Immigration is one of those topics resulting in hot emotions and strong responses.  For the church, it is an opportunity to share the love of God, to give aid to the stranger, to support the displaced, and to offer a safe place of refuge for those far from what’s familiar.

“There’s always a reason why they leave their country,” Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer, pastor of San Pablo Lutheran Church and CEO of Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM), explained, “Whatever their reasons, it doesn’t change that we’re called to love and care for them, so we do what we can to fulfill that calling.”

What is especially saddening, for as many people willing to help those trying to enter the United States, just as many are seeking to take advantage of them.  A woman from Honduras, currently staying with two other refugees in the dormitory of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Anapra, a YLM partnering mission-church, shared her story of the time she spent at one of the shelters situated in the southern Texas/Mexico border.

“The man in charge of the shelter kept telling us to be ready for when the coyote came for us.  It didn’t matter if we wanted to go through the legal process to enter the United States, if we were staying there, we would have to go when the coyote came.”

One such night, she and her thirteen-year-old son, along with others staying at the shelter, were taken out into the desert and herded towards the border.  She still remembers the fear of that night, because she was left behind.

“They didn’t come back for me,” she explained, the reminder of that night evident on her face, “They left me, with no water, and my son was no longer with me.  From eight at night to two in the morning, I was wandering out there by myself.  I was certain I was going to die out there.”

She was found by the Border Patrol and returned to Mexico, where she found another shelter, but the same thing was being done there.  She was so afraid of getting lost that she left the shelter and made the trip to Juarez, where she slept on the street, near one of the US Border Entries.  Through what she calls God’s providence, she was able to come to San Lucas, where she waits for the immigration process to take place.

Stanley, a young man from Haiti, found himself in a similar situation.  Earlier this year, he and his pregnant sister, and her husband, arrived in Juarez with nothing but the clothes they wore.  Wandering the streets of Juarez, somehow they ended up outside of Iglesia Luterana Cristo Rey, another of YLM’s partnering mission-churches, and asked Rosy Lira for help with somewhere to stay.

“I’ll always remember the day he found us,” Rosy, who is a deaconess for three of the Juarez mission-churches partnering with YLM, shared, “He approached us for help, for a place where all three could stay.  They had no food, no money, and just the clothes they wore.  When I told him they could stay with us, he fell to his knees, right there on the street, and praised God.”

YLM has always been willing to help the Juarez mission-churches care for their community, including the refugees they reach out to with compassion.  For the last fourteen months, YLM has been providing needed resources to San Lucas and Cristo Rey, as both mission-churches are dedicated to offer care to these displaced strangers.  Rosy, along with members of the churches she serves, has distributed food and Bibles to nearby one-room houses, where multiple Cuban refugees were staying.  San Lucas opened their dormitory to a family of three in 2020, then again to Stanley and his family, and now, to eight refugees from Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba.

“We’ve housed these same refugees here at YLM,” Pastor Heimer explained, “Stanley stayed with us for a month, but most of them left to their final destination after a day or two.”

YLM staff and members of San Pablo Lutheran Church have helped with these refugees, from providing food and clothing, to giving them assistance with filling required immigration paperwork or transportation to the airport or bus station.

“With Stanley, some complications arose, so we helped with the additional paperwork,” Karla, YLM’s Business Manager, explained, “We were able to do it online and once everything was approved, we helped him purchase his airline ticket to Miami.”

While staying at YLM, Stanley took care of electrical needs around the campus, helped distribute food on Saturday mornings, unloaded donations during the week, and assisted Rosy in loading up her van with needed resources for the mission-churches across the border.  His gratitude for everything done to help him showed him the character of the God he loved, helping him grow in his faith in response to God’s provision through his brothers and sisters in Christ.

“Let brotherly love continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby

some have entertained angels unawares.”                 

~Hebrews 13:1-2

YLM needs your help to be able to continue helping these mission-churches in their ministry towards those seeking refuge while in Juarez.  Donate now through YLM for Refugee Care to help.