Biola is a small rural community in Western Fresno County, where the average person earns less than $20 thousand a year. It's exactly where the high school youth group wants to spend spring break.
Dozens of kids descend on the grounds of the Iglesia Peoples Church Biola for an afternoon of water fun. Most of their parents are working, either in the fields or at a nearby packing plant. For several hours, the kids laugh, They ride piggy back, or just play with their new older friends.
Eight year old Macario said, "I think they're fun, they're fun."
Pastor Jesus Hernandez said, "The time they're out of school, they have no place to go so, that's where we come in and try to do something for them."
Jesus Hernandez and his wife Sandra pastor the Iglesia P.C. in Biola, but during spring break and the summer months, People's Church pastor Chad Johnson brings his teens to Biola to help out.
High school student Abbey Cowan said, "I love it, it's so much fun. It's a good thing to do for spring break. I have nothing else to do so why not come out and spend it with the kids."
By night they camp in the church classrooms, by day, they spread as much love as they can.
Youth Pastor Chad Johnson explains, "It's amazing spending a week somewhere else with a heart of love to care for the citizens in the community how much of an impact that can make."
The church outreach extends beyond the little ones this year. The youth group is organizing a three on three basketball tournament for teen boys and men.
17-year-old Richard Mondejar says his uncle told him about a three on three tournament in Biola over 20 years ago.
Mondejar said, "There's not usually this much people out here during, well, any day. We're usually playing soccer, but there's never anybody on the basketball courts. But this creates competition, there's people that came out yesterday that I haven't seen in years."
The hope is, a simple game of basketball, or a squirt of water during spring break, can help change a community for eternity.
