Here we went through security and were led into a court room. Two young men were sentenced for drug crimes and illegal entry into the US. First, the compassion of the officials and the judge as they took into consideration the circumstances that put the young men in the position to commit crimes. There is no longer a hard and fast punishment for a particular crime, but there are recommended punishments that flex to fit each case appropriately. It is so easy to assume that all who commit crimes like these, carrying drugs across the border illegally, etc. are just "bad people" or simply made stupid decisions on their own and deserve to be put away. But there is so much more to each story that we rarely hear. There are those who do these things so they are not killed or to keep their family safe from dangerous people. We tend to ignore the circumstances that are beyond a person's control that might lead to such a crime. It was moving to see the judge's compassion and hope for each young man's future, while not letting them "off the hook" without punishment.
After observing the first two young men receive their sentences, we moved to another court room where we had the opportunity to see a portion of a trial for a couple more young men who had been caught. We walked in on the second day of the trial and I didn't catch all the details of what was happening, but what we saw was a mother testifying on behalf of her son. The emotion in the room was palpable as the son wiped tears at seeing his mother for the first time since his arrest, at seeing her tears for him, at her love as she stood up to testify on his behalf.
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| SANTA CATALINA WOMEN'S COOPERATIVE |
We climbed back in the van and headed across the bridge into Juarez, Mexico where we first stopped at the Santa Catalina Women's Cooperative. What a powerful visit this was! These women were working with cloth, making things like table runners, purses and tortilla warmers. We were welcomed with incredible hospitality. The ladies shared hot chocolate and rolls with us as we talked about the Cooperative and what it meant for their lives. The ladies shared how their husbands make such small wages they cannot afford for their children to go to school. Working at the Cooperative brings in a little money for their children's education. They shared how they learned to sew, how they learned skills they would never have otherwise learned and developed gifts they otherwise would not have had the opportunity to develop. One brave lady shared how the cooperative had helped her find her voice. She once was too afraid to speak and she learned to speak up, to stand up for herself. It gave her a voice in the world. They sent us off with a beautiful and enthusiastic blessing. (I hope to get the words and a translation of this beautiful blessing to share!) It is once again an experience of being blessed so richly by those who have so little.
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| BIBLIOTECA BUEN PASTOR |
Lunch happened at a little stand on the side of the road, a little spicy for this Scandinavian girl, but it was good. For seven people, the meal with bottled pop cost about $16 (USD). Our next stop was at the Biblioteca Buen Pastor (Library of the Good Shepherd) where we chatted with a lady who has boldly taken on the challenges of children not getting a good education. She, with the help of Father Bill, provides a place for the children to study and to get tutoring. They also provide scholarships for many children, early years through college. Her pride in the students and the twelve who graduated last Saturday, was bubbling out!
Day 2, Part 2 coming soon!
Pax.
