Hope Springs Eternal
The Spanish word, esperar, means two things in Spanish—“to wait” and “to hope.” It is a word that perfectly expresses what I see each week as migrants wait with dignity for a nourishing meal, for some warm clothes on this chilly morning, and for the prayers of Father Martin as they contemplate the next step in their journey.
There is a mixture of despair, hope, and always, they wait.
a warm jacket for someone's Grandma
Today is the first day of spring, March 20. The mountains are covered in snow surrounding my home and my hands are frozen and clumsy as I scrape the ice off the windshield of the car. I stop by my neighbor’s house for a sack of warm clothes. She is amazed I’m going to el comedor. Frost is everywhere. And of course we are desert dwellers and wimp out when the temperatures plunge. Global warming does have its peculiarities.
Lines of shivering immigrants are waiting for us in front of el comedor. A woman has no socks, and her shoes are coming apart at the soles. Our group of Samaritans begin handing out blankets and fleecy shirts before we enter the shelter to help serve breakfast.
making do
One fellow, Jesus, asks for a blanket, and speaks English clearly and fluently. I ask where he lives?
“South Dakota, for the past 20 years.”
Jesus is a painter, specializing in barns, grain silos, and farm buildings. He has a wife and three children, and drops his backpack on the sidewalk to show me a photo of his little girl, age 3. The photo is well creased and it is hard for me to see her little face behind the cracked and worn plastic sleeve. His story is the usual—-picked up for driving without a license and deported to Nogales.
Jesus, man of hope
“What is your plan?”
Jesus lights up and tells me excitedly that he has a job, and has found a place to rent. He will paint cars here in Nogales, the sort of fancy detail work that young men love on their machines. Maybe he will paint houses. He shows me his fingernails, which are stained with paint.
“This town could use a good paint job, and I’m the man to do it.” I like his upbeat optimism.
Woman with the cap
“So, will your family join you here?”
Jesus explains that his family is traveling to California and will wait.
“Wait for what?”
“I’m not sure. But God will let me know when the moment is right.”
I ask, “Right for what?”
Jesus looks off in the distance, smiles, and tells me he crossed into the U.S. “maybe 10 years ago” after visiting relatives in Guerrero. He walked miles, hopped trains, traveled by bus, and hitchhiked his way back to South Dakota. He knows traveling to California is no piece of cake.
So he will wait until he “knows when the moment is right.”
the Virgin, the migrant, and a sack of sugar
But for now, he is happy to have a job in Nogales and a place to live. There is fire in his eyes and a spring in his step as he walks up the street, a blanket under one arm. He is full of hope.
It is spring in the Arizona desert. Snow flurries were flying yesterday at el comedor. The wildflowers that blanket our desert are in a bit of shock today. But spring teaches us to wait and to hope for the bloom of tomorrow.
I think about the world today. There are vastly more poor people than rich people. The numbers of poor seem to grow. I see the poor each week in this humble little shelter.
It gets to me.
Samaritans on a cold spring day
But once again there is a profound lesson to be learned here. The lesson hits me today during the prayers before breakfast. Every head is bowed in humility and the moment is intense with a feeling of enduring hope and faith. The place seems to levitate 2 feet off the ground.
Life will get better.
You cannot stop masses of people who wish to work, love, and be with their families. Their faith in a better tomorrow lights up this shelter on a chilly morning in March.
For the first time, I feel warm.
the Virgin and the jacket
The Green Valley Samaritans have a new website. My reflections on el comedor are just a small part of Samaritan activities. There is much more to the story. If you wish to support or contribute to this worthy group I encourage you to check out their beautiful new site at: www.gvsamaritans.org
It’s amazing that anyone going through those hardships can feel hope, but people are amazing!
Hi Peg – your blog is beautiful – words and pictures both very moving. Hope we meet again in Nogales.
Ruth Ann
Hi Peg,
Thank you very much for promoting the Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans website at the end of your “Hope Springs Eternal” blog. And thank you again for another inspiring story. I feel more hopeful after that.
Richard
Hi, I was fortunate to meet you as I accompanied Carol and Diane on very cold day in March. I have been reading your blog in order to further enlighten myself as I struggle to understand these issues while residing in the “insulated” State of MN. Being with the Samaritans was a highlight of my AZ “vacation” and I hope to do so again in 2013. I met “John” and he has been on my heart and mind since that day. I will never forget him and his story. Several times he told Carol and I “Don’t worry.” I hugged him as we said good by. I also recall the vacant eyes and hunched shoulders of many of those we fed that day. And now I realize this occurs day after day. You and the others can be proud to be Samaritans.
Hi Phyllis,
I am sure that John remembers you as well. Those moments, however fleeting, that we have with the migrants make more of an impact than we realize. They effect us, and I believe that the experience of a kind American stays with our Latino friends as well. So glad you were with us that day and could spend time with this gentle and expressive man. My guess is that he is doing better than that day at the comedor. Take care up there in Minnesota! –Peg
Each week that I am able to go with the Samaritans I feel blessed, because I can be a part of the ministry these Jesuits provide the migrants. Their hearts are full of love and concern for these people. Men, women, and children who only seek a life where they can offer a better life. I have been involved with the Samaritans in Green Valley since its formation. This has been life changing, and the migrants have touched my very soul. How can anyone say they are Aliens. I just challenge them to come with me. Listen to their stories, and their truth will set you free. FREE from the myths that block our having a immigration policy which will allow US and them benefits. Thank you Peg for giving all of us a voice.