Elizabeth's Travels

2006-08-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

a new desert experience

I left the desert of Tucson a week and a half ago after delivering a sermon about the mountains and valleys in Jesus' life (and our own lives). I talked about how leaving Tucson was like leaving a "mountaintop" where I felt nourished and supported and free to grow... and in many ways, returning to Davidson isn't like that. I guess you could call it a desert in some ways-- it's not necessarily a place where I've felt like people keep up to date on immigration issues and talk about the things I talked about all summer. Maybe I'm in a bit of a desert myself?

But how could I even begin to compare my experience to the experience of those migrants? I don't want to always come across as pro-migrant, as sometimes they do horrendous things. There are many drug smugglers, thieves, murderers... and I don't feel that opening our borders will "fix" the "problem." But I do think it's crucial that their stories are told. I can't compare my life to their lives, and I don't want to put words in their mouths or try and put a face on them when they aren't that certain way. Yet the stories captivate me still.

Take the following. On August 2, Louie Gilot from The El Paso Times reported that a 13-year-old boy dragged his 46-year-old mother's body across the desert in order to find help. Can you picture a boy dragging his mother's body? What emotions were facing him?

Immigrants died the other day as a smuggler driving their truck was trying to avoid Border Patrol.

Remains were found last week near Sells, Arizona.

These things shouldn't be taken lightly. The heat in Arizona may be tapering off, but the deaths aren't. I suggested two posts ago (look down) some things we can be doing-- even when we're not out there helping. Look up "immigrants + deaths" on google. Some stories are old. Others are new. But just because they're happening doesn't mean it's okay. We must talk about these issues, but more importantly, we must act.

2006-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

how to post a comment

I had a few people ask me this weekend how it is that they can comment on my blog. It might seem complicated, but it's NOT! It's free and quite easy. You just need to click where it says "0 comments" or "1 comment" or "x comments" underneath where I've posted. If you've never posted on a blog before, you click on "No Blogger account? Sign up here" and make up a username and password. They don't harass you or sign you up for free things...

And I like comments, so feel free to make some!

2006-07-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

this could be me

Alright, folks. This is an important post, because it really does require action. Last summer, two 22-year-old volunteers from No More Deaths (like me) took three migrants who were suffering from extreme thirst and hunger to the hospital to receive medical attention. They were arrested by the Border Patrol, and are being charged with committing two felonies under federal law: transporting illegal aliens and conspiring to do so. On October 3, 2006 they will go to trial in federal court for their "crime" of helping their fellow human beings, and face up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines. Daniel and Shanti (the volunteers) are supported by Amnesty International and No More Deaths as they promote the campaign "Humanitarian Aid is Never A Crime." You can read more about the situation at the No More Deaths website.

Some suggestions for how we can support these volunteers, who were arrested last July and will not go to trial until October (that's 15 months!):

Write letters to Paul K. Charlton (U.S. Attorney) and Alberto Gonzales (Attorney General) -- see this website: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=goJTI0OvElH&b=953489&template=x.ascx&action=5229
Donate to No More Deaths. You can send checks to
St. Marks Presbyterian Church (c/o No More Deaths)
3809 E. Third Street
Tucson, AZ 85716-4699
Travel to Tucson and participate in a Borderlinks trip to learn more about both sides of the border http://www.borderlinks.org/bl/index.htm.
Donate rosaries (contact me)
Pray for these migrants and the volunteers who help them.

Thank you, all. I appreciate all your support and will continue to keep you posted about these issues, even after I leave Tucson on Sunday.

2006-07-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

olivia elizabeth

I think it's notable that the 11-year-old girl who died last week was named Olivia Elizabeth. She was also traveling with her older sister. The following is the full story by Claudine LoMonaco:

