This morning we attended a memorial service at the wall between the US and Mexico near Douglas, AZ. We painted crosses on the wall in remembrance of those who have died in the desert near Douglas in the last year. We called out the names of those who have died in Cochise County and pounded on the wall with a mallet. The service was powerful and full of emotion, bringing together a 'commitment not to forget' as well as a message of hope. I was struck by the reading of the names, because those who had died were no longer a statistic, but real people with lives, dreams, and families.
Tonight, Kyle and I will be working at a center providing care to migrants who are dumped back in Mexico by the border patrol and John will be working there Sunday night. This will be the first opportunity we have to interact with migrant peoples and I am looking forward to being able to serve them.
-Tyler
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Douglas, AZ
We are making last preparations this morning for our public action at the wall. In fact, the final call just came, so we need to head out right now. We'll be doing a prayer service at the wall and then reading the names of those who have died in the borderlands desert area and painting a cross on the wall for each of them. Hopefully we'll have a press release and some pictures for you up in a second.
Right now we're staying in Douglas, AZ and will be here for a couple more days. The next two nights and early mornings we'll be volunteering at a migrant processing center on the Mexico side of the border providing health care, water, and food (this is where border patrol brings the people they pick up in the desert). You can't miss signs that you are near the border. Besides the wall, the night is lit up by bright lights along the border, and there are border patrol cars everywhere. We even got shadowed by one (quite obviously) for a couple blocks. Got to go. -Kyle
Right now we're staying in Douglas, AZ and will be here for a couple more days. The next two nights and early mornings we'll be volunteering at a migrant processing center on the Mexico side of the border providing health care, water, and food (this is where border patrol brings the people they pick up in the desert). You can't miss signs that you are near the border. Besides the wall, the night is lit up by bright lights along the border, and there are border patrol cars everywhere. We even got shadowed by one (quite obviously) for a couple blocks. Got to go. -Kyle
Travels and Arrival
Over the past few days, we've traveled by car from Tyler's house in Denver, CO to a motel in Albuquerque, NM, to the home of Rick Ufford-Chase in Tucson, AZ, to the borderlands site of our first delegation events in Douglas, AZ. Unfortunately, we will not be able to post on this blog page nearly as often as we'd like to in the days to come. We've got a full schedule ahead of us, and from what we can tell, it is going to be very intense/sweet. We will be engaging in public action, which includes painting white crosses on the wall at the border among other things. We will also be meeting with human rights groups, government officials, and individuals on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border issue throughout the whole of our delegation. More to come on these events.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Denver II
On a totally unrelated note, watching Liverpool FC lose to AC Milan in the Champions League final is not the greatest way to start this trip. Oh well, we leave within a half hour.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Denver
John and I (Kyle) made it safely to Denver today. The plane was delayed 45 minutes, but it was no problem in the end. Of course, wouldn't you know it, but Denver too is cloudy and overcast. Anyway, as I write, Tyler is flexing his guitar hero muscles, and John is reading. Tommorow we'll leave in the early afternoon and drive to Albequerque, stay the night there, and then continue on to Tucson on Thursday. That's about all that's new with us. We hope you're well and will update you when we can.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Pre-delegation Thoughts
Redmond, WA – 9pm
It’s been a dreary day in the Puget Sound area. I (Kyle) arrived back on the west side of the state late last night after driving over here right after graduation. After a couple weeks of great weather in Spokane, the pouring rain between George and Ellensburg made for a rough reminder that Washington is known for its rain. But on that note, we needn’t worry about precipitation, as we’re heading to the desert southern Arizona tomorrow!
We haven’t received our itinerary as of yet, but we will in the next couple of days. When we have that in hand, we’ll be able to more accurately tell you what all we’re doing. John talked to the CPT delegation coordinator in their Chicago office today and she mentioned that we’ll be in Mexico for half of the trip and then in Douglas, Arizona for the rest of it.
John and I split our time today between reading the pre-delegation material, writing up press releases, and running some last minute errands. It still hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re actually going on this delegation. This past semester was especially intense, so we haven’t had a ton of time to devote to preparing ourselves for what we’re getting into. I don’t think any of us are exactly sure what sort of mentality you’re supposed to cultivate for a trip like this; the most similar trip I can think of was that of Mike (my roommate!), Zach, Nicola, and Eric (who is going on the Migrant Trail Walk at the same time we’re in Arizona) to the Christian Peace Witness in DC. But this is longer and more in-depth, and we’re not quite speaking to the powers that be as they were.
