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¡Hola Comunidad!
Greetings from the dining hall of Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, Arizona. As many of you know, Álvaro and I are here with a group of 15 CCSM'ers, spending the week learning about the experiences of immigrants, migrants, and asylum seekers along the Arizona/Mexico border, and those who care for and work with them.
We're working with an organization called Be the Neighbor, and it has been a full, hot, eye-opening, and deeply moving few days. This is not your typical "mission trip"—our service is rooted in listening, learning, and bearing witness. We're here to better understand the lived realities of those who risk everything in hopes of safety and survival.
This trip is challenging us to confront our assumptions and expand our compassion. We're walking—literally and spiritually—for a fraction of the thousands of miles many have traveled. And we're carrying their stories home with us. We look forward to sharing more when we return, and we hope you'll ask us about what we've seen, heard, and felt.
But here's a snapshot of just part of Tuesday. We woke up before sunrise and drove into the desert with 83-year-old artist, activist, and humanitarian Álvaro Enciso (and yes, it was confusing having two Álvaros today). For over a decade, Álvaro has been placing handmade crosses where the remains of migrants have been found—people who died of dehydration, hypothermia, miscarriage, gun violence. He's placed over 2,000 crosses, and his dream is to acknowledge and remember every one of these souls, to say, you are not forgotten and you are not alone.
Today we helped him and his team plant three new crosses, and recover one cross that was vandalized. We walked through thorny brush and rocky terrain, past scattered backpacks, water bottles,and reminders of those who had walked before us. Even with good shoes, water, sunscreen, and support, a quarter-mile in the desert drained us. And yet, this is just a glimpse of what so many endure, often only steps from help they'll never receive.
At one stop, Álvaro asked us, "When did it become wrong to give water to someone dying of thirst, in the desert in 115 degree heat? This is not the United States I know. We were the land of milk and honey and now we are where dreams come to die."
On behalf of the group, thank you for your prayers. We have felt them, and they have been needed. I've shared a few photos below and will continue to post on our social media accounts over the next couple of days as we are able.
I hope you can join us this Sunday as we continue our summer worship series, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood," because I know Álvaro will incorporate some of our experience this Sunday when he brings our morning reflection.
In hope,
Jessica
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