Our politics were in fact diverse, but we had all set this aside. The volunteer coordinator addressed the issue in the first moments of the orientation session. "The political views around immigration are sensitive and controversial, but we are not here to debate politics, we are here to help the immigrants." Thus I entered into a collaborative effort of helping at ground zero of the border issue.
I share this diary or journal as a daily account of my volunteer experience with an immigrant respite center near the border. This is not an analysis of the immigrant situation or the circumstances at the border. This is a narrative look at my limited experiences over a short period of time with a specific group of people. The families that we encountered at the respite center have been approved for travel within the United States by the border authorities, primarily family groups (i.e. parents with children or pregnant women). We did not encounter other individuals in other circumstances.
Respecting the privacy of the travelers, and at the request of the organizations providing these services, I do not include any identifying information. The respite center was organized as a local coalition and is operated as a collaboration between nonprofit and faith groups. Resources and supplies come into the respite center from many individuals and groups from near and far.
My volunteer experience is with a Christian organization that combines their benevolence and relief work with opportunities to talk to individuals about the Christian message of Jesus Christ. This is done in a respectful and non-intrusive way, and in a way in which it is clear that these conversations are not a condition for receiving any services. Many of the individuals find great help and transformation in the Christian message. I see it as a natural part of the overall impact of the respite center, providing an opportunity for people to be refreshed, renewed, and energized in physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. My observation is that the transformations are dramatic, and that this respite center creates an environment, with appropriate material, spiritual, relational and social service resources, that facilitates a healthy transition from a circumstance of trauma and difficulty to a new phase of opportunity in the lives of the travelers.
Day 1
Sunday Noon was my first exposure to the immigrant respite center. Having arrived in town Saturday evening, we attended worship with one of the organizing churches Sunday morning, and then reported immediately to the facility. There were about 10 immigrants at the center. A few more arrived during the day.
The facility is set up in a very efficient manner. Immigrants begin with an orientation, and immediately begin to work on their travel plans, using the phone or the internet to arrange their transportation. Virtually everyone that comes into the center has connections, referred to as "sponsors," in the United States, and they make contact with those connections to complete travel plans. Staff resources and representatives of the transport services assist the travelers in navigating the transport (van), bus and airline arrangements. The next step is to walk over to the clothing center where each person receives clean clothing that has been organized and packaged according to size. New shoes are often the most celebrated and cherished item, replacing worn and dirty shoes or even just flip flops. Each family is given a book bag packed with supplies. The old clothing for the most part has to be discarded, and this often happens in an almost ritualistic manner in which they shed the ragged and torn symbols of their arduous, exhausting, and traumatic journey. From the clothing area they go directly to the shower area have an opportunity to shower and dress in family groups. The shower trailer is provided by the disaster relief mission of a major Christian denomination, attended by a volunteer couple. From there the travelers go to the dining area where individualized meals have been prepared. Unless it is breakfast, the meals generally consist of tortilla with rice and beans (that is, a combination of beans, vegetables, and meat). After passing through the orientation, the clothing, the shower area, then the dining area, they are able to rest and wait for the transportation. Immigrants leave on transport vans headed to a nearby city, if they need to catch either a flight or a bus from there. Some immigrants are able to catch the bus in the local town for their journey.
The respite center is very well organized, allowing the travelers to go from station to station as they are ready. If their travel arrangements are completed, they can leave almost immediately. Many of them do not stay the night, but shelter space with cots is available for those who are still making their travel arrangements. On Sunday, the first day, all the travelers had left by late afternoon, except for a family of three that were having trouble with the payment arrangements for their travel. I think I am correct to say that some member of our volunteer party purchased the bus tickets, so by the end of the day they had knowledge that they would be able to leave on Monday at 11 a.m. This was a mother with two teenage sons.
