Last night after arriving in El Paso I went to the hospital where one of the sisters, Janet Gildea, was being released after having a brain tumor removed. She is a very courageous woman who is already back at work trying to help people on the border through Facebook and texting 

I'm staying with  her wonderful community of Sisters of  Charity in Anthony, New Mexico where we had a wonderful home-cooked meal at the house last night welcoming Janet back. I felt like I was in my own home, they were so gracious.

I began my day at 5 a.m. to get to El Paso, a half an hour from where I'm staying. At the shelter I am assigned to I meet brother Alphonsas a young Franciscan brother and we both drove asylum seekers to the airport. I accompanied aa young mother and her three little boys from Honduras through security and on to their gate. This is the first time they had ever been in an airport. They were on their way to LaGuardia where they have some family in New York City who will meet them there. As we were walking in the airport a man stopped me and gave the children a bag of candy and thanked me. I think people here are aware of the plight of so many. This little family will spend its first Christmas in New York may they have a blessed one.

Next off to the Greyhound bus station.

Where we helped the folks get tickets to their loved ones around the U.S. everyone was held in a border holding center where they had to sleep on the floor, have one small meal a day and some were held there 8, 12 even 30 days. All have ankle bracelets to ensure they go to their immigration asylum hearings.  Some have no jackets and it was 35 degrees last night. My heart goes out to these mothers and fathers as they try to offer their children a future without violence and poverty. Thank God for all the volunteers from the El Paso community and from communities around the world.

La Paz,
Sr. Donna