Border Ministries News 1.31.2020

January 31, 2020

Border Ministries Update

Updates:

-Refugees in Odessa, TX

-Update from Pan de Vida, Migrant Shelter

-One Year of Remain in Mexico: Update Webinar

-HOPE Border Institute Weekly Frontera Dispatch

Refugees in Odessa, TX

Above: Pictures of some of the African Refugees.

In the first picture, the man on the far left is Edward, the pastor of the group.

Below: pictures of the houses that were transformed for the families to live in them

Photos courtesy of Marsha Melton.

African Refugees from Malawi have resettled in Odessa, TX, and found their way to First United Methodist Church in Odessa.

Almost one year ago, a group of around 40 refugees went to FUMC Odessa. They asked for space to hold their own worship services in their first language, Swahili. The church granted this request and more than welcoming the refugees into their space, they welcomed them into their hearts.

As the cost of housing and living have risen in Odessa and the whole Permian Basin due to the oil boom, a housing shortage has developed.

When the news of needing housing for some of the refugees was shared in church one Sunday, members began to respond. Two houses were donated the very next day.

Over the following months, the church, along with some funding from the District Board of Missions, has paid for the renovation of these houses (pictures below), and provided furniture, appliances, food, and clothing.

Church members, including Marsha Melton, have assisted the refugees in finding English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, in filling out forms for Texas Health Services, and in applying for jobs.

Marsha shares, "I am pleased to say that the refugees are doing well. Most have jobs and a place to live.

It has given us all an opportunity to learn about their culture. They have been a blessing to our church."

As part of this relationship, FUMC Odessa has also supported building a church in Malawi and discussed the possibility of taking a mission trip there.

If you'd like to learn more about the work with African Refugees in Odessa, please contact Marsha Melton at godsanimalkeeper@aol.com.

Photo of church being built in Malawi.

Refugees vs. Asylum Seekers

The main difference between refugees and asylum seekers is location.

Refugees go through their legal process outside of the US (usually in a refugee camp) and then are resettled (in the US and other countries) after their cases are won.

Asylum Seekers are already in the country where they are pursuing their legal case for asylum.

Both are legal pathways to legal status in the US and both can become Legal Permanent Residents (green card holders) and citizens after a certain period of time.

Pan de Vida Update

El Calvario has continued to develop relationships with the Pan de Vida Migrant Shelter in Juárez. Volunteers from El Calvario take weekly provisions to the shelter and now have reported a need for cooking supplies (pots and pans) and some furniture.

Financial donations to support this ministry can be sent to El Calvario UMC, 300 N Campo St, Las Cruces, NM 88001 with "Juarez Shelter"in the memo line or given electronically through facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elcalvarioumc/

For more information, please contact Triny Rivera, 575-650-2938 or trinyrivera@yahoo.com.

One Year of Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP)

January 29, 2020 marked one year that MPP, also known as Remain in Mexico, has been in place nationally. As the above graphic shows, 5% of those placed in MPP had legal representation. HOPE Border Institute reported in their Border Observatory Report Webinar this week that legal representation was at about 3% for the almost 20,000 migrants returned to Juárez. About 25% of these migrants in Juárez are children.

You can watch the full recorded webinar here: (approx 30 min)

HOPE Border Recorded Webinar

And the full Border Observatory report is available for download on their website:

https://www.hopeborder.org/2020-situation-report-remain-in-mex

HOPE Border Institute is a local non-profit organization that does policy research, advocacy, and leadership development around Immigration and Catholic Social Teaching in El Paso, Juarez, and Las Cruces.

Frontera Dispatch

For more up to date information from the Border, check out the Frontera Dispatch, a new weekly update from HOPE Border Institute.

Read this week's newsletter here:

Jan 23, 2020 Frontera Dispatch

and subscribe for future updates!

Border Ministries is an emerging conference wide ministry

to love our neighbors by both supporting

immigration ministries at the border and immigrant communities throughout the New Mexico Annual Conference.

For more information, please contact Rev. Nicole Crouch, Director of Border and Missional Ministries,

at deacon.ncrouch@gmail.com or 571-512-2641.