Brianna's Week One Reflection

Rachel pretty much covered it below, as to what our days are like and what has happened so far, so make sure you read her entry below. As you'll read read we did a lot in one week, but it still seemed to be relatively slow in terms of the number of people we encountered. This next week we'll be stationed at a mobile camp, exploring new trails traveled by migrants and probably running into a lot more people. I want to write about some of the thoughts and emotions that have arisen in me this last week.

No one would do this because they WANT to. It's horrible down here- at most we hike 8 miles a day and when I'm hot and sweaty and tired and all cut up from everything prickly- I remember, that I am not walking around in the desert because my life depends on it, I'm wearing hike tech hiking boots, not sandals, I'm drinking water (clean water, not cow tank water), eating granola bars, I have a place to sleep and a document that protects me from deportation, I have no children I'm trying to lead through these trails and keep healthy, I am not trying to climb these mountains pregnant, and I get to do it all during daylight. It's hard not to see the privilege involved in what we are doing, and see how unjustly the system works.

I feel safe. Coming down here I had so many fears- they ran in every direction. The desert is both beautiful and harsh. It takes lives and does not appear to be forgiving. At night is when I really begin to trust it, it cools down and the milky way comes into sight. We're usually woken up at some point in the night by the coyotes howling, but they wont hurt us. It's weird to understand what's all out there. People: Migrants, Border Patrol, Us, Ranchers, People sitting behind the computers only God knows where watching whatever the STI towers report back, Minute Men (usu sally not during these months). There are a lot of forces working against each other. The other day we must have set off a sensor and a Border Patrol Chopper came over the mountain, circled us twice and left. Other years, they have set up a 24 hour patrol station to monitor camp, no sign of that yet, but we'll see.

A desperate cry for freedom, what DOES this country really stand for? As you'll read in Rachel's reflection, we met a man name Carlos. He spent the night in our camp and yesterday we had to have him airlifted out. For all you who are into praying, do that for him. For all you who are into sending good energy, do that. And for all you who are into thinking really hard, do that. He left Nicaragua 14 days ago. His goal was to make money here so he could feed his 5 kids back at home. He's 42 years old. When he made it to the border the Mexican bandits took all his stuff. He fell behind and his group had to leave him. Our group found him, peeing blood, and drinking brown water. He was brought to our camp. He looked relatively healthy, and in good spirits. The next day his health went down (possible renal failure). He had to be airlifted right from our camp. So, this is his life, his family, his chance, and look what he was willing to go through. People die down here, and no one in there right mind would do it because they wanted to. If I were Carlos I would be so scared right now, we don't know what will happen after he's out of the hospital, it's possible he'll be on his way, it's also possible Border Patrol will pick up his bill and deport him. The system is so screwed up and needs to change because this isn't freedom. It's not freedom when goods can cross borders but people and labor cant. It's not freedom when towers and cameras and untrained border patrol monitor citizens for 24 hours a day. It's not freedom when the process to help someone in distress becomes a complicated drawn out process. It's not freedom when these things are happening to people in OUR name. It's not a country I want to live in, when people think they deserve it, 'because they should have came here legally.'

Something else I want to add is that we have been surrounded by great people so far- everyone really, that we've come into contact with...

hope everyone is well, please think about these things.