Migrant Ministry

Welcome to the Migrant Ministry

It’s hard to imagine being at the mercy of others to get to Mass, but that’s the case for Migrant Workers who are in our area as Guest Farmworkers.  We have such a great gift right here in our Parish community to encounter Jesus in the stranger, and welcome Him as He called us to do.  Please prayerfully consider the Migrant Ministry and help us ensure our Guest Farmworkers have the means to attend Mass.

Hundreds of men annually work on contract (H-2A visas) with local growers to produce tobacco and other cash crops.  These guest workers arrive by bus throughout the growing season and live together in “camps” on the grower’s land, where they are typically isolated by language, lack of transportation and long hours of work.  Volunteers from Saint Bernadette offer a vital link to parish life to farm workers.

With the help of volunteers, the office of Social Outreach plans, coordinates and conducts outreach and advocacy with farm workers.  Whether or not you speak Spanish, there are many ways you can serve.

Gloria’s Notes from the Fields

June 30, 2020

Hi all,

I hope this finds you well.

 

Even though the pandemic has turned everything upside down in our lives including the Migrant Ministry’s schedule of events, the needs of our brothers (the farmworkers) are still there.  I received a simple request of clothes washers, reminding me God’s love is constant, never changing and it brought me comfort.

Because the clothes washers at the camps get heavily used, we get replacement requests every year about this time.  Edgar from Two Claude and Esequiel from Wagstaff texted me their requests on Sunday.

 

I was having a difficult time in finding donated washers, so I prayed the rosary asking for divine help.  On the second day, Edgar said they had found one.  They were working with the guys from Open Gate camp and when they heard their need, they offered one that was languishing in their camp.  In normal times, these two camps are regular Mass attendees.  God is good and answers prayers.

 

This morning, I received a call from one of our Migrant Ministry drivers who had put out feelers to his many friends.  One gentleman stepped forward and donated a brand-new high capacity washer from Home Depot.  One of our Migrant Ministry drivers will transport the washer in a few days.  Again, God is good and answers prayers.

 

Yes, we are in tumultuous times, but look to God for his steadfastness in his love and mercy for us, his precious children.  He continues to show himself in the Migrant Ministry.

 

Peace,

 

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

 

11/17/19

One more growing season has come and gone, and all the farm workers have returned to their homes or continued up north to cut pine trees.

We had so many new occurrences this year,

• We picked up five new camps, Adcock, Rawls Church, Royal, Mabry and James Austin.
• Hair stylists came to the weekly Sunday dinners and donated their time and talent to cut the workers’ hair. They plan to continue to come next year, twice a month during the meals.
• Someone from Abiding Presence church saw a need and volunteered to cook 16 liters of soup for the workers.
• Tax preparation was offered by one of our drivers this year and a few workers were greatly helped.
• Our new volunteers in the clinic consisted of a few people with medical backgrounds; medical doctor, physician assistant, nurses and medical interns.
• The Thursday camp Masses had new volunteers that brought their children and delicious Mexican food. They will continue to volunteer next year as well.
• Our list of volunteer drivers grew to 32, giving needed rest to our regular drivers. One of them had a 14-passenger van.
• Drivers of Faith picked up the farm workers from the camps 215 times for Mass this year. We are truly blessed.
• An incredible number of shoes were donated this year by one donor, every worker that came to Mass received a pair and more and they could not be happier.
• Three of the workers from Mamie have volunteered to be ushers – joining one from Barbour Store.
• Growing hemp was introduced more widely at the camps and we hear more camps will start growing it next year.

Thank you for making this year a success from transporting the guys to and from church, ministering to them in the clinic, arranging and handing out clothing, cooking and serving them food, setting up the tables and breaking down.  You were there when I needed you most and I appreciate it.   You are all my Simons of Cyrene.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I hope to see you next year.

Una temporada de cosecha más ha ido y venido, y todos los trabajadores agrícolas han regresado a sus hogares o continuado hacia el norte para cortar pinos.

Tuvimos tantas ocurrencias nuevas este año,

• Recogimos cinco nuevos campos, Adcock, Rawls Church, Royal, Mabry and James Austin.
• Las estilistas acudieron a las cenas semanales del domingo y donaron su tiempo y talento para cortar el pelo de los trabajadores. Planean continuar el próximo año dos veces al mes durante las comidas.
• Alguien de la iglesia Abiding Presence Lutheran Church vio una necesidad y se ofreció a cocinar 16 litros de sopa para los trabajadores. Seguirá donando su sopa cada semana a los campos fuera de las cenas dominicales.
• La preparación de impuestos fue ofrecida por uno de nuestros choferes este año y algunos trabajadores fueron ayudados.
• Nuestros nuevos voluntarios en la clínica consistían en unas pocas personas con antecedentes médicos; médico, enfermera y pasantes médicos.
• Las Misas del campo de los jueves tenían nuevos voluntarios que traen a sus hijos y deliciosa comida mexicana. Seguirán siendo voluntarios el próximo año también.
• Nuestra lista de conductores voluntarios creció a 32, dando el descanso necesario a nuestros conductores regulares. Uno de ellos tenía una camioneta de 14 pasajeros.
• Los choferes recogieron a los trabajadores de los campos 213 veces para la misa en los domingos. Somos verdaderamente bendecidos.
• Un increíble número de zapatos fueron donados este año por un donante, cada trabajador que llegó a misa recibió un par y más y no podían ser más felices.
• Tres de los trabajadores de Mamie se han ofrecido como voluntarios para ser ujieres, uniéndose a uno de Barbour Store.
• El cultivo de la marijuana se introdujo más ampliamente en los campos y oímos que más campos comenzarán a crecer el próximo año.

Gracias por hacer de este año un éxito desde el transporte de los trabajadores hacia y desde la iglesia, ministrando a ellos en la clínica, arreglando y repartiendo ropa, cocinando y sirviéndoles comida, montando las mesas y descomponiéndose.  Estabas ahí cuando más te necesitaba y te lo agradezco.   Todos son mis Simons de Cyrene.

Gracias desde el fondo de mi corazón.

Espero verte el año que viene.

7/24/19

Gloria’s Notes from the Fields

Scripture says to open your heart so you can see God’s miracles in your life, so I’d like to share one with you.

Lately, I’ve been feeling my relationship with our Lord hasn’t been strong.  I thought He wasn’t hearing me, and I was disappointed with myself.

Our wonderful volunteers in the food pantry put together some food for me to take to a camp and I was very excited to be able to provide food to one that had been working very little.  We had been having high temperatures with the heat index of 105 and the plant wasn’t mature enough to tend, rain was needed.

I arrived at the camp and no one was around.  I was hoping they would be home for lunch, so I texted them asking if I had permission to enter one of the trailers and leave the 4 boxes filled with perishable food.  I waited a little while and tried to call but the connection is almost non-existent in that part of Lillington.  After 20 minutes, I was worried they weren’t coming so I started to pray for them to arrive.  It was important to me they had this food because six farm workers from this camp are new ushers at St. Bernadette.  It is a joy to see them serving in this capacity.

As I was praying, dark clouds moved in and it started to sprinkle and then a torrential rain came down.  It rained for a while and then I decided to leave and go to another camp but then I received a call from the farm workers.  They had to stop working because of the rain and were heading home.

After I left their camp and was about three blocks away, I saw the pavement was bone dry and nothing was wet from that point to the church.  I choose to believe this was my miracle of the day and I thank HIM.

Blessings.

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.