Blogging at the Border
Updates from Sister Margaret Guzzardo's service at Casa Alitas
On April 6, Sister Margaret Guzzardo began a three-month volunteer ministry at the Casa Alitas Welcome Center in Tucson, Arizona, serving our migrant neighbors at the U.S./Mexico border.
She has served in various tasks including greeting and registering guests, serving lunch, assisting with children's art activities, and driving guests to the bus stations.
Read more about S. Margaret's work at Casa Alitas in her journal entries. Please keep S. Margaret in your prayers throughout her ministry.
June 19, 2023
Dear Folks,
I complete my service at Casa Alitas on Wednesday, June 22. I have met amazing people and am grateful for this opportunity to serve on the U.S.-Mexican border.
Casa Alitas (house of little wings) was started in 2015. It began in 2014 as a safe house with four bedrooms for asylum seekers fleeing violence and poverty in Guatemala and Nicaragua. It has expanded to five sites, the largest one at Drexel Street that receives all the migrants.
Diego Lopez and Christy Stewart have helped me “fit in” at Casa Alitas. Diego assists in operations and Christy coordinates volunteers. Working with migrants and immigration rules is complex and unpredictable. Material supplies are in short supply. It is hard to say no to guests. We don’t have any towels for showers today. Sorry we don’t have your shoe size or pants that fit you. It is hard to say no to myself too. No, I can’t work any longer today. Tomorrow I will be more patient, tolerant and loving.
Smiles and kindness mean a lot to people. My helpers, Lillie from Guatemala and Bo from Africa will accompany me and Sister Helen Alder on our trip home from Tucson to the Midwest. We will visit a Zuni Reservation and Monument Valley along the way. I expect to arrive in St. Louis on July 1. Lillie and Bo will help me minister to migrants in St. Louis.
I thank God, my religious community and all of you for supporting me. We Sisters of Saint Joseph have Joseph as our patron. He was a refugee and provided for Jesus and his wife Mary. Migrant fathers want safety and opportunities for their children just as our fathers and grandfathers did for us.
Thank you for reading my journal. I hope the letters gave you a glimpse of living at the border which is beyond all borders.
Peace in Divine Love,
S. Margaret
June 12, 2023
Dear Folks,
In the United States we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th each year. Our guests see their country’s flags on the wall as they wait in line for their lunch. The flags and the people remind me that we are a global village. Each day I hear a symphony of different languages. The United Nations is here in this place with these people in a harmony of sound.
During the last 10 weeks I have met people from 20+ countries at the registration desk. I wish I could remember all their names and faces! These people have made indelible footprints on my heart.
One of my friends, Sister Gladys, compares border ministry to an emergency room. We receive guests, triage their needs, give them support and resources and send them on their way. Some people travel quickly. Others have roadblocks, such as poor health, unavailable sponsors or inadequate resources. They stay for a longer time until they can feel better, adjust appointments with immigration, find sponsors or make travel plans.
This week I saw a couple embracing each other after being separated. Tears of Joy.
I met a little girl who was sobbing because she and her mother were separated from her father. Our volunteer Sebastian who knows indigenous languages assisted them. He assisted another woman rescued from the Sonoran desert to join her husband.
When I leave Casa Alitas each day I think of the suffering and pain of people. I appreciate their resilience and admire how they help one another. I go to the desert near our home to quiet my mind and to touch the healing of Mother Earth.
The desert area is Sanctuary Cove. It has several paths, rocky or smooth. It has a labyrinth and All Creeds Chapel. When I walk down a favorite path I am surrounded by Saguaro Cacti and feel the sacred presence of the Holy One.
May we sense the Holy One in our midst as we quiet our minds and open our hearts to joy.
We thank our ancestors and wave flags to celebrate our nation, life, opportunity and freedom.
Love,
S. Margaret
June 5, 2023
Dear Folks,
Last Wednesday I visited the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Sonora Mexico. The Initiative began in 2008 with the Missionaries of the Eucharist and the Jesuits. Today it is a collaborative with others in the United States and Mexico.
The Initiative provides food and shelter as well as legal, medical and social services for persons at the border seeking asylum in the United States or Mexico, for persons needing assistance in Mexico or for persons needing help to return to their native country. The Initiative provides education and advocacy for human rights.
