Since I've done a dandy job at updating this thing (jokes), AND we actually have a day of rest and nowhere to be but 3 ft away from the AC/fans, I thought I would write another little post. It is a thought that has often come to mind during my time on this trip. Throughout the first week we had the privilege of touring multiple organizations, shelters, and nonprofits that cater to various immigration needs. One of these places struck me more than any other tour, A-House. Annunciation House is located in El Paso, and is one of various shelters that seek to provide a place for the immigration population. This is their mission statement:
"In a Gospel spirit of service and solidarity, we accompany the migrant, homeless, and economically vulnerable peoples of the border region through hospitality, advocacy, and education. We place ourselves among these poor so as to live our faith and transform our understanding of what constitutes more just relationships between peoples, countries, and economies."
It was a very eye-opening building and the volunteers and staff who work there are such kind people. These people live, work, eat, and wear the same clothes (from charity) that their clients at A-House. The woman who gave us a tour showed us where their food and clothing donations are stored, where the residents sleep and eat, and the chapel. I was definitely overcome by a HUGE sense admiration at these people. They do not really have a separation of work and home, and have heard shocking stories from clients that most could never imagine, but they still have a smile on their faces, love in their hearts, and the great need of service and making sure others' lives are in the right direction. People who stay at A-House are able to stay for as long as they need to, as long as they are working on getting their life on track. That to me was also huge because it seems that most places like A-House have a certain limit on their time of residency.
While this tour has been one that stands out as a great thing, it was also tough to see and experience. I saw many children, families, and infants running around. For some reason I have a really tough time seeing kids in tough circumstances. I asked myself a couple times throughout the tour, "What about those children who are living at A-House by themselves and unaccompanied by a family member?" I left the tour feeling educated, drained, depressed, but also with faith inside. In regards to the kids, I had to remember to remind myself that their lives are better because they have a roof on their head, food to eat, and people around them who are potentially going through the same struggles. Behind all of the hardships that come in a border city, there is still so much good here, especially in the people. This gives me confidence and great faith that there is good and compassion behind all unfortunate circumstances everywhere. I really hope that after my time in Texas that I will always be an advocate for families struggling through border issues, especially kids. Humanity is a beautiful thing, and so is El Paso.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Week 1: Completed! Dust Storm Special Edition :P
Hola mis amigos! Sorry I have been doing a lame-o job at keeping this
updated. It's been a little hectic here since we officially started at our
sights this past week. So between being at our sights, helping with border
immersion groups, hopping around El Paso and New Mexico, and having intentional
community nights, it's been madness and not much time for ourselves. However,
I’m now able to have some down time today for reflecting and updating this :)
I'm trying to remember what I last wrote about. As Erin put
it, we haven’t really had much time to stop and think. There has been a lot to
process and reflect on lately. As BSC interns they are always throwing so much
information and experiences at us on a daily/hourly basis. I wouldn't want it
any other way though! Since a lot has happened between the previous post and
this one I guess I will just have to write about the memories that are fresh in
the noggin for now.
The other interns and myself visited the border a few days
ago. In case anyone was wondering, the border is just a fence. It's not some
towering, intimidating wall. You can see through the fence and it looks less
than intimidating. People here actually refer to it as “the fence.” What is the
most intimidating and frustrating factor about the border is how people choose
to handle and perceive it. To start this off with a lighter story, my roommate
and friend Erika set off a sensor that is apparently located somewhere near or
on the fence. It was hilarious! All she did was take a picture of her hand
touching the fence and within 5 seconds we had 5 border patrol cars surrounding
us. A little excessive, don't you think, BP? Anyway, it was a pretty classic
Erika move, and I encourage no one to touch the fence because you could set off
a sensor and have many BP members tell you to step away.
We talked with two BP members. They were actually nice, and
not total a**holes. Although it wouldn't have killed the woman to smile a
little bit. These two BP were personable and open to answering all types of
questions ranging from "How many detainees do you put into the detention
center?" to "How do you take the negative perceptions of border
patrol? Do you find them insulting?" etc etc. It was personally difficult
to listen to some of their discussion, but also interesting to hear their side
of the their job. There were some comments in particular that really struck me
in a not-so-positive way. The first of these being that when you work for BP
you have to take an oath saying that you promise to associate with U.S.
citizens only, and if you find out that someone in your family or a friend is
in the U.S. illegally that you have to turn them in. I can't imagine having
that job just because you would have to actually pick your job mentality over
your family. Apparently that has happened in some cases, and it just boggles my
mind.
There are many negative perceptions and assumptions that
somehow arise about the people who are trying to come in to the country. After
spending a week here in El Paso, we have been to many shelters, food pantries,
churches, and talks about border awareness. These topics range from families
who are homeless, kids who are unintentionally neglected because of the family
imbalances of trying to get by in the states, the economics of these border
cities, illegal immigration and what that actually means, the process of
becoming a citizen (yikes), and how the government and society chooses to view
immigration (some of it is disheartening). I am not going to go into all of the
logistics, but I feel that it is important to mention my own opinions and
overall feelings of how these topics have been presented. Opinions are important
for blogs, right?
First of all, just because we are "thee" United
States of America, it does not give us the right or pride to push people out of
the country and make it virtually impossible for families to have a better
life. This goes for the same as keeping families separated and locked into our
country. Do you know how many families have actually been split up by the
border BECAUSE of the border policies and processes to becoming a citizen? That
is a whoooole other rant in itself. Secondly, not to be insulting to those
super over-the-top-prideful U.S. citizens, but there are families who would
much rather not come here. They are forced to because they fear their own
safety in their own country, which really broke my heart hearing that. Just
think about that for a second. Many people who are "escaping" to come
to the U.S. illegally are so desperate for safety because they have either been
threatened, a family member has fallen into gang violence, or even to just be
able to send their kids to college someday. If you ask me, I feel like it would
be very hard to leave the country that has been called home for x number of
years. Third, in the U.S., we can also be just very ignorant. We are all guilty
of having ignorant and close-minded thoughts on anything that is considered
different. Families who come to the U.S. are not all lazy people who beg for
money to buy drugs. The families who belong to the church I work at are making
roughly $8,000-14,000, and they bend over backwards to feed their families,
keep a roof on their heads, and make many sacrifices to provide. They are
literally doing everything that they can but making next to nothing. So how
dare we assume that people would want to live a lifestyle of scraping by. I can
actually feel my insides tensing up while writing this, especially since I have
witnessed and heard many, many horrible judgments about Mexico, the people, and
the people who decide to come to the U.S. The fourth thing I want to say is
that people just need more compassion and patience to actually seek out the
truth about all of the border issues. As U.S. citizens, we have been given many
opportunities here (for the most part) that will help us to reach our full
potential. Yes, hard work has come from these successes, but so has the ability
to realize that we are lucky. That ability alone should stir up some type of
compassion inside to take the time to learn, build awareness, and break down
our own borders of fear and safety in what is "known," or actually
completely unknown. So that is my mini rant on border awareness.
