- P
I'm seeking funding because I have been invited to be part of an interfaith delegation travelling to Honduras and Guatemala from August 7-17 to learn more about the root causes of migration. You can help me to raise the money to make this trip a reality with your contribution and/or by sharing this with your networks of friends and family.
On our trip, we will
...meet people who love their homeland, but who know their lives will be at risk if they stay.
...walk with families and listen to their stories.
...visit with organizations to learn about economic exploitation, violence, narco- and human trafficking. This video will give you a sense of what life is like in Honduras.
Why am I doing this? If you've known me for any length of time, you probably know that immigration justice is very important to me. Though I grew up in a very homogenous Iowa small town, the Spirit moved in surprising ways, exposing me to immigration concerns early on. My little hometown school welcomed exchange students and my family housed a girl from Mexico for 3 months. I was taught Spanish in college by Cuban exiles. The first church I joined when I returned from my wandering, unchurched journey was a Sanctuary congregation. Close friends came here from Nicaragua and lived under the radar as undocumented workers. My husband's family immigrated from Peru. And since my ordination, I have made many friends who have struggled to find their way to this country and who are now serving immigrant churches.
My heart breaks for the men and women who have risked their lives to cross the border. They are so desperate that the threat of discrimination, oppressive work environments, lack of resources, and even imprisonment and deportation hasn't stopped them. But even more heartbreaking than adults and families leaving their homeland together is the terrible reality that now more unaccompanied children are trying to come across our border - and not just older teens, but toddlers and babies, too. Click here to see an infographic about youth migration.
I'm glad my faith has a tradition of lament because I want to cry out: Why God?! What is causing so much suffering that parents are willing to hand their children over to strangers (coyotes) in the hope that they will carry them to a better life? What can I as a person of faith do to bring your justice? What are you asking of me? Of the church I serve?
I hope that this trip will help us all learn what is being asked of us at this time. It is our hope that we will not only be able to bear witness to the intensity of the pain and suffering, but also, more importantly, gain clarity about how our own communities can engage in acts of repentance and resistance, restoration and advocacy on behalf of these little ones.
For more information about the trip, you can read about it here: http://im4humanintegrity.org/delegation-resources/
On our trip, we will
...meet people who love their homeland, but who know their lives will be at risk if they stay.
...walk with families and listen to their stories.
...visit with organizations to learn about economic exploitation, violence, narco- and human trafficking. This video will give you a sense of what life is like in Honduras.
Why am I doing this? If you've known me for any length of time, you probably know that immigration justice is very important to me. Though I grew up in a very homogenous Iowa small town, the Spirit moved in surprising ways, exposing me to immigration concerns early on. My little hometown school welcomed exchange students and my family housed a girl from Mexico for 3 months. I was taught Spanish in college by Cuban exiles. The first church I joined when I returned from my wandering, unchurched journey was a Sanctuary congregation. Close friends came here from Nicaragua and lived under the radar as undocumented workers. My husband's family immigrated from Peru. And since my ordination, I have made many friends who have struggled to find their way to this country and who are now serving immigrant churches.
My heart breaks for the men and women who have risked their lives to cross the border. They are so desperate that the threat of discrimination, oppressive work environments, lack of resources, and even imprisonment and deportation hasn't stopped them. But even more heartbreaking than adults and families leaving their homeland together is the terrible reality that now more unaccompanied children are trying to come across our border - and not just older teens, but toddlers and babies, too. Click here to see an infographic about youth migration.
I'm glad my faith has a tradition of lament because I want to cry out: Why God?! What is causing so much suffering that parents are willing to hand their children over to strangers (coyotes) in the hope that they will carry them to a better life? What can I as a person of faith do to bring your justice? What are you asking of me? Of the church I serve?
I hope that this trip will help us all learn what is being asked of us at this time. It is our hope that we will not only be able to bear witness to the intensity of the pain and suffering, but also, more importantly, gain clarity about how our own communities can engage in acts of repentance and resistance, restoration and advocacy on behalf of these little ones.
For more information about the trip, you can read about it here: http://im4humanintegrity.org/delegation-resources/