I don’t think the mission trip mindset works for this either, although maybe this is more like what a mission trip should be like. I recall hearing one of my professors who has much experience in Africa lamenting that mission trips often go into a situation assuming that they know the needs and solutions of a particular situation without taking time to sit back and listen to what the community itself has to say. I hope that these ten days will be characterized by such an attitude of curiosity and humility in us. Likewise, I hope that we are patient, diligent, and humble when it comes to dealing with people who might be opposed to what we are doing or learning.
Enough rambling. Tomorrow John and I fly to Denver at noon (which means we miss the Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan—ARGH), and then hang out at Tyler’s house until Wednesday. Then we’ll get in the car and drive through the night to Tucson, where the delegation starts. It’s a 12 to 16 hour drive, so we’ll be on the road for bit. Every bit of prayer regarding safety (and other things too, of course) is much appreciated!
If you have any questions, feel free to email any of us or Mike Vander Giessen, as we’ll be keeping him as up to date as anyone. John and Tyler will both have their phones with them, too.
It’s been a dreary day in the Puget Sound area. I (Kyle) arrived back on the west side of the state late last night after driving over here right after graduation. After a couple weeks of great weather in Spokane, the pouring rain between George and Ellensburg made for a rough reminder that Washington is known for its rain. But on that note, we needn’t worry about precipitation, as we’re heading to the desert southern Arizona tomorrow!
We haven’t received our itinerary as of yet, but we will in the next couple of days. When we have that in hand, we’ll be able to more accurately tell you what all we’re doing. John talked to the CPT delegation coordinator in their Chicago office today and she mentioned that we’ll be in Mexico for half of the trip and then in Douglas, Arizona for the rest of it.
John and I split our time today between reading the pre-delegation material, writing up press releases, and running some last minute errands. It still hasn’t sunk in yet that we’re actually going on this delegation. This past semester was especially intense, so we haven’t had a ton of time to devote to preparing ourselves for what we’re getting into. I don’t think any of us are exactly sure what sort of mentality you’re supposed to cultivate for a trip like this; the most similar trip I can think of was that of Mike (my roommate!), Zach, Nicola, and Eric (who is going on the Migrant Trail Walk at the same time we’re in Arizona) to the Christian Peace Witness in DC. But this is longer and more in-depth, and we’re not quite speaking to the powers that be as they were.
I don’t think the mission trip mindset works for this either, although maybe this is more like what a mission trip should be like. I recall hearing one of my professors who has much experience in Africa lamenting that mission trips often go into a situation assuming that they know the needs and solutions of a particular situation without taking time to sit back and listen to what the community itself has to say. I hope that these ten days will be characterized by such an attitude of curiosity and humility in us. Likewise, I hope that we are patient, diligent, and humble when it comes to dealing with people who might be opposed to what we are doing or learning.
Enough rambling. Tomorrow John and I fly to Denver at noon (which means we miss the Champions League final between Liverpool and AC Milan—ARGH), and then hang out at Tyler’s house until Wednesday. Then we’ll get in the car and drive through the night to Tucson, where the delegation starts. It’s a 12 to 16 hour drive, so we’ll be on the road for bit. Every bit of prayer regarding safety (and other things too, of course) is much appreciated!
If you have any questions, feel free to email any of us or Mike Vander Giessen, as we’ll be keeping him as up to date as anyone. John and Tyler will both have their phones with them, too.
Pre-trip Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 21, 2007
WHITWORTH STUDENTS TRAVEL TO ARIZONA BORDERLANDS WITH CPT DELEGATION
Kyle Navis, Tyler Schroeder and John Williamson, students at Whitworth College in Spokane, travel to Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, May 24 as part of a delegation sponsored by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). More than 205 migrants died in the Arizona borderlands last year as tightened borders led economic migrants to risk their lives in the inhospitable desert. Douglas, Arizona, where CPT's seasonal presence has been based, is considered the most militarized city in the U.S. because of the large presence of U.S. Border Patrol agents. National Guard troops have also contributed to this militarization, even while private security contractors have taken over some border control functions. Anti-immigrant vigilantes have been active in the region as well.
Members of the CPT delegation will monitor human rights, engage in violence-deterrence activities, and confront unjust immigration policies through non-violent public witness. They will also meet on both sides of the border with human rights groups, government officials and individuals affected by the immigration policies.
Schroeder, Navis and Williamson will be available to share what they have learned about the challenges facing the people of the Arizona border region after June 6 and will return to Whitworth College in September.
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Quakers) with support and membership from a range of Catholic and Protestant denominations. CPT sends teams of trained peacemakers to places of conflict around the world, with a seasonal presence in the Arizona borderlands since May 2004. For more information about CPT, contact the Chicago office at 773-277-0253 or email peacemakers@cpt.org.
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