Cuban immigrants plan to build a future—1 block at a time
An ancient proverb states: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Rosalio Sosa believes a paraphrase of that proverb: Give a man a concrete block, and maybe he can sit on it in the shade. Teach him to make blocks, and he can build a future for his family.
Sosa thinks he’s found a way for Cuban refugees to construct productive, dignified lives in northern Mexico—by building blocks.
He is pastor of Iglesia Bautista Tierra de Oro in El Paso and director of Red de Albergues para Migrante (Migrant Shelter Network), which operates 14 immigrant-relief shelters in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.
The latest leg of Sosa’s Cuban friends’ journey to freedom began when he reached out to Fellowship Southwest Coordinator Marv Knox, requesting $7,000 to buy a used concrete fabrication machine.
Fellowship Southwest provides funds for immigrant relief all along the U.S.-Mexico border. It supports the refugee ministries of Sosa and a network of pastors, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean. For example, FSW rents one of the shelters Sosa runs in Juarez, across the border from El Paso; provides funds to operate a shelter in Palomas, 100 miles to the west; supplies funds to feed refugees every month; and helps Sosa feed Chihuahuan pastors who lost their income because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Knox told Sosa he was interested in buying the concrete machine. But he noted $7,000 would be one of FSW’s largest outlays since it began working alongside the borderland pastors about two years ago.
“I’m not asking for a gift, but for a loan,” Sosa responded. He proposed FSW would buy the machine, which Red de Albergues para Migrantes would hold, and which the Cuban immigrants would pay off in monthly installments.
Enrique, with his wife, Yeni, a dentist, with their children, Little Enrique and Naya
“This machine will provide an opportunity for these Cubans to support their families—and to live with dignity,” he said. He noted that, unlike most refugees on the border, numerous Cuban immigrants do not seek asylum in the United States. They will be happy to receive visas that permit them to work and live in Mexico, where many of them eventually will seek citizenship.
Luis (right) with his mother, Rosy, a certified public accountant, and his brother, Ariel
The cement fabrication machine will enable three of them—Enrique, Leonardo and Luis—to start a small self-sustaining business, Sosa said. They plan to make blocks, which they will sell in Juarez and across the border in El Paso. They live in Red de Albergues para Migrante’s Mexico 68 shelter in Juarez, where they will work.
Leonardo with his wife, Fariri
“I love Rosalio because of the way he loves immigrants—people Jesus called ‘the least of these,’” Knox said. “He works nonstop to secure their safety and to care for them in Jesus’ name. On top of that, I absolutely admire Rosalio’s idea to buy this concrete fabrication machine. It’s not about concrete blocks. This machine represents human dignity, as well as safe and secure lives for three families.
“Also, because this is a loan, Enrique, Leonardo and Luis will be working hard to make sure immigrants who come behind them have an opportunity to receive the kind of help once offered to them.”
Purchase of the concrete fabrication machine was made possible by a gift from the Prichard Family Foundation. Each month, Fellowship Southwest’s Immigrant Relief Fund allocates thousands of dollars to meet the physical and spiritual needs of refugees on the border, thanks to concerned Christians like you. To help Fellowship Southwest support the relief ministries of Rosalio Sosa and other pastors, click here.