Sisters Tracey and Mary Lou who are Sisters of Providence invited me to join them and others to carry hot meals to persons at the US-Mexico border who were waiting to get appointments with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). People were gathered as families in the shade and appreciated desayuno (breakfast) of eggs, beans, tortillas and water that we brought to them.
I met families to offer support and care. I enjoyed seeing smiles on the children’s faces as they met Lillie, the little hand puppet that is my friend. After serving meals we returned to the Border Initiative. We shared a delicious meal of spaghetti, beans, zucchini, and tortillas with staff and volunteers. Women prepared the meal in huge ollas (pots). I asked the women how they lifted the ollas. They said con ayuda (with help)!
When we gathered in the comedor (dining room) I noticed a mural painted by a local Sonoran artist who was a friend of the Center. He painted the Last Supper with actual images of people who had been at the Center. All are welcome at the table of the Lord. The young and the old of different races, genders, economic or social status are welcome. All are unique and made in the image of God.
After our meal Sister Tracey accompanied me to another border entry to the United States. She left and the border agent directed me on my path. It was level, tree lined and shaded. I met a couple with their little dog. My crossing was easy and protected. How different it is for others!
This week let us remember migrants in need of courage and assistance as they move to a more hopeful place on their journeys.
Blessings of peace,
S. Margaret
May 29, 2023
Dear Folks,
Last Wednesday I went to one of our centers that provides special care for our guests, such as extended housing, medical attention, contact with sponsors and travel arrangements.
Our guests are in the United States legally because they have documents to seek asylum. When they arrive at their destinations they will report to an immigration officer. The officer will confirm a date for a court hearing to decide on their immigration status. We urge them to get an immigration lawyer to present their case.
I remember meeting families this week who showed courage, resilience and hopefulness.
One family from Ecuador told me about their dangerous journey through the Darien Gap, a 60 mile walk through the jungles of Colombia and Panama. I wondered how they did it but did not ask for details. I have heard about robberies, assaults and human trafficking in that area.
A family from Mexico waited for registration and then waited for transportation to the bus station to travel to Dallas Texas. The parents looked tired and hopeful. The three little girls smiled when they met the puppet Lillie and when they received cuddle toys for their trip.
Paola, Alex and Alexander from Colombia were detained at the center because their host sponsor in Philadelphia had gotten sick and needed surgery. The sponsor was from Colombia and went back to Colombia for the surgery because he could not afford the surgery in the United States. This family may have to wait a few weeks before going to Philadelphia.
On Wednesday I offered classes in English. The classroom had revolving doors. It served as a dining area, a clothing shop, a laundry for folding clothes, and a watering hole for conversation. When the room was available I had class! People came and went as their schedules allowed. Adults and children enjoyed learning words to help them with everyday needs.
Guests are eager to learn English, to work, to enroll their children in school and to keep their families together. I wonder how many will be able to stay.
Love,
S. Margaret
May 22, 2023
Dear Folks,
As I left Casa Alitas at the Drexel Site on Friday I saw a man seated under a Palo Verde tree. The Palo Verde has a green trunk and green branches. It has green leaves and yellow blossoms that fall like snow in the summer.
The man was enjoying shade from the bright sun of the day. He was listening to the silence outside the building that houses single male guests. He may have been attuned to the quiet in his own heart. I approached him and learned he was from Mauritania, Africa. He spoke four languages, none of which I understood. He looked at me lovingly, smiled and gifted me with peace.
Peace was a good way to end the week that was filled with unpredictable events. Buses did not come when we expected them. Many buses came at once when we were not expecting them. Security guards and staff directed traffic.
During my free time, I went to serve in different areas. I met interesting volunteers and staff. One volunteer was Tom. He had worked in foreign service and international business. He talked about ways to reduce poverty and drug trafficking and how to integrate workers into our country.
I met Blue, a Native American, who is a nurse for ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). He follows persons who pass the border legally to make sure they get the medical attention they need as identified at the border.
Each of us at Casa Alitas offers our own gifts to assist our neighbors in trouble.
This week may all of us find a time to sit under the shade of a tree and listen to what is stirring in our own hearts.
Love,
S. Margaret
May 15, 2023
Dear Folks,
We continue “emergency” status at Casa Alitas as we receive more guests. When I was sitting at the registration desk last Tuesday I looked up from my computer monitor and saw 150 people in front of me seated in numbered chairs with numbers on their badges.
This organization helps us to register the guests, triage needs and help them on their way.
