Cross-Border Vistas

Since Saturday, one of our youth, Sofia, and I have been in Tijuana! We are part of a U.S.-Mexican delegation of Episcopal/Anglican youth and chaperones from our diocese, Tijuana, and Hermosillo. Also here are youth from our outreach partner, Vida Joven! We have come to help improve a building adjacent to an orphanage—it will soon serve as a shelter for migrant women and children. Daily we are working, worshipping, playing, and simply hanging out together.

We also spend time every day in reflection. Something that can’t escape our notice is the view from our sixth-floor terrace. We can see across Tijuana, the border fences, Imperial Beach, Silver Strand, and the shiny high-rises on Coronado. Sofia wonders, “How can we be so close, yet our lives be so different?”

You know the differences, so I won’t list them. For me, this trip has not inspired any great epiphany on how to remedy those differences. But I will say that it gives me hope to see this cross-border delegation work, worship, play, and hang out together. Someday, maybe they will bring together these two worlds that can clearly see each other but are so far apart—for now.

Mother Nina+