Good News From the Border

Building Relationships and Understanding Across Borders

Family Portrait: 2015 Board, Staff, and Family Retreat

August 31, 2015

31 de agosto, 2015

A Message From The Board of Directors

We are excited to welcome Rosendo Sichler Rubio and his family, Bere, his wife, and Nicolas y Alexander, to the Frontera de Cristo. Rosendo arrived a little over a month ago to begin his service as FDC's "Pastor de la Calle" (Street Pastor). The streets, parks, schools, and drug rehabs will be his parish and the Café Justo y Mas coffee shop his "study/office".

Please pray with us that God will use the ministry of Rosendo to help FDC, CRREDA, and Café Justo to have a transformative impact in the community as we provide alternatives to the drug culture that is recruiting younger and younger youth to not only consume but to participate in the trafficking of drugs.

We are grateful for your partnership in our ministry and continue to need your prayers, encouragement and support! Please consider supporting your ministry here on the border with a one time or recurring gift and/or in anyway that God may lead you to participate ( Top Ten List: ways to support your b-national ministry )!

On behalf of your ministry on the border,

Jeni O'Callaghan Ramon Garcia Jeff Krongaard Carmina Sanchez

President Vice President Treasurer Secretary

Walk To Emmaus or Journey to Ninevah?

reflections of Rosendo Sichler Rubio, FDC "Pastor de la Calle"

When God began to walk with me, he first taught me to be a reflection of himself, his life and ministry. Then God began to confirm his work in me--he does this every day for me-- this is why I am here in Agua Prieta, with Frontera de Cristo, in this community. . .Now I have been challenged again to become Frontera de Cristo's Street Pastor -- What is a street pastor? How is that possible, I asked myself? . . .God has prepared me for my next challenge. In this beautiful setting, he has sent me to preach like Jonah to Nineveh. I look forward to this challenge to this open community to work because this city is in need to help with the struggle against drugs and working with the youth in the community that are immersed in them.

Click here to read more of Rosendo's reflection.

University of Arizona of Public Health Border Service Learning Institute

Reflections By Drs. Cecilia Rosales, Jill De Zapien and Luis Valdez

Delegation at International Boundary Marker 84 overlooking the Sulpher Springs Valley east of Douglas/Agua Prieta

The Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona conducted their BORDER HEALTH SERVICE LEARNING INSTITUTE during the second week of August in the Douglas/Agua Prieta region. The institute is a weeklong intensive border immersion experience which focuses on connecting the dots between migration, health, and economic development. Participants in the institute include master and doctoral students, faculty and community partners.

Our collaboration with Frontera de Cristo was critical to helping our students and faculty understand the historical roots that have resulted in the interconnections of migration, health, and economic development. As students and faculty traveled the length of the border wall in the Douglas/Agua Prieta area they could visualize the history of the region and the strong connections of community that continue to persist in spite of policies and actions which have attempted to separate the region into two distinct areas. Our discussions with the Border Patrol both formally and informally provided the context for deeper discussions of human rights issues and our visits to CRREDA and Café Justo provided a strong picture of the web of non-governmental organizations that are part of the overall community assets strongly supported by Frontera Cristo. Here are a couple of quotes from the students:

"As I reflect on the many meaningful experiences that I participated in during the week, I keep returning to Frontera de Cristo as being the most memorable. Having the opportunity to visit the border fence and learn about the history of the border from Mark [Adams] was incredible. Prior to this experience, I had just read about the border fence from afar. Physically seeing the border fence made me realize how wrong I was about issues relating to the border. Unfortunately, my viewpoint prior to this class was that the fence worked to keep me safe from people who wanted to harm me. I attribute this belief from watching the news and reading popular media on the topic. After visiting the cities on both sides of the fence and talking to individuals, I realized that regardless of which side of the fence we are on, we are all humans." --Raj Travis Lodhia

"Perhaps the key is to stop blaming one side or the other, realize that our problems are intertwined, deeply connected and dependent on each other for survival and start showing the "other" that there is strength in collaboration and we have the common goals of survival and a meaningful fulfilled life." -- Kate Chisholm

To read the full article and quotes from the participants click here. Also to view pictures of the event please click here.

