is due by December 10th, 2008. Following is a basic rundown of the 3 days.
December 27th:
This is the day that our groups arrive at our Harlingen facility. Whatever time your group arrives is fine; some groups arrive early in the morning and others later in the day. As you arrive you will be assigned to a team which will help to keep everyone organized. We will plug your group in doing preparation activities (making gift bags to give away, getting bikes ready for the raffle, getting the Big Feed grounds ready, prayer times, etc.). For the most part, these activities are held on the U.S. side of the border. We will all meet back at the Harlingen camp for dinner and then meet in our big tent for our evening meeting.
December 28th:
This is the day just before the Big Feed and our last day for preparations. Some teams will head over to the Big Feed grounds for final set up for the next day and other teams will fan out to various villages to hold evangelistic meetings to share the gospel message of Jesus Christ and invite people to come to the Big Feed the next day. Teams will arrive back at the camp at various times for dinner and we will plan to meet together again in the tent for our evening meeting.
December 29th:
This is the BIG DAY! Some teams will leave very early in the morning to head over to the Big Feed area to begin cooking the chicken and setting up the last pieces of the games. The rest of the teams will caravan over to the area a bit later in the morning. As teams arrive at the area, they will report to an assigned area where they will begin their duties for the day. Each team will follow an assigned schedule of events for the day. Each hour they will be assigned to a specific area such as sponge throw, balloon animals, storytelling, chicken cooking grills, etc. At the end of each hour, each team will rotate to their next assigned area. All day long, we will hold preaching, singing and raffles (raffling everything from bikes, sewing machines, houses, and more) from the stage while chicken and beans are being cooked. When the food is ready (around 3:00 pm) we will halt the games and the preaching and begin serving the food. After everyone is fed and the games are all packed away, we will make sure the field is cleaned up before we head back to the Harlingen camp. Once we have arrived back at the camp, dinner will be served. Some groups will head out immediately while others will spend the night and leave the next morning. This day is the end of the planned activities for the Big Feed. Breakfast on the 30th is available if your group would like to eat before you take off.
Sleeping Arrangements:
Each person should plan to bring their own bedding and towels to use while they are here. We will ask you for the total number of women and men in your group so that we are able to have enough beds available in the dorms for everyone coming. Some folks prefer to bring their camper to stay in. Campers are based on a first come first served basis as we can only facilitate a limited number. Anyone wanting to bring their camper will be required to make specific reservations with us in advance. Finally, some groups choose to stay in a local hotel rather than here at the camp. We would appreciate you letting us know if your group is planning to stay at a local hotel.
Needed Documentation:
All individuals coming to the Big Feed should bring the following documentation: either 1) a passport OR 2) both a government issued picture ID (such as a driver’s license) and a birth certificate.
What do YOU need to do?
1) All individuals and groups need to complete a registration form. The information you provide us on this form will help us be prepared with enough food, beds and the like for all who are planning to come. Registration can be done either by completing the online registration from or by sending the registration form through the US mail to: WOTC 224 N. F St. Harlingen, TX 78550. 2) We would also ask you to send your $35 per person registration to this address by December 10, 2008. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at (956) 226-9275 or e-mail us at reservations@wotc.org.
