Day 3, Sunday: Church at Southside

This morning we attended the church service at Southside Presbyterian Church. It was one of the most moving worship experiences I've ever had, so with the caveat that there's no way I can explain it adequately (which, really, is true of every experience on this trip), I'll try.

The worship space is in the round. Mission-style pews are set up in a circle, with the communion table and pulpit in the middle. The worship space is in the style of a traditional Kiva, which is a Puebloan sacred space. One characteristic of this is that it is sunken into the earth... grounded. Connected. Sacred.

The room was full of both people and spirit. The energy with which people came to worship was palpable, and they were genuinely glad to be together.

The service began with the sounding of the singing bowl, a large metal bowl that is struck to call attention. We, once again, sang "Sanctuary" - so appropriate for this community. As the service progressed, we were brought into a centered spirit with hymns, a corporate confession and absolution, the passing of the peace, and a Native American Prayer of Blessing.

One thing that struck me through the service was the diversity of worship that was represented - Latino, Native American, and African American influences were all prevalent. But none seemed inauthentic to the body; in fact, they were a beautiful representation of it.

The most moving part of the service for me was the closing song:

God be with you, God be with you, God be with you until we meet again.
If we nevermore shall meet you, if we nevermore shall greet you,
God be with you until we meet again.
Keep on working for the master, she'll be with us here and after,
God be with you until we meet again

.

This song was sung in joyful celebration. The body of people swayed together and sang with energy, drawing witness to the reality of the words. Regardless of where people go when they leave that place, they leave changed. I have never felt so much a part of the global church as I did this morning. It was evident that they experienced and lived life together, and that community is embodied - regardless of the individuals who are physically present. I walked out of that place forever changed, and I'm sure anyone who enters feels the same.

Day 3, Sunday: Lunch with "Mariposas sin Fronteras"

~ written by Tonya

During lunch today, we were introduced to pupusas by our hosts Sylvia and Brandon from Mariposas sin Fronteras. Pupusas are a traditional El Salvadoran dish, a sort of stuffed corn tamale topped with tangy cabbage slaw. Sylvia had prepared them for us while we were away, worshiping together with the Southside Church congregation. She and Brandon were ready to share food and their stories with us when we returned.

 

To begin, Sylvia explained that mariposa means "butterfly" but is also used to name LGBTQ people of Hispanic origins.  The group's name, Mariposas sin Fronteras, means Butterflies without Borders or Queers without Borders.  They formed to provide solidarity to LGBTQ people in detention through visits, letters, bond fundraising, case support, advocacy, and post-detention hospitality (as described on their Facebook page).  As she spoke about the plight of many queer people who are living through detention, Sylvia grew serious-intent upon helping us to truly understand what she was so passionately sharing.   One point that became painfully clear was that the LGBTQ people she knows have been persecuted in their own countries and come here seeking relief, only to experience much of the same treatment at the hands of detention guards and other detainees. They're given staggering bond amounts (usually $8500) to pay before they can be released.  This is the same amount required of non-LGBTQ people, but is much harder for many detained mariposas to raise because of broken family connections and cultural biases.  So, the people who most need to escape from mistreatment and violence are the least likely to be able to do so.

Brandon, a trans person and also Sylvia's partner, then told us that Sylvia had once been held in detention without much hope for release, until MSF offered to help.  The group raised money for Sylvia's bond then helped the young couple after Sylvia was released from detention.  When we asked Sylvia why she felt moved to join the group, she explained that the Mariposas sin Fronteras had reached out and embraced her when she was alone and vulnerable.  She seemed so touched that people who didn't even know her, weren't "from her home" as she put it, would sacrifice for a stranger.  Now, she is doing the same: visiting the detention centers to identify LGBTQ people who need help, advocating for their release, writing letters of encouragement, and giving them shelter when they emerge. Both she and Brandon meet with people like our group at Borderlinks to tell their stories and ask for our friendship and support. 

As Sylvia spoke about her experiences with the people of MSF, I realized that she had seen the face of God in their actions...and that we were seeing the face of God as we received the blessing of a shared meal and stories from Sylvia and Brandon, two beautiful and -for now- free mariposas.

Day 2, Saturday: Scholarships A-Z and Jon Fife

This morning we heard from two volunteers with the organization Scholarships A-Z. This non-profit helps undocumented students discover the scholarships and educational opportunities available to them. The two young men we heard from in particular were top of their classes and were well on their way to successful careers... or, rather, they would have been if they had different legal status.