María Hernández Espinoza Y Niño

On August 25th at our weekly Healing Our Borders Prayer Maria's cross was one of the ones we passed around for special remembrance. Several years ago, a woman and a man stopped and asked us if they could take Maria's cross. They were Maria's cousins and said that they wanted to take it to Maria's mother because she thought no one remembered or cared that her daughter had died. They also told us that Maria was pregnant. Both Brenda and Linda were profoundly impacted by holding Maria's cross on Tuesday. Brenda's reflections are below.

Brenda Cuellar, US Coordinator of the Migrant Resource Center, and Linda Knox, co-founder of Shalom House

I was a sophomore in college when my best friend Daisy had just returned from a weeklong delegation with Frontera de Cristo. We spent hours talking about her moving experience in her dorm room. She spoke of the immigration crisis and how people of faith have chosen to respond. She mentioned how moving this experience was for her and her identity as a Latina. What I remember most from that conversation four years ago, was the mention of a cross with the name Maria Hernandez written on it.

Daisy and her group from Hope College participated in the prayer vigil. They held up every single cross and shouted "PRESENTE" honoring the lives of each person who died crossing the border. Daisy's mom's name is Maria Hernandez. having also crossed through Sonora, this made the tragedy of migrant's deaths closer to home. That could have been her mom. That could have also been my mom or dad who also crossed the border.

As the coordinator of the Migrant Resource Center, I continue to hear a plethora of stories that deal with violence, hunger, a lack of jobs, family separation, and a hope for new life. People continue to risk their lives on a daily basis in this perilous desert in orderto be reunited with their family, provide for their family, or escape the violence of their place of origin. And some of these men, women and children who died crossing are remembered every single week at the 5:15 pm prayer vigil in Douglas. They are not remembered as criminals or drug traffickers as they are falsely stereotyped to be, rather they are remembered as mothers and fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, daughters, sons-- human beings made in the image of God each carrying a burden and a story.

Click here to read the rest of Brenda's reflections.

Please join us in body and/or spirit each Tuesday at 5:15 pm as we remember those who have died crossing the deserts of the borderlands, pray for their families and for our governments on both sides of the border that we may find a better way and end deaths in the desert.

If you are interested in participating in the Tucson Taste of Chiapas or organizing a Taste of Chiapas in your community, contact Mark Adams.

"Hi friend, I have been waiting for you"

Gabriel is a seventeen year old who grew up in the state of Michoacán. Gabriel is an artist. He is intelligent, brave, and focused. When Gabriel was a child, his dad (who was involved in the drug cartel) was killed. He does not remember meeting his mom who abandoned him and his six siblings. Gabriel has always had to fend for himself.

Gabriel lieks to draw and write poems, below is a poem he wrote while at the MRC.

Hi friend, I have been waiting for you.

I am glad you are doing well.

I want you to know that there is someone

who paid a big price so that you and I could be here today

JESUS

He paid a price of tears

He paid a price of pain

He paid a price of blood

Even death

And He did it for you and for me

So that you could have life

And life in abundance

And he did it for love

"He paid our debt"

And we are free from all condemnation

If you are thankful I invite you to repeat with all of your heart:

Jesus, I thank you for putting your life in place of mine

I thank you for having paid the price of my sins

I accept you in my heart and in my life and my families

And I ask you help me follow the correct path

The path that you have for me. Amen.

"I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

To read more about Gabriel and his time at the Migrant Resource Center click here.

A Little Piece of Heaven

Reflections of Sister Lorena Ocampo, A Leader of Iglesia Presbiteriana Lirio de los Valles

"I am dying" my husband said. "And you know what? I want to do it! I am not afraid."

I did not know what to do or to say. How can one let go of the person you love? But the words of Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want ......" were my strength.

Death and life, despair and faith, are part of our daily walk in life. Children immersed in the use of drugs are increasing; young girls involved in crime or victims of it are also increasing.

"We walk in the valley of shadow and death" every day. And I think ... how I can help others to see the good shepherd with his rod and quiet infusing breath?

For some time, we at the Lily of the Valley Church, have been working hand in hand with Frontera de Cristo, shaping different ideas to help our community to feel the hope of the kingdom and to find in the valley of shadow and death a bit of heaven.

Click to see images from Lirio de los Valles VBS .