Vanessa Hayes, a geneticist at the Garvan Institute for Medical Research in Sydney, points out in an article published in the journal "Nature" that human beings with their anatomical characteristics as we know them today, had their origins roughly 200,000 years ago by the south of the Zambezi River in Africa. If that's real, as science suggests, how can we explain that we are present and scattered throughout the globe? The answer is migration. According to different theories, our ancestors began to migrate looking for resources 150,000 years ago towards what we now know as the Middle East. Then, they advanced to all of Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas.

Migration is in our DNA, we only have to think about how many times we have changed house, city, or state (and even country) to realize that migrating is part of our human nature, as a response to our need to look for a better future. But what about those whose migration is not part of a plan? With those who must leave their place of origin to safeguard their lives. Those who migrate just with the clothes they are wearing sometimes leave behind belongings and even those they love? Those who flee for political, religious, or sexual orientation reasons? Those who migrate within their country or even cross continents seeking to reach a country that promises to be that land where Milk and Honey flow?

Human beings are specialists in generating categories to talk about these realities; we speak of forced displacement, internal displacement, displacement abroad, border crossing, migratory caravans, migratory exodus, refugees, internal migration, asylees, dreamers, undocumented, deported, etc. However, and here is the central point of my reflection, in the middle of these categories. Because we recognize migration as something typical of the human species, we lose sight of a profound reality: behind those categories, behind that human reality, there are real human beings, people of flesh and blood who live and suffer because of the migratory fact.

Once, I had the opportunity to speak with someone precisely about the issue of the faces of migration, the people who suffer when migrating. That person told me something like this: I don't understand why it is so difficult for people to migrate. They should be grateful for having the opportunity to go to a new context, they are fleeing a problem, and I love to travel. After hearing it, I told him: I have also traveled a lot; I lived for four months on an island in the Colombian Caribbean (at that time, I had not yet come to serve here in the US); But it is different migrate for work, study, or because you want a new context, or because the money you receive from your pension will reach you more in another place, or because your doctor asked you to migrate to an area with a more favorable climate, that you have to do it to continue living because you can starve, or they can kill you because you are or think differently, or simply because there is a war in your country.

This person, with whom she spoke, continued to tell me: yes, but for that suffering in their place of origin, they should be grateful for the horizon that awaits them. Then, with resignation, I said to him: I don't understand why you think they should be grateful; they left behind what they knew, family, friends, food, language. They frequently go to places where they are looked at poorly because they look different, eat differently, speak a foreign language, or have a particular accent. And if that were not enough, the regulations of our countries are an obstacle, because in many places they cannot travel without permits. So, when they arrive at a location, whatever it is, they must go through legal procedures after which they may not be sheltered but perhaps deported to their place of origin, reliving the same drama from which they are fleeing.

This person told me that he did not know anything about it, that he imagined that everything was as easy as it happened to us when we moved to another city or asked for a scholarship to study. I finally told him no, that we are privileged in many ways because there are others who suffer and are victims who re-victimize themselves because of the response we give to migration.

I don't know if that person was Christian or not, this conversation happened at the University. But, still, if I had my partner in front of me today, I would say to him: do you know what the most challenging thing about this issue is for those of us who call ourselves Christians? That we are called to see the face of Jesus in those who migrate, those who venture to leave their land simply seeking to continue living, and who along the way are the victims of scorn, pointing out, and who are even returned to their country of origin.


Padre Nelson Serrano-Poveda is the Latino Missioner for EDSJ and is a member of SJRAISE.



November 20, 10am on ZOOM

Conversation with photojournalist Sean Hawkey on migration as a result of climate change, violence and a desire for a better life.

Sponsored by: SJRAISE, Creation Care Commission and the
Anti-Racism Commission
RSVP to Canon Anna (canonanna@diosanjoaquin.org) to receive the ZOOM link
Calls to Action, Training and Resources
Donations needed for International Rescue Committee

How you can help
 
As we prepare to serve a larger number of refugees, asylees and other special immigrants in the Central Valley, there are many ways that you can provide support:
 
  • Donate Household Items: As new families and individuals arrive, they will need household furnishings such as furniture (particularly couches and dining sets that are in good condition), new bath and bedding items, and kitchen supplies. A list of our general donations needs is attached. Feel free to respond to this email or contact us by phone at 209-272-0751 if you wish to donate any of these items.
 