An 11-year-old girl died on the
Tohono O'odham Nation after walking in the desert alongside her 17-year-old
sister. The girls were trying to reunite with their parents, who live in
Atlanta, Ga., officials said. Olivia Elizabeth Luna Noguera and her sister
Marisol were from Acapulco, Guerrero, said Alejandro Ramos, spokesman for the
Mexican Consulate in Tucson. He did not know how long ago their parents left
them to find work in Atlanta.
Ramos said the sisters crossed into the United
States near Sasabe Friday with 17 other illegal immigrants and a smuggler.
Olivia became ill Saturday in the heat. She was tired, weak and fainted. The
sisters were eventually left behind, Ramos said. Marisol stayed with her sister
until Olivia passed out, then sought help at a house on the Tohono O'odham
Nation. The resident called tribal police, Ramos said. Olivia was transported to
the hospital in Sells, where she died, he said. An autopsy is pending, but
Olivia appears to have died from heat exposure, said Dr. Bruce Parks, Pima
County's medical examiner. At least two other illegal immigrants died in the
Border Patrol's Tucson sector over the weekend. A 32-year-old man died on the
Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range on Sunday, said Gustavo Soto, a sector
spokesman. Agents found another dead man Saturday near Three Points. He
had no identification. More than 120 people have died crossing the border since
Oct. 1, the beginning of the U.S. fiscal year, Border Patrol statistics
show.

2006-07-25T21:10:00.000-07:00

just a billboard?

Last week, after picking Jimmy up from the airport, we drove by a new sign sponsored by grassfire.org. It says "STOP the INVASION: Secure Our Borders" in red, white, and blue. The billboard was put up in the predominately Hispanic part of Tucson, so it caused quite the stir. Many people were protesting (from both sides of the immigration debate) and the billboard was vandalized a few times. (It's actually been moved across town now.)

But the reason I bring all this up is that I read an interesting article the day this billboard first appeared (19 July) about how the public (and especially immigrant advocates) should respond. Ernesto Portillo Jr. from the Arizona Daily Star writes that this billboard should not be something we protest. He urges:

To the friendly reader and others like him who want the billboard censored, I say
no. Let it stay. And let it create more awareness and activism among
Tucsonans and Southern Arizonans who are opposed to the single-minded approach
of those who advocate sealing up the border... Steve Elliot, president of
Grassfire.org, said that the billboard will embolden those who insist on more
guns and boots as the only solution to stop illegal immigration. But it
will do more than that. It can and will be used by the billboard's
opponents to garner more support for a comprehensive immigration-reform package
in the US Senate.

I hope that Portillo is right. I've seen the billboard (in each of its two locations) and it does make me angry. But I've also seen things recently (from unexpected sources) that give me hope. On July 10, the Wall Street Journal published "A Conservative Statement for Immigration Reform" signed by noteworthy people such as Bill Kristol, Steve Forbes, Max Boot, and Michael Petrucelli which echoes Portillo's words. The document refers to Ronald Reagan and uses him as an example, stating the following:

But let us remember the counsel of the great conservative standard-bearer,
Ronald Reagan, who was in favor of strong borders-- he once remarked that 'a
nation without borders is not really a nation' -- but also constantly reminded
us that America must remain a 'beacon' and a 'shining city on a hill' for
immigrants who continually renew our great country with energy and add to the
nation's economic growth and prosperity. Reagan was right. We need
to do both things -- secure the borders and allow for sensible levels of safe,
open, lawful immigration... There is no reason to fear the newcomers arriving on
our shores doay -- if anything, they will energize what is best about our
country.

Perhaps today, someone will see that sign and reconsider, viewing an "invasion" not of violence and wrongdoings, but of energy and vitality.

2006-07-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

late heart-breaking news

I just received the following e-mail from a fellow Samaritan.
No need to say more.

"I just received a phone call from a Samaritan
who also works at the hospital in Sells. It is difficult to convey the emotional
content of her words. So the facts are this:An 11 year old migrant travelling
with her older sister was found in full cardiac arrestout in the field ---field
resuscitation, EMS CPR and defibrillation and supportive ER care could not
revive her. Her temperature was 106. She was wearing pink sneakers.
Five or six others have been brought into the Sells ER in the last 24 hours
alone--onewas a 19 year old who was also in cardiac arrest but revived and
helicoptered to a Tucson intensive care unit."

2006-07-12T16:48:00.000-07:00

from the other side

Sometimes they have no water. Just a coca-cola in hand, or a backpack slung over a shoulder. They are mostly men, but I saw a few women among them. Some of the women had long sleeve shirts, but many just had on tank tops. Do you know how bad that 110 degree sun can burn skin?

Yes, I went to Mexico today. The buses come in full of people from Southern Mexico. They bring people to pick-up trucks that take them to holes in the border. They get through. The leaders know what they're doing. But they don't all make it. Some have crossed successfully before. Some have held work permits. Maybe some are like the man who died recently, the man who lost his visa because he went back to visit his dying teenage daughter, then tried to walk back to work alone.

