October 31, 2008

Dear Friends,

Irma Amado Cenobio
Born December 25, 1969
Died May 30, 2008, at the age of 38
A daughter
Perhaps a wife
Perhaps a mother
Created in the Divine Image
Loved by God
IRMA AMADO CENOBIO
PRESENTE!

Marriage has been on our minds of late.

Raul and Meghan with part of the Frontera de Cristo delegation.

This September, we went with 12 folks from Douglas and Agua Prieta to Dallas, Texas, to participate in the wedding of Meghan Brown and Raul Saavedra. Meghan served as a Young Adult Volunteer with Frontera de Cristo in 2006-2007 and met Raul, who is from Mexico City. He was working in the Mexican Consulate in Douglas. For them, the death, pain and division that is part of the reality of the border turned into life, healing and unity as they joined their lives in marriage (see Meghan’s reflections at the Frontera de Cristo Web site). Their wedding, bringing together people from north and south, east and west, including five interns with whom we have had the privilege to work, provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the power of God’s love to unite people across borders.

On October 13, we celebrated our seventh anniversary and continue to marvel at the way in which the border became a place of joyous encounter for us—a wonderful place to raise a bi-lingual, bi-national family. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve together as mission co-workers of the PC(USA). We have the opportunity to have meaningful and challenging ministry and the blessing of having our economic needs taken care.

Irma Amado Cenobio

At the Healing Our Borders prayer vigil on October 14, the day after our anniversary, we passed around the cross of Irma Amado Cenobio. She died of dehydration in the hot high desert plain north of Douglas, one of over 4,000 persons to die on our border over the last 10 years.  

We do not know exactly why she crossed the border, but it is very possible that she was coming to be reunited with her husband.  When economics leaves no possibility for families to sustain themselves, men often head north to find work. Marriages are divided not only by hundreds and even thousands of miles, but by a ten-foot steel fence and a border and immigration policy that does not allow for the legal crossing by the working poor. While the economic problem is solved, at least temporarily for the family, the marriage relationship suffers or can be cut short by a horrific and often lonely death in the desert. 

As it becomes more difficult and expensive for men to return home for Christmas, and as the separation turns from one year to two to three, more women are crossing to be reunited with their husbands. A disproportionate number of the names on the crosses are women’s names.

Carmina and Oscar

Carmina and Oscar are members of the Lirio de los Valles PC in Agua Prieta and have two children. To make ends meet they decided that they both would work as they continued to build their house. They decided to work different shifts—Carmina 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Oscar 4:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.—to save on child-care. Despite increasing their incomes from $55 a week to $110 a week, their relationship suffered. They came to us for counseling and the church was a tremendous support and encouragement to them as well. They have decided to be a one income family and while the church sometimes has to help them get to the next paycheck, they are committed to strengthening their relationship, marriage, and family despite the economic challenges.

Marriage is a challenge even when the economy (household or worldwide) does not cause extra stress. Through its family ministry and its partner churches, Frontera de Cristo seeks to provide emotional and spiritual support for families and to help strengthen families in the midst of tough times. 

Just Coffee helps families, too

Logo and poster design made possible by Presbyterian marketing professionals, Joy Landon, John Taylor and Anne Lewis.

Through the Just Trade Center, Frontera de Cristo is helping in the expansion of the Just Coffee/Café Justo business model, which is providing economic opportunities that are alternatives to migration in two communities—one in Chiapas and one in Veracruz. We’re currently consulting with two communities in Haiti. It has been a joy to work with so many dedicated people to expand the vision of Café Justo because as Luis “Pelayo” Diaz Perez once said while holding his two year old son: “Café Justo means that my son will have his dad at home and that he will never have to migrate.” Café Justo enables families to stay together, a gift that we have been blessed with over the past seven years in our marriage and a gift that many more families will share as the ministry grows and expands.

It is a privilege and a wonderful responsibility to serve as mission co-workers of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Thank you for helping make it possible for our family to enter into the joys and sufferings of the world as they are manifested here on the U.S./Mexico border and to seek to witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed in partnership with our sisters and brothers in Mexico in six areas of ministry: new church development, health ministry, family ministry, the New Hope Community Center, mission education, and the Just Trade Center.

The Adams Maldonado Family
Miriam, Mark, Cindy, Anna Flor, and Nathan

P.S. The September/October issue of Horizons focuses on immigration and the U.S. mission experience. Mark has an article in the magazine focusing themes of migration in Scripture. Go to the Horizons Web site to read the article and to order the magazine.

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 256