Twice a month BSC El Paso meets up with BSC in Las Cruces, NM
for community nights. We were able to come along for this particular night,
which I am very thankful for. We drove 45 minutes to A-Mountain in Las Cruces.
We split up in two cars. The car ride alone was awesome. Justin drove us, and
the two of us talked the whole 45 minutes about life. I am very thankful to
have him as a friend; he is da bomb. The hike itself was very steep,
exhilarating, exhausting, and absolutely wonderful :) We had to periodically
stop to catch our breath and force down water. The altitude also got to me
pretty easily. My heart was beating ridiculously fast. I admire the year long
BSC members and their ability to hike up without stopping. When we reached the
top it was one of the best feelings I have ever experienced. It was so awesome
to turn around and see what we had left behind down at the bottom, as well as
see the sun set. I couldn't get over how beautiful it looked. It created a
feeling of accomplishment, gratefulness, and sincere joy inside. We ate dinner
with the group and watched the sun go down. We closed our time up there with a
group prayer. There was so much peace and positive energy felt around. The hike
down the mountain was just as beautiful. As you stepped down trying to keep
your balance, there was nothing but pure beauty all around. You could see the
mountains surrounding on all sides, the sun setting, the earth below, the sky
above, and people all around enjoying conversation and just having an overall
great time. I honestly did not want that moment to ever end. The ride back was
hilarious because Amy, one of the BSC members, shared a few of her award-winning
stories. I just love that woman. I had never known what it meant to feel true
peace until that night. It is a feeling that all of humanity deserves.
I officially started working at Cristo Rey this past Wednesday.
Erin and I took inventory (a sh**ton of inventory, may I just add) and Justin
accompanied us later on. We helped with the after-school program and had the
opportunity to read and play with the kids. I LOVE THE KIDS. They are SO cute
and say thee greatest things! In their culture, anyone man or woman who is of a
teacher role is referred to as Mister or Miss. However when they say Mister or
Miss, they say the I as EE, so you have the opportunity to have kids all around
you saying "Mees! Mees!" in their adorable, high-pitched voices when
trying to get your attention. So. Darn. Cute. It was even funnier when they
would forget to switch over between the two, so they would call Justin
"Mees" :) Whenever they call Justin, they always say "JustEEn!
JustEEn!" and it just lifts your spirit hearing that. Erin and I are in
the process of organizing and preparing for our program, the summer program!
Woohoo! :) I pretty much have the first day planned. Hopefully it will not
change. Erin, Justin, and I have been sitting in our offices working away
lately. Justin basically harasses Erin and me. Then we both just make him
laugh, which makes us laugh. It is great. However, I blame both of those two
for turning me into more of a sassbasket. That has for sure improved significantly
since I've arrived here, all thanks to those two. I am overall very excited to
start the program and have an authoritative role in at the church. It is a
weird and legit feeling writing emails to places with the signature
"Jennifer Neidich, Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey Summer Program
Director."
So far on this trip, Erin and myself have been notorious
for having the strangest experiences and events take place. Thankfully we both
have the personalities and abilities to laugh it off and joke about our unusual
circumstances. Although we have literally had roughly 10 hazing-type
events take place, I will mention one that was actually scary experiencing it.
Yesterday after work, we were caught in the middle of our first dust/lightning
storm walking home from work. That's right, dust AND lightning... I know, I
didn't know those two existed together. We have to walk a good 2 miles home,
which is a lot on days when dust/lightning storms take place. As soon as we
walked outside we both noticed how funky the sky appeared. We went from being
like, "THIS IS SO COOL!" to "Omg we are going to die."
within seconds. Dust started blowing eeeeverywhere. Pretty sure we both had
half of El Paso in our mouth by the time we reached home. It was also the day
that I decided not to bring my sunglasses to work, which would have definitely
helped keep the sun out of my eyelids. Towards the beginning of our walk, I
asked Erin if she felt like it was safe. She said "Oh yeah" with
confidence, and that changed to "Sooo IIII don't think this is really safe
anymore." We finally admitted that this could potentially be very harmful
to our wellbeing when the wind started to pick up, as the dust was actually
really painful as it hit our leg. Erin called Justin, and he, I thought, told
us that we were not in any harm. It was funny because while he was telling us
this optimism and encouragement we were both uncontrollably saying
"AH" or "OW" as the dust struck us. He offered to come pick
us up if it became too dangerous so we trusted him, which was not the best
decision in the world because lightning started to become way more noticeable
and violent. There was no one outside, and people would be shouting at us in
Spanish to get inside as we walked past their stores or businesses. Note to
self: it is not fun being yelled at in a language that you are not fluent in.
So we kept walking. The lightning started to pick up and to make ourselves
laugh and pass the time, we recorded videos on my phone that are actually
pretty funny, especially if you know Erin and her personality. As we progressed
in our walk of wind, dust, and lightning, we received many positive and
encouraging text messages from the gang back at the house. Some examples of
these texts include "OMG DON'T DIE" to "Just keep walking, just keep
walking, just keep walking walking walking walking" and the Finding Nemo
reference really boosted our spirits during this time of angst. Hannah later
text us just in time because we were noticing that the wind was REALLY picking
up. She told us that the storm was picking up and getting worse and that
"we should probably hurry back to the house." It was then that we
really picked up our feet and ran. When we made it back to the house the crew
greeted us with "You're alive!!" and we both walked towards Justin
with (probably) a look of disgust and said, "You almost let us die!"
