To Those Who Thirst...

Today was the day I've been looking forward to since I first heard about the Agape Service Project: Migrant Immersion Day. I love learning about different lifestyles, digging in deep and attempting to walk in the shoes of others. I could feel myself giddy with excitement as we were given our wake-up time of 5:30am. This was gonna be great.

We got up as the sun was rising, rushed through breakfast and were off to a farm outside of Bellingham, where we'd spend a few hours doing manual labor as the migrant workers do. We arrived, had a beautiful discussion with the farmer about human dignity, and set off to pull weeds.

Overall the experience was interesting. I thought of how my mother grows food in her garden at home. Even though the work can get tedious at times, the experience is lax and even therapeutic. However, working in someone else's field is a little more stressful, requiring delicate hands and a focused mind. As I separated the weeds from pea plants - working hard to ensure no peas were ruined in the process - I thought of people who thirst. Often the thirst can be an effect; something is happening in their lives that causes them to thirst for more. These struggles choke like weeds. For the beets, carrots, and peas, I gave drink by removing the weeds with gentle hands. How can I do the same for my brothers and sisters in Christ?

After "work" we met in our "family" groups and received our wages for the day. I was in a family of three and we had $4.50 to buy our dinner. This felt like a fun challenge, but I also had to remember the intentions behind it.

In fact, all day I had to remember the reasons behind our activities. I had to stop and ask myself what this experience would be like for the workers. At the field I was treated kindly and tended to. The grocery store presented an opportunity to stretch creative juices to feed a small group of people for the evening. We chatted and laughed with friends the entire time. But everything would be very different if we were migrant workers.

I feel like that's the big point I walked away with during Migrant Immersion Day. I get to walk away. Tomorrow we return to normal eating schedules, next week we return to normal lives. However, for the migrant community, this lifestyle is normal life. There is no walking away and saving money; there is only survival, and the thought that I was only getting my toes wet felt frustrating at times. In a way I thirsted. I wanted to learn more, talk with people, comprehend this situation even further so I can figure out the best way to serve.

At the end of the day we visited the migrant camps, passing out flyers for tomorrow's food bank and playing with the children at one of the camps. I received a nice spiritual drink, and I got to use that nourishment to serve the thirsty in the camps. The adults were in need of food, and the children thirsted for the opportunity to be joyful kids.

I can't wait to work at the food bank tomorrow. I can't wait to feed the hungry and give drink to those who thirst.

-Alyssa W.