Brian Wallace will be consecrated as Suffragan Bishop this Saturday, at 9am Central. You can watch the Consecration service livestream here.
This week’s guest post is by Christ Church parishioner Ann Cushman, one of the members of our Missions Team.
Dear Christ Church,
When I attended my first Abara Border Encounter, a dormant seed deep down took root. During the three days of learning and experience, the little plant popped through the soil’s surface, and a new mission and passion began to bloom. It was a transformative experience that I will never forget. Earlier in 2023, we took another team, and again I sensed a caring for the least of these (Matthew 25:31-46).
As a data person, I often look for clarity and meaning in data, but it was the shared stories and experiences that made the mission of the Abara Border Encounter trip more important and clear. It also illustrated how inextricably tied the Christ Church partnership with Potter’s House in Guatemala is to what’s going on at the Texas/Mexico border. When I traveled to Guatemala with the Christ Church Missions Team, we witnessed poverty close up and learned about the country’s challenges that drive hurting people to our border. Our trips to Guatemala and El Paso taught us the importance of caring for people in Guatemala, as well as here at home.
I invite you to take a few minutes to learn from this article about one trek made from South America to Central America to reach the US. If you’d like to take a deeper dive, listen to the story A Mother, Daughter, a Deadly Journey from the New York Times audio news show The Daily. It shares a story of the treacherous journey through the Darien Gap.
You may have opinions and concerns about immigration issues but that’s not what this trip is about. It’s an immersive exploration of how God cares for the stranger and how He desires us to do likewise. God calls us to act justly and love mercy (Micah 6:8). On the Abara Border Encounter trip, you’ll participate in service projects, hear stories and see the faces of those waiting in shelters in El Paso and Juarez. All you need is an open heart and mind. These are difficult and complex issues best explored through experience and we invite you to join us to do just that. It is an eye-opening and community-building adventure.
If you feel a seed beginning to take root in you, we invite you to join us October 11-13 for the next Border Encounter with Abara Borderland Connections! And if you are interested in learning more, join Sara Morris for an information session after each service this Sunday, September 10 in the large conference room. If you can’t participate, feel free to contact me and I’ll provide more information.
Peace,
Ann Cushman