He followed up that statement with, "Why didn't you guys call me?! I
offered to come pick you up!" I just looked at Erin and she said an
innocent "Oops." So that was our first experience in a dust and
lightning storm. I highly encourage you all to never experience one. Call us
wimps, but the dust is actually really painful! :(
My roommates and I remind each other that we MUST make time to
talk and catch up after our time together. We have already been through so much
together and have had conversations that have for sure build a solid lifelong
friendship. I am also huge fans of the year long BSC members. They are such
fabulous people overall! Hannah, a naturally born leader who is a WONDERFUL
boss and just an overall very bubbly/down to earth person. Amy, she tells the
best stories and has the funniest sense of humor. She is always laughing at her
own jokes and, sometimes, I feel like she makes herself laugh more than
anything. A very sweet-natured person indeed. Greer, an athletic, sensible, chill, calm and collective soul. She
has an eye for art and unique things and has such a kind spirit. Claire, a very
kind-hearted and witty person who has a strong head on her shoulders. She
always seems to be in a good mood, and is also very entertaining to listen to.
Amelia, a spritely and perky personality who has a bold and caring presence.
Last but not least, Justin. He is his own breed to say the least. He has the
capacity to be a strong leader and ALWAYS has a smile on his face and energy in
his walk. You can come to him for anything and he will always be there to
listen, give you a hug, or just laugh with you. I don't know how you could not
love any of these people. We sadly moved out of their house last night and into
Cristo Rey. However, I am happy to not be living out of my suitcase and to have an actual
bed to sleep in.
Overall, I am still absolutely loving my time here in El Paso.
It feels like we have been here for a month already due to being so busy and
bopping all over the city. This feeling reminds me of how I feel during the
first week of the school year, if that helps you relate better to what I'm
trying to describe. El Paso is a really beautiful city and BSC is such a great
opportunity. Your schedule is packed and you feel exhausted, but it is the best
type of exhaustion. It's the kind when you feel very accomplished because you
are making a difference, almost like a natural high on life. Just knowing that
you are making a difference in people's lives gives you all the reward that you
need. It's a type of productivity that I wish people valued more than the
numerical amount that is achieved. I'm so excited for the rest of this summer
and to see what else is in store. As long as dust/lightning storms are not
included, and more hikes, positive time with the youth, and quality time with
the gang are present, then I think nothing but greatness is ahead. :)
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Part 1: BSC Training
Today was, as usual, wonderful. We had our first day of Orientation Training for BSC and, as cheesy as this sounds, I feel a lot more connected to this wonderful group of people who I have the honor of sharing this experience.
Erin and I slept out in the living room and will have this be our designated bedroom until June 7. This morning we all ate breakfast together. I really like how we eat meals together. As cheesy as this sounds, it's a wonderful way to start the day and it really feels like more of a community when meals are shared. We left the house about 10:40 a.m. to be at Cristo Rey Parish for 11:00 a.m. mass. I had no idea that I was going to have such a cultural experience at this mass.
When we got there we were introduced to Pastor Rose Mary. It was great to finally meet her in person after our phone conversations about this summer. She is a faaantastic person and is very much full of life and love. In the Mexican culture, you greet people with a hug and a kiss or a hug, but a long embrace. The mass itself gave me goosebumps throughout certain parts of it. Since Cristo Rey is a primarily Spanish-speaking population (as is most of El Paso), the mass was mainly spoken in Spanish but was also split with some English. The songs that were English were sung half in Spanish, and the rest were all Spanish songs. I followed along with the program so that I was able to understand the order of the service and where to look in the hymnal. From now on whenever I hear or sing Open the Eyes Of My Heart I will always think of Cristo Rey. :) Rose Mary had all of us BSC members stand in front of everyone, and she and the whole congregation gave us a blessing. Of course, this was also followed by giving each of us another hug. It was lovely! Rose Mary then had each of us introduce ourselves and tell the congregation which sights we were at. The part of the mass where you give everyone the sign of peace (Paz, in Spanish) was probably the biggest shock for me. It was a much longer time period and you actually were able to walk around and go to almost every single person, hug them, and say "Paz." It made me wonder why we can't do this during other services. Plus, not to go completely off topic, but the physical contact of another person is a therapeutic feeling. I've never been a very touchy-feely person, but I absolutely love how hugging or giving someone a touch on the shoulder is a common act in the Mexican culture. I'm worried that I'm going to start doing that when I get back home and people will think I'm some creep. Hopefully, this will someday be integrated into the United States' culture?
The rest of the mass was very moving in general. Another church was visiting from Colorado and they had 2 high school youth groups present. They're a great group of kids, too! After mass we ate lunch at Cristo Rey (authentic Mexican food - score!) and sat with the 2 youth groups, families of the parish, and KIDS! It was so fun! :) I sat with 4 high schoolers from Colorado, Erika, Erin, Hannah, and a HILARIOUS/adorable 10 year old girl named Kenia. Kenia is also a part of the Cristo Rey youth group and when I told her that I was working with her this summer she just responded with a joyful sounding "OH GOOD!" :) She also said some of the funniest things during our time there... I'm still kind of laughing as I'm writing this just thinking about it all. Kenia was playing this trick on us for a period of time. It's a long story, but she threw in a line saying "I don't want to have kids. I want to keep it simple." and when I told her that I was 22, done with college, and studied to be a teacher, she told me "Daaaang!" with the biggest eyes. Kenia made our whole table laugh, and I got to know some of the high schoolers pretty well. Rose Mary pulled Erin and me aside and explained more about our schedule for this week at Cristo Rey. We are both going to have a lot of fun working together!
After mass, Hannah drove all of us interns up Rim Road. B-e-a-YOU-tiful view! It was also great weather because there was a nice breeze. We had a much better view of El Paso and Mexico, and the cities are so huge that we couldn't even see the edge of the city from our very high view in the mountains. Pictures will be posted to facebook! It was so gorgeous. If I ever can afford to do this, I would love to build a house up there :) It was one of those moments when it hit me again that I was in Texas. Not that I forget, but sometimes it's weird thinking "You're living in Texas now." That beautiful view also made me feel so thankful to have that opportunity. Someday I'll get over it, but for now I am still always taken aback by this beauty that is constantly surrounding me.
