And along with the season change comes the Rehoboth Baptist Association's Migrant Worker Ministry, which gears up each March to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the many Hispanic men who pour into the midstate to work the peach orchards.

The ministry, which operates out of Templo Bautista Hispano (the Spanish Mission) on Feagin Mill Road, starts meeting the first Thursday of March and wraps up the seasonal ministry 20 weeks later in mid-July.

"The ministry was started back in 1983 with two Hispanic missionaries and three volunteers," said Roma Blair, past director of the ministry. "At first they met in Community Baptist Church out on Highway 41, but as more migrant workers came to the area, it became clear that more room was needed, so First Baptist Church in Centerville was asked to partner with the ministry. For several years they provided space in their gym for the weekly meetings, until 1991 when the Spanish Mission was able to begin housing the ministry at their facilities on Feagin Mill Road."

In a literal fulfillment of the Great Commission to ". . go into all the world," volunteers with the ministry head out in vans each Thursday to the various migrant camps in Peach, Crawford and Houston counties. Anyone who wishes to attend the meetings can hop on a van, knowing that they will be met with warmth, love and acceptance back at the Spanish Mission.

Workers for the Big 6 Farms in Roberta are picked up each Thursday, and Al Pearson, owner of the Big 6 Farms, welcomes the ministry's influence.

"It is a real benefit to the guys who choose to participate in what the ministry offers," said Pearson, "and we truly welcome their presence. We'll have anywhere from 120-150 guys in our camp during peak season, and it's good to know the vans will come by every Thursday for any of them who want to go."

While many of the men cannot read and may not understand or speak English very well, they respond to the message of the Gospel because they know it is a message shared in love.

Dalia Lopez, current director of the ministry, knows firsthand the impact the ministry can have on a migrant workers family.

"About 25 years ago, my family was on the receiving end of the ministry when we came here from Florida to work in the peach orchards, and now I am able to be on the giving end," Lopez said. "The mission of the ministry was the same then as it is now – to identify and meet both the spiritual and physical needs of these workers. It's all about presenting them with the hope that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. That's what counts."

When the vans arrive at the Spanish Mission around 6 p.m. each Thursday, the men are served a hot meal, taught an ESL (English as a second language) lesson, then they hear a devotional and spend some time singing. After that, they are given the opportunity to check out the clothes closet and hopefully pick up some things they need. The vans leave around 9 p.m. to get the men back to the camps so they can get a good night's rest before being back in the fields at dawn. Additionally, the first time a worker comes to the ministry, they are given a hygiene kit that contains items such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc.

"They love going to the clothes closet and finding something they can use," Blair said. "Sometimes they will even find women or children's clothes and get them to send back to their families, and that means a lot to them. They are here on contract to work for these few months each year, and it's hard for them to be away from their families. Being able to send something nice home makes it easier."

A ministry such a this is largely dependent upon the volunteer efforts of the various churches belonging to the Rehoboth Association. Several churches in the area provide the meals each Thursday; the vans belong to different churches, and the donations for the hygiene kits and the clothes closet generally come from the area churches as well.

Anyone wishing to volunteer or make donations should contact the Rehoboth Association at 9870005.

Clothes donations can be made at the drop box at the Spanish Mission on Feagin Mill Road, and anyone interested in volunteering to help teach the ESL classes may contact Lopez at 953-4434.