  • Provide Gift Cards: We have a huge need right now for gift cards from Target or Walmart. These donations are incredibly empowering because they give people the power to choose what clothing and household items they want to buy, a luxury that was not available to them while living in refugee camps. Gift cards from Target or Walmart can be sent to the following address:

International Rescue Committee
3446 N. Golden State Blvd., Ste. A
Turlock, CA 95382
Attn: Jonathan Partridge
You can also purchase Visa gift cards through Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/IZ54FT2R92TL/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2?_encoding=UTF8&type=wishlist
 
  • Volunteer: As more people arrive, we will need volunteers to help with virtual English language classes, job placement, and donation transportation. We will also likely need help transporting individuals and families to appointments once it becomes safe to do so. In addition, we will be looking for small groups who are interested in furnishing homes. More information on volunteer and internship opportunities can be found at the following link: https://www.rescue.org/volunteer-opportunities/turlock-ca
 



Wrapped in Love

If you are a quilter and would like to contribute to the Wrapped in Love project, or if you would like to provide financial assistance for mailing and supplies, please contact Pastor Julie at: pastorjuliekelly@gmail.com.

To view the video of the blessing of the blankets and hear from Pastor Julie and quilter, Jean Wright, click here
Check out Episcopal Migration Ministries new podcast:
Repairing the Breach: Building the Beloved Community Through Welcome
You can listen here!

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The Immigration Services Directory, which provides a list of nonprofit community organizations that offer a broad range of immigration-related services in the Central Valley can be found here

Prayers of the People for use in Ordinary Time

SJRAISE Petitions for Prayers of the People:
Pentecost 2021

All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1)
Lord God, grant the world to know that in you there are no longer strangers nor aliens. In the power of your Sprit reveal all your people as members of your household, and may our lives show forth the welcome and inclusion which is your will.
 
25th Sunday after Pentecost (Nov. 14)
Lord God, may your kingdom come bringing with it the righteousness that is your promise. Uncover the deceptions that keep our sisters and brothers estranged and in fear. Be with those awaiting trials and all who are detained. Through our efforts for them may they know your comfort.
 
Last Sunday after Pentecost: Christ the King (Nov. 21)
Lord God, shed abroad among nations and leaders the abiding truth and love you have revealed in Jesus. Make known the sovereign justice that transcends borders and governments, and protect in your gentleness the victims of injustice and the casualties of our own complacency. 


written by Rev. Luis Rodriguez, St Paul's Bakersfield

Prayer in a time of pandemic​
Loving God, throughout the Scriptures you call us to “Fear not!”, but these are troubling times for the hardiest souls. Give us courage to face the challenges of this new threat to your human family. Give us prudence, to do the necessary things to protect ourselves and others. Give us the clarity of vision to learn from this disease the lesson we are too prone to forget, that we are all connected, regardless of race or nationality or political persuasion. We pray for those who are struggling with this disease, that their health may be restored. We pray for medical personnel and first responders caring for those in need, that they remain healthy and unflagging in their life-saving work. And we pray for all those economically impacted, that they may find the resources to maintain themselves and their families.  We ask all this, trusting in your abiding love, a love that even death cannot defeat. Amen.

Written by Deacon Tom Hampson, St John's Lodi
 


Special Prayers for Immigrants During COVID-19

Oh Lord; in this time of Covid-19 as we take shelter in our homes, we ask you to spread your love and healing over our brothers and sisters held in overcrowded detention centers and refugee camps. 
We ask Lord that you may soften the hearts of those in authority, that them may care for our sisters and brothers in this time of crises.

We ask this in Jesus’s name. Amen

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Undocumented Migration Project
https://www.undocumentedmigrationproject.org

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https://www.rescue.org/

HOPE CAN'T BE QUARANTINED
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) has developed a toolkit for supporting immigrants currently in detention.

Council on American-Islamic Relations