We drove to a park that is located not too far away from the overview. It is also on Rim Road. We read through our manuals there and had some soul talk about what it means to be in BSC and the responsibilities that we have to impact lives at our sights. I definitely left our meeting feeling more informed, slightly overwhelmed, but also very much at peace.
When we got back to the house, we made a grocery list as a group and planned out all of our meals for this week. We are only given $100 per month to split for groceries per month. We all have various dietary needs, but as a team we were able to work it out and plan one kick-a** grocery list. Erika and Erin went bought the food, and next week Lily and me will go.
While Erika and Erin went shopping, Lily and me chilled at the house and had some downtime. We were finally able to talk one-on-one and get to know each other better; tremendous person that Lily girl is. I feel so thankful to be experiencing this trip and opportunity with her! She also has a fancy-dancy camera, so between the two of us we will have some high def./pretty pictures of our trip!
Part 2 on the next post...
Erin and I slept out in the living room and will have this be our designated bedroom until June 7. This morning we all ate breakfast together. I really like how we eat meals together. As cheesy as this sounds, it's a wonderful way to start the day and it really feels like more of a community when meals are shared. We left the house about 10:40 a.m. to be at Cristo Rey Parish for 11:00 a.m. mass. I had no idea that I was going to have such a cultural experience at this mass.
When we got there we were introduced to Pastor Rose Mary. It was great to finally meet her in person after our phone conversations about this summer. She is a faaantastic person and is very much full of life and love. In the Mexican culture, you greet people with a hug and a kiss or a hug, but a long embrace. The mass itself gave me goosebumps throughout certain parts of it. Since Cristo Rey is a primarily Spanish-speaking population (as is most of El Paso), the mass was mainly spoken in Spanish but was also split with some English. The songs that were English were sung half in Spanish, and the rest were all Spanish songs. I followed along with the program so that I was able to understand the order of the service and where to look in the hymnal. From now on whenever I hear or sing Open the Eyes Of My Heart I will always think of Cristo Rey. :) Rose Mary had all of us BSC members stand in front of everyone, and she and the whole congregation gave us a blessing. Of course, this was also followed by giving each of us another hug. It was lovely! Rose Mary then had each of us introduce ourselves and tell the congregation which sights we were at. The part of the mass where you give everyone the sign of peace (Paz, in Spanish) was probably the biggest shock for me. It was a much longer time period and you actually were able to walk around and go to almost every single person, hug them, and say "Paz." It made me wonder why we can't do this during other services. Plus, not to go completely off topic, but the physical contact of another person is a therapeutic feeling. I've never been a very touchy-feely person, but I absolutely love how hugging or giving someone a touch on the shoulder is a common act in the Mexican culture. I'm worried that I'm going to start doing that when I get back home and people will think I'm some creep. Hopefully, this will someday be integrated into the United States' culture?
The rest of the mass was very moving in general. Another church was visiting from Colorado and they had 2 high school youth groups present. They're a great group of kids, too! After mass we ate lunch at Cristo Rey (authentic Mexican food - score!) and sat with the 2 youth groups, families of the parish, and KIDS! It was so fun! :) I sat with 4 high schoolers from Colorado, Erika, Erin, Hannah, and a HILARIOUS/adorable 10 year old girl named Kenia. Kenia is also a part of the Cristo Rey youth group and when I told her that I was working with her this summer she just responded with a joyful sounding "OH GOOD!" :) She also said some of the funniest things during our time there... I'm still kind of laughing as I'm writing this just thinking about it all. Kenia was playing this trick on us for a period of time. It's a long story, but she threw in a line saying "I don't want to have kids. I want to keep it simple." and when I told her that I was 22, done with college, and studied to be a teacher, she told me "Daaaang!" with the biggest eyes. Kenia made our whole table laugh, and I got to know some of the high schoolers pretty well. Rose Mary pulled Erin and me aside and explained more about our schedule for this week at Cristo Rey. We are both going to have a lot of fun working together!
After mass, Hannah drove all of us interns up Rim Road. B-e-a-YOU-tiful view! It was also great weather because there was a nice breeze. We had a much better view of El Paso and Mexico, and the cities are so huge that we couldn't even see the edge of the city from our very high view in the mountains. Pictures will be posted to facebook! It was so gorgeous. If I ever can afford to do this, I would love to build a house up there :) It was one of those moments when it hit me again that I was in Texas. Not that I forget, but sometimes it's weird thinking "You're living in Texas now." That beautiful view also made me feel so thankful to have that opportunity. Someday I'll get over it, but for now I am still always taken aback by this beauty that is constantly surrounding me.
We drove to a park that is located not too far away from the overview. It is also on Rim Road. We read through our manuals there and had some soul talk about what it means to be in BSC and the responsibilities that we have to impact lives at our sights. I definitely left our meeting feeling more informed, slightly overwhelmed, but also very much at peace.
When we got back to the house, we made a grocery list as a group and planned out all of our meals for this week. We are only given $100 per month to split for groceries per month. We all have various dietary needs, but as a team we were able to work it out and plan one kick-a** grocery list. Erika and Erin went bought the food, and next week Lily and me will go.
While Erika and Erin went shopping, Lily and me chilled at the house and had some downtime. We were finally able to talk one-on-one and get to know each other better; tremendous person that Lily girl is. I feel so thankful to be experiencing this trip and opportunity with her! She also has a fancy-dancy camera, so between the two of us we will have some high def./pretty pictures of our trip!
Part 2 on the next post...
Day 2: Sunscreen, WATER, dehydration, and museums!
Day 2 was beyond adventurous! Erika and I had a free day (as Orientation starts today, June 2), so we decided to make the most of the day and explore around the city. Erika went onto Google and outlined a map for us with most of the main streets and circled locations that we had talked about visiting. We left the house around 9:30 a.m. and headed for downtown area. It was a beautiful time of the day for a walk! Although it was bright outside, the sun was not directly shining on us and there was a great breeze. We took a longer route so that we were able to see more houses and neighborhoods. We stopped at this park that overlooked the city and Mexico. You could tell that the city was starting to wake up and come alive from the overlooking area. As we continued downtown, a stray dog came up and tried to get our attention multiple times. It was a cutie! As we kept walking we noticed that stray dogs were a thing in the city. We were wondering if it maybe had to do with the culture.
