In the days leading up to La Comunidad’s March 15 Easter Party at the Courtyard Apartments, leader Tara Sanchez knew that the Enemy was trying to thwart the ministry’s outreach. “We were encountering a lot of spiritual warfare,” she stated. Easter bunny, who was slated to appear at the party, couldn’t fit into his costume. An even greater issue, however, was that the apartment manager had publicized the wrong time for the event.

But when the day arrived, Tara and her team saw God come through and answer their prayers. The event went off without a hitch. “Easter Bunny knocked on doors personally to invite the children to the party, and over 80 kids showed up,” she said.

The outreach was held in a field by the apartment clubhouse and lasted from 10:00 a.m. until around noon. The children, who were divided by age group, rotated through several different activity areas. “We had three stations: crafts, the Bible story, and games,” explained Tara. At the craft station, the children decorated an Easter egg and had their faces painted. The children heard the story of Christ’s death and resurrection at the Bible story station, which also included a presentation of the Gospel message. A bounce house and relay, followed by a snack of lemonade and popcorn, were the events of the games station.

As the children of each age group completed their rotation through the stations, they participated in an egg hunt. Volunteers had hidden a total of over 900 plastic eggs stuffed with candy and puzzles, for which the children searched with glee.

The party concluded with a lunch of hot dogs, chips and drinks for the children and their families. During the meal, Alli Hess entertained the guests by twisting balloons into animal shapes and distributing them to the children.

A group of 25-30 volunteers, as well as several life groups, aided in the planning and execution of the outreach. Tara said that their assistance—which included collecting candy and stuffing plastic eggs, handling registration, setting up the grounds, and preparing crafts and snack—was invaluable. “I wouldn’t have attempted to do it without their help,” shared a grateful Tara. “They were great.”

::Cindy Bushman