Contento...

I have had a great second week here. Things are coming together quickly and I am filling my free time with things that I truly enjoy.

Mexico/United States of America

I took a bike ride nice and early in the morning along the border fence. Its just a fence. Really. However to the dozens of men and women that eat in the comedor everyday, it is a lot more. As a group we had to cross the to US side to attend a meeting. The line to cross was an hour and a half long. We were complaining and complaining and then we saw one of the guests at the comedor washing windows of cars waiting to cross. I laughed at myself. I can cross whenever I want with only short wait, while these men and women, no matter how long they wait, cannot.

United States of America/Mexico

Overlooking downtown Nogales, Mexixo and Arizona

I finally bought a bike too. Last Saturday I jumped on the bus enroute to what I thought was a market. Turned out I was heading to teh middle of nowhere. A really nice man guided me to the market that I was looking for. I bought this beatuy, a helmet, lock, and even got the bike serviced for under $50. I have had a blast with it.

On the weekends groups from both Mexico and the states bring the food to the comedor. Certain groups bring the food on certain days of the month. There are dozens of groups on both sides of the border. It is neat seeing so much action and nice seeing so many people getting involved and interested in the plight of migrants.

This past week I have been collecting stories written by the migratns that have passed through the comedor. From my experience with the Oxford Street Inn writing group, I have seen how powerful sharing and writing can be. I have asked dozens of the men and women of the comedor to write their stories, experiences, histories, dreams, whatever really. I am making a weekly newsletter to be distriubted each week at the comedor. I have had a bunch of help editing the stories with my fellow volutneers who speak a whole lot more spanish than I do. Take a look at the first edition of Una Parrada En El Camino (A Stop In The Road)

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/52678741/UPC-8-31

(Sorry if you can´t read spanish...)

This is Manuel and Christian. They arrived at the comedor one week ago. They lived in Pheonix for six months before they were found by the migra. They are originally from Veracruz and they have become known as The Brother From Veracruz in the comedor. Manuel arrived with a seperated knee that he got while running from the migra in Arizona. They have attempted to cross two more times in the past week unsuccesfully. They are as much a part of the comedor as the tables now. They have helped with various things around the comedor from serving meals to helping with the weekly mass. Rigth now they are sitting tight in Nogales until they can figure out what to do. I hope they kick it here for a while longer. Christian was the first contributor to Una Parrada En El Camino and is incredibly intelligent. He dreams to study Human Rights in university despite his near impossible situation. But I think if anyone can do it, he can.


This bumpersticker was in the tourist office here in Nogales, Mexico. There were stacks and stacks of em. The lady at the office was really sweet and let me take a bunch of maps... I'l have to return for more of these bumper stickers.

Numbers at English class are still low (2 people!) but I will keep holding em until I am talking to myself! Take care all and I will update soon!

Nogales...

I have taken every chance I have gotten to learn more about the services here in Nogales and about the men and women that utilize them everyday. While my responsibilites are primarily towards the comodor, I have plenty of time to do what I want to do. However the big news at the comodor is the thieves! Each night for the past week he have been robbed of food, buckets, and brushes. Last night they managed to take 50 kilos of potatoes and a whole fridge worth of eggs. I am almost impressed...

I have been spending my afternoons with No Mas Muertes. I group that provides phone calls, basic medicine, and money transfers for dozens of migrants that pass through Nogales everyday.
I have found that the services here in Nogales do not cooperate all that well. I have been told on a number of occasions that "la carpa" or the tarp, the area next to the border and where no mas muertes is located, is not safe and not all that helpful for migrants. I have found quite the opposite. Many migrants have told me that NMD is the best service for migrants here in Nogales... I believe it. "La carpa" is also the only place that migrants can stay for longer than 3 days.


I also have spent a bit of time at La Roca, and shelter that overlooks the border fence and houses 10, 15, 20, 35 migrants each night. While the migrants can only stay for two nights, it is a nice place. There is a mass each evening and often the migrants cook together and then share the food. The commrodery and simple style reminded me of the Ox.





Many migrants who are holed up in Nogales do a whole lot to not only stay busy, but to support themselves. They make crafts, sell vegetables, and wash cars. I have watched and have attempted to learn the process of making these neat pens that mnay of the migrants sell in the center. Its impossible...