We first stopped at the Museum of History. It was a cute, small'ish museum with many different displays. I took some pictures and posted them on my facebook, since there would be too many to try to put on this post. The staff working were more than friendly and loved that we were visitors to the city. We were there for probably an hour or so walking around and looking at the exhibits. The Mexican culture is such a beautiful, family-oriented one. My personal favorite exhibits were ones that had audio recordings of family members sharing their favorite memories as children growing up in Mexico or El Paso. Time seemed so much more carefree and enjoyed back then. The exhibits with the traditional Mexican clothing were also gorgeous! All of the clothing was so intricately made and flowed so gracefully off of the people wearing them.
After the museum, we ran into two other BSC members Greer and Claire. They were heading to a festival that showed and sold local clothing, paintings, jewelry, belts, purses, and yarn. All of the items were handmade, so they were pretty expensive. Neither of us ended up buying anything, but it was great that we attended and were able to see what kind of items were showed. The festival is every Saturday afternoon, so maybe after I have more money I will attempt to purchase something! The children who were at the festival were sups adorbs as well. They were so interested in every single stand and had much enthusiasm for the people who made their stands more kid-friendly and hands-on. A woman who makes her own yarn, baskets, and scarves had two children make their own yarn. It was so cute!
Erika and I parted from Greer and Claire and made our way closer to the Art Museum. Ok, coolest museum ever. All of the displays were breathtaking and shocking all at the same time. The man who was working at the entrance of the museum was very kind as well. He had us introduce ourselves to him and when we told him that we were there with Border Servant he became more eager to hear about what our placement sights and jobs will be. Erika and I explored the entire museum, and it seemed like we were there for almost 2 hours. The exhibits ranged from paintings to sculptures to abstract to religious paintings from the 13th century. Again, I posted pictures onto my facebook :)
By the end of our museum visit we were pretty hungry, and had mapped out a place that sounded pretty good to both of us! Tacos, of course! As we were leaving, the man working at the entrance suggested that we go to this one restaurant (drawing a blank on the name at the moment) and told us the type of food that was served. Food in general sounded good to us by this point. We parted from the man (now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure his name was Mark) and went on our way in the direction that he told us. After walking a couple blocks we realized that we may have (or did, actually) take a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Erika whipped out her Spanish and asked a cute elderly man if he knew where the restaurant was. He told us that we were heading in the wrong direction, but told us to go Los Jarrones instead because the food was very, very good for a very reasonable price. We took up his advice and he was dead on about the very, very good part!
Los Jarrones is a quaint, family-feel, Mexican restaurant with the most authentic and delicious Mexican food I've had in awhile. Although any Mexican food down here is more authentic than what you find in the Midwest, haha. Our plates were FULL too. Erika tried ordering in Spanish, but the waiter just responded to her order in English (silly man). I had asked the waiter what Green Chili Sauce was, and he said that it was very spicy but that he would bring me a free sample to try! I'm glad he did because now I know to never order it anywhere, or at least from there :) If you haven't tried it before, it is spicier than Jalapeno. It's super good, but my mouth had no feeling after trying it :) After eating, Erika and I sat and talked for a long time and had many conversational topics about being brave and figuring out who we are in life. They were much needed topics and by the end I left the restaurant feeling like a different person. Erika bought us sweet bread with fruit filling inside-way delicious, and you could tell that it was homemade.
Here comes the fun part of our day. We got lost for about 5 minutes. We eventually walked in a rectangle and found our path back to the house. It was good to be lost for a little bit because then we both knew that we were capable of finding our way and navigating in this city. Plus it was a good bonding moment to both freak out and picture ourselves never getting back to the house, haha :) While we were walking back, the sun was at its worst. Erika was pretty solid and doing well, but me on the other hand...first time I almost passed out due to heat exhaustion. It was a little scary at the moment but now I just laugh about it :) We would periodically make jokes about Hannah, the intern coordinator, driving by us both passed out or sitting on the curb somewhere. You have to laugh during times of questioning! We stopped a couple times and Erika offered to take my bag so that I didn't have to carry anything. We made it up the, what seemed like, a never ending hill and took a quick break. The beautiful view of the city was off to the right of us, and definitely rejuvenated my spirit to keep going. Sidenote: that sentence probably sounded way more dramatic than what actually happened. We finally made it back to the house and collapsed on the sofa and chair. It felt really great, and accomplishing to finally be home after 6 hours!
Erin (from Le Suer, MN) and Lily (from Madison, WI) arrived about 15 minutes after we got home. It was SO GREAT to finally meet them and talk with them in person! Lily was pretty tired when she arrived, so Erin, Erika, and me talked out in the living room. To put it kindly, we definitely hit up all of the random roommate/personal conversation topics asap. That's when I knew that I was pretty darn lucky to be calling these women my family for the summer.
Hannah cooked everyone dinner, and we ate with the year-long BSC members. It was delicious! We all sat and talked for awhile and then decided to go for a walk. We walked up to one of the walkway paths that overlooks El Paso and Mexico. It was a beautiful view because the sun was setting and the lights were sparkling away below us. The group took pictures (which I posted on my facebook) and we did a quick geocach because Claire had located an item that was up on the path. It was so funny seeing everyone so enthused about this. It was my first time geocaching and I would definitely do it again with these guys.
After our lovely walk outside, Justin (another year-long BSC member), Erin, Erika, and me sat in the living room and just chatted away. Justin works at Cristo Rey, so he gave Erin and me some advice about our jobs and positions when working with the children. Although I have experience working with children, it was so relieving hearing Justin's advice and his experience since I am a little nervous for the first day. Justin really lightened the mood and helped Erin and me feel more confident and comfortable. I really like Justin a lot. He is so goofy and has so much spirit in him. He graduated from St Olaf, so I thought that was a cool/random connection we had. We talked for a long time about border control, the Mexican population, our lives, and where we all want to go in life. That is one of my favorite things about BSC, you can easily have the most indepth and meaningful conversations with these people, even though you've only known each other for a day or 2.
