Food and basic needs for the poor.

“I am 57 years old and I had lived in the US since my parents brought me there when I was 2 years old.  I went to school and college and worked a career and paid taxes for over 30 years until the day I was deported recently.  I have only been to Mexico once as a young boy and feel completely alone here.  My wife, children, grandchildren, and new great grand child all live in the US. 

What would you reply, if you were told this story?

This is a story we are often confronted with. We have shared in recent reports our past opportunities to provide food and care for many who are in similar situations. Countless tales of men and women, who have been separated by their families in the US, because they were deported to Mexico for one reason or another.  You may be thinking, “they should be deported if they have done something wrong”.  Perhaps, but what if they had not?  We hear of many who were brought into the U.S. as infants or small children, who made honest choices and an honest living.  But, due to a sudden immigration check at their place of employment, they find themselves on the first bus to the closest border (no matter where their actual birthplace).  One young man we ministered to, explained to me that he was in his third year of college working an internship for the Forestry Service, when an immigration sweep changed his life for ever. 

An elementary ESL teacher friend of mine who, with tears in her eyes, shared her heart’s burden for children of immigrant families living in our country. She explained how fearful and guarded they are, as they fear the fate of their family.  I was encouraged that she was in a position to encourage the little ones on this side of the border, as we may be encouraging a member of their family on the other!

Our organization does not take a particular side in the issue of immigration. Particularly not among politics. That is not our purpose. We conisider that our Biblical mandate is to feed the poor. The poor being anyone in need no matter where they are "from" or where they "belong" Our food distributions are available to anyone. 

We realize this is a very sensitive subject in our country right now. And in fact we had already drafted this letter before a more recent contraversy over what was really meant by American Poet Emma Lazarus' sonnet, "The New Colossus" inscribed on a plaque attached to the Statue of Liberty. Of course there could be differing interpretations of what the poem states. You can decide for yourself. 

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How often have you heard the saying, "being at the right place at the right time"? Most likely something you have said yourself. Recently we got involved in a situation that started out just like that. A few months ago we shared our Global Giving cause at a hispanic church while traveling through North Carolina. We have a friend, whom we have known for a couple decades, who pastors the church there. In addition to sharing our mission in Tijuana we learned of a similar feeding program that this church has sponsored for a couple years in Nicaragua. Our pastor friend had met the young couple (we will call Alberto and Maria) leading this feeding program 10 years earlier. They had an ongoing relationship with the couple as they mentored them over the years. Eventually they began, out of their home, a humble feeding program, plus provided school clothes and supplies needed, for impoverished children in their neighborhood.  

In the Summer of 2018, things in Nicaragua started to decline. The Government had spent all of the Social Security and retirement funds, so they changed the laws surrounding those benefits. The poor and middle class - and the old who were the most affected by these changes, came out in peaceful protests. These protests were countered by not so peaceful pro government groups which were later supported by the police and the military. This created an atmosphere of unrest. The country was no longer safe. Through all of this, Alberto and Maria continued to feed and care for the children and their families- even though it was difficult to do so. By March of 2019, it had become very unsafe for them, and they in fact became targets of the Government- because they showed “Christian” compassion toward some elderly protestors and provided them food and water. Because of these compassionate acts, they were accused of being anti- Government sympathizers. They had to go into hiding. Our pastor friend was able to get them the resources they needed to leave the country safely. He then contacted us to inform us that the couple was fleeing toward Tijuana with their two young girls. We awaited their arrival at the end of their 20 long, potentially dangerous, days on the roads through central America and Mexico. What a blessing it was to be able to offer them refuge with some food and a place for them to stay with some of our partners in Tijuana. They have since applied for political asylum and have an appointment with US immigration at the end of this month. In the meantime we will make sure that they, now on the receiving end, are as well cared for as they have cared for others. We are so happy that we could be in the right place at the right time to not only hear their story but to become a part of it!

We want to thank you for your generous support that helps us aid those whom cross our paths like Albert and Maria above and many others in our ongoing mission. Amelia, would be another example of one we have befriended and whom we have brought food to for 10 years now. She is an elderly woman who lives alone on just the income she can make from recycling bottles and such. Since we have known her, she has had to move around from place to place where she could occupy an affordable home. Often, this meant an abandoned place where she is permitted to stay at no cost. Particularly because the place is less than desirable to a future paying tenant. Our small organization makes every effort to have as many resources on hand to provide basic needs to those we encounter. Just this week your support provided 2 large tarps to cover Amelia’s newest “set up” home to provide a dry-er shelter for her during this rainy season. We keep a stock of tarps for such a time as this - to be in the right place at the right time. Side Note: You may notice the plants and plastic flowers. Our friend Amelia always has a way of making her home “warm” and inviting in a way few “warmer” homes ever accomplish. 

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