A Safe Place

Dear ones,

I am writing this post to you from El Tropicano, an old hotel in San Antonio that thankfully was affordable for tonight.  Dolly Parton even stayed here, back in the day.  You see, I booked a bargain room at an Airbnb and ended up spending one night feeling a bit uncomfortable, but mostly uneasy and not totally safe.  This morning at my temporary church home,Travis Park Church, I thought about how my dilemma of discomfort was something I could solve rather easily.  That made me think about how people seeking safety and making the difficult decision to leave their home, friends, and even their country to seek asylum do not have the kind of choices that I have!  At first, I thought that meant I was supposed to stay in the unease of my Airbnb.  But as I thought of nearly two weeks of uneasiness I realized that if I felt safer in my home base I would be much more able to support the people I'm here to help.  The new airbnb sounds much better, and when I mentioned to the new host that I was volunteering with RAICES he responded with enthusiasm and said that their office is just two blocks away.  Success!

I received three videos before I left, from dear friends wishing me well.  Two of them were children, and the videos brought happy tears to my eyes!  Today, my friends Reid (first grade) and Julie sent me a video, because Reid had an important question to ask "Have I met anybody who wouldn't let anybody in to the country yet?"  What a great question!  The cool thing to me so far is that everyone I have met has been incredibly friendly!  While eating at a family run restaurant boasting the "best enchiladas in San Antonio", I really enjoyed seeing all of the happy people feasting.  I noticed that there were people eating together that didn't necessarily look like each other.  This restaurant had young and old, black, white and Latino people, and everyone was together, connected, part of the dinner feast.  I don't often see mixed groups in Portland as we are pretty segregated overall.  Suddenly, I have a whole new sense of what comprises Texan pride!  I was just as pleased to see this same diversity at Travis Park Church this morning.  And don't worry, although a part of me thoroughly enjoys rose colored glasses, I know that people in Texas certainly experience racism and discrimination as well.  But I gotta say, it seems like a great starting place to find connection with a wide variety of people who also have a wide variety of experiences to share!  So Reid, I can honestly answer that so far, the people I have met seem like kind people, and not ones that would prevent other people from achieving safety in their lives.  I can also say that I've been referred to as ma'am more times in this short trip than in all of my years put together, but I'm not totally sure where that comes in :)

Tomorrow I will go to RAICES for the orientation.  Thank you to all of my friends and family for being kind people.  I know that you all do the best you can to share what you have so that others do not go without.  I honestly think most people would make that choice when face to face with another human being.  It is only when people become somehow less than whole people in our minds that we lose a sense of caring or compassion for them.

Love,
Jen