{"id":1100,"date":"2013-06-04T15:45:54","date_gmt":"2013-06-04T22:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=1100"},"modified":"2013-06-12T13:37:50","modified_gmt":"2013-06-12T20:37:50","slug":"amazing-grace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=1100","title":{"rendered":"AMAZING GRACE"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">He was sitting at the breakfast table at <i>el comedor<\/i>, eyes cast down on his plate, quietly finishing the rice and beans and scrambled eggs. There was something not quite right about this man, dressed in a frayed cowboy shirt and jeans. It took me a few minutes to recognize what was unusual: he had only one leg. As I glanced beneath the table, I noticed the left pant leg was neatly pinned up below his stump. The man had jumped from the roof of a boxcar coupled to a train the migrants call the \u201ctrain of death,\u201d speeding from southern Mexico toward <i>el norte. <\/i>His left foot was severed under the wheels.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1102\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mariana-serving-the-bread.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1102\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1102\" alt=\"Mariana serving the bread\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mariana-serving-the-bread.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mariana-serving-the-bread.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Mariana-serving-the-bread-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mariana serving the bread\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">I will call this man Ernesto, and he is here at the shelter trying to figure out a survival strategy as a disabled migrant in Nogales, Mexico. No easy task. He maneuvers around the <i>comedor <\/i>with ease and agility on his crutches. He has learned to live without a leg and moves expertly amid the queues of waiting migrants.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1103\" style=\"width: 452px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lorena-Samaritan-Ruby-and-Mariana-in-the-kitchen.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1103\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1103\" alt=\"Lorena, Samaritan Ruby and Mariana in the kitchen\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lorena-Samaritan-Ruby-and-Mariana-in-the-kitchen.jpeg\" width=\"442\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lorena-Samaritan-Ruby-and-Mariana-in-the-kitchen.jpeg 442w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lorena-Samaritan-Ruby-and-Mariana-in-the-kitchen-265x300.jpeg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 442px) 100vw, 442px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1103\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lorena, Samaritan Ruby and Mariana in the kitchen<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Ernesto tells us his story of migration and trauma with great emotion and detail. He was traveling on the roof of a train, also known as \u201cthe beast,\u201d and was accosted by bandits in Mexico. During the struggle the thugs threatened to kill Ernesto, grabbing his throat and choking him. Leaping from the train in order to save his life, the terrorized migrant was sucked under the wheels of the boxcar and his left foot was severed.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1104\" style=\"width: 385px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Guidance-from-the-Virgin.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1104\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1104\" alt=\"Guidance from the Virgin\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Guidance-from-the-Virgin.jpeg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Guidance-from-the-Virgin.jpeg 375w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Guidance-from-the-Virgin-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1104\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A migrant receives guidance from the Virgin<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">He lay on the ground for a long time&#8211;maybe two days. Several people passed by and ran away, frightened by what they saw, possibly believing he was dead. Finally a woman with a cell phone stopped and called the local police. Ernesto was taken to a Mexican hospital and his leg was surgically amputated below the knee. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Eventually Ernesto made his way to Nogales and today he is trying to figure out how to survive safely and economically. He sleeps in a nearby bus station. He eats at the <em>comedor.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1106\" style=\"width: 263px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/The-man-with-the-severed-leg.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1106\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1106\" alt=\"The man with the severed leg\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/The-man-with-the-severed-leg.jpeg\" width=\"253\" height=\"500\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1106\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Caught by the train of death<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Marla, the volunteer coordinator with Kino Border Initiative, asks Ernesto if he would like to go to a wheelchair factory in Nogales, a facility that is starting to branch out into the manufacture of prostheses as well as wheelchairs. The Wheelchair Shop employs two skilled technicians who are both wheelchair riders.\u00a0 So off we go with Ernesto&#8211;two other Samaritans, Marla, and myself.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The Shop is a 10 minute ride from the <i>comedor<\/i> in an industrial park. The two employees, Beto and Gabriel, have a personal and intimate understanding of the specific needs of people without legs. They each have lost a leg themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1107\" style=\"width: 385px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Marla-talks-with-Alberto-in-Wheelchair-Shop.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1107\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1107\" alt=\"Marla talks with Beto in the Wheelchair Shop\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Marla-talks-with-Alberto-in-Wheelchair-Shop.jpeg\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Marla-talks-with-Alberto-in-Wheelchair-Shop.jpeg 375w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Marla-talks-with-Alberto-in-Wheelchair-Shop-225x300.jpeg 225w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 375px) 100vw, 375px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1107\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marla talks with Beto in the Wheelchair Shop<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The wheelchairs exemplify the ingenuity and tenacity of its creators. Mexican entrepreneurs are masters at recycling parts and making do. For starters, the wheelchairs are all-terrain vehicles, designed to navigate the rough terrain of uneven sidewalks, gravel, and small holes. These chairs are virtually indestructible, built with parts that can be purchased in a local bicycle shop or hardware store. The tires are the same as you see on mountain bikes.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1108\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Feeding-the-hungry.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1108\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1108\" alt=\"Feeding the hungry\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Feeding-the-hungry.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Feeding-the-hungry.