Good Friday, 4/19/19
I know in my heart God is great, but I am still amazed how he shows himself in different ways, especially this year during Holy Week.
On the evening of Good Friday, I received a phone call from Hugo, one of the farm workers from a camp in Angier letting me know they had arrived for this year’s growing season. After a few pleasantries, I asked how many farm workers were at his camp and he said none. The rancher had loaned everyone out to different camps (which is unusual) and he and Luis were in Creedmoor, an hour away. When the farm workers arrive for the season, we welcome them with clothing, shoes, blankets, toiletries, rosaries and a few other items. I said I would go to Creedmoor possibly the next day, if not, on Monday. When they had left their camp in Angier, they weren’t aware they were going to stay there for two weeks, so they didn’t pack clothing or toiletries. It had rained the day before and they were picking strawberries in the rain.
After I heard they were working in wet clothes from the day before, I changed my worried thoughts of how much I had to do to prepare for my family’s Easter dinner celebration, to who can I ask to go with me on this one hour trip and how early do I have to leave the next day in order to get dry clothes for Hugo, Luis and the 3 other men living with them.
Nancy Watson readily agreed to go with me on the following day, Holy Saturday. We are both early birds, so we left at 7:00 am after packing my car at the church. God was with us because we didn’t have too much traffic and we found the camp without any problem. We turned into a U-Pick strawberry patch with a small shack to the left where they were selling strawberries and vegetables. To the right were two trailers and some farm workers busy picking strawberries out among wet soil and rows of strawberries. Luis greeted us in wet clothes but with a huge smile and a warm hug for us even though his hands were cold. I love this ministry!
The trailer was small and stark but clean with an inside washer and dryer that actually worked. We placed the donated items from generous St. Bernadette parishioners in the bedrooms and arrived in Fuquay with happy hearts. What a blessed Holy Week it was seeing and hearing HIM in Luis and Hugo.
I can’t wait to see what HE has in store for the Migrant Ministry this growing season. What a great start!
Blessings.