ESCUINAPA

Year opened: 2016

Average Attendance: 35-40

Escuinapa is a town located about an hour and half south of Mazatlán in the state of Sinaloa.  It is a strong fishing and shrimping community.  There is a lot of seasonal work in the area during mango season, where they do a lot of exporting through the port there.  A truly relaxed, laid-back town, most people ride their bikes as their main form of transportation.  People tend to move to Escuinapa for this culture specifically because it allows for lots of time to spend with the family.  Because the work is seasonal, however, there is quite a bit of need in the off-season and not much work to be had.  The cartel activity in Escuinapa comes and goes, but when it becomes a hotspot for this, it is very hard to deal with for the people in the area.

Meet the Feeding Center Family:

Cesar and Dominga run the Escuinapa feeding center.  They have three grown children and several grandchildren, some of whom come to the feeding center on a regular basis.  One of their daughters, Carla, loves to help out at the feeding center.  Cesar is a fisherman and sometimes also works in construction.  Cesar was in prison for 13 years where he came to know the Lord.  Not only that, he became the leader of the church inside the prison for many years before his release.  He and Dominga have a strong vision for the feeding center to be a local church, with a youth group, a praise team, Sunday evening services, and mid-week prayer meetings.  Since the opening of the feeding center in 2016, their vision has come to fruition and it is a place of hope in Escuinapa.