I mark their registration folder with a number yet recognize each person is unique and precious. I notice their eye expressions above masks. I see exhaustion, fear, pain, tentativeness, frustration, eagerness, gratitude, joy and hope. Many communicate with gestures. They place hands on their hearts for gratitude. They smile with sparkles in their eyes. One young man smiled because I reminded him of his grandmother! I thanked him for the compliment.
Besides observing facial expressions I listen to sounds in the room. One day I heard a crescendo of voices as persons talked to family and friends on telephones and talked loudly with one another. Then I noticed the silence of mothers and fathers calming their children and waiting their turns. Some children were crying and others laughing. Lillie the puppet came to quiet the crowd. She was successful.
The next day Lillie came to quell the tantrum of a child. She was unsuccessful. Endurance and faith helped us get through the day. 1100 persons came that day to Casa Alitas.
Since Title 42 was lifted we have been receiving more guests. The paperwork is streamlined so we can process our guests more quickly. On the local news every evening we hear an update about migration on the borderlands.
Thank you for your support for those seeking asylum and for those of us serving on the Border.
I am learning much about life, broadening my perspective on what matters and doing my part to make things better for others. As I work here I know you do as well at home to create relationships with others to bring us together in a spirit of patience, reverence and understanding.
May your week be filled with peace, the peace that God lavishes upon us.
Love,
S. Margaret
May 8, 2023
Dear Folks,
Do you believe in Angels? Veronica and Jennifer do.
I met Veronica, Jennifer aged 10, and Juan at the Welcome Center on Thursday. They looked exhausted and told me their story. On Wednesday night they were waiting for a bus at 9 p. m. that never arrived. Veronica and Jennifer are from a mountainous area in Mexico. Juan is a native Californian who speaks Spanish and English. Juan saw Veronica and Jennifer distressed and decided to stay the night on the pavement with them, hoping the bus would arrive. It never came. Juan protected them from four young men. Veronica, Jennifer and Juan were very cold and had no blankets. A homeless man came over and covered them with a blanket.
One of our volunteers brought Veronica, Jennifer and Juan to the Center where they ate and rested. They rebooked travel for all three to go to Dallas. Then Juan would go to Austin and Veronica and Jennifer to Atlanta, Georgia.
On Friday I met Yesenia, her husband Gilberto and their two little girls Yamileth and Kimberly. Yesenia told me their family was starting to prosper in a little town far south of the U.S. border. They had a little store and saved money for goats and chickens and later bought two cows. Some men came to them and threatened to harm their family if they did not hand over their animals and savings. The family fled quickly, even though Yesenia was eight months pregnant.
Yesenia told me that at the U.S.-Mexico border their family had to place personal clothing in an orange produce bag marked with their family name. Adults dressed in blue cotton disposable clothes. Border agents took their personal care items, such as hair ribbons, toothbrushes, toothpaste and medications. Children gave away their “peluches,” (cuddle toys).
When families come to Casa Alitas we try to give the children cuddle toys, either slightly used or new. The children love them! We struggle to have enough toys for every child and to have time to distribute them.
We are on “emergency” status. Ten-Twelve buses come to Tucson on a daily basis. We focus on safety, shelter, nutrition, essential clothing, medical needs and travel.
I hope you have a good week. May we all be aware of angels in our midst, reminding us of God’s presence and protection through one another.
Love,
S. Margaret
April 29, 2023
Dear Folks,
Border ministry can be intense. Our guests come with concerns, fears, and needs.
They are eager to reach their destinations so they can report to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) for their first scheduled appointment.
Amidst the chaos Lillie comes to lend a hand.
Lillie is a new volunteer at Casa Alitas. She comes to welcome guests, to talk with children and to ease anxiety in their parents. She distracts children while they wait at the intake desk.
Lillie is a hand puppet but has human qualities of empathy and joy.
She brings a smile to everyone! The staff and volunteers also like to see her. One of our guests, a young man from India stopped to take her picture.
Lillie socializes with everyone. She reaches out her hand for a handshake. She sits down and waits for a child to reach out and touch her hair. She hugs herself to remind everyone that hugs are great!
Lillie introduces herself to everyone and asks their names. She looks at toys of children and comments about their cuddle animals. Lillie talked to Tony about his penguin and asked Antony about his leopard. Sofia, age one, with pigtails was delighted to talk with Lillie as her parents from Venezuela were waiting for their ride to the airport.
Our next volunteer Bo is coming soon.
