By Sister Ann Howard, SNDdeN
This article initially appeared in the Summer 2023 issue of our magazine, 'Sowing Goodness.' The full issue is available here.
As an American, I saw many news stories about the people at the border seeking entry to the United States. Our Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Phoenix send out a regular invitation to come and serve. I am celebrating my 45th year as a Sister so the timing was ripe for a new challenge. I hoped to see the people and witness their welfare as they make the journey on their quest for asylum in the U.S. I was not disappointed as I saw young families, parents with young children, and a few young adults traveling alone, some from China, from Mexico, from Russia, Peru, and the Dominican Republic.
I was frustrated with my inability to speak Spanish and to interact verbally with the clients at their —International Rescue Committee—known as the Welcome Center (WC). Still, without language, there are activities and gestures of caring; like handing a towel to someone on their way to the shower or admiring an article of clothing that they just selected among the “Ropa Room” donations. Smiles and eye contact communicate welcome. Nonverbal communication is something, at least.
However, the overall experience was positive as I met gratitude and gentleness in moms helping their little girls and boys pick out clothes to wear, utilize the shower rooms and the supply cart, and rest and wait for supper. Within 24 hours or so, most folks were on the move to their next destination—taking the bus to the airport or a flight to their chosen city, where their ‘probable cause’ hearings would take place and family members would be waiting to welcome them.
Preparing to assist at the WC, I wondered who I would meet there. The first week, there were very few people arriving. A new app for peopleseeking asylum has been developed and people need to navigate the technology on their phones to apply. During the second week of my service, there were a hundred or more people at the WC each day and I could see how well the system of welcoming, assisting,feeding, and supporting the families entering the U.S. worked.
In orientation, we were told that these folks are on a long journey, and this is one point on the pathway toward a new future, where safety and well-being are the goals. I realize there are many questions still to be answered in the lives of these people in transition, seeking asylum, and so the story is unfinished. I did see people making their way to the bus, the big black bus that offered a ride to the airport each hour. I trust and pray that their travel has borne fruit and their journey has a sense of accomplishment for the time being. People expressed gratitude and openness while at the WC and I can only hope that they are met with a warm welcome and a chance to realize their dreams in the coming days.