Sobered by the slaughter of innocent people at a Walmart in El Paso that morning, we welcomed Pastora Rose Mary Sánchez-Guzmán, her husband Fernando, and Alexa, her youngest child at a potluck this past Saturday where we learned about her work among migrants at Iglesias Luterano Christo del Rey (Christ the King Lutheran Church).

When she set about establishing a mission congregation 22 years ago, in El Paso, Texas, Pastora Rose Mary asked herself the question, "What am I called to do at this time, in this place?" The answer came to her as she began to minister to the needs of people who came to her mission start; they were mostly poor, many undocumented. "Lutherans don't usually ask the question, 'What would Jesus do?' she laughed, but that indeed guided her response. 

When the migration crisis at the border brought an urgent request for help, her church stepped up, feeding and sheltering migrants who are in transit from holding centers. She and her church now conduct border immersion trips for college students, church members, youth groups, and others from throughout the US to provide insight and understanding of the complex issues that surround the volatile issue of immigration. Pastor Bourret and Rolf Larson were part of a New England Lutheran group that visited this past May.

Our hope is to establish an ongoing relationship between Christo del Rey and Christ Lutheran Church. Meeting the pastor and part of her family is a first step.

My community welcomes asylum seekers and immigrants, and I urge you to do the same."

              

 

RSVP for the Financial Wellness Workshop on Monday, August 19, 7:00-9:00 pm. It's free-and invaluable-and there will be pizza-and prizes! But we do need a head count! (You should have received an evite. Speak with Pr. Bourret or Pamela Bathen-White if yours has gone missing.)

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