Border, Drugs, and Rehabilitation

I welcome you to C.R.E.E.D.A. a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center located in the border town of Agua Prieta, Mexico. Along with drug and alcohol rehabilitation C.R.E.E.D.A. a Catholic ministry also provides psychological  for children and adults. The organization has developed a 12 step program for those who are a part of the program. Unfortunately, our group did not get a chance to learn what those twelve steps were, nonetheless the following stories I will share below will affirm the productivity and success of the program. 

Before I share these stories of successful rehabilitations I feel it will be helpful to provide some context concerning exactly what Agua Prieta is up against. As a border town, Agua Prieta became one of the ports in which drugs from Mexico would enter the United States. The recent movements of the U.S. government to ensure that drug lords will not have easy access to the United States soil have provided problem for the town of Agua Prieta. To be sure, I applaud this specific move of the U.S. government to fight drugs in our nation. Ideally one would hope that by cutting off the demand of the U.S. citizen the drug lords would consider some other occupation that would benefit the country of Mexico and its citizens. However, this is an unrealistic improbable expectation and the sad reality is that these drug lords have taken over the bordering cities causing a major problem of drug addiction. Thus, C.R.E.E.D.A. is doing a great justice to this Agua Prieta.

Now to introduce you to Estella. Estella is only 15 years old and has graduated the program, but she still visits nearly every day because of the family-like atmosphere and accountability she receives a C.R.E.E.D.A. Estella shared about the drug traffickers habits in Agua Prieta by informing us that these drug lords prey on younger children, because it is easier to take advantage of them.  They get the children addicted and/or selling their poison so these children are imprisoned to these traffickers their entire life. She described a very typical pre-teen/ teenager mentality of believing she knew better than her parents and she described her rebellious spirit. However, when her story took on a new scale of concern is when she confessed the age in which she started using drugs. Ten years old was the first time she used marijuana. At such a young age, she described the peer pressure of her friends. She declined a few times but after beings asked over and over she finally gave in. 

She became addicted and her parent quick realized what she was involved in and demanded she stop. By this time, it was too late, and Estella soon ran away from home looking for more and more drugs. She explained how marijuana had got boring so she looked for stronger highs. She took to the streets doing whatever she could to acquire more and more drugs.  She slept in abandon houses, under bridges and needless to say this was the lowest place for Estella as her reality had become hell on earth. One day Estella was walking on the street with one of her friends. She then saw her mom and uncle. They quickly took action are grab Estella against her will taking her back to her home. After contacting C.R.E.E.D.A., they enrolled her into the program holding on to the hope to get Estella back. 

Estella explained how at first she hated it. It was very difficult for her, but after a while she realized that they were not looking to hurt her but wanted to help her. She began to gain weight and felt alive again. She learned quickly that it was not a good thing to hang out with her old friends because of the temptation that presented its self. So as mentioned early she made a second home at C.R.E.E.D.A. Estella ended her story by saying, “ This is a great place to be and say no to drugs.” 

Estella was born in Douglas, Arizona thus she is a U.S. citizen. She has family in the U.S. and Mexico which is the case for some many people we came in contact with. Raymond another boy who was also a U.S. citizen had been a part of the program for 21 days. He was in the program to be healed from a marijuana addiction. 

After they shared our group got a chance to ask them a few questions: 

Q: It seems like parents could do the best they could to raise their children. They  could love, care and support them, but children can still end up on drugs; What advice would you give parents? 

A: Talk to them about drugs before their friends or other people do. 

Q: Why is there so much drug activity in Agua Prieta? 

A: The police are too lax. 

Q: In the U.S. there has been a recent push to legalize marijuana. Do you feel that that is a good idea? 

A: No, I believe it is wrong because marijuana is the door for other drugs, because after a person gets use to it they seek stronger drugs. 

A question was directed towards the issue of the time they are missing in school by being in the program. The response was it is better to miss a year of school to be healed than for the children to be allowed to attend school and risk being addicted to drugs their entire life. 

All in all, the organization is a beautiful ministry to the city of Agua Prieta. Unfortunately, the center has limited funding but this doesn’t seem to dampen the Spirit of everyone there. 
In my next post, we will venture into the desert to walk the trail that the migrants walk. I will show you the resting place for these weary travelers, the living water tanks setup at these spots and tough terrain of this region. See you soon! 

P.S. If you read my last post you may be curious as to where the scripture hermetical analysis is that I promised. In the light of the recent concerns in Ferguson Mo, I choose to direct that analysis towards the people in Ferguson. If you click here it will lead you to that post. Please continue praying for peace and justice for our nation in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

Fenced in

"People should not be dying trying to live and find work for  their  family" Mark Adams demanded as he revealed to us how many sojourners have lost their lives in the Arizona desert. 

 

Friday November 7, 2014 had arrived and after a breakfast at a nearby hotel from the Shalom House, it was finally time for Bob and Carol and myself to meet the rest of the posse. Slowly but surely we all arrive at the Frontera de Cristo headquarters in Douglas, Arizona. The process of trying to feel each other out had begun. Chairs were arranged in a circle with our “Border to Border: Coffee, Migration and Faith” booklet in the seats with our names listed in the bottom right-hand corner of the booklet. I found mine and sat down as we prepared for biblical reflection. The passage for the day was Ephesians 2: 1-22. Verses 14- 18 stuck out to me the most:

14 For Christ himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. Christ purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 Christ came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through Christ we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

I love how Paul explains how Christ has made peace and destroyed the barriers and dividing walls of hostility. Our Lord and Savior makes peace, creating a new humanity out of what once was two. This word of God hits so hard.

