One of most intriguing yet mysterious images that Jesus uses in His proclamation of the Good News is, “The Kingdom of God!” It is within you! It is among you! It is already but not yet! And how does it grow? Like a seed sown by the farmer that matures and sprouts during the night without the farmer knowing how! And it always grows like the smallest and most simple things in our daily lives. A pinch of leaven causes the whole loaf to rise. The tiny mustard seed grows into the huge bush where even the birds can nest. It is mysterious but not really that difficult to grasp. What Jesus teaches us is real and achievable if we have faith. If we are obedient. If we work together humbly as brothers and sisters of one family. If we truly believe, God can achieve things through us that will go far beyond our wildest imaginings.
In January 2019, when the Remain in Mexico policy of the Trump administration forced thousands of Central American refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. to remain in Mexico, the Columban missionaries became concerned for their emotional and physical well-being as they waited, at first for weeks, then months and for some, over a year to present their cases in the U.S. Immigration Court. There were families living in the streets as the various migrant shelters became filled, over-crowded, and were often poorly managed. By the grace of God, an empty building near the Columban parish in Anapra was loaned to us by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, to create a shelter for refugee women and their children. Thus, in September of 2019 the “Casa de Acogida” or “House of Welcome” was born.
When Covid struck a few months later, the women were forced to remain in the house for long periods of time, trying to attend to their children, communicate with their families and do the daily chores of cooking and cleaning as they learned to live as a community. What could they do that would allow them to pass the time, something creative that could stimulate them and help avoid depression and desperation? Perhaps learning something new, creating something personal and beautiful and even earning a little income?
The Columban Migrant Ministry Coordinator, Cristina Coronado, who had set up “Casa de Acogida,” asked her sister, Maricela, a skilled seamstress, if she could teach the women to embroider. Maricela said, “Sí,” and one of those paths that leads to the Kingdom was opened wide. And like many paths that lead to the Kingdom, this one was not so much anyone’s plan being imposed but, rather, a response to the needs of vulnerable women and their children.
As the embroidering experience began, the women were asked what kind of images they would like to embroider. Eventually they responded—some of them weeping— that they wanted to reproduce the flowers of their native lands, the beautiful, colored parrots and coetzels of Guatemala and other beautiful birds and flowers from El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Maricela would draw in pencil on the fabric and then patiently instruct the women how to embroider them with bright yellows and reds, blues and browns, greens and magenta. As they continued to improve their skills and grow in confidence as a community, they decided they wanted a name for their group. After some debate and discussion, they came up with the clever title: “NicHonSaGua,” an acronym that employed the first couple letters of each of their Central American countries.
Eventually the Columban Mission Center in El Paso began to return to Anapra with their Border Awareness Education (BAE) groups and one of the top requests was to visit the “House of Welcome,” where the ladies and their children shared their oftenharrowing tales of escaping death threats, rape, pressure to join gangs, poverty and corruption. Word spread and other visitors and groups began to come and see the Casa de Acogida and learn about the experiences of these valiant women. The Jesuit Encuentro Program from El Paso, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and one unusual group: The Swiss Embassy from Mexico City. The final moment of the visit was always the presentation, by the women themselves, of their now beautifully embroidered bags, which they happily sold to the group participants. Everyone left with a piece of Central America, a heart moved by human courage and resilience, and the blessed experience of dwelling in a little corner of the Kingdom of God for an hour or two.