Mission Participants Dr. Don Frohlich Dr. Liva Borniga Dr. Carl Scott Paul Belgeri Yamal Taha Emily Calasanz Kyley Theresa Roberts Dorina Carrillo Gamboa Jenie Zaibaq Christine Wiegman Cordero Wiegman Samuel Wiegman Bob Decker Paul Belgeri Crew Ginn
The 20-mile area on either side of the border between the United States and Mexico is unique. Border cities are not typical U.S. cities and they are not typical Mexican cities. Many families have relatives and close friends on both sides of the border. Before 9-11, travel between the border cities was very common and very simple. However, there is a stark difference between the poor in these two countries. In the Mexican city of Acu単a, safety nets for the extreme poor are almost nonexistent. Although there was a lot of planning for the factories opened as a result of N.A.F.T.A., there was little thought given to the impact of thousands of Mexicans moving to Acu単a in search of a factory job. The city doubled in size. To attract the factories, the government provided huge tax incentives to the owners of the factories. The end result was that there was suddenly a need for more schools, roads, housing, water, electricity, health care facilities and few tax dollars to fund the need. Prices rose to match the demand for food, shelter and clothing until they reached the level of prices in Houston. The minimum wage remained the lowest in Mexico. New arrivals found that they could not afford even the cheapest apartments. They began walking to the end of the roads where they found vacant land, choked with weeds, and they homesteaded small plots of land. They cleared away cactus, weeds and rocks. They used whatever they could find to build small shelters. Typically, scrap lumber became the framework and this was covered with cardboard, plastic or whatever was available. Rusted bedsprings found at a dump, became doorways or part of a fence. Describing the area is possible. Describing the happiness of the people is not. In spite of near constant disappointment, they remain happy and hopeful. When cheated by more educated people, they shrug their shoulders and make the best of a bad situation. Seldom are they discouraged. Into this world, students and faculty of UST journeyed to learn. Here, social justice is much more than a concept. Here, it can be applied and change the world.
Our mission began with a brief walk in a neighborhood. Here we first tasted the friendship of the people as they smiled and waved at us. We delivered no gifts of food during this walk. We simply offered our smiles, handshakes and hugs and received the smiles, handshakes and hugs of the people. Children freely ran up to us without hesitation. Adults smiled and spoke to us without reluctance. How many of us do the same when we encounter our own neighbors?
Visiting people in their homes tells their story in ways we could never understand if we met them at a church or office. Here, we can begin to truly understand the real family situation and needs. Although surrounded and immersed in poverty, look at our smiles. Here, happiness is contagious.
At the shelters for children, a few dollars worth of arts and crafts or coloring books changed the entire day for so many children (including the child within us).
The children of the poor look at us as very special and important visitors. Sometimes there is almost an idea among school children that we are important celebrities. Years ago, a small child from Guatemala pointed at the United States and asked, "Is it true that God really lives over there?" In their mind, God must live in the United States where we have homes with refrigerators filled with food. We have televisions, new clothes, cars and so much freedom. Our schools are magnificent! There are libraries, cafeterias, and gymnasiums in almost every U.S. school. It is no wonder that they think we must all be celebrities.
In the above photos, 'important' American visitors are asked for autographs by the school children. The school cafeterias in Acu単a are built by American and the parents of the Mexican children. Paper Houses provides thousands of free meals every school day in various schools in the colonias.
Today, the volunteer cooks at our cafeteria have some new help. These students were not asked to help; they simply jumped right in! Their eagerness to help was commented upon by the parents of the children that were working in the kitchen and by a teacher at the school. Students were not the only spontaneous helpers at the cafeteria.
The children enjoyed our visit and we certainly enjoyed our time with the children of Emilio Zapata Primary School.