 After the introductions and reflections we hopped in the van and do not stop until we approached one of the largest (and ugliest) fences I have ever seen.

It was time for the border infrastructure tour. Taking into consideration the passage we just reflected on, this border infrastructure presented itself as a stark contrast to Paul’s words. Having realized this, I was immediately struck with sorrow.

We climbed out of the van and were able to see that the fence extended as far as the eye could see in both directions.

 We also quickly became aware of the border patrol officer with the large border patrol suburban and his machine gun, watching us intently.

About every 200 to 300 yards, a tall pole towered out of the ground with several cameras on the top. As we drove towards the hills I looked through the gaps on the fence and saw a town on the other side which I later discovered was Agua Prieta. It didn’t look too much different than the side we were on, but someone felt it was necessary to spend millions of dollars for this barrier of a fence.

Our plan was to drive up the large hill but, officers on the U.S. and Mexico side had stop on the road to talk so we stayed at the end of the fence. 

Mark Adams asked us to walk up and touch the fences. As we were holding on to it he read the passage to us and asked us to repeat after him. In unison we chanted, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ… For Christ himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility… Christ purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace and in his one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility…” We continued through the rest of our passage.

“My goodness, that was powerful,” I thought to myself. There was  something  that appeared to be freakishly wrong as we reflected on  Scripture and stood by the fence.

We climb back in the van all awestruck from our experience and the obvious presence of the divine in the reading of Scripture. We then ate at another wonderful Mexican restaurant and prepared to visit the U.S. Border Patrol headquarters.

So now we head to the place where it is the Border  patrol  government workers duty to ensure that “outsiders” are not successful in their attempt to cross into the U.S. What will that be like?  

Shalom (Peace) House

Welcome all!

These next series of post will be highlights the events, difficulties and spiritual implications of my border to border trip from Auga, Prieta Mexico to Chiapas, Mexico. Our trip was organized and led  by Frontera de Cristo. It was very well done and I am extremely impressed with my experience so if you are looking for a mission trip I would highly recommend their organization.

Now to take you on my journey, Thursday November 6th, 2014 I wake up well aware that my luggage is half way packed and there are still some last minute things that need to be picked up from Wal-Mart before I head to the airport. However, this is of no surprise to my wife or me as I always seem to be in a dazed paralyzed state of mind right up until it is crunch time. Finally, after everything is gathered together Sarah drops me off at the airport I say my goodbye and Sarah sheds her tears, then I’m off to retrieve my boarding pass.

While I am on my short flight from Wichita to DFW I realize that my feelings about the trip are very stagnated. For one, my wife and I had just moved into a new apartment not even a week before the plane left the ground so we were not by any means fully unpacked. I knew nothing about the trip (however I did know that the Church I work at and the Presbytery offered to cover the cost so I was not going to turn it down). Finally, I was somewhat concerned about not knowing any Spanish.

After switching flights in DFW, I arrive at Tucson, Arizona where I awaited my bag. A women approaches me and ask, “Are you Damian?” and I respond, “I sure am” and she informed me that Jeff (a member of the FDC’s board) was ready to pick us up. The women’s name was Carol and her husband's Bod. Bod is a retired Methodist Pastor and Carol is a retired Math teacher. They both attend a Methodist/ Presbyterian congregation. I should also add they are two of the sweetest individuals I have ever met.

We arrived at a Mexican restaurant in a part of Tucson that is projected to be 90% Hispanic, needless to say the food was authentic Mexican food and the first fruit of what would be a plentiful harvest of tasty goodness that my teeth got the pleasure of plowing into! We learned very little from Jeff about our trip, but it was obvious that his purpose was to get from point A to point B and feed us. I did however learn that Jeff's Presbyterian Church which is 2 hours from the border did not really concern itself with the difficulties of immigration; and even in a town with a large Hispanic population their Church still lacks diversity and is predominantly white (Go figure welcome to the Presbyterian Church U.S.A denomination smh).

After a two-hour delay we said our goodbyes to Jeff and our caravan finally was on the road for a close to 3-hour journey to Douglas, Arizona where we would stay for the night. When we arrived we were greeted by Jack and member of the Mennonite denomination who transported us to the Shalom house (Shalom means peace in Hebrew). 

It sounds more epic than it was, but it was still pretty impressive. Jack informed us that his wife and he had a heart for taking in anyone who may needed assistance or a place to stay. 

They simply provide people in need with the things one needs to survive, food, shelter, care and love!  However, they realized that their own home was not big enough. 

So they bought a house to give to anyone who needed it at no charge. 

The house had two bedrooms one bathroom a living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room.

Jack and Linda pay the utilities and if someone calls when it is open they are happy to let them stay.

It was a wonderful example of the love of Christ. This set the tone of the trip that Carol, Bob and I would experience. A couple who was willing to open their arms to people in need!