Accompaniment

As a volunteer here at KBI, I have realized that simply being present is a gift greater than food or a pair of tennis shoes.

Loura and Tommas arrived to Nogales after a nightmare of a trip through the desert. After spending half a week walking through the desert with only one other women (their coyote abandonded them) they were picked up by border patrol. However Loura and Tommas were carrying with them the money to pay the coyote to take them to Chicago where Loura has family. The border patrol took that money, all $6,000 of it, and Loura nor Tommas have seen it since. I have spent a couple afternoons treking to immigration with them to try and find someone who would help. Eventually we managed to reach the Tucson Border Patrol offiice and they are "working on the case." (Whatever that really means) Anyway, Loura and Tommas are staying with KBI in our shelter for women. I have been blessed to spend so much time with them. They asked me to take and print pictures so they could show their friends back home in Guerro their gringo friend and so that I could show my family my two little grandmas (their words!) I truly hope things work out for them. UPDATE: The money has been found! It should be here in Nogales by the end of the week. Thanks to the hard work of No More Deaths, they were able to track down and hound border patrol in Tucson.

Reyes arrived from Matazlan and passed a week in Nogales trying to connect with his family to send him money so he could take the bus back home. He too tried to cross close to Nogales however with no luck. I had the pleasure to spend a lot of time with him. He, like many of the other migrants I have gotten to know, ran out of days in the government sponsered shelter and needed a place to stay for a few nights. I have been taking 5, 10, 15 men each night to another shelter. It is a nice 20 minute walk and it is an incredible chance to get to know some of these men and let them know that there are many people, grinogs included, who really care for them. Anyway, Reyes makes those boats inside of bottles. He tried to explain to me the process but I was utterly losed in translation. Anyway, Ma and Dad, I gave him your address and if you get a ship in a bottle from Mexico, you can thank this fella. Reyes was unable to get money for a bus back home so he left in the train. It is about a 5 day trip to Matazatlan in train from Nogales. He should, ojala, be getting in tomorrow...

A walk to the Roca, the other shelter, with Reyes, Tommas, Loura, and two other fellas...

This is Maria and Luiz. I know very little about them. They were in the comedor a week and a half ago with the intention to cross. However they were caught and sent back. They are sister and brother and both are deaf and mute. They communicate through sign language and with others through hand gestures. Incredible. The life of a migrant is hard enough... Anyway, I had a moment and I pulled out my notebook and we "talked" for a couple seconds. Heres how the talk went.
Me: Are you going to try and cross again?
Luis: If we try again we will be in the Arizona jail for 20 years.
Me: So that is a no... Are you going to eat in the comedor this after noon?
Luis: A gentlemen is going to take us to some showers so we can wash. My father is heading here right now to pick us up and bring us home.
Me: Where are you going?
Luis: We are going to Mexico D.F. City. It will take two days.
Me: I know. I took the bus from D.F. to here. Long trip.
Luis: Yes.
Me: Good luck and much health.

Migrants hard at working writing for our weekly bulletin.

The originals stories of the migrants.

The Day of the Dead, November 2, is a big big day in Mexico. Here in Nogales it was no differnt. I stones throw from our apartment the festival was set up around the city graveyard. It was great to see a bunch of people out and about enjoying themselves well into the morning. I will have more pictures from that later.

10th Edition of Una Parada en el Camino:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/59546495/upc-11-1