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If you stop by one of the kitchens at First Pentecostal Church in North Little Rock this weekend, you’ll likely encounter Eva Gee and her tres leches cakes.

She’s preparing 50 of the sweet, sticky, sugary delicacies so that they’ll be ready for the congregation’s third annual international food festival.

Known as All Nations Sunday, the event will feature dozens of dishes from around the globe.

Gee is whipping up one of her favorite foods. Her husband, Luke, will also be pitching in.

“He actually has a pretty big sweet tooth, so I’m sure he’ll be taste testing as we go,” she said.

The high-calorie concoction, which contains evaporated milk, condensed milk, and whole milk, stirs up memories of her childhood.

“My parents immigrated here from Nicaragua, and it feels like a little piece of home,” she said.

Gee won’t be the only one preparing dishes.

Amir Haghighi is making Turkish kebabs. Madhu Reniguntala is whipping up Indian butter chicken.

“It’s a recipe that’s been in their family for generations,” said Zach Ward, the church’s communications director.

The spokesman will be donning an apron himself, whipping up “gallons and gallons of matzoh ball soup — enough for about 2,000 people,” he said.

While crowds are gathering for the 3 p.m. worship service, Ward will be putting the finishing touches on his traditional Jewish dish.

“We’ll try to have it ready by about 4,” he said. “We think [the] service will be out about 4:15, so it’ll be piping hot.”

Since its debut in 2021, All Nations Sunday has grown steadily.

Last year, at least 1,500 people showed up, organizers say.

They’re anticipating even larger crowds this time.

Those who come will find plenty of edible options.

“This year, I think we have almost 40 tents set up … representing countries, of course, from all over the world,” Ward said.

There’ll be pork on a stick from the Philippines, chicken and coconut curry from Thailand and lasagna and bread sticks from Italy.

Elsewhere, guests will encounter Belgian waffles, French macarons, German bratwurst and Greek feta cheese. The menu also includes sauerkraut and stroopwaffel, bangers and borscht, cotton candy and street corn.

In addition, there’ll be peri peri chicken, pretzels, pickles, naan, nyama, gumbo, jambalaya, burgers, poutine, egg rolls, sushi and scones.

First Pentecostal Church has mailed out thousands of invitations to friends and neighbors.

Everyone is welcome, and the event is free, Ward said.

Hundreds of volunteers make it possible; many wear clothing that reflects their ancestral homes.

The food preparation this weekend will be nonstop.

“It’s a beautifully orchestrated dance,” Ward said.

“We’ve got a [refrigerated] 18-wheeler parked out behind the church … so that people can have what they need to start cooking. It’s a huge undertaking as far as food preparation goes,” he said.

The event showcases the congregation’s diversity.

“Within our church, we have a lot of different nationalities, cultures and ethnicities and we wanted to celebrate that,” Pastor Nathan Holmes told a reporter in 2021. “Especially in our climate, it’s so divisive and we just felt like we needed to come together as a church [and] as a community.”

This year’s festival will emphasize the power of the gospel to bring people together, Ward said.

“We recognize and celebrate every culture. Everyone has a place in God’s kingdom,” he said.

“I don’t think you can read the Bible and come away with the idea that it’s for one people or one nation. It’s for everybody,” he said. “God’s church is multicultural. God’s church is multilingual. God’s church is full of all ethnicities and colors and languages, and we just want to have a time to celebrate that.”

If you go: First Pentecostal Church, 1401 Calvary Road, North Little Rock, celebrates All Nations Sunday from 3-8 p.m. Sunday, with a worship service followed by a free international food festival and concert.