A group from First Church Phoenix went to the border recently, led by Rev. Dr. Randy Mayer from The Good Shepherd UCC.
First Church member Carlos da Silvia donated supplies through his nonprofit, Powered by Love.
Watch the podcast episode where Pastor Randy Mayer discusses the Samaritans' work. It includes a clip of Pastor Susan Valiquette of First Church.
From Jane McNamara, on behalf of the Immigrant Welcoming Team:
I couldn’t help but think about our trip to Sasabe, Mexico as I took in the array of books and games and toys, all on display last week at a newly-opened Barnes & Noble in Phoenix.
Sasabe doesn’t have a bookstore. There are plans for a library, and our donations on the evening the Samaritans showed their newly-released documentary in our sanctuary will go towards the purchase of shelving for that library.
A group of us from First Church visited Sasabe recently with our Samaritan friends as our guides. They regularly support both the community in Sasabe, as well as the La Casa mission across the border in Nogales. We were asked to bring needed supplies – non-perishable food, blankets, dog food, and at this time of year, toys.
Two years ago, in October, in Sasabe, rival gangs fought for control of the lucrative business of smuggling migrants across the border into the United States. The residents, numbered at 2500, fled. Some returned a few months later, and more are coming back, but most businesses and many homes look abandoned. Bullet holes can be seen. Hungry dogs look for handouts. It was a sobering scene, yet the resilient spirit of the townspeople was evident as they gathered outside the Biblioteca Esperanza. And hope was all around – life can and will be better.
Who are the Samaritans?
The Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritan volunteers were co-founded in 2005 by Randy Mayer, who is pastor of the Good Shepherd UCC in Sahuarita, and Shura Wallin, who was first involved with Humane Borders. According to their website, “Samaritans are people of conscience who are responding directly and practically to the human rights and civil rights crises at the U.S. border with Mexico… united in their desire to relieve human suffering and honor human dignity.” Originally, they came together to provide water, food and medical assistance in order to prevent migrants from dying in the desert. Their humanitarian work continued through the years of the “great migration” when thousands crossed the border seeking asylum, and their work continues today.
Click here for more information.
Many thanks to theSamaritans volunteers for helping us be witnesses to what life is like for our neighbors to the south. It was a life-changing experience. Thanks to everyone who donated needed items. And special thanks to Carlos da Silva, who gave so generously to the people of Sasabe through his non-profit Powered by Love. As Carlos told us in church last Sunday, love is love in any language. He challenges all of us at First Church, who have privileges we too often take for granted, to make a commitment to help sustain the people of Sasabe through the years ahead.