"The Refugees at Our Door"

In an article entitled "The Refugees at Our Door," Sonia Nazario wrote last October about "a ferocious crackdown on refugees fleeing violence in Central America." This article says that Mexico carried out the crackdown at the request of President Obama. "The United States has given Mexico tens of millions of dollars for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30 to stop these migrants from reaching the United States border to claim asylum." 

Today's paper speaks about the round ups of refugees in the United States for deportation back to their own countries.

All of this is hard to believe and understand as I encounter the people we are serving. Let me tell you about one little boy.  Juan, about five years old, took a shine to me in the clothing room. He wears a permanent toothless grin and whenever he sees me, he grabs either my hand or clothing. I've danced with him and played his favorite game. He takes both my hands and jumps up and puts his feet around my waist and then does a back flip to the floor.

As I was working to clean and straighten the room where jackets, hats and gloves are kept for distribution, he and his mother appeared at the door asking for a hat for him. I looked in the bin and we had a few scarves and a baby's hat but nothing for him. I felt terrible. In the process of cleaning further I discovered that the container with more hats had been buried by other clothing and there was a hat in it that would fit him. Happily, I practically ran down the hall to find him in the playroom. He seemed delighted as I put the new hat on his head and he took off once again on the toy he was riding around the room. His mother gave me a heartfelt smile as I left the room.

Blessings for the New Year. 
Elaine