A Day in the Life of A Migrant

I can't believe how every time I experience migrant immersion day, I leave with a new perspective. Today we got up so early, 5 in the morning. We ate a quick breakfast and then headed out to two different farms. One group of kids went to Five Loaves Farm, while the others went to Breckenridge Blueberry Farm. The previous night everyone was separated into different migrant families, and today we worked with our family members for about four hours doing various jobs. My family was at the blueberry farm and we weeded the berry bushes, as well as picked the ripe berries. They were deliciously round and full of juice. When we were finished, we headed to the YMCA to shower. Then we were paid for our days work and given the task of buying enough food to sustain our family for dinner without going hungry. It was tough, with my group only having $6 to buy our dinner. We settled on pasta with salad, bread, and cinnamon rolls. It was a pretty substantial meal, and we were able to have leftovers. With dinner finished, the group visited all kids at a migrant camp called Sunrise. I was lucky enough to show some girls how to make friendship bracelets, as well as painting fingernails. It was too soon when we had to say goodbye. Reflecting on the events of today, I begin to think about the CWOM- Corporal Work of Mercy- we had discussed in the morning, "give drink to the thirsty." Thinking about how I satisfied another's thirst was challenging. I think there were more times during the day where others met my needs of thirst, rather than the other way around. My group noticed how tiring today was, and we only did a few hours of manual labor. There are migrants who work for hours, even picking up two shifts, all to try to quench their thirst to provide for their family and better their lives. Seeing and experiencing first-hand what it is like to work that hard for so long was one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had. It has left me considering how privileged I am and how many blessings have been given to me. The one who has blessed me is God, and I leave today with a new-found sense of gratitude for His work in my life, as well as others lives. This gratitude leaves me with a new thirst. A thirst to continue to go out and do what He is calling me to do. I thirst to discover what His plan is for me, to go out, and share with others all the blessings life has to offer.
-Olivia R.