Where is God in the midst of the suffering that impels children and single mothers with babies and toddlers to risk a difficult journey from El Salvador, Guatemala or Honduras to arrive in the U.S.? How can Christians understand the fear of violence and poverty that motivates unaccompanied children or teens, mothers with small children to leave their homes? See the National Justice for Our Neighbors website for articles to help United Methodists look at the humans behind the statistics that we hear about. Read the UMCOR article and links to news of actions by border churches to reach out to alleviate human suffering in this humanitarian crisis.
For a deeper understanding of the situation of young people born in the U.S. to undocumented parents, watch the video "Jasmine's Story." A heart-rending decision was taken by Jasmine when her parents were deported, leaving the high schooler to care for her younger sister with neither job nor money. See how a United Methodist Church stepped in to support Jasmine when all seemed lost. Gain a new sense of compassion for youngsters on both sides of our border caught up in an unjust immigration system that separates families and places human needs at the bottom of the list of concerns.
Check out JFON's Judy Kading's blog, Immigrants Speak From the Border