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Feeding-the-hungry-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1108\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Feeding the hungry\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The first thing that strikes me about this workshop is that it is organized and immaculate, with tools hung on the walls and the floor neatly swept. A photograph of Pancho Villa hangs on the wall. The two technicians show us around and proudly explain their wheelchair creations. They are custom built for each rider, depending on their needs. Does the person live on a dirt road? Well, then the front wheels must be separated so the chair can move through soft dirt without tipping forward. Does the client live in the city? There are special adjustments for uneven sidewalks, curbs, and potholes.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1109\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Fresh-socks-for-blistered-feet.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1109\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1109\" alt=\"Fresh socks for blistered feet\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Fresh-socks-for-blistered-feet.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"370\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Fresh-socks-for-blistered-feet.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Fresh-socks-for-blistered-feet-300x222.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1109\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fresh socks for blistered feet\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Ernesto is here today to discuss a prosthetic fitting for his left amputated leg. And here is the surprise ending to this tale: not only will Ernesto be outfitted with a new prosthetic device, but he was offered a chance to learn the skills needed to build wheelchairs and prosthetic devices. This unique enterprise only wants to hire those individuals who are themselves without a limb. There are smiles and high-fives all around.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1110\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/New-shoes-for-a-new-day.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1110\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1110\" alt=\"New shoes for a new day\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/New-shoes-for-a-new-day.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/New-shoes-for-a-new-day.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/New-shoes-for-a-new-day-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1110\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">New shoes for a new day<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">No one knows how many amputees and disabled people are in Mexico as a result of their dangerous journey to<i> el norte.<\/i> I see many on my walks around Nogales. There are no wheelchair or prosthetic manufacturers north of Hermosillo. It is a niche market, and these two enterprising fellows are developing a product to meet this need in Nogales, Mexico. I salute them for their expertise and ingenuity.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1111\" style=\"width: 343px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Standing-by-the-wall.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1111\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1111\" alt=\"Standing by the wall\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Standing-by-the-wall.jpeg\" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Standing-by-the-wall.jpeg 333w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Standing-by-the-wall-199x300.jpeg 199w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1111\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Standing by the wall\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (photo: by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Let us not forget that we are all children of immigrants, unless you are an American Indian. How quickly we discount this fact. When I look around the room at the 120 migrants sitting at the breakfast table, each one has a story of hardship and suffering that is as dramatic as Ernesto&#8217;s. He lost a foot and and almost lost his life trying to get to our country in order to pick the strawberries I placed on my morning cereal this morning.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1112\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Sister-Alma-lights-up-the-comedor.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1112\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1112\" alt=\"Sister Alma lights up the comedor\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Sister-Alma-lights-up-the-comedor.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"484\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Sister-Alma-lights-up-the-comedor.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Sister-Alma-lights-up-the-comedor-300x290.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1112\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sister Alma lights up the <em>comedor\u00a0\u00a0<\/em> (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<em><br \/><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">My mother was a child of German immigrants. She did not speak English until she started elementary school at age 6. My father was a child of immigrants from Scotland and England. Their parents (my grandparents) lived in rural poverty in Iowa. There were many reasons to wonder if these families would assimilate and thrive. But they did. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">They followed the classic pattern of immigrants. They arrived in large numbers, mostly poor, often uneducated. Their children and grandchildren and great-grand children became economically stable, contributing to their communities; they were better educated than their parents, and spoke English. The fears in the past about whether the Germans or the Italians or the Chinese or the Irish would ever assimilate into American culture are unfounded. They are the financial and cultural backbone of this country. Every aspect of Latino migration points to a very typical pattern of integration into American culture in one or two generations. They will be a major positive force in this society, and we will be richer for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1114\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lupita-and-Lorena-scour-the-pots.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1114\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1114\" alt=\"Lupita and Lorena scour the pots\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lupita-and-Lorena-scour-the-pots.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lupita-and-Lorena-scour-the-pots.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Lupita-and-Lorena-scour-the-pots-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1114\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lupita and Lorena scour the pots\u00a0\u00a0 (photo: by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Ernesto, my migrant friend, is now learning to create prostheses and wheelchairs for others, and he will remain in Mexico. There is hope on the other side of the border, with jobs and educational opportunities strengthening the middle class. You can feel it as you walk the streets of Nogales, Mexico. Shops are opening again, and there is music in the plaza. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Many others will be risking their life on the \u201ctrain of death\u201d to fulfill their <\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>sue<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif,serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>\u00f1<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>o americano,<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> their American dream. They are coming to the United States. The premise of <\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>sue<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif,serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>\u00f1<\/i><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>o americano<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-size: large;\"> is simple: social mobility can be achieved through hard work, regardless of social class or origin of birth. Each person should be able to attain the fullest potential of which they are innately capable.