Learning Lots

Enjoying an evening sunset walk by a lake near our present location in Georgia

Summer finds us in Georgia. We are living in LaGrange, a small town about 1 1/2 hours south of Atlanta. Our purpose for being here is still to serve under SOOP (Service Opportunities with Our Partners), a branch of Mennonite Mission Network.

If you have been following this blog, you've seen an overarching 'theme' of work with immigrants and asylum seekers. This location continues and expands on what we have done thus far and is more intensive in that relationship building opportunities have increased here. Along with that comes an increased awareness of the injustices, difficulties, and pain suffered by many who have come to this country--as our own ancestors have--seeking relief from the above.

We are living in an apartment with Anton and Charlotte Flores until we can get another apartment ready for ourselves just a few doors down on the same street. This second apartment will then serve as the base for two young couples who will serve here for a year after we leave. The street is home to 28 households of recent (mostly Latin American) immigrants. Living here is giving us many opportunities to just be friends and neighbors. Each day is varied and full of new experiences. Besides getting the other apartment ready, we are involved with helping to organize the once-a-week food co-op that provides food at minimal costs to the neighborhood, taking the children to library programs, having two weeks of summer day camp with the children, teaching English to the adults, providing rides and help with appointments, attending meetings related to immigrant issues and Latinx concerns, etc.

Ruth is also volunteering 15 hours a week with El Refugio as their scheduling coordinator. We as a couple will be hosts at the El Refugio house at least two weekends this summer.

El Refugio is a hospitality ministry and visitation program that goes to Stewart Detention Center where mostly men are held who have been picked up by ICE (Immigration and Corrections Enforcement). The 1,700 bed for-profit, privately owned facility is located in a very small community with no motels and few food options, situated two hours south of Atlanta. El Refugio (The Refuge) is a house within a mile of Stewart.  A number of organizations and individuals volunteer at the house to provide a place to stay and food for free for family members visiting detained persons. The volunteers also visit the detainees, many who are far from home without visitors or outside contact.
This detention center has the highest rate of denied requests with 98% being deported. We'll be able to perhaps explain a bit more of what we can publicly share in the weeks ahead. Already, as the post title says, we are "learning lots" but feeling humbled to be able to walk alongside and help in small ways those facing injustices. For more info about their work, go to    elrefugioStewart.org

So that is a brief rundown of what life is shaping up to look like for the summer months. It still is amazing to us how each of our volunteer locations with SOOP has been similar yet different enough to learn new things and to be challenged to confront in a positive way the hardships that are often purposefully hidden from our eyes and thoughts. We're not sure we can ever return to being the same people we were before, but that should be the case for each of us. God calls us to care for others as we care for ourselves. We aren't there yet, but on the way.

our dear mentors and housemates: Anton and Charlotte Flores
more info on facebook.com@alternacommunity