Today we have BSC Orientation that starts at 11:00. We will be driving to Cristo Rey for 11 a.m. mass and then the day kicks off from there. We do not stop until after dinner time, but for some reason I feel like I'm still going to have just as much energy towards the end of the day. One of the events that takes place today is working with the Cristo Rey youth group! Well, one of the youth groups. We will be with the middle schoolers, and they will be working with Erin and me during the summer as our helpers. I have a really great feeling about this summer as the days progress. I am sunburned and always thirsty, but this city and trip down here has, so far, been the best thing that has happened. As Erika put it, we will definitely all be growing together in many ways, and figuring out who we are in our stances on immigration, border control, education, faith, and personal beliefs.
I apologize for this lengthy post, but really appreciate it if you took the time to read everything! I miss everyone and hope that the summer has been treating you all well so far!
We first stopped at the Museum of History. It was a cute, small'ish museum with many different displays. I took some pictures and posted them on my facebook, since there would be too many to try to put on this post. The staff working were more than friendly and loved that we were visitors to the city. We were there for probably an hour or so walking around and looking at the exhibits. The Mexican culture is such a beautiful, family-oriented one. My personal favorite exhibits were ones that had audio recordings of family members sharing their favorite memories as children growing up in Mexico or El Paso. Time seemed so much more carefree and enjoyed back then. The exhibits with the traditional Mexican clothing were also gorgeous! All of the clothing was so intricately made and flowed so gracefully off of the people wearing them.
After the museum, we ran into two other BSC members Greer and Claire. They were heading to a festival that showed and sold local clothing, paintings, jewelry, belts, purses, and yarn. All of the items were handmade, so they were pretty expensive. Neither of us ended up buying anything, but it was great that we attended and were able to see what kind of items were showed. The festival is every Saturday afternoon, so maybe after I have more money I will attempt to purchase something! The children who were at the festival were sups adorbs as well. They were so interested in every single stand and had much enthusiasm for the people who made their stands more kid-friendly and hands-on. A woman who makes her own yarn, baskets, and scarves had two children make their own yarn. It was so cute!
Erika and I parted from Greer and Claire and made our way closer to the Art Museum. Ok, coolest museum ever. All of the displays were breathtaking and shocking all at the same time. The man who was working at the entrance of the museum was very kind as well. He had us introduce ourselves to him and when we told him that we were there with Border Servant he became more eager to hear about what our placement sights and jobs will be. Erika and I explored the entire museum, and it seemed like we were there for almost 2 hours. The exhibits ranged from paintings to sculptures to abstract to religious paintings from the 13th century. Again, I posted pictures onto my facebook :)
By the end of our museum visit we were pretty hungry, and had mapped out a place that sounded pretty good to both of us! Tacos, of course! As we were leaving, the man working at the entrance suggested that we go to this one restaurant (drawing a blank on the name at the moment) and told us the type of food that was served. Food in general sounded good to us by this point. We parted from the man (now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure his name was Mark) and went on our way in the direction that he told us. After walking a couple blocks we realized that we may have (or did, actually) take a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Erika whipped out her Spanish and asked a cute elderly man if he knew where the restaurant was. He told us that we were heading in the wrong direction, but told us to go Los Jarrones instead because the food was very, very good for a very reasonable price. We took up his advice and he was dead on about the very, very good part!
Los Jarrones is a quaint, family-feel, Mexican restaurant with the most authentic and delicious Mexican food I've had in awhile. Although any Mexican food down here is more authentic than what you find in the Midwest, haha. Our plates were FULL too. Erika tried ordering in Spanish, but the waiter just responded to her order in English (silly man). I had asked the waiter what Green Chili Sauce was, and he said that it was very spicy but that he would bring me a free sample to try! I'm glad he did because now I know to never order it anywhere, or at least from there :) If you haven't tried it before, it is spicier than Jalapeno. It's super good, but my mouth had no feeling after trying it :) After eating, Erika and I sat and talked for a long time and had many conversational topics about being brave and figuring out who we are in life. They were much needed topics and by the end I left the restaurant feeling like a different person. Erika bought us sweet bread with fruit filling inside-way delicious, and you could tell that it was homemade.
Here comes the fun part of our day. We got lost for about 5 minutes. We eventually walked in a rectangle and found our path back to the house. It was good to be lost for a little bit because then we both knew that we were capable of finding our way and navigating in this city. Plus it was a good bonding moment to both freak out and picture ourselves never getting back to the house, haha :) While we were walking back, the sun was at its worst. Erika was pretty solid and doing well, but me on the other hand...first time I almost passed out due to heat exhaustion. It was a little scary at the moment but now I just laugh about it :) We would periodically make jokes about Hannah, the intern coordinator, driving by us both passed out or sitting on the curb somewhere. You have to laugh during times of questioning! We stopped a couple times and Erika offered to take my bag so that I didn't have to carry anything. We made it up the, what seemed like, a never ending hill and took a quick break. The beautiful view of the city was off to the right of us, and definitely rejuvenated my spirit to keep going. Sidenote: that sentence probably sounded way more dramatic than what actually happened. We finally made it back to the house and collapsed on the sofa and chair. It felt really great, and accomplishing to finally be home after 6 hours!
Erin (from Le Suer, MN) and Lily (from Madison, WI) arrived about 15 minutes after we got home. It was SO GREAT to finally meet them and talk with them in person! Lily was pretty tired when she arrived, so Erin, Erika, and me talked out in the living room. To put it kindly, we definitely hit up all of the random roommate/personal conversation topics asap. That's when I knew that I was pretty darn lucky to be calling these women my family for the summer.
Hannah cooked everyone dinner, and we ate with the year-long BSC members. It was delicious! We all sat and talked for awhile and then decided to go for a walk. We walked up to one of the walkway paths that overlooks El Paso and Mexico. It was a beautiful view because the sun was setting and the lights were sparkling away below us. The group took pictures (which I posted on my facebook) and we did a quick geocach because Claire had located an item that was up on the path. It was so funny seeing everyone so enthused about this. It was my first time geocaching and I would definitely do it again with these guys.