Day 2
Our volunteer crew now numbers 12, plus the ministry staff, the organizational staff, and the chaplains. We wake at 6 a.m., have breakfast at 6:30, devotion at 6:50, then cleanup to arrive at the center by 7:30. I volunteered for the assignment of food service, to assist the cook with the preparation of meals for the immigrants and for the staff, approximately 100 meals daily. I'm very happy and I feel that it is providential to be assigned to the food service, as food and organized group meals have often been part of my ministry experiences over the years. The staff food service person is retired military, well experienced in the efficient delivery of a high volume of meals. Good food makes everyone happy.
Part of the organization of the center is based on communication with immigration authorities to see who we might expect for the day. Our three travelers from yesterday are here, and we learn that we will get a group of 14, and then another larger group. The first group arrives by 9 a.m. on the bus; I watch them walk into the center and there are seven children among them. Family groups tend to come in groups of three or four, but frequently only parent and child. So we will have a reasonably busy day - the first group beginning in the orientation, then they will get their clothing, use the showers, and then to the dining trailer. The chaplains attend to the dining trailer. As for the food operation, we go back-and-forth between preparing staff meals and and preparing meals on demand for the immigrants as they arrive in the dining area - their meals are not necessarily on a schedule. This is generally true of everything in the center, which flows very efficiently on an "on demand" basis.
On Monday we served approximately 40 travelers, coming in groups of 5 to 10. The first two groups to come by 9:00, and the last group arrives shortly before 6 p.m. From Sunday night, only a family of three remained overnight, because their travel arrangements were not complete. This was a young mother and two teenage boys, and I enjoyed spending some time with them and trying out my very limited Spanish conversation skills with them. I ended up giving the boys baseball caps, as I had a collection of 4-5 hats that I brought in hope of giving them away. As we conversed Monday morning, I noticed one of the new young travelers with a ball cap on, so I asked the brothers if they might like a "sombrero." I retrieved my collection which I laid in front of them. They immediately chose hats from two rival SEC schools. So they will go to their new home in California, brothers from Central America, wearing ball caps from two rival SEC schools. I wonder when they will figure it out?
By the end of Monday all of the travelers had left on the transport vans to the local city for transportation. Our work continues. The volunteer team continuously cleans everything, using a soap solution to disinfect, spraying everything down with water and disinfectant, letting the items dry in the sun, and returning them for the next use. About 100 portable cots are available, and they are covered with a disposable cover. Blankets are provided. Blankets and disposable items are discarded after each use. There are play rooms stocked with toys for the children, and the toys are cleaned continuously throughout the day, air drying in the hot sun. The goal is to provide an environment that is comfortable and clean, and to reduce transmission of any illness.
We receive a call on the radio that a group is leaving. Radios inform the staff and volunteers of the arrival of each group and their progress through the center. Volunteers that are available walk around and say goodbye to the travelers with waves, hugs, even tears. Bonds form quickly; contact information is not generally shared due to the sensitivity of identity with asylum seekers, but sometimes volunteers inform travelers of possible contacts with churches and organizations in their intended destination. And just as quickly as they arrived, the travelers depart. This is the first group to leave for today; it’s about 11:15.
I return to the portable kitchen where we are continuously prepping food, washing dishes, preparing ready-to-go meals, and then the preparations for the staff meals. On Monday during a break in the action in the afternoon, I was able to set up in the room that is available to the travelers for rest and play, a large room with cots and toys and chairs, but no air-conditioning. I set up with a small speaker to play recorded Spanish worship music which I accompany on my guitar. I played and sang along with the recorded music for about 90 minutes. The clients and the staff carry on with their normal activities, but I experienced the most enjoyment out of some of the little children that were singing the words to the songs that I was playing as they rode by on there tricycles and rolling toys. I was gratified to realize that they were familiar with at least some of the songs that were playing; in fact this song was called Waymaker, which I felt was very fitting for the occasion and for their circumstance.
Milagroso, abres camino, cumples promesas, luz en tinienblas, mi Dios, asi eres tu!
Way maker, miracle worker, promise keeper, light in the darkness, my God, that is who You are!
(Lyrics credit: Sinach)
To be continued ...