Nesto, a good friend of mine and my first student in English classes here in Nogales...

Thanks to the idea of my mom, I have started holding English classes. I had my first class this evening. Two students, one of which is a nun that works at the comodor, and the other is Nesto. Nesto is a real neat guy who tried to teach my how to make the pens. He was also born in Irapuato. So we have had a lot to talk about. Anyway, we are having classes for 25 minutes after each meal. I think, and hope, that we will have a bunch of takers. Vamos a ver...


This is Jesus. He is an incredible individual. He arrived in Nogales roughly the same time I did. He lived in the states for 40 years. 40 of them. He ran his own construction company in Los Angeles. He has two daughters. One is a teacher at a community college in California and the other is in Iraq serving for the US military. He is, like many deported migrants here in Nogales, stuck here. He has no where to go in Mexico because all his family is in the states and he cannot go back to the states unless he wanted to cross illegally (he thinks he is to old to make the trip... I think he can make it). However his outlook is still incredible. He helps clean dishes after each and every meal and expects nothing in return. There are many people with the same situation as Jesus, but few who have the same outlook as him. I am blessed to have been able to share time and conversation with him.

Take care all and I will update more soon.

Kino Border Initiative

After one week here in Nogales I feel like I have more questions than answers. Which is a good thing. I am slowly learnnig about the services and situation here in Nogales. Further I am taking every opportunity possible to learn more about the individuals that have been left here on the border.



I have found the stories of each man and woman I have talked to very interesting and quite different. Stories of men who have worked in the United States for forty years and are deported beacuse of a parking ticket, or the high school student who crossed the border at the age of two and was deported with better English than Spanish. Or the brothers from Veracruz who have been stuck in Nogales because they cannot afford a ticket back home.


The line in front of KBI right before breakfast

There are several services here in Nogales for deported migrants. The popular group No More Deaths and the government group Grupo BETA. Further there are several private groups here in Nogales that run kitchens or shelters. Unfortunatly shelters are only available for 5 days and food for 15. I can't help but think that the services here in Nogales are only a band-aid. But I have a lot more to learn...


Before each breakfast one of the fathers says a prayer and gives much encouragement to the migrants.

However, the work of KBI is quite important. As a deported migrant, the men and women are quite vulnerable. Human traffiking, exploitation, and theft is prevelent amongst deported migrants. At KBI, only deported migrants are welcomed to the meal. This ensures that for one hour, the migrants will get a hearty meal in a safe environment.


Beans, eggs, a torta, and endless tortillas. The men and women certainly deserve it.


When available sandwiches are passed out as well as they exit. Reminded me of the Sam Center. Hope that sandiwch making at Le Moyne will be off to a good start!


When it rains it pours in Nogales...



I have not had a bad experience here, other than getting caught out in the rain for a few hours today. Builds character right? Despite the news that I had heard about the border concerning the safety, I have left extremely safe. Further, I have not found an individual, migrant or nonmigrant who is not eager to talk. Today I met a fella selling tacos on the street from Honduras who came to Nogales 27 years ago. We talked about Nogales, his family, my family... everything. Middle of conversation he threw two huge tacos into my hands (of course with beef or chicken or something), but I could not possibly turn them down. It is conversations with Jorge from Honduras that is what life is about.

Thank you all and I will write soon!

Bien-locme a Nogales

After a long but beautiful 28 hour bus ride from Irapuato, I arrived in Nogales. It is very interesting here. There is such a blend of Mexican and American culture that there is no other name for it than border culture.

The Fence on the Sonora side.

I dont have much to report. I am all settled in with three other volunteers. Two are Jesuit Volunteers from Mexico and the other is a grad-student from Oregon. Great people and we are going to get along great. The Mexicans speak English to practice and the grad-student and I speak Spanish.

Our apartment and the three other volutneers

I have had two good days serving here. There is a meal at 9am and then at 4pm. I am asking a lot of questions and doing as much as I can to learn about the situation here which is truly interesting. The services provided by the Kino Border Initiative range from food distribution to clothing and medical aid, as well as a shelter for women and children migrants.

