Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity SIster Marlita Henseler shares some of her recent experiences while serving at Kino Border Initiative.
I hope each is well and staying healthy. Someone asked me lately how to find out more information about Kino Border Initiative where I am serving. Google the name “dot org”, and it will tell you all the services we offer to those who come to our door for help.
This past Friday was a very special day here for our families in the shelter: 9 families now 10 adults and 9 children. Claritza from Honduras and her son Victor, 3 months old ,were baptized in the nearby church, and all staff and shelter members were invited to the party afterwards. With a good meal and music and dancing, we all had a wonderful time. The sponsors were staff members, and Fr. Pete, a Jesuit from AZ, did the honors. I was one of the lectors at Mass. Will share some photos. About 50 attended.
On Saturday we received many new migrants from Nicaragua, I think traveling as a caravan; mostly men of all ages seeking asylum for their families.
Christmas decorations are going up all over a Kino, and the ladies in the shelter are doing most of the decorating. We also have a lovely altar to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and next Sunday we will celebrate that occasion as well.
Sat./Sunday was our car trip to Agua Prieta, Mexico to meet 3 more Missionaries of the Eucharist sisters. It is a 2 hour Trip by US highways, and 4 hours by Mexican route. We took to US route through the mountains…beautiful sites, and skirted the city limits of Sierra Vista. We were late in starting so could not stop, but another time I hope to see our Sisters there…it is only an hour from us. We had a lovely meal together and stayed overnight; so after AM Mass and breakfast, one of the sisters took some of us newbies around the Pueblo and showed us their Center for Migrants, much smaller than ours, but serving those in need, too. At a resale shop I bought a heavier jacket, as our early AMs and evening get cool, 40 ish now, but they tell me down to freezing in January. The higher altitude contributes to that cooling off. Daytime is still in the 70’ s. We had to wait an hour on our return because of all the traffic returning to the US.
After the full weekend, I had to wait to write. The English classes are going well. The other day we spoke ONLY English in one section for 25 minutes, answering questions that I posed. I was so proud of them. They are my oldest class as I started with them right away. I am starting a4th English class for some staff people who want to learn, and it will be on Sunday Mornings only.
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