I talked to a 16 year old boy. He reminded me of my cousin, because he was always smiling and telling me jokes. He has come all the way from El Salvador, and he's trying to get to Houston. He left his mother and father behind, and he hopes to find his older brother. It was hard not to start sobbing when this boy, this boy, went with some strangers in a pick-up truck to meet his destiny, whatever it is. I wanted to grab him and tell him to be careful. I wanted to tell him to stop. I wanted to tell him that there was a better life for him somewhere. But where? Where is that better life, and why are these people undeserving of it? Some say this boy is illegal. That he's an alien. That he is not a US citizen. But why is he there, and I am here? Why do I type on a computer as he walks through the Arizona heat? I pray for him. Que vaya con dios. That he goes with God. That someone protects him along the way.

We are pushing these people-- the people I have come to know and love over the past 6 weeks-- to more dangerous areas. They travel through where the drug trade is prevalent, and if they run into the wrong people, they are shot dead. I suppose one could make the argument that we're not doing this ourselves-- after all, this is Mexico, right? But stationing more Border Patrol agents in the safer locations (and by safer I mean the less mountainous, kinder terrain) we push them to the rough crossing spots. The trek is longer, hotter, harder. How can we stop this madness? How can we stop these deaths? How can we stand for liberty and justice for all, when our inaction causes death?

2006-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

to check out...

i know i'm not in bolivia anymore, but my heart still thinks of it often. and i was amazed and impressed by Jim Shultz' latest post (regarding adoption) on his blog from bolivia. definitely worth reading if you have a minute.

2006-07-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

later reflections

this is a complicated issue, immigration. of course you all know that, but i'm reminded of it recently. my parents were here last weekend (one of the reasons i was so slow to post) and while we were all at church we heard the story of a woman who owns property on the tohono o'odham reservation (the native american reservation south of tucson). she had immigrants break into her house a week or so ago. they took food, but they also trashed her house. she shared with us that it didn't bother her that they took the food, but it was the fact that they were disrespectful that irked her so. i can't completely understand her sentiment, but it's her right to have a safe home. so who do we choose?

the truth is, these people aren't us citizens. but...there was an article yesterday in the daily star about a family where one daughter (who lives in the US with her grandparents) has been granted citizenship and the other hasn't. one of them waited 2 1/2 years to even HEAR from the immigration officers. that's over half of a college education. how much changes for a person in 30 months? how hard would it be to hear, after all that time, that your application was denied?

and what to do with the people who have been here? i found this quotation from Bush when he was in alexandria, virginia:

And finally, we cannot kick people out who have
been here for a while. And so I look forward to working with Congress on a
rational plan as to how to make sure people who have been here, the 11 million
or so people who have been here for a while are treated with respect and
dignity. I'm absolutely opposed to amnesty. Amnesty says you're automatically a
citizen. That would be a mistake to grant amnesty. Amnesty would say to
somebody, all I've got to do is wait it out; all I've got to do is get here
illegally myself and I'll become a citizen. That would be bad policy.

I think all I want to ask President Bush is the following: What is "respect and dignity," and are those principles we live by in all cases, or just some?

2006-06-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

another article, another body

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/frontpage/17660.php

2006-06-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

prayers

Something I stumbled across today in Gracias: A Latin American Journal by Henri Nouwen: "Part of the meaning of life for the living is our opportunity to pray for the full liberation of those who died before us." Fitting.

2006-06-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

this is no way to live

This morning there was an article in the Arizona Daily Star about how lower numbers of immigrants are leaving from Altar, a city in Mexico. It doesn't seem to me that there are exact reasons, but I wanted to include the following quotation about the Border Patrol from Jennifer Allen of the Border Action Network:
"They are afraid they are going to get shot by a soldier...Bush can say whatever he wants to say about it not being militarized, that they are going to only play a support role, but the message is one that instills fear in people."

Fear.
Can you imagine crossing through a desert without knowing where you're going or who you can trust?
Fear.

We went on another Samaritans patrol today (myself and three guys) and we didn't interact with any migrants. We did offer food and water to a Border Patrol agent who had about 30 migrants on the side of the road. He said they didn't need it. I pray that meant that they had food and water elsewhere, but I doubt it. We later asked an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agent if we could give food and water to the five migrants he had on his bus. He also refused (although politely).

My feelings remain those of frustration and anger. Sadness and pain at what we are doing at our country's crossroads. What we're doing to people. Some may counter that it's not important to give migrants medical attention or aid because they may be undocumented. But they're human beings. That's all I need to know to understand that what we're doing is wrong.