On a bridge in Sonora overlooking the border crossing to the US

Tomorrow I am going to spend some time with the group No More Deaths. They were the first group to begin leaving water in the desert for migrants making the trip to the states. I wont be heading out to the desert but they serve the migrant population here in Nogales as well.

Adolfo, a fellow volunteer.

Sorry I dont have much. I will put a whole lot more pictures up asap. Take care and thank you for reading. O, my spanish is getting a lot of practice, which I am pretty excited about. Ok, take care!

-Andrew

adiós Irapuato...

From PLAMAC


From Valencianita


Mí familia enfrente del restaurante de Silivia y Antionio
(Carlos el hijos de Silvia, Silvia, Antonio, yo, Guillermina, Fransicso)


Mí amigo Alexi enfrente de lechuga

Progress in the garden! Alexi and I finished inside two weeks ago. We have been working outside of the green house preparing a field for the womens group to start planting. The day before yesterday, my final day with Alexi, we finished the work outside. I am going to keep in touch with this fine young man through email thanks to his aunt who is a student in Irapuato.

Mí clase en Val. We had a nice big party and played Bingo our final day.

They insisted I take a bite of the cake without my hands. As I went in one wise guy, Pepe (the fella next to me in the picture above) pushed my face right into the cake. I am going to miss that community a whole lot.

I made English books for the students. That was a miserable four hours of cutting, stapling, folding, coloring... At least the students enjoyed them and hopefully will use them a bit. I put in all the vocab and verb rules that we learned.

I have been spending two or so hours a day for the past two weeks helping out and learning in this bike shop. At Alcance Victoria, the homeless shelter, there really was not much for me to do. It was great getting to know the guys, but I felt utterly useless standing there and sweeping up wood when possible. They understood though and I am happy I got to say goodbye to the fellas at the shelter too. However, I know a little bit (I thought) about the bici.

Don Raphael and his wife have had this bike shop for 40 years. Same place, same times, same everything. While Rapha works on the bikes, his wife Michela sells snacks and watches her novelas and jokes with the customers or one of hundreds of family members constatly stoping by the shop. I was there during one of their grandsons birthdays (they have a BUNCH of grandchildren and four great grandchildren). I was pulled into thier house, fed, and met a large majority of the family. Incredible family. Incredible. Further Rapha is the nicest most patient person I have ever met. Period. Not only did he put up with my spanish, he watched and aided as I struggled my way through changing tires, spokes, and gears. I will not ever forget these two incredible people.

One day while it was slow, Michela showed me the pictures from their 50th wedding annivesary. They had a mass and then a party. Very very pretty.

AND I am able to keep in touch with the family. This is Alverado. He is their grandson. He just graduted high school and is awiting his results from exams. He is going to study Medicine. We chatted a whole lot and exchaged emails and facebooks. My final day there he gave me a necklace he made out of avacado shell with my name carved into the shell. I was floored. Amazing family...

In Guadalupe I was invited to a mass at the 7 in the morning. I left well before the sun came up. Thankfully I was the only bike on the road, no cars either. It was a beautiful mass. Congregations from around Guadalupe came as well. After mass there was food for all. Bike, faith, food... good way to start the day!

I was given two t-shirts by my students in Val, a baseball signed by Alexi, and the necklace from Alverado, AND hundreds of experiences. I am so blessed to be able to leave Irapuato with, I would say no regrets (except that my spanish is still sup par!)

¡Adiós familia... you will be missed!

La Ultima Semana...

Well it is my ultima week here in Irapuato. I spent much of the weekend running around getting stff done to prepare to leave. I am doing my best to take advantage of each and every opportunity this week.

I have been doing my best to chat with as many migrants as possible. I am very interested in their stories about their trips, their lives back home, and their hopes for the future. These past couple day I have been blessed to have the chance to speak with a number of fellas.

I´m sure that they would not mind, but I did not want to take pictures of them directly. Instead I took pictures of their things. This backpack has been with this man since Chiapas when he departed one month before. He and un amigo he met along the way (his bag below) have been walking most the way. At this rate it should take them another two months to hit the states... I passed along a map of Mexico along with a list of English words and phrases that might come in handy for them.

