Martes, 13 Augusto 2019

“Two or three things I know for sure, and one of them is that to go on living I have to tell stories, that stories are the one sure way I know to touch the heart and change the world.”

— Dorothy Allison, American writer, speaker and member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers

As we stood along the harsh fence along the border, we learned about a boy who was shot and killed right by the border. Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was a 16-year-old boy who was on the Mexican side of the border when a border patrol agent shot him in the head and killed him, then shot him 9 more times in the back as he lay dead on the street. His pistol’s magazine would have been less than 10 rounds- meaning while he was killing Antonio he must have reloaded at some point.  He claimed that Jose had been throwing rocks at him and he felt threatened for his life. We saw where Jose’s body was found and it was too far from the fence for that story to be true. Also, the Border Patrol agent could have just retreated to his armored vehicle where he would have been safe even if he was in danger in the first place, but he decided to shoot instead.  But the border patrol agent was found not guilty in criminal and civil charges. On the top of the fence, there are cameras that capture footage of any movement happening along the border and we saw those cameras today. We saw the live footage from the cameras sitting on top of the fence when we visited the radio room at the Nogales Border Patrol Station. But apparently, the cameras weren’t working on that day Jose was shot. No footage could be found and therefore, another injustice was ignored. Most of us in the group had never heard that story before today. This is a story that everyone should know.  We also went to migrant shelters and listened to people’s stories and why they fled their home countries.  A young lady from Nicaragua told her story of how she protested against their corrupt government, who sent armed military and police and tried to kill these peaceful protesters.  Since she was a protester, she described how she feared for her life from the violence back home.  She told us how no one wants to leave their homes- but they are forced to when faced with danger to themselves or their family and want them to be safe.  This is so important because there is so much misinformation about the people attempting to cross the border when the vast majority of them just want a better, safer life, when many people make them out to all be drug traffickers, gang members, among other terrible things.  In conclusion, it is the telling and listening to these stories that allows us to form human connections which will help make our world safer for as many people as possible. 

Lunes, 12 Augusto 2019

“You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one.” 
― John Lennon. 

We learned lots about hope at the migrant shelters today, and how you can still be hopeful despite being in a terrible situation with almost nothing. We met many amazing people at the migrant shelter, one being named Michael. Michael was among the few people in the shelter who also spoke English. Michael seemed very optimistic the entire time despite knowing that it would be a long time until he was allowed to legally enter the country. He is a very genuine, compassionate, and humble person who you could tell cares a lot about the family they have at the migrant shelter. Michael was very welcoming and although he said he is anti-social, he made us feel very comfortable by speaking in English, despite it not being his native language. There were many people similar to Michael and the kids were one other group that gave us hope. Like Michael, despite having almost nothing, the kids were still running around, having fun, and just being normal kids. They just seemed happy in one of the most unfortunate situations. They taught us a lot.

Domingo, 11 Augusto 2019

We’ve all heard the saying: Life isn’t about the destination, it’s about the journey. Today, that mantra was emphasized as we went on our own journey. At St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Rev. Derwent A. Suthers spoke about faith as a journey; “Faith is like a child, holding a parent’s hand as they’re led through a crowd...We come to church not to settle down, but to be led forth.” Yes, going to church is important, but it’s just as essential to carry out God’s work beyond Sunday. Later in the day, as we made our way past the border, past the gates, past the wall, and past the barbed wire, we stepped into a new country, filled with a multitude of individual journeys we could know nothing about. Each passing person, with their own unique stories, adventures, and destinations. The time we spent in Mexico was full of new sights, sounds, and surprises. In our reflection time, Charlie said he was surprised at just how easy it was for us to leave, and to reenter, the U.S. However, he also mentioned that, just because it was easy for us (a group of white Americans), doesn’t mean that’s the case for all. It’s important to keep in mind the different points of view that exist all around us.

Saturday, 10 August 2019

“I resent the fence.  Someone will get hurt”
- Astrid Quijada, Nogales Historical Society

Today we encountered many a wall. 

To start off, at the Prima Alta Historical Society Museum in Nogales, we learned about the history around the wall that we have seen since we arrived: the Border Wall.  Our guide there was Astrid Quidada who has lived in Nogales most of her life. She has seen the wall since it was a simple fence for cattle to the razor-wired, imposing, 26-foot fence that it is today.  The wall is intended to protect us against those that are seen as “savage” and “unruly.” However, in actuality, these people are not exactly what you would think, but instead are generally escaping from violence as they and their families are fearing for their lives from drug cartels, gangs, domestic abuse, and other terrors.  This situation is strangely similar to the situation in the other place that we visited today: the Mission of Tumacácori.

This mission was a Jesuit attempt from the Spaniards to convert the indigenous people of the area to Christianity. At this settlement, there is also a wall which was used to keep out those indigenous groups who opposed Spanish occupation in their homelands.  The Spaniards saw these groups as “savages” as well as they thought they needed to be civilized and wanted to keep out those that did not agree with their “civilization” practices. Thus, although these walls are separated by about 400 years, their purpose, to keep out the “others”, remains the same and history still repeats itself.

And we're off!!

Today was mosting about getting here.

After an early morning (6:30 AM) send-off and commissioning by Bishop Gayle, our group of seven young people and three not-quite-as-young people headed off from Logan this morning for Phoenix. In Phoenix we picked up the van and headed to Nogales, AZ, our base for the next five days. Here we met our host for the week, the Rev. Rodger Babnew, Borderlands Missioner for the Diocese of Arizona. Over dinner, he introduced us to his work and explained that “We are not here to bring Christ to the migrants with whom he works. They bring Christ to us, and it is Christ who brought them to us.”

