Prayer Mailing List: Fw: Urgent need for Humanitarian Crisis in Eagle Pass TX/Piedras Negras

[Mark Krause (mkrause111]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Pam Elliott <dispro512 [at] gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 4:14 PM
Subject: Urgent need for Humanitarian Crisis in Eagle Pass TX/Piedras Negras



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Friends, I have attached a story that FUMC Johnson City is putting together to 
publish in their local community newspaper this week. We have been in contact 
with Revs. Becky Baxter Ballou, Mission: Border Hope & Roberto Gomez, Piedras 
Negras District Superintendent of the Mexico UMC. We hope you will use it to 
raise awareness in your church and community about this urgent matter. There 
will be a trailer going from Johnson City to Eagle Pass later this week if you 
and your church & community are interested. They will gladly make stops along 
the way to pick up coats or blankets or cash donations made out to Mission 
Border Hope. The coats we received from the notice before Thanksgiving are 
being picked up by Rev. Baxter Ballou tomorrow. Thank you for those churches 
and their prompt response to our earlier email.

  

  

George Barnette <george [at] bnpr.com>
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Mon, Dec 3, 2018 at 3:42 PM
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To: Pam Elliott <dispro512 [at] gmail.com
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This is the story that went to the paper a few minutes ago. Other UMCs are 
welcome to steal it and insert their names and pastors’ names where 
appropriate. Lee says his quotes aren’t copyrighted — they can use those, too. 
Harder with the picture, but only the first one focuses on him.


George Barnette
george [at] bnpr.com
713-252-2288



THE "HUMANITARIAN CRISIS" ON TEXAS' DOORSTEP

  

  

While national attention has focused on the asylum-seekers’ caravan being met 
with tear gas at Tijuana, a similar — but quieter — crisis has been building on 
the  upper Texas border above Laredo. 

  

This week, churches in Johnson City and around the Hill Country launched a 
campaign to help.

  

On the Rio Grande west of San Antonio is Eagle Pass, just across the river from 
Piedras Negras on the Mexican side, where asylum-seekers also have been 
arriving and piling up, awaiting their turn for one of the 100 applications the 
US government allows per day. 

  

“They come from Honduras and Guatemala,” said the Rev Roberto Gomez, District 
Superintendent for the Mexican Methodist Church in Piedras Negras.

  

“They arrive in the clothes they wore when they left Central America at the end 
of the summer,” he said, "and now it is winter. Mothers cuddle their children, 
trying to keep them warm at night on the concrete bridge.”

  

Rev Gomez said the shelters in Piedras Negras are overflowing. Some refugees 
sleep on the bridge, to keep their place in line; others — especially the 
unaccompanied men — camp in the parks.

  

“It is a humanitarian crisis,” said the Rev Becky Baxter Ballou, of the First 
United Methodist Church in Eagle Pass and Director of Mission Border Hope in 
Eagle Pass.

  

“We’ve sent over volunteers, food, clothes, and blankets, but it just isn’t 
enough. We need outside help just to keep up, much less get ahead of the need.

  

“And this is on top of the poverty we already have on both sides of the river.”

  

Rev Ballou already had appealed for 500 winter coats just to provide for 
coatless children already in Piedras Negras and Eagle Pass.

  

“We are able to provide only one meal a day from our own church resources,” Rev 
Gomez said, "and that does not feed everyone. We make a box of burritos or 
sandwiches for $50, and take them to the refugees outdoors, and give them away 
until we run out.”

  

As critical as the food shortage is, though, the pastors are not asking for 
donations of food.

  

“Money is better than food,” explained Rev Ballou, “because it can be turned 
into whatever food is needed most. And some things can be bought cheaper over 
there than here in the US and vice-versa. We can spend money wherever we get 
the best price.”

  

Goods they need are warm clothing, blankets, personal hygiene kits, and 
diapers. Plus an idea that just occurred to them this week: sleeping bags.

  

“A sleeping bag is better than two or three blankets,” Rev Gomez said, and it 
can be cheaper. Even at deep discount stores, blankets sell for about the same 
as less-expensive sleeping bags from outdoor stores. In addition, many families 
still have stored sleeping bags from earlier years when they camped out, or 
deer-hunting gear no longer used, or the bags kept as still-good but updated 
with newer equipment.

  

“We’re fully committed to this relief effort,” said Pastor Lee Romero of the 
First United Methodist Church in Johnson City. “We’re not interested in 
immigration policy or border politicis — what we see is mothers and children 
sleeping on concrete in winter weather with not enough clothing and not enough 
food.”

  

The local church and almost 50 others across the Hill Country began collecting 
money and supplies this week, with the first deliveries to arrive on the border 
by the week’s end.

  

“We’ll take money or warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bags, personal hygiene 
supplies, or diapers,” Romero said. “We’re hoping the people of Johnson City 
will agree that families stuck out in the cold with little food or shelter 
deserve some help, and will join us, through their own churches or 
individually. 

  

With Christmas sales, finding warm clothing to donate isn’t hard, and fits any 
budget. A blanket is a little more than $10; a sleeping bag is about the same. 
One hundred dollars fills a pickup truck with big sandwiches for the refugees.

  

"This isn’t by just Methodists — it’s for all sympathetic humans,” Romero said.

  

H added that donations can be dropped off at the church office and will be 
taken to the border by volunteers. Cash or checks will get there even faster.

  

"Anyone who wants to see where their donation goes is welcome to ride down with 
us and help unload the trailer,” he added.
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Bless and sanctify the time we take away....

  

Pam Elliott

Hill Country District

Program Director

dispro512 [at] gmail.com

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