The men's stories were compelling. Their families were driven here by threats of violence; their parents literally crossed the border to save their children's lives. As these men approached high school graduation, they realized that they could not get in-state tuition at colleges because of their status, and international tuition was cost-prohibitive. This is the story for thousands of children who have lived most of their lives in the United States.

Scholarships A-Z started when one young woman compiled a list of scholarships that were available to her, even as a person without legal resident status. The organization was influential in getting a local community college here in Tucson to allow undocumented students with DACA status to attend with in-state tuition!

After that, we had lunch and some free time. We took it to walk around the community... enjoying gluten-free donuts and the city's "best coffee." All of our meals here are vegetarian (and delicious!), so one carnivore among us took the opportunity to visit a Senoran Hot Dog stand. :-) It was great to take that time as a group, to connect socially without the mental and emotional intensity that our learning has required.

When we returned, we had the honor to meet Jon Fife, a Presbyterian minister who has lived his faith in an active way for decades. Jon pastored Southside Presbyterian Church (where we attended the vigil last night) for 35 years. He was indicted in the 1980s for smuggling and harboring refugees from Central America. As he explained to us, when he - along with a group of other clergy and lay people - realized the atrocities these refugees had endured, their faith wouldn't allow them to NOT do what they could to help, given that those who were deported were routinely questioned, tortured, and murdered. For them, "being a Christian" did not simply mean they went to church and prayed; it meant they made personal sacrifices to help those who were victims of unjust systems.

This was inspiring for every person in our group. How are we, as faith leaders, called to help when we see injustices happening around us?

We discussed how this is of particular significance with last year's increase in the number of unaccompanied children crossing the borders. These kids are now living in communities across the country and are fast-tracked to be deported to the brutality they risked their lives to escape.

As we as a group have reflected on the trip thus far - on all we have seen and heard - we are beginning to ask more questions. Different questions.

As I write this, the rest of my team is sleeping soundly here in the dorms at BorderLinks. We are all enjoying our time here (especially the food!!!) and are preparing ourselves to be stretched even more in the coming days. 

Day 1, Friday: Sanctuary

Yesterday we all arrived to Tucson by early afternoon. We were picked up from the airport by David, our BorderLinks delegation leader. After a snack of chips and salsa with hot chocolate, we settled in for our first session.

The meeting room is comfortable and reminds me of a youth group room. It has several old couches in a circle and the walls are a soft blue. Large windows fill the room with sunlight, even on a rainy day.

The last thing we did in this session was hear from David a brief history of the United States' history with Mexico and Central America. While it was not surprising - most of the information was also in Aviva Chomsky's Undocumented, which we were required to read before the trip - it was still shocking. When we read the headlines here in the U.S., it can be easy to isolate today's immigration concerns without considering the actions the United States has taken throughout history that contributed to the violence that precipitated many refugees fleeing to America. We reflected as a group on feelings of disappointment we had experienced in identifying and naming these acts committed by our own government.

After dinner we attended a vigil at Southside Presbyterian Church. The church provides Sanctuary to one woman, Rosa, facing deportation and her family. The need for her to stay in Sanctuary - where she is safe from ICE officials - has exceeded anyone's expectations; it will be six months next week. Because she cannot leave the facility, the church hosts a vigil every evening. The vigils are led by people from faith groups around the community, and we heard about how it has been a unifying effort among the various congregations.

We started the vigil by hearing the philosophy and history behind the Sanctuary movement. It was sobering to think of the situations in which people find themselves, and inspiring to hear of Rosa's courage - and the church's courage - in making this public statement of Sanctuary.  This movement has been active for decades, helping many people over the years.

As soon as our leader had told us of the Sanctuary movement, she said, "And now we will sing together 'Sanctuary.'": Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true; with thanksgiving I'll be a living sanctuary for you.

This was the most moving part of the service for me. We had just heard of sanctuary as this church building, offering its facility to house a woman who just wants to stay near her kids. And then, through the words of this simple chorus, we were invited to reflect on what it means for us - as individuals, as a student body, as leaders in our own congregations, as people of faith - to live sanctuary.

May we continually strive to be people of peace, who see and affirm the humanity of all God's people, who seek unity regardless of nationality or resident status. May we see as God sees:  all people as fully human and worthy of dignity.