Stay tuned to here of our progress, our experiences, and our hopes and dreams. (But remember that we are three hours behind Boston, so it might be pretty late each night before our posts get published. Just sayin…)

Preparations: Kieron

As I go on the Las Fronteras trip, I am very excited to be able to go down to the border between Arizona and Mexico to learn more about the people at it and the situation surrounding those people.  However, the things that I will need to at leave behind as we go down to the border are my current opinions of the border.  These opinions may be proven completely false or be very true, but I would like to find my own truth while going down there.  Unfortunately, when looking for the truth, my previous opinions may cloud my mind making the “truth” not actually what is happening at the border.  Thus, I pray that on this mission, I will have a clear mind and allow myself to not jump to conclusions when I have never been there myself.  Through this clear mind mentality, I hope to be able to end up giving an unbiased report of what the border is like and find my won inner peace with what is happening there.  One challenge for me during the trip will be speaking Spanish with people around me at the border.  I know some Spanish, but I will probably make a fool out of myself trying to say more than I know, or starting a conversation where I end up needing to know more than I actually know.  Therefore, I hope that I will be able to speak well when we are on the border.  Overall, going on the trip is a great experience that I cannot wait for!

-Kieron, St. John’s, Saugus

Preparations: Charlie

As I look ahead to leaving my home to go to the border of Arizona and Mexico, I will have to leave my whole world behind.  I will be seeing a whole different way of life and I will have to be open to the ways a whole different culture operates.  I will have to get used to hearing Spanish a lot, a language that I don’t speak at all.  I will also have to leave behind some of my preconceived notions about certain people.  I will have to be open to hearing an ICE agent’s thoughts and opinions even if they may be the polar opposite of mine and I will be in a place of a lot of political turmoil, whereas where I live it is pretty one-sided and most people agree on things.  I will have to have an open mind and not let some of my beliefs get in the way of getting the experience I want from this trip.  I hope to also be able to leave some of my normal life behind. I will have to put what’s going on in my world to the side.  I will probably have a lot of things on my mind when I go to Arizona and Mexico, and I will need to shift my focus when I am in the Borderlands.  I hope to just be able to take in all of the things I see and learn without being stressed about other things in my life.  I can’t wait to go and learn about this whole new culture and help the oppressed!

-Charlie, St. Paul’s, Newburyport

Preparations: Freddy

I am super excited for our upcoming pilgrimage to the borderland in Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico! I am looking forward to learning about the culture near the border and talking to lots of people, including local residents, church leaders, local government officials, migrants, and US Border Patrol, to better understand all sides of the story. In order to accomplish this, I will have to leave some current beliefs that I have behind. First, I will need to take on the trip with an open mind and make sure that I am listening to and not judging the stories that I will be told. I will also have to leave behind some of the things I take for granted here at home. One thing is that the majority the Northeast is white, so I sort of blend in, but when we go to Nogales and Sonora, that will most likely not be the case. This will be the first time in my life, where I will experience first hand what it feels like to be a minority.  Additionally, I will not be used to the culture there as I am here. Things like food, clothing, customs and daily routines may be very different from what I am used to here in the small, suburban town of Stow, MA. Finally, I will have to leave behind the things that I commonly think about on a daily basis so I can open my mind and focus solely on the experiences I will have. I am excited and grateful for this opportunity to see how life is different for immigrants hoping to cross the border, and to better understand the many sides of the Immigration crisis in our country.  

-Freddy, St. Elizabeth, Sudbury

Preparations: Mikayla

There’s a lot to get done in anticipation for our upcoming trip to the border between Arizona and Mexico: last minute fundraising, planning outfits, buying sunscreen, packing my passport, and getting lots of sleep. Yet in addition to those necessary physical preparations, I need to remember that mental preparations are just as important. As I look forward to this pilgrimage, I need to first, be conscious of, and then, make an effort to leave behind my fears, doubts, and all of the “what ifs”. I want to find a way past my social insecurities; the fear that I won't be able to hold a conversation or properly respond to someone, and the doubt that I won’t be able to make any real impact on the people I meet. As well as overcoming my fears in regards to the trip itself, I also want to push aside any other preoccupations or worries about the future, and instead, be open to new learning experiences. I don’t want to think about the summer work I’ve just barely started, or the stressful time that will be my junior year in highschool. I want to focus on how I can best play a part in this journey, how I can be a positive influence on the world around me, and how I can be an effective component to spread awareness about the complex immigration crisis in Central America. I hope to clear my mind so I can fully experience, so I can attentively take in, so I can wholly open myself, to all this week has to offer. 

-Mikayla, St. Chrysostom’s, Quincy and Brockton Covenant, Brockton

Preparations: Kaitlyn

As we prepare to leave on our pilgrimage to Arizona and Mexico, I have to remember that things will be very different from home. We will be immersing ourselves in another culture and things that may be acceptable where I live, could be considered offensive where we are going so I have to be aware and sensitive to these differences. I don’t want to come across as ignorant so I will be mindful and retain everything I learn on this pilgrimage. Personally, I sometimes have a hard time retaining information because I lose myself in my own thoughts. But I know how important it is that I take back everything I learn on this pilgrimage and share it with others. I have to be prepared to not only listen, but to speak. I’m not usually comfortable speaking in front of people or sharing things but I will have to come out of my comfort zone in order for me to get the most from this experience. Overall, I am excited to learn about a new culture and hear the different sides of this important immigration issue. I hope to gain a more open-mind and open others’ minds as I share the knowledge I get from this pilgrimage.

-Kaitlyn, St. Chrysostom’s, Quincy and Brockton Covenant, Brockton