March 22, 2022
The 2022 growing season has begun and the first farmworkers have arrived.
Four of the Barbour Store camp farmworkers were notified last December that the rancher would be discontinuing growing tobacco due to health reasons. The 4 workers are currently working at Tarheel Nursery in Angier. When they were working at Barbour Store they were lent to this nursery after the tobacco ended for the season. The guys didn’t mind because they were treated very well by the nursery owner. The owner is a man of faith, and it shows in the blessings the guys have received.
- Their new camp has a brand-new clothes washer indoors
- Brand-new mattresses
- A large wall heater
- Each bedroom has a window air conditioner
- They have a car in the carport for work use only
- The shower and toilet are in separate rooms
- Nice kitchen table and chairs
- Their kitchen is stocked with a few pans and dinnerware
- A working refrigerator and stove
- Two overstuffed chairs
- Horses in a pasture across the way which lends to a serene setting
- For now, they work from 9am to 5pm Monday – Friday and Saturday until noon. I’m sure as the warm weather sets in, their hours will change.
They feel like they are living in paradise. We’ll see where Raymundo and the rest of the guys will be located when they arrive in a few months.
Santos from Wagstaff arrived a few days ago and he looks great. He’s the only one at the camp since the rest of the guys can’t cross into the U.S. until they show evidence of having received 2 vaccinations.
Please pray the farmworkers continue to receive God’s graces through the Migrant Ministry.
Blessings.
December 1, 2021
We are at the end of the broccoli growing season and the last farmworker will be returning to his family at the end of this week. It must be such a joyful time for them to see their families again after 10 months. I recall a news clip showing families in the U.S. reuniting with their families after being locked down because of the pandemic. The families were joyful and had tears of happiness. This is probably how it feels for the farmworkers every year. They must feel desperation when they are preparing for their trip to the U.S. once again, but they understand they need to be apart from their families to sustain them.
The Migrant Ministry volunteers exist at St. Bernadette as instruments of God’s infinite mercy to support our brothers who are our parishioners. Some of the farm workers have been coming to St. Bernadette for over 24 years and some are ushers at the 5:00 pm Mass.
Let’s pray we can bring the farmworkers to Sunday Mass next year; they certainly miss visiting and hearing the WORD. It gives them strength to continue working through the tough times at the height of the season when it is overwhelmingly hot and humid, and they can’t seem to keep up with the rancher’s demands.
This growing season was full of activity with volunteers cooking meals; donating, and transporting clothes washers; sorting, and distributing food; donating clothing, and ready to volunteer whenever possible. It warms my heart when someone asks me if I need anything for the Migrant Ministry. Prayers are always welcome.
Some of the workers will not be returning to their current camps, they could not withstand the green tobacco disease, the loneliness, the harshness this work entails. The rest will return for another growing season and know St. Bernadette parishioners will be ready to envelope them in fellowship and understanding of their need to be here.
Blessings.
diciembre 1, 2021
Estamos al final de la temporada de cultivo de brócoli y el último trabajador agrícola regresará con su familia al final de esta semana. Debe ser un momento muy alegre para ellos volver a ver a sus familias después de 10 meses. Recuerdo un clip de noticias que muestra a familias en los Estados Unidos reuniéndose con sus familias después de haber sido encerradas debido a la pandemia. Las familias estaban alegres y tenían lágrimas de felicidad. Esto es probablemente lo que se siente para los trabajadores agrícolas cada año. Deben sentir desesperación cuando se preparan para su viaje a los Estados Unidos una vez más, pero entienden que necesitan estar separados de sus familias para mantenerlos.
Los voluntarios del Ministerio De Trabajadores existen en Santa Bernardita como instrumentos de la infinita misericordia de Dios para apoyar a nuestros hermanos que son nuestros feligreses. Algunos de los trabajadores agrícolas han estado viniendo a St. Bernadette por más de 24 años y algunos son ujieres en la misa de las 5:00 pm.
Oremos para que podamos llevar a los trabajadores agrícolas a la misa dominical el próximo año; ciertamente extrañan visitar y escuchar la PALABRA. Les da fuerza para continuar trabajando en los tiempos difíciles en el apogeo de la temporada cuando hace mucho calor y humedad, y parece que no pueden mantenerse al día con las demandas del ranchero.
Esta temporada de crecimiento estuvo llena de actividad con voluntarios cocinando comidas; donando y transportando lavadoras de ropa; clasificando y distribuyendo alimentos; donando ropa, y listo para ser voluntario siempre que sea posible. Mi corazón se llena de gusto cuando alguien me pregunta si necesito algo para el Ministerio de Trabajadores. Las oraciones son siempre bienvenidas.
Algunos de los trabajadores no regresarán a sus campos actuales, no pudieron soportar la enfermedad del tabaco verde, la soledad, la dureza que conlleva este trabajo. El resto regresará para otra temporada de crecimiento y sabrá que los feligreses de Santa Bernadette estarán listos para envolverlos en compañerismo y comprensión de su necesidad de estar aquí.
Bendiciones.