Happy Birthday Clara!!

Well it has been far too long since I have posted anything on my blog. My apologies!!

Unfortunately, there also hasn't been much to blog about.

Today is my little sister's 22nd birthday. CONGRATS! There's some news :)

Also, I'm coming home on November 20th for a week...there's some more news.

My computer full on crashed: dead. Kaput. No more. That's really upsetting news.


Recently, an organization that I'm involved with, called No More Deaths, published a report detailing Border Patrol abuses against migrants in the last 3 years. The report is incredibly detailed, and takes samples of reports of abuse from Nogales, Naco, and Agua Prieta, where I'm living. My roommate Phil and I both did work on the report as well, translating pages into Spanish so that it may be published bi-ligually.

See it on CNN!

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/22/us/border-patrol-allegations/index.html?iref=allsearch

You can also download the whole report for free, or buy it for $15 from our website: (please be advised, this website has very graphic images of the types of violence that we see on the border)

www.cultureofcruelty.org

Here are some pictures from our Report launch outside the Naco Border Patrol Station yesterday.

Middle School Playground Spats

This situation that is happening between us and Mexico (see post USA vs. Mexico), seems to me to be a really public and dramatic playground spat.

Mexico, "They want to have homos in the church. Grosss!!"

PC(USA), "OMG, like, get over yourselves! We already have women, what's the BIG DEAL?"

Mexico, "But, women have cooties! We can't let them be pastors!"

PC(USA), "Do what you want, you don't have to play on the swings with us."

Mexico, "FINE! We won't even be on the same PLAYGROUND! How do ya like them apples?"


I have mixed feelings about the Mexico decision, for a variety of reasons. First off, I think it was incredibly childish, rushed, and overall foolish. What kind of message are we sending to God's people if we can't get along over some really basic issues? For the record, the INMP, Mexican National Presbyterian Church, wasn't even voting about the issues of openly gay pastors. That wasn't even on the table.

Secondly, there is the question of what now?

The directory of PC(USA) World Mission has already said that he can't encourage mission groups coming down and participating in the bi-national ministries in Mexico, one of which is Frontera de Cristo.

On the one hand, I really would like FDC to continue strong, and move forward with the others projects that we have that don't really involve the groups. And I'd love to help.

On the other hand...I'm ready to be home. I don't have groups at the moment, so my days feel kinda wasteful (though I've been attending meetings and babysitting a lot, so I still work all day), and simply wouldn't mind calling it a job well done and exiting gracefully.

Though, that leaves the question of what I should do when I do finally relocate to Iowa. Any job suggestions?