Post Border Retreat

The YAGM Mexico group is on our way back to Mexico from our border immersion/ mid year retreat. Because we do not have long term visas and can be in Mexico for six months on a tourist visa we needed to renew our visas for the last six months of our year. If you read further down if my blog you will see that I wrote a pre border trip reflection. I did not post this on Facebook because I was nervous about the reactions I could get from those that read it. I still am nervous but feel more empowered to share my thoughts. 

This trip has been the most exhausting experience I have ever had before. Both emotionally and physically exhausting. We had a full schedule that we were bouncing from organization to organization and information heavy conversation (in Spanish) to information heavy conversation (in English, this switches make my head spin often times). On top of the schedule, all but two of the group was sick with a cold for the whole week. I carried a roll of toilet paper the whole week! When I got to see my mom for a few hours, she gave me a box of Kleenex, it was like having a cloud on my face! 

There is many parts of the border we do not hear about from the media. In this time we are hearing more than we ever did before. When I arrived at the border and saw the fence or wall (whatever you want to call it, I will call it a wall) I thought it was natural that we had it and that it had been there forever. But the wall has only been up since 2012.  It does not cover the whole southern border but covers large parts and cities in the United States that or on the border like Douglas. These fortress like protection for the United States forces migrants to go to places in the dessert that are even more dangerous. The danger comes from dangerously high temperatures in the open desert, cartel contol of that area, and many other situations. Notice that this does NOT stop migrants from coming. The enviornment that migrants are coming into is not one that they would be going into if they felt like they had a choice. Whether the trip is dangerous or not they will come not because they want to but because they often feel they have to, to escape violence, poverty, and a host of other situation we as Americans will never fully understand.

(Photo: Bryan is 6'2" and as you can see this wall is significantly taller than him. I would estimate that at least two of him could fit in the height of the wall.)

Throughout the week we met with people that had been migrants, were guides/drug smugglers, are migrating or have found what they need in AP. I was amazed with the conversations I had with each of them. They were so willing to share with us and talk with us. They were also very interested in where we were coming from. I pobably said where I was from, were I live in Mexico, and what I do hear three times every day. It was like when we were all in orientation, and visiting with other work sites, except my Spanish is much better, so I did not dread saying this over and over as much. Each conversation showed a glimps of God and a reminder that each is a child of God. 

(Photo: Walking in the desert to the wall on the Mexican side to fill water jugs. Unfortunately the jug we were going to fill was stolen, I can only hope that person really needed it, because others that will pass were it was will likely need the water in it as well. We walked through the desert with CREEDA, an organization run by and for people with drug and alcohol addiction. Many have migrated to the U.S before.)

On Tuesday we went to a vigil for migrants who have died in the desert. There were about 15 people at the vigil in Douglas. Each person held up a cross and said the name on it. We took turns doing this until all the names were shouted. We did this along the road going to Mexico. There were people that rolled down their windows to thank us for having the vigil, or honked their horns. After all but three names had been called out we held a rememberance for a man, a woman and an unidentified person. This was a powerful vigil as we stood only a few yards from the border entrance to Mexico on the side of the wall that held so much promise and hope for these migrants that died.

(Photo: The Mexican side of the Wall. Looks a lot different right. There is life and beauty that is thriving on this side, unlike the US side with the most expensive dirt road you'd probably ever see.)

The next day was like a whiplash from despair to hope. We met with Cafe Justo, a fair trade coffee company that works with migrants from Chiapas, Veracruz and Oaxaca. These states are known for their coffee production, but in the last 30 years there was a drop in the price of coffee. Many coffee farms had to close forcing the farm hands to leave their communities and families to find work. This affects a host of social issues, that goes into the reason people migrate, and indiginous culture. Cafe Justo works with these migrants coming from coffee farms to buy their coffee at a fair price. This fair trade is even skipping Wall Street and getting the price the growers need strait from them. They send the beans from Chiapas to Agua Prieta to be roasted and distributed. They now have a fabulous coffee shop, and send their coffee to (mostly congregations) all over the United States. Cafe Justo is taking action for the many times we say, "Well there should be a change in [country with lots of people emigrating] so they don't have to migrate."

They also have AMAZING coffe if you are interested you should check out their website and order a bag!
Cafe Justo

(Photo: Big bags for coffee hours at church and little for the everyday use, or for some thats the other way around.)

I now understand why alumni have told me they have been changed but did not tell me how, I have no idea how I have changed, but know in my heart there is something different.