We came upon some areas today where people's clothes and water bottles were strewn about. It seemed like we were on sacred ground-- a place where so many feet have gone before us. A piece of history, in a way. But as I walked through the area where people hide, struggling to survive, only one thought remained: this is no way to live.

2006-06-22T17:04:00.000-07:00

a piece of history

So I just met with John Fife (former pastor of Southside) to learn the history of my amazing congregation. Around the turn of the century, Southside began as a mission church for the Native Americans (who live on the reservation close to Tucson.) The Native Americans were only invited to live in one area of the city, so they built the church in that area (the South side of Tucson). Around the middle of the Great Depression, the church wanted to call a Mexican-American pastor, but he said that he would only come to the church if they would make a better effort to include Mexicans in the congregation. So the church decided that they wanted him to be the pastor, and they started inviting people from the Hispanic population in Tucson. Fast forward to the mid 1950's: the church calls an African-American pastor (who later becomes president of the NAACP) and becomes incredibly active in the civil rights movement. More African-Americans and gringos (white people) start attending the church. Then they call a new pastor, and the church experiences a decline. All but 25 or so members left, for whatever reason. So John came in to this church (after the presbytery had voted to shut it down) and helped them make a plan to rebuild. Throughout all this, they take charge of the Sanctuary movement, which gives homes and shelter for the refugees that the US was allowing during the 1980's. They develop programs like No More Deaths and Samaritans. They pave the way for the Tucson (and Arizona) community in order to take humanitarian action.

Today I'm reminded about how incredibly amazing it is to have this opportunity. As much as I get frustrated by the problems with our government, the human rights abuses, etc. etc., I am reminded that it's important to see the amazing lives who are positively affected by Southside's ministry. For that, I say Halleluah and Amen.

2006-06-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

beginning to blog

It's hard to know where to start with this whole "blogging" thing. I decided that I needed to start posting the information from my travels somewhere because every day has been so eventful and it's hard to encapsulate experiences on the phone or in e-mails.

So what exactly am I doing in Arizona? In a lot of ways, it's a good question. For starters, I received an intermship through the Lilly Foundation to "explore the call to ministry" and consider my vocation. I was able to choose any church anywhere, but I knew I wanted to work with immigration issues and see what the Presbyterian Church is doing in order to help with the plight of new immigrants. I chose Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, Arizona- a church where John Fife (a past moderator of the Presbyterian Church) spent 35 years as head pastor and focused on the Sanctuary Movement, which helped refugees during the early 1980's. The pastor right now is an interim named Gretchen Larson-Wolbrink. She's just out of seminary; this is her first call. I thought that having a young woman as my mentor would be a useful experience to me and help me with my decision-making. (And I was right. She is absolutely wonderful.)

The church is very active in ministries such as Samaritans and No More Deaths: two organizations that work to prevent deaths in the desert. (To give a bit of background on the situation, last week alone there were 10 reported deaths in the area south of Tucson and north of the border. There have been over 105 deaths during fiscal year 2006... more reported deaths than last year...) Samaritans takes food and water to migrants, and No More Deaths is more of an umbrella organization that raises awareness about the situation. They also take on different projects to help the migrants understand what it means to cross the border. A project they just started is to meet all of the buses that come into Nogales, Sonora (the Mexico side of the border) each day and help the immigrants find clinics where they can treat their ailments before they try and cross again. A major issue with border crossings is that people lose their money on the first time across, then they get caught and don't know what else to do but cross again. Sometimes these people have completely run out of water or are in poor health before they try and cross again, which creates much more risk when making the 75 mile walk.

Another mission of Southside is the shower program which occurs on Monday and Friday mornings. Southside has showers that they open up to homeless people in the area (it's a very diverse group; mostly men, but all different ethnicities) and they also have a clothing room where they give out clothing each week. About 150 people are served each day that the showers are open, whether that be with a shower or new clothes or a hot breakfast-- or all three. I work there each morning-- normally in the clothing room-- and my Spanish skills have come in handy there!

