Walking in Their Footsteps: A Day of Reflection, Community, and Advocacy

Today was a day of reflection and community building, as we hiked Mount Cristo Rey, reflected on the stations of the cross through the stories of migrants, listened to first hand accounts of crossing the U.S/Mexico border from a Venezuelan refugee, and ended the day with fun at White Sands National Park. We were all super excited to get to get some fresh air, while also reflecting and honoring the journey over the mountains that so many migrants make on a daily basis and it was a goal amongst all of us to hear a firsthand story about the reality of an undocumented migrant fleeing an oppressive country, so the panel this afternoon was not only extremely informative, but also super moving.

We woke up early to prep lunches that we would be taking on a hike through the stations of the cross. Our group got together and joined with the cathedral high school students at Mt. Cristo Rey. Through this hike, we were able to connect the story of Jesus’ pain and suffering to the stories that people are living today in 2025. We learned about many different stories, people’s lives and deaths, and the hardships they went through.

Maryenis, a Venezuelan migrant, was eight months pregnant when she turned herself in to the border patrol officers. Her husband, who she was traveling with, was turned away but she was not. Because of the harsh conditions, difficulty from her journey, and the emotional pain from separation, she gave birth to a stillborn baby. This story reflects the twelfth station, Jesus dies on the cross. Through learning about these stories and about conditions and treatment of migrants seeking refuge, we can educate ourselves of what we need to do in order to offer compassion and support for those who are seeking asylum. Although there is a clear comparison and connection between Jesus and the stillborn baby, we should be able to see the dire need for help that Maryenis faced simply because she is a person. We should see her as someone who needs help, and we should help her. 

We also learned about the powerful hope and faith many people carried with them. A migrant named Maria reflected on her experience of hunger, danger, pain, and tiredness, but when asked what allowed her to get up and continue going, she said, “Dios estaba conmingo”, which means God was