The first question they asked me when I approached these two fellas this morning was "¿tu comiste?" (Have you eaten?) I was handed a quesadilla and a jug of pineapple juice before I could even answer. Another group I talked to offered me cigarettes and a shot of tequilla. It is incredible how despite their situation, the migrants I have met are some of the most hospitable and genuine humans I have ever experienced.

Alex, mi mejor amigo and helper in the garden. This kid is awesome. I am going to keep in touch with him through email. He does not come to the English class in Val because the walk is a good twenty minutes however I have been giving him the lessons and he already we are usig words in English while we work.


In Guadalupe all of the adults of the town came together to discuss a water problem. There are families that are not paying the water bill (because they cannot afford it. It is less than $2 a week...) Anyway they are working out solutions. The women were a very active part of the conversation as well.

The daily bus to Val. There are four drivers and they are all super friendly and eager to talk.

Pretty. During my bike ride home from Gudalupe.

Irapuato is the Strawberry City. Along the side of the road there are hundreds of vendors selling Fresas con Crema and all sorts of other strawberry related items. But this store went above and beyond. Wall to wall strawberry jams from regular to strawberry chili. Neat and real tasty.

Sorry. I am saving my pictures through this blog and I really really like this bike.

Ok, I will try and get one more post in from Irapuato. Take care all and thank you for reading!

Una Panaderia Grandisima y ¡La Ferria!

PLAMAC has for years supported womens groups here in Irapuato. One group has taking the support and advice of PLAMAC and has truly used it to their advantage. The bakery owned by Ann and her husband was founded beacuse of support from PLAMAC.

White bread is very popular here in Irapuato and all of Mexico. However whole wheat bread is not only healthier, but far fewer vendors sell it. after visiting other panaderias initiated by PLAMAC, Ann and her husband decided to start a bakery with only whole wheat bread in central Irapuato. While it started out slow, people got used to the new, healthy brea. Thier bakery has been doing well ever since. The success has caused Ann´s husband to make the decision to stay in Mexico with his family instead of making the long, dangerous trip to the states.

I visited the bakery bright and early one morning to see the process. I was met with a huge glass of boiling milk and more cookies and muffins than I knew what to do with...

Ann and her oven.

This year was the 11th annual Feria celebration in Dolores Hidalgo. Each year hundreds of vendors from around the country come together to seell their goods. There are dozens of fascinating prganizations promoting womens rights, fair trade, organic farming, ecoliving... very neat stuff. Above all it is a chance for thousands of like minded people to come together to talk, sell, sing, dance, EAT (I had nine apples in one day), and experience eachother. It was a great weekend.

My kind of bbq. Nopales.


Opening ceremony or something... There was always something going on...

The band that opened the festival was from Irapuato. We drove em to La Ferria... no big deal!

This is Alejandro and his mother. I met them at CEDESA last week. Alejandro spent several years in the US and we clicked right away. I spent most of the second day at La Ferria with them selling apples and handing out samples of Manzana con Chile. They love their chile here. Alejandro is an amazing man. He has a daughter in the US and is eager to go back and see her. I am blessed to have met this family and I know that we will be staying in touch.

Alejandro bought a poster for his mom. This fella making them was incredible...

La iglesia de Dolores Hidalgo

Mí amigo Sebastion y sus primeras phrases en íngles. His father spent three months in the US and is eager to learn english however he cannot attend the class with his son because he works late every night. So, Sebastion spends his evenings teaching his father what he learned in class. Frank Laubach, the amazing man who founded Laubach Literacy and ultimatley ProLiteracy used the phrase "Each one can teach one." Even Sebastion, a 14 year old can teach an adult. It helps that the kid is super bright!

Un nino de Gudalupe Paso Blanco

I had some bike trouble about 5 miles from the house. Within three minutes this family swung by and picked me up with their pickup truck. The fella up front spent some time in the states and he spent the whole ride sitting on the window sill chatting with me while I rode in the back. Peaople here are incredible. Of course they would not take a cent.


Los gatos de la familia nos qudamos

Thanks for reading and looking everyone. Sorry to drag it out! Take care!