Chicano Park

http://chicano-park.org/

JRLC Community Organizing

http://www.jrlc.org/

PICO Community Organizing

http://www.piconetwork.org/

Immigration Study: Day 1

(Disclaimer: All times will be listed as local.)

This will prove to be more of a humour post as it deals with traveling.

First, a Seinfeld moment when the pilot tells us we are at 10,000 feet and we may turn on our mobile devices. Why is 10K feet such a special number for this?  Is it because above 10K feet if one's mobile device causes the plane to crash, we're all assured death so it's okay?

Second Seinfeld moment, the pilot came over the  cabin airwaves and said, "we have reached cruising altitude, you may undo your seatbelt and roam about the cabin..."  So, I did.  As I was pacing the aisle, a flight attendant stopped me and asked me to take my seat. I said, "But the pilot said I was free to roam about the cabin." Well, if that wasn't enough to set off security alarms for "suspicious activity" please keep reading.

As we made our approach to Phoenix for our connecting flight, the pilot informed us the temperature in Phoenix was 108 and it felt like 114. Now, being from Indiana, I have experienced heat indexes of 108+, but never have I felt 108 as an actual temperature and never have I been able to discern for myself if it's a "dry heat." Well, we traveled from concourse B way across to concourse D. Went to the bathroom and within 10 minutes we were boarding our second flight. By this point I was nuts with the inability to be outside in this weather.  So, while walking down the airbridge to board the San Diego flight, an airport employee, TSA agent -- I don't know, he had a lot of ID stuff around his neck and a uniform (not a pilot or flight crew) -- was exiting a secured door (numerical keypad) at the end of the airbridge near the airplane. It must have been because of this dry heat, but that door sure did close slowly behind, so I stopped it; walked out onto the top of the stairs; closed my eyes and was in the middle of a huge exhale when he was on the ground, looked up and yelled, "Close that door!'" Sorry, Mister, but I loved that weather and I wasn't going to let it pass me by. Thank you for allowing me to step outside of the airbridge for a moment.  Oh, yes, it felt gooooood!

Southwest flight crews are amazing. The woman flight attendant talking to us during the flight had such quotes as:
"In the event of an emergency, just listen to us and do everything we tell you."
"If you are traveling with children, I'm sorry. If you aren't traveling with children, you have to put up with the ones that do."
"...Once the oxygen mask is deployed, it will fill with alcohol..."
(upon touchdown in San Diego, she gets on and in an out-of-breath fashion, after a couple heavy breaths into the microphone, proclaims, "We made it!"

(no kidding...it was a great experience and with good personality and humour...Loved it!)
We have arrived safely at the airport Hilton in San Diego. The weather is almost as beautiful as Phoenix.  It's currently 65 at 10pm with highs around 70. We dined at a place called the Boathouse Restaurant. It sits on the harbor and overlooks may gorgeous sailing vessels and yachts. It was quite the place and with quite the offerings - similar to Mountain Jacks, but better seafood (for those reading from the Lafayette area). We ate well and had many laughs and good conversation. In the words of one young man I know, "Thank you, Grandpa Lilly."

Tomorrow our group will depart at 9:15am to visit Chicano Park and meet with a past City Council Representative in San Diego before heading to and crossing the border around 2pm.

Myself, along with a pastor from Delphi, led devotions this evening.  My portion was: Matthew 4:18-22: "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him."

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Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers . . . . Then he said to them, “Follow
Me.” —Matthew 4:18-19

This week we will have opportunity to be with the beauty of life, in context unfamiliar to our ordinary, and at times messy, but such is the life walked with Jesus - some "luxurious slavery" and picturesque beauty and others miniscule with heart-wrenching pain and disgust. I’m often reminded that these treks through the picturesque beauty and wildernesses of fear are symbolic of our spiritual journey, for the Christian life is simply walking—with Jesus alongside as our companion and guide. He walked through the land of Israel from one end to the other, gathering disciples, saying to them, “Follow Me” (Matt. 4:19).

The journey is not always easy. Sometimes giving up seems easier than going on, but when things get difficult, we can rest a while and renew our strength. In Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan describes the arbor on Hill Difficulty where Christian caught his breath before continuing the climb. His scroll provided comfort, reminding him of God’s continual presence and sustaining power. He got a second wind so he could walk a few more miles.

Only the divine knows where the path will take us, but we have our God’s assurance, “I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20). This is not a metaphor or other figure of speech. Divine energy is real company. There is not one hour without God's presence, not one mile without Jesus' companionship. Knowing the Spirit is with us makes the journey lighter. 

When life becomes a heavy load / An upward climb, a winding road, / In daily tasks, God, let me see / That with me you will always be.

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We were asked tonight by our leaders to ruminate on a short, but compex question: "What is a border?"  So, I ask you, "What is a border?"  And I really prefer you to give me some answers because I'm exausted from giving airport security and flight crews such fits.

Here We Go!!!

All 16 pastors and 2 leaders - of different Christian denominations from Indiana - are awaiting to board our flight to Phoenix/San Diego at the Indianapolis International Airport.  We are traveling to Tijuana and Tecate, Mexico, as a part of the Lilly Endowment-funded Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program.  The purpose of the tour is to learn, see, and acquire a better sense and awareness of the current immigration situation. I will be checking in here to share the experience along the way. You may join me here and I will also pose questions for interactive participation.