The Grim Reality

So, I haven't had a terrible amount of time to blog in the past couple weeks.  My weeks have been generally very full, and I've gotten off schedule with updating my blog.  I will try to be more regular in the coming weeks.

 I am amidst week four of being in my position, and it is beginning to feel somewhat regular, fairly routine.  The staff at Cristo Rey is very limited (pastor, part-time secretary, another Border Servant Corps volunteer, and myself) and we can basically make our own hours.  The mornings are filled with contacting potential groups for the Border Immersion Experience and planning trips for the future, while my afternoons are spent primarily working with the after school program, "La Mansion" that is run through the church.  Although in numbers the after school program is down this year, the kids (elementary age) are certainly a handful for the other volunteer and myself.  When I finally get home at 7ish, I am absolutely exhausted.  I can see the vast differences of having a full-time job and the sheltered idealistic bubble that is college.  I am also beginning to understand the nature of non-profit work, everything is no ones job, which makes it your job!

The community that Cristo Rey serves is on the margins of society.  These are the people who came for much of the same reasons as my ancestors.  If we are indeed a country built by immigrants, a nation that embraces our diverse heritage, why must we scorn and hate these individuals that are coming for the same reasons as our parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.  Racism is apparent in the faces of individuals like Joe Arpaio and Jan Brewer, who make a living on the sheer hate of mankind.  As they continue to persecute individuals in the state of Arizona, I am able through my job at Cristo Rey to see the unbridled love of the family unit, of the community.  Unfortunately, the way money is distributed in this country does not seem to favor some of my new friends and the community they have built. 

The church cannot sustain itself through collection, and as the recession continues, the national Lutheran community is withdrawing more and more funds to churches like Cristo Rey.  Because of the many services that we provide, any money coming into the church is spent immediately.  We are incredibly short staffed, and rely heavily on the border immersions that come through the church to make some sort of profit.  A rude awakening came just a week ago for me, when my first immersion group canceled because they were concerned that the violence had spilled over from Juarez into El Paso.  As the media continues to paint the picture of a war zone on both sides of the border, violence continues to increase in Juarez, while decreasing in El Paso.  People simply do not want to come down to El Paso, which is costing Cristo Rey tens of thousands of dollars.  Our current debt is approaching $25,000 and while we laugh and celebrate together every week, the debt is beginning to hit home for the community that truly benefits from our services.

The past few weeks we have been preparing for our 9th anniversary as an independent church.  Cristo Rey has been around much longer, but the 9th anniversary marks the date that we were kicked out of our host church, which decided that a ministry in the Spanish language was not the direction that they wanted to take.  In effort to alleviate our debt, we have begun a campaign to find 1000 friends, individuals that have been touched in some way by the ministries of Cristo Rey.  We are asking that these 1000 friends make donations of $25, so that we may not need to worry about old bills or unpaid utilities.  We simply want to move forward and continue to provide for the community.  Cristo Rey is a symbol of hope in downtown El Paso and will continue to shine bright with passion and love.  Unfortunetely while we struggle to make bill payments each month, we are forced to listen to politicians each day speak words of hate at individuals that we have come to love.