Above: The Rev. Joel Hortiales (left) prays with Carlos Ivan Baran Hidalgo; his wife, Danelly Mazariegos Morales; and their 3-year-old daughter, Scarlett Juliette, at the Camino de Salvación shelter in Tijuana, Mexico. The family fled violence in Guatemala and is hoping to pursue a claim for asylum in the U.S. Hortiales is a United Methodist missionary and serves as director of Hispanic/Latino ministries and border concerns for the California-Pacific Conference.
"I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me." Matthew 25:35-36
Each day is a waiting game at encampments along the U.S.-Mexico border. Hoping for a chance to have their asylum cases heard in the U.S., migrants wait for food and water provided by faith groups. They wait in lines for showers, toilets and clothing. They wait to receive medical care and their children wait for any diversion from the maze of tents, tarps and concrete that has become their playground.
A UM News team accompanied faith leaders from The United Methodist Church and the Methodist Church of Mexico in September 2021 on visits to growing migrant communities in multiple border towns. While policymakers in Washington struggle to find solutions, the response from faith leaders has been simple: They are welcoming the strangers, as Jesus instructed.
Credits:
Photos by Mike DuBose, UM News.