After our lovely walk outside, Justin (another year-long BSC member), Erin, Erika, and me sat in the living room and just chatted away. Justin works at Cristo Rey, so he gave Erin and me some advice about our jobs and positions when working with the children. Although I have experience working with children, it was so relieving hearing Justin's advice and his experience since I am a little nervous for the first day. Justin really lightened the mood and helped Erin and me feel more confident and comfortable. I really like Justin a lot. He is so goofy and has so much spirit in him. He graduated from St Olaf, so I thought that was a cool/random connection we had. We talked for a long time about border control, the Mexican population, our lives, and where we all want to go in life. That is one of my favorite things about BSC, you can easily have the most indepth and meaningful conversations with these people, even though you've only known each other for a day or 2.
Today we have BSC Orientation that starts at 11:00. We will be driving to Cristo Rey for 11 a.m. mass and then the day kicks off from there. We do not stop until after dinner time, but for some reason I feel like I'm still going to have just as much energy towards the end of the day. One of the events that takes place today is working with the Cristo Rey youth group! Well, one of the youth groups. We will be with the middle schoolers, and they will be working with Erin and me during the summer as our helpers. I have a really great feeling about this summer as the days progress. I am sunburned and always thirsty, but this city and trip down here has, so far, been the best thing that has happened. As Erika put it, we will definitely all be growing together in many ways, and figuring out who we are in our stances on immigration, border control, education, faith, and personal beliefs.
I apologize for this lengthy post, but really appreciate it if you took the time to read everything! I miss everyone and hope that the summer has been treating you all well so far!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
An Early Morning God Moment
So, everyone in the house except Erika and me are still asleep (it's 8:00 a.m. here). We're both afraid to wake anyone with noise...so I thought I would do a brief post about something that came to mind as I was sitting here awake.
First of all, if you are religiously sensitive, you can decide to stop reading right now. For those who know me well enough know that my Christian faith is important to me, but I would never intentionally (nor do I want to at all) shove it at anyone. So, if you want to, keep reading and develop your own opinions afterwards. :)
My temporary bed is out in the living room; it faces the house next door (houses here are built very close to each other). The sun was coming in at the perfect angle through the windows in the living room, and really outlined the architecture of the house. I almost forgot that I was in the United States because, in this particular neighborhood, every house is SO colorful and simply beautiful in its unique structure. Then it occurred to me that what I was seeing was a simple, but huge, moment given by The Big Man himself. I really lit up inside after seeing this view and just knew inside that God has MUCH more in store for me during this time in El Paso.
Aside from this minor event, this trip itself has already been one gigantic God moment. It is rare when you are given opportunities to submerse yourself in a city that has a completely different culture from your own. I personally find this to be a gift from God. If I'm remembering correctly, I believe over 80% of El Paso is Latino/Mexican/Hispanic. Even when you walk around the city, there are cultural differences with how you are addressed and approached, billboards written in only Spanish, and buildings and houses that have a completely different structure and color palet than cities in the United States. All of these differences remind me that we SHOULD all be given the same love, appreciation, and acknowledgement of our own cultural differences. We're brothers and sisters all being connected by God/someone/something. I am really excited to explore around the city more today and get a feel for where things are located. As well as having more of those God moments and reminders that all of the breathtaking, beautiful sights (such as the mountains) were made possible by Him.
First of all, if you are religiously sensitive, you can decide to stop reading right now. For those who know me well enough know that my Christian faith is important to me, but I would never intentionally (nor do I want to at all) shove it at anyone. So, if you want to, keep reading and develop your own opinions afterwards. :)
My temporary bed is out in the living room; it faces the house next door (houses here are built very close to each other). The sun was coming in at the perfect angle through the windows in the living room, and really outlined the architecture of the house. I almost forgot that I was in the United States because, in this particular neighborhood, every house is SO colorful and simply beautiful in its unique structure. Then it occurred to me that what I was seeing was a simple, but huge, moment given by The Big Man himself. I really lit up inside after seeing this view and just knew inside that God has MUCH more in store for me during this time in El Paso.
Aside from this minor event, this trip itself has already been one gigantic God moment. It is rare when you are given opportunities to submerse yourself in a city that has a completely different culture from your own. I personally find this to be a gift from God. If I'm remembering correctly, I believe over 80% of El Paso is Latino/Mexican/Hispanic. Even when you walk around the city, there are cultural differences with how you are addressed and approached, billboards written in only Spanish, and buildings and houses that have a completely different structure and color palet than cities in the United States. All of these differences remind me that we SHOULD all be given the same love, appreciation, and acknowledgement of our own cultural differences. We're brothers and sisters all being connected by God/someone/something. I am really excited to explore around the city more today and get a feel for where things are located. As well as having more of those God moments and reminders that all of the breathtaking, beautiful sights (such as the mountains) were made possible by Him.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Day 1: ¡Hola! Bienvenido
I'm finally here! After a delay with the flight from Dallas to El Paso, I arrived here around 3:30 p.m. Mountain time. I just want to say right away that El Paso is the most beautiful, diverse, colorful city I've ever been to that's in the United States. The (natural) grass is absent, and the flowers/trees/plants are not the most becoming, but there is something about the architecture and colors of the houses and buildings that make this city very unique and stunning. The people are also wonderful :)
The very first feature that I saw upon arrival were the beautiful mountains. I still can't get over that they are actually right there, being surrounded by El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. It was for sure the perfect view to see out the plane window! Hannah, the intern coordinator, and I met outside of the airport with a hug and exciting "Hello!!!"...she is such a hoot. Right after our warm embrace, however, I definitely felt the dry heat. It was a huge slap in the face due to all the wind. Hannah replied with, "Yup, welcome to Texas! You'll get use to sweating a lot. It'll be fun!" We had some time to kill before heading back to the airport to pick up Erika (one of my roommates), so Hannah drove around for a little bit to show me the area. We also stopped by the church she works at (Peace Lutheran).
