{"id":384,"date":"2011-12-16T12:05:37","date_gmt":"2011-12-16T19:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=384"},"modified":"2011-12-16T12:05:37","modified_gmt":"2011-12-16T19:05:37","slug":"deck-the-halls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/?p=384","title":{"rendered":"Deck the Halls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Walking to the comedor today, the heavens opened up and poured buckets of rain on our little group. Undaunted, we trudged through mud, rivers of water on the streets, and dodged the huge cranes that continue to build the Wall. I wave at a Wall builder in a yellow slicker, and he waves back. We both look at the sky and laugh at the deluge. We are all ankle deep in water rushing down the roadway. But we keep on going. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Loading up the van, rain or shine<\/p>\n

We are fortunate to have a compassionate Samaritan volunteer who assists us each week with transporting bags of clothing and boxes of supplies in his van. He drives the vehicle to the comedor each week, often taking passengers that cannot walk the mile. Our work has expanded exponentially because of his commitment to this work. Plus he is a fountain of information about migrant journeys in the Santa Cruz valley. We are eternally grateful for his ongoing support.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Decking the halls at the comedor<\/p><\/div>\n

Our Samaritan group has big Holiday plans today. We are all carrying Christmas cookies and cards which we intend to give to the peddlers we meet along the way, the checkpoint windshield washers, the migrants, the priests, the nuns, the volunteers. But this is one serious rain, and we are the only people walking the streets. Arriving at the comedor we are greeted by at least 75 people crowded in the tiny space. Rain pelting loudly on the tin roof makes it impossible to communicate. We hurriedly unload the van with clothing and medical supplies. In a word, we are soaked. Our Christmas gifts will have to wait until next week when the sun shines. <\/span><\/p>\n

Buckets are strategically placed here and there catching the rain through gaps in the metal roof. And then I spy the simple colorful Christmas lights and decorations strung around the ceiling. The rains are literally washing away the hillside surrounding the shelter, but there is a warmth and cheeriness as we huddle against the storm inside. Even the Virgen de Guadalupe painting on the wall, nestled behind the refrigerator, is strung with Christmas lights while roses, sacks of onions and potatoes sit at her feet.\u00a0 I just stand there and am so glad I am here, shivering, wet, and happy. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the light of the Virgen de Guadalupe<\/p>\n

Father Martin, who directs this whole operation, asks me to take a photo beside the virgin, and I happily oblige. He is amazing in his calmness and focused attention amid the chaos of migrants, helpers, and the clattering of breakfast dishes.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Women of Guerrero<\/p><\/div>\n

But there is despair among the migrants today. They huddle with make-shift trash bags draped over their heads. This is their rain gear, which is better than nothing. The migrants gaze blankly into space, and I wonder where they will go the rest of the day. One young man is weeping uncontrollably. He is 14 years old and has traveled from Honduras. A Samaritan volunteer speaks softly to him and hugs his shoulder. I sit down and offer him a soggy bag of cookies. Two other men tell me that they will watch out for him. The young man tries to speak, and cannot talk through his emotions. We are all speechless and can do nothing but offer our silent support. <\/span><\/p>\n

Three women from Guerrero look at us quietly. They have been traveling for a month and are shivering under their colorful ponchos. One woman finds an ankle-length black wool coat, smiles, and gives me a thumbs up. I sit down with them and tell them in my simple halting Spanish that I wish them a safe journey. They all tear up. I open my backpack and dig out more cookies. We sit there, the 4 or us, munching on cookies. The resident orange kitty comes around and licks up the crumbs falling to the floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

A warm coat on a wet day<\/p><\/div>\n

I do not want to leave. Once again I feel that there are times when the Samaritans receive much more than they give. Today is one of those times. We witness the human spirit in its struggle to survive with dignity and grace. Being here is a blessing. I will not forget this day. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Singin' in the rain....<\/p><\/div>\n

And I cannot forget how the United States treats migrants. Our country must radically change our laws and policies toward Latino immigrants. It all comes down to treating our neighbors as we, ourselves, would wish to be treated. It is a simple rule, and we have strayed far from its message.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Walking to the comedor today, the heavens opened up and poured buckets of rain on our little group. Undaunted, we trudged through mud, rivers of water on the streets, and dodged the huge cranes that continue to build the Wall. I wave at a Wall builder in a yellow slicker, and he waves back. We […]<\/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-384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384","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=384"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":403,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions\/403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.arroya.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}