At the Border Crossing

Hello All!  I have successfully gotten through the first week and a half of my journey.  After traveling to the Border, our brains were filled with many stories and struggles and frustrations on both “sides” of the issue of immigration.  My group stayed in a community center that had little to no heat, low functioning toilets and showers, not too good water, and no window shades.  It was a spread of air mattresses every night on the floor and with a plethora of wool blankets and under armor.  We went and were taken about by the Mission La Frontera de Cristo and visited many places each day.  I was astonished on how much all of the different organizations all knew each other and were trying to work together to make the city a better place.  The border town Agua Prieta is known as a transition town because a lot of people travel there in hopes to one day cross the border into the United States.  Our tours of the week included a drug habilitation center, an immigrant/deportee shelter, a migrant resource center, a day of only surviving on about 29 dollars a day for all of a factory working families’ utilities, an actual border patrol station in Naco, AZ, breakfast at an actual border patrol’s house, a vigil for the many people that have died just at this border, had a fabulous dinner at the local nuns’ house, a tour of the Mexican consulate, a guided hike to the actual border wall in the middle of the desert, a coffee roasting plant of Café Justo and numerous homemade dinners made by community members, and the cute quaint town of Bisbee.   As you can tell, we had a packed week.  With this busy schedule it was very hard to keep fresh and processed at all times.  There were many times when a lot of us would say that we were drained and almost mad that there were some many struggles among this issue.  One of the main arguments of the week was that it is hard to say that this is a “black and white” issue because there is a lot of gray area.  Although I agree that there are not just two sides within the debate of immigration, I beg to define “gray” differently.  Gray sounds bland and almost unimportant and unfamiliar.  The experiences we encountered this week I would say added color, added humanity into the picture that has become statistics only.  Many times this week I caught myself being confused and washed out and not completely realizing that this is an actual hardship for too many people.  Time and time again we would talk to someone and they would have a story; a story of crossing, living and working in the United States and getting caught.  Not only getting caught but many times being deported after living in the United States for all of the time that they can remember.  It is a hard thing to discuss, who should be here and who shouldn’t be here.  As our group passed in and out of the US each day with ease I could only think about a man that we met named Jose.  Jose has been brought to Pheonix, Arizona when he was just 2 and grew up there.  He continued schooling and work there and even had 3 kids there.  It only took one wrong move that would get any US citizen a fine that got him sent to Pinal County Jail to serve a year and a half in jail before being processed and deported into what was an unfamiliar native land.  As he spoke perfect English, we asked him question after question about his journey and I cannot image the thought of being separated from three kids who think that you abandoned them.  Although deported, he mentioned that he plans to cross again to make it back for his daughter’s middle school graduation.  I pray for his, and many others, journeys as they risk their lives for their loved ones.

                As we all were continuously were heart broken by their stories, I found hope in a place called Café Justo.  Café Justo is, what they refer to as “Fair Trade PLUS”.  Not only is this a co-operative that gives fair wages to all of its employees and families, it cuts of the middle man processor completely in order to cut costs down to the bare minimum.  While many farmers and factory workers strive to earn $3.50/day, Café Justo can give about $25/day for the work that they do.  Not only are they cultivating a stable work economy, they are keeping the profit in Mexico and keeping anyone that works for them in need to cross the border for a “better” life.  This gives me hope, not only because it is sparking a beautiful company, but that it makes AMAZING coffee.  If anyone you have a chance, please look up Café Justo coffee and research what they are about.  They do not even roast their coffee until you put it an order for it online to keep it at its freshest taste quality.  I see God in the eyes of these workers as they are a daily reminder of trusting the Lord.  Starting a company from scratch is not easy and what they have done is absolutely phenomenal. 

                I leave all of you with a clear sense of pensiveness.  I am overjoyed to have God open my eyes to others stories and life journeys, not to mention all the rice and beans I could ever want haha.  I believe that it is not the decisiveness that we need to strive for, but that we need more conversations and more open minds to accept our neighbors with just as much and if not more of a story than we do. 

                As for what is next, my group packs up for Guatemala tonight and heads for the airport tomorrow morning.  We will travel to Guatemala City and arrive about 9:30, about 10:30 EST.  I give all of you blessings and ask that you continue to pray for not only me but my group as we start school and live with host families in the next two months. 

Take Care and God Bless,

Kiersten