Erika is one of the roommates (a summer intern as well) who has already arrived. I have a feeling that we are going to get along very well! She is from Ohio and is a Spanish major and Arabic minor (I know. Legit. ) at Ohio State. Just a little fun fact about one of the people who I'm going to be spending A LOT of time with this summer :)
Hannah educated Erika and me little bit about El Paso's unique layout and all of the border immersion programs that the city offers. This city of about 700,000 is unlike any other, mainly because it is a border city. I am not sure how to fully describe the layout without an image...so I will give a short/simple description. There are two mountain ranges. The mountains on the left side are a part of Mexico (Juarez), and the mountains on the right are in Texas. Both of the cities wrap around the mountains. The two cities are divided by the border (which is a fence), and it runs between the two ranges and through major parts of both cities. In fact, I am currently living about 4 blocks away from the border (don't freak out, mom and dad, I'm perfectly safe). El Paso also does not have any suburbs. They have communities outside of the city that are, unfortunately, filled with poverty and are primarily (if not all) immigrants from Mexico. We will be visiting some of these communities during our service times.
Hannah took Erika and me to this really great bistro and bar in downtown El Paso for dinner. We met up with three other year-long BSC members (Greer, Amy, and Claire). They are very, very nice and welcoming. It was a great time, and the $1.00 chicken tacos with THE spiciest salsa I have ever had hit the spot. The restaurant is only a 15 minute walk, so I can definitely picture this outing occurring again.
All of us summer interns are staying in the year-long house with the six members. It is such a cute house and is very much southwestern style; long, one story, quaint, I definitely love it. It is also very open with a living room and kitchen in the center and all six bedrooms surrounding. We will be moving over to Cristo Rey Parish after June 7.
This is probably a "duh" comment, but I feel like this is going to be a lot more eye-opening than I realized. We haven't even started working at our sights, but have already gained a handful of new insights in regards to the city, people, history, and cultures! Well, it is 10:11 p.m. here, which means it is 11:11 at home, which also means that it's time for this tired traveler to pass out. Erika and I will be spending our free day tomorrow exploring more of the city, taking pictures, and possibly going hiking if it's not too hot outside. Should be fun, if neither of us let the heat get to us! :)
The very first feature that I saw upon arrival were the beautiful mountains. I still can't get over that they are actually right there, being surrounded by El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. It was for sure the perfect view to see out the plane window! Hannah, the intern coordinator, and I met outside of the airport with a hug and exciting "Hello!!!"...she is such a hoot. Right after our warm embrace, however, I definitely felt the dry heat. It was a huge slap in the face due to all the wind. Hannah replied with, "Yup, welcome to Texas! You'll get use to sweating a lot. It'll be fun!" We had some time to kill before heading back to the airport to pick up Erika (one of my roommates), so Hannah drove around for a little bit to show me the area. We also stopped by the church she works at (Peace Lutheran).
Erika is one of the roommates (a summer intern as well) who has already arrived. I have a feeling that we are going to get along very well! She is from Ohio and is a Spanish major and Arabic minor (I know. Legit. ) at Ohio State. Just a little fun fact about one of the people who I'm going to be spending A LOT of time with this summer :)
Hannah educated Erika and me little bit about El Paso's unique layout and all of the border immersion programs that the city offers. This city of about 700,000 is unlike any other, mainly because it is a border city. I am not sure how to fully describe the layout without an image...so I will give a short/simple description. There are two mountain ranges. The mountains on the left side are a part of Mexico (Juarez), and the mountains on the right are in Texas. Both of the cities wrap around the mountains. The two cities are divided by the border (which is a fence), and it runs between the two ranges and through major parts of both cities. In fact, I am currently living about 4 blocks away from the border (don't freak out, mom and dad, I'm perfectly safe). El Paso also does not have any suburbs. They have communities outside of the city that are, unfortunately, filled with poverty and are primarily (if not all) immigrants from Mexico. We will be visiting some of these communities during our service times.
Hannah took Erika and me to this really great bistro and bar in downtown El Paso for dinner. We met up with three other year-long BSC members (Greer, Amy, and Claire). They are very, very nice and welcoming. It was a great time, and the $1.00 chicken tacos with THE spiciest salsa I have ever had hit the spot. The restaurant is only a 15 minute walk, so I can definitely picture this outing occurring again.
All of us summer interns are staying in the year-long house with the six members. It is such a cute house and is very much southwestern style; long, one story, quaint, I definitely love it. It is also very open with a living room and kitchen in the center and all six bedrooms surrounding. We will be moving over to Cristo Rey Parish after June 7.
This is probably a "duh" comment, but I feel like this is going to be a lot more eye-opening than I realized. We haven't even started working at our sights, but have already gained a handful of new insights in regards to the city, people, history, and cultures! Well, it is 10:11 p.m. here, which means it is 11:11 at home, which also means that it's time for this tired traveler to pass out. Erika and I will be spending our free day tomorrow exploring more of the city, taking pictures, and possibly going hiking if it's not too hot outside. Should be fun, if neither of us let the heat get to us! :)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
10 more days (Ahhh :))!
Hola!
I haven't updated this in awhile, so I thought I would just post a little bit of information on here that was not stated in the first entry. It is official that I will be heading out on Friday, May 31. The flight departs from Minneapolis early in the morning followed by a looong day of traveling. If all the flights stay on schedule, I should be arriving in El Paso at 3 p.m. mountain time. It's currently impossible to use words to describe the excitement that is exploding inside! Word has also spread that a group of 4 of us will be living together. Although the extent of our communication has been through Facebook and e-mails, I can tell that we are going to get along just fine. :) We will be staying in the church where I'm working (convenient). It will be so liberating to live, work, and explore El Paso!
Overall, the excitement grows all the time, everyday! 10 more days!
I haven't updated this in awhile, so I thought I would just post a little bit of information on here that was not stated in the first entry. It is official that I will be heading out on Friday, May 31. The flight departs from Minneapolis early in the morning followed by a looong day of traveling. If all the flights stay on schedule, I should be arriving in El Paso at 3 p.m. mountain time. It's currently impossible to use words to describe the excitement that is exploding inside! Word has also spread that a group of 4 of us will be living together. Although the extent of our communication has been through Facebook and e-mails, I can tell that we are going to get along just fine. :) We will be staying in the church where I'm working (convenient). It will be so liberating to live, work, and explore El Paso!
For some reason I feel like this song pretty much sums up my excitement and feelings towards this trip! It's a happy song in general :)
Overall, the excitement grows all the time, everyday! 10 more days!
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