I also have the opportunity to help with congregational care. Southside has about 200 members, and they come from all over Tucson. My first day at work, I went to the hospital in Phoenix to visit a young girl who had been suffering from seizures. I've also attended session meetings, deacons meetings, and various committee meetings. The congregation is trying to reassess some of its mission programs, which is a difficult task. I can see how important it is, though, because when a church is so involved in mission, it can be less involved with congregational nurture and care. For example, the church doesn't have adult church school or vacation bible school-- the things that I'm used to seeing. I wonder, are those things important in order to help immigrants? A woman in the congregation (who is very involved in Samaritans) told me this morning that she thinks it's so important for activists to have some hope to come back to, because the world can be so cruel and disheartening, and it's crucial to see God somewhere. I thought that was a really good thought.

There's so much to say, but I'd like to mention an incredible experience I had on Tuesday. I went on my first Samaritans "patrol" totake food and water to immigrants. We left from the church at 6 am (each trip has one person trained medically, one who speaks Spanish, and one who drives and navigates. I went as the Spanish-speaker (although there was a fourth person with us who speaks Spanish better than I do-- because she's married to a Bolivian! Strange coincidence that she knows so much about Bolivia!) For some reason, I thought that it would be easy to find immigrants-- we're in the desert, after all. But we drove along a paved road with our eyes peeled out the window, basically searching for some signs of people, be that footprints or empty water bottles or whatever. After about an hour, we saw 4 people on the side of the road, flagging down cars. We stopped and got out. There were three men and a woman, who explained to us that they'd like to go the nearest city. We told them that we could only give them food, water, and check their medical condition, but we couldn't take them anywhere in the car. They said they were okay to go with Border Patrol, so we talked to them while waiting for Border Patrol to drive by (There are Border Patrol vehicles everywhere, so we figured one would come by soon.) We asked if there had been other people with them. They said yes but didn't tell us exactly how many, and they also said that the others were far away, so we wouldn't be able to find them to get them food or water. They told us that there was a young girl in the group who was really dehydrated and needed medical attention. It was hard to feel as though there wasn't anything we could do for the others. They told us that they were from Oaxaca, and one man told me he had left behind a family and a child.

The Border Patrol arrived soon after we began talking to them, and a woman got out of the car. She was very nice to us and let us give them food and water (it's up to the discretion of each Border Patrol agent as to whether the people they have in custody can receive food and/or water... I can't fathom why a Border Patrol agent would say no... yet they do. Most of the time they say no, in fact.) She also let us put bandaids on the woman's feet because she had some bad blisters. While Tam (the nurse) was putting bandaids on, the woman told us that she was 20 years old and recently married one of the other men who was with her. She told us how thankful she was that no bandits had gotten to her, and she also explained that it was good to have her husband with her because it's nearly inevitable that women will be raped along the way. How must it feel to expect rape? Not to live in fear of it, but to expect it? All of the group were incredibly friendly and seemed okay with going back to Mexico-- I think they just appreciated that the Border Patrol agent let them have air conditioning! It was reassuring to know that they had actually decided to stop walking when they felt worn out instead of many who keep going although they're out of water and food. When the woman turned to me at the end of the day and said, "Nos vemos": We'll see each other, it nearly tore me apart, because more than ever, I wanted this twenty-year old to make it to a better place. Is that better place really the United States? I don't know... but I wish her the best.

We didn't converse with other immigrants that day, but we stopped to talk to a lot of Border Patrol vehicles. They have these huge buses marked "Department of Homeland Security" with cages in the back--and no one can see out nor in-- so every time we saw one we stopped to ask the agents if they needed food and water. The first bus had 12 immigrants on board and was waiting for 15 more; another bus had 20 on board; I'm not sure about the last bus. All of the agents we saw let us give food and water to the people, but one agent said, "Don't tell anyone that I let you do that." Are they prohibited from giving food and water to immigrants? Why? How is that just? Looking at these buses about security... and after writing a huge paper on security in the Western Hemisphere after Crandall's class last semester... I can understand how people think it's important to catch these "criminals" and make sure they aren't bringing dangerous weapons/substances into the US. But after seeing these immigrants (and I recognize that I only saw a few, but still) I can't help but ask... Would a terrorist walk 75 miles in 106-110 degree heat and sun in order to arrive in Tucson? Wouldn't they just get the money for a visa?

The day brought me many different emotions. Frustration, sadness, hope, anger, confusion... There are so many different facets to this issue, and I look forward to learning more and more each day.

For those of you who are interested in more information, I recommend Ruben Martinez' Crossing Over: A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail. Thank you all for listening to my thoughts... I think it'll be a shorter post next time, but who knows. :-)