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1116\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Piles-of-clothing-collected-by-the-Samaritans.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1116\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1116\" alt=\"Piles of clothing collected by the Samaritans\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Piles-of-clothing-collected-by-the-Samaritans.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Piles-of-clothing-collected-by-the-Samaritans.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Piles-of-clothing-collected-by-the-Samaritans-300x199.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1116\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piles of clothing collected by the Samaritans\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">We must put out a welcome mat instead of funding more Border Patrol agents. Let&#8217;s design an immigration policy based on what we believe in, not what we&#8217;re afraid of. I believe that every country has a right to control its borders. However the strategy of walls and blockades has created an underground world of smuggling and mayhem, exploiting its most vulnerable victims and encouraging vigilante activities. There is an answer to this&#8211;a process of immigration that honors the dignity and humanity of each person.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">The journey of the migrant comes at a high price&#8211;a piece of their soul. There have been trials and tribulations in this search for a better life. Thousands have died dreaming the sue<span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif,serif;\">\u00f1<\/span>o americano.<\/span><\/p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">And it has cost me a piece of my soul as well. It is difficult to sleep in peace when people are dying in the desert a few short miles from my home. This is something our Congressional leaders need to ponder in their policy debates. The current dialogue relating to the immigration debate makes no mention of the most important element in this whole complicated mess\u2014the loss of human life in the desert due to an inhumane border policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1117\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Jaime-and-Sister-Lorena-help-with-breakfast.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1117\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1117\" alt=\"Jaime and Sister Lorena serving breakfast\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Jaime-and-Sister-Lorena-help-with-breakfast.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"360\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Jaime-and-Sister-Lorena-help-with-breakfast.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Jaime-and-Sister-Lorena-help-with-breakfast-300x216.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1117\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jaime and Sister Alma serving breakfast\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Behind those numbers and statistics are human beings, much like our own ancestors. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">They made it. And so can my migrant friends at <i>el comedor. <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">As I left the <i>comedor<\/i> today, a few migrants who were washing the breakfast dishes were humming the wonderful old anthem, <i>\u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u201c<span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i>I once was lost,<\/i><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><i><strong>But now am found.\u201d<\/strong><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\">Works for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1118\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Washing-dishes-cleansing-souls.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1118\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1118\" alt=\"Washing dishes, cleansing souls\" src=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Washing-dishes-cleansing-souls.jpeg\" width=\"500\" height=\"382\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Washing-dishes-cleansing-souls.jpeg 500w, http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Washing-dishes-cleansing-souls-300x229.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-1118\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Washing dishes, cleansing souls\u00a0\u00a0 (photo:\u00a0 by John Toso)<\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\"><!--\nP { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }A:link {  }\n--><\/style>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Amazing Grace<\/span>, by John Newton, written in 1779.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>The Wheelchair Shop<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization under the direction of ARSOBO. Contact Kiko Trujillo in Mexico at: <a href=\"mailto:kiko1022@prodigy.net.mx\">kiko1022@prodigy.net.mx<\/a> or Dr. Burris \u201cDuke\u201d Duncan in Tucson at: <a href=\"mailto:bduncan@peds.arizona.edu\">bduncan@peds.arizona.edu<\/a> for more information if you are interested in sponsoring a child or adult and assisting the family in purchasing a wheelchair or prosthesis.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The <b>Green Valley Samaritans <\/b>are a group of activists who volunteer their services in both Mexico and the United States striving to create a more humane immigration policy. Their website is: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gvsamaritans.org\/\">www.gvsamaritans.org<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>Kino Border Initiative<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"> directs the activities of the <\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><i>comedor <\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">in Nogales, Mexico. The vision is to help make a humane, just system of migration a reality between the United States and Mexico. Their website is: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.kinoborderinitiative.org\/\">www.kinoborderinitiative.org<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\">The <\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><b>Santa Cruz Community Foundation <\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-size: small;\">is a non-profit organization focusing on the economic, cultural and philanthropic needs of southern Arizona. Bob Phillips, director of SCCF, can be reached at <a href=\"mailto:rtp9@earthlink.net\">rtp9@earthlink.net<\/a>. Phone is: 520-761-4531<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: small;\">I endorse and am proud of the accomplishments of all of these organizations. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>He was sitting at the breakfast table at el comedor, eyes cast down on his plate, quietly finishing the rice and beans and scrambled eggs. There was something not quite right about this man, dressed in a frayed cowboy shirt and jeans. It took me a few minutes to recognize what was unusual: he had [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1100"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1126,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1100\/revisions\/1126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}