Service, Showers, and Surprises: Stepping into a Migrant's Shoes

When we were told that today was "migrant immersion day," I thought I knew basically what I was getting myself into. But I could never have anticipated everything I would learn and appreciate about my own life by stepping into the shoes of a migrant worker for a day. We began by waking up at 5:15 a.m. for a simple breakfast. We then traveled to a nearby farm, where we weeded many vegetable and fruit plants for a couple hours in the blistering sun. This act of service for the farm was rewarding for me to recognize the true physical strain of the work being done by migrants all across the nation to provide food for our grocery stores. To put it in perspective, I learned that 70% of the food we consume in the U.S. passes through the hands of migrant workers. We were then able to take a very quick shower, which had never felt more heavenly. One of the larger surprises yet to come was the pay we received for the half-day's work we did. We were split up into "families," where we took the money we made from our work and headed to the grocery store to buy ourselves dinner. It was incredibly difficult to find a sustainable meal for the little we had to pay with, and it made me think about all the times when I am at the grocery store and don't think twice about my running total of food to the penny. Finally, after cooking dinner, we left for a migrant camp to play with the kids who live there. This was also an act of service for me, because by this point we were just exhausted from working only half a day, but had the opportunity to provide fun and entertainment for the kids who have so much less than we do. My whole day was filled with thoughts about the things I take for granted: being able to shower whenever I want, being able to indulge and eat what I want, having clean water, receiving more than minimum wage at my job, and so much more. This experience was life changing; God surprised me in ways that I did not expect. I pray that all of us may be able to reflect on the generosity of God in our lives, and praise Him for His goodness and grace. ~ Rachel