Visiting a migrant shelter provided a rare opportunity to speak with people that sold all they owned to enter the United States in search of work. After returning to Mexico without any money and no place to go, many find brief refuge at Casa Emmaus. While Paper Houses agrees with enforcement of our immigration laws, we have empathy for these people. We were told that today there is a new phenomena in Mexico. Many Mexican families are now sending money to relatives in the United States so they can survive. For years, the U.S. relatives sent money to their families in Mexico. As the economy worsened and the U.S. residents lost their jobs, relatives in Mexico began sending what they could afford to help their family members. This is not the first time that the poor in Mexico sent money to help people in the United States. During hurricane Katrina, thousands of people living in the poverty of the colonias, sent money to aid Katrina victims. When twin tornadoes devastated parts of Eagle Pass, Texas, hundreds of Mexicans crossed the border with food, clothing and medical supplies. Below, are a photograph of our shared meal and time with the returning migrants.
The below links provide information about the causes of immigration to the United States. Mexican Farm Workers Price of Mexican staple doubles. Patterns of Mexican Migration to the United States (UST)
Paper Houses Across the Border is convinced that the best way to understand the needs is to visit the people in their homes. These unannounced and casual visits afford us an opportunity to observe things as they are and to grasp the reality in the normal lives of individuals. When a person with an infection so severe that amputation is likely comes to a church or office for help with medicine, we are likely to provide the medicine and believe all will be well. However, a visit to that person's home revealed no electricity or refrigerator, no clean water, inadequate food and undernourished children. We learned that the medicine required refrigeration and the wound needed to be cleaned and dressed three times each day. With no electricity and no water - the medicine would be worthless. Most of these people fear taking advantage of us. They seldom tell us about all of their needs. They are often reluctant to even mention a need. Only be visiting these families in their homes can we hope to understand their situation and become friends. Also, it is during these visits that we often discover why we lack simple happiness that so many of these people enjoy.
This family ran out of bottled gas and the temperature almost reached freezing during the night. They built a small campfire inside of their cardboard house to keep this child warm. The cost of the bottled gas was less than eight dollars. We purchased $20 worth of bottled gas and also returned with heavy comforters and food for these people. You may note that even after noon our UST student was shivering until he donned his coat.
Note that the fence includes a rusty set of mattress springs. This house replaced the cardboard shack the family built four years ago. Peso by peso they purchase small cement blocks and gradually build a one or two room house.
This home no longer has a roof. It was destroyed in a storm. The elderly couple replaced the roof with pieces of plastic. We were told about this situation and asked to help. We chose to visit the people in their home, before helping.
This elderly couple lived in Acu単a for over 50-years. We observed that the man seems to be suffering from dementia and cannot care for himself. His wife shivered in the cold as she talked about her life. We also met their grandson, who lives with them. The grandparents care for this mentally
challenged boy and they do the best that they can.
Inspecting the house revealed several structural problems that need to be addressed to keep the entire structure from collapsing. We arranged for a local builder to come to the home and provided clothing and food. Probably the most important thing we provided was our presence. It has long been our observation that the people often comment about ' the Americans that came all the way to Mexico to see them'. We've been told many times that the poor are amazed that we would travel so far because we really care. They remark that, "The people could have just sent a check to Paper Houses, but they loved us so much that they actually came to hear what we had to say." We always ask the people for their advice and ideas. We especially seek ideas and advice from the elderly and the forgotten. This may be the real gift that we provide. It may be more meaningful than the roof.
This widow and her son live in a concrete house. The cardboard house in the background belongs to a neighbor. IF we heard this. we would be inclined to send help to the family in the cardboard house and think that this woman is fortunate to have a concrete house. A visit to the home told a different story. Storm damage put this structure in danger of collapse.
We also visited Casa Esperanza, a loving shelter for children.
We were blessed with an opportunity to distribute more shoes on this mission trip.
These walks in the colonias are opportunities for us to become refreshed. They are opportunities to hold a child, to act child-like, and to give little children like this child, the hug they so desperately need. Only you can bring your smile, only you can bring the unique way that you hug children, only you can bring your unique soul into this world.
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In all of creation, there has never been, nor will there ever be, another you. This little boy waiting. He waits for you. We returned to our world better for having experienced the colonias and hope to keep mission in our hearts and as our new way of every day life. Thank you, UST, for your gift of yourselves.