Happy Mother’s Day to all who serve as motherly figures in our world needing tenderness, healing and courageous love.
Love,
S. Margaret
April 24, 2023
Dear Folks,
This week I met families getting on and off buses. They try to stay together on their journeys!
Parents keep their little children close to them as they cross the border. While waiting at the registration desk some mothers were nursing their babies and caring for other children at their sides. Fathers were with them in some instances. Some mothers and children come alone because their fathers or family members are waiting for them in the United States.
Before coming to registration guests are served a light meal and tested for COVID. If the results are positive the persons are sent to one Inn for five days of quarantine and then are retested. That time of separation is hard on families. After being quarantined and testing negative for COVID they can be reunited with their families.
At the border some parents are separated from their children who are not minors. A Brazilian family, Jose, Roberta and Andre were frantic about the whereabouts of Ashley age 18. They were separated at the border because Ashley is not a minor. We hunted on a data base to learn that Ashley was not deported to Brazil. Rather she was coming on the next bus to Tucson! The family was grateful to know about Ashley and they were elated to be reunited.
One of our volunteers works to find out the whereabouts of children to reunite families.
Sometimes spouses are separated at the border. One gentleman was looking for his wife and asked us at the registration desk to try to find her. These stories remind me to cherish family and friends.
May patience be our friend and love guide our actions this week.
Love,
S. Margaret
April 17, 2023
Hi Folks,
I was a “floater” this week, doing jobs as needed at three different locations. On Tuesday I was at Drexel Center where I greeted and registered guests from three border entry ports. Migrants give up their passports at the border and receive documents to allow them into our country legally to apply for asylum status.
I registered those who spoke Spanish easily but had difficulty registering those speaking Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic and Romanian. I relied on Google Translator and on printed translations.
On Wednesday I continued at the registration desk and later interpreted for a physician who was assessing and treating women for gynecology concerns. I learned about medicine and was glad to help women on their way to better health. The physician prescribed medicines and suggested a plan of care.
On Thursday I went to the Welcome Center on Ajo Way. I met families working on getting papers and on finding sponsors in the United States. They will be here for a longer time. While working on their documentation they would like to learn English. Their children would like to learn and have activities. I helped serve lunch and talked with our guests.
On Friday I went to the Ramada Inn where Casa Alitas has rooms for Hispanic families. I assisted a volunteer to do art activities with children. I interpreted and spoke to parents of the children. The parents told stories of their journeys. One couple said they left Venezuela six years ago with their five-year old child, Dixon. They traveled to Mexico four years ago and lived in many camps. In Mexico they gave birth to a baby girl who is now two years old. They are relieved to be in Tucson after an arduous journey. Dixon is 12 years old now and smiled as I wished him well on their time in the United States.
On Saturday I drove a guest to the Greyhound Bus Station. We arrived two minutes before the scheduled departure time. We learned the bus was cancelled. The man had ticket in hand to go to Los Angeles, spoke Hindi, did not have a phone nor any money. His brother was waiting for him in Los Angeles. The bus station was closed. We got the ticket rebooked, got the man some food and money. Maria, a Hispanic woman who spoke English also was headed to Los Angeles. She was his angel!
Have a blessed week of peace. May patience be your friend. May love guide you.
Love,
S. Margaret
April 8, 2023
Hi folks,
I am getting settled in Tucson. This morning I greeted about 180 Hispanic families, many from Ecuador and Mexico.
Some of the Ecuadorians are from the area where I volunteered some years ago.
I talked to Alex who came with his family of five including two toddlers from Ecuador. It took them 3 months...walking, bus, and boat to arrive at the Mexico-Arizona border. They traveled through 7 countries. The most dangerous part of their journey was the jungle in Colombia. They camped in the jungle for five days, spared from wild animals and snakes. They were fortunate not to be robbed or kidnapped in Mexico.
Today Casa Alitas also received about 80 men from Northern India. They spoke Punjabi or Hindi. Yesterday we received several men from Mauritania (West Africa). They spoke Arabic.
Volunteers are needed for all services. I am considering my options. I may do admissions (triage needs of persons) and work with children. I am glad to do my part. It is good to be here! I am keeping a journal.
I feel at home with Irma Odabashian, CSJ. We will celebrate the Easter Vigil at the Redemptorist Renewal Center (Our Lady of the Desert Church). It is nearby.
Thank you for all your love and support. May you have a wonderful Easter!
Love,
S. Margaret