Read why I'm giving to FSW today.
This photo is a snapshot of the park across the street from the CBP processing center in Brownsville, Texas. Migrants are released here and left to figure out their next steps. This is the place where Stephen met the family from Honduras that he writes about in the following letter.
My friend,
I remember when I heard the news that migrants were being pushed into the Rio Grande and getting trapped in razor wire. I’ve never felt such horror and shame, and I know you felt that too.
I want to tell you a story that sharply contrasts with that, thanks to the presence of Fellowship Southwest.
Last month, I met a Honduran family in Brownsville right after they crossed through Customs and Border Protection. I was the first person to greet them as they walked across the street to the park. I welcomed them to the U.S., and we exchanged brief introductions. I answered their questions as best I could. We gave them some pizza, a bottle of Gatorade, hygiene kits, and a word of blessing. They smiled widely and thanked us.
(By the way, this operation is supported by your donations! Give a gift today to make sure migrants are met with food, drink, hygiene kits, and a blessing.)
Later that evening the family was on my same flight out of Harlingen and would change planes in Austin for a flight to Baltimore where a relative was waiting.
Through conversation, I learned why they fled Honduras. The father owned a jewelry store and worked with gold and silver. One day cartel members brought him broken necklaces and bracelets and asked him to repair them, without pay. The visits came more frequently. They then demanded that he store their weapons at his house.
This Christian family wanted no part in storing weapons used for murder. He also noticed that the cartel was taking an unhealthy interest in his daughters who are 11 and 13. The cartel said if he ever refused to store their weapons, or called the police, they would kill him. For their safety and his conscience, he decided he had to leave.
Before we parted ways in the Austin airport, I made sure the father and I were connected on WhatsApp. Two days later he sent a message thanking me for my help. He included a photo of his children around a table with extended family. He said it was as if God sent me to help. He ended his message by citing Matthew 25:35-46.
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me… Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
I wish more of those who claim Christ in this country understood Jesus as well as the migrants they’re trying so hard to keep out.
Unfortunately, those wire-wrapped buoys are still in the Rio Grande, causing a humanitarian and environmental crisis. Migrants still have to navigate these horrific traps, and they will. Every one of them has a story like this Honduran family.
If only they were all met by someone who was interested in their story, who was willing to give them a drink, and who could help them find their way, whether it’s through our immigration system or even the Harlingen airport.
Thanks to your support of Fellowship Southwest, many do find exactly what they need when they need it most. What I experienced in one day of volunteering, our border partners experience every day. They are the face, hands, and feet of Christ offering welcome to thousands. They need more support from Fellowship Southwest to sustain their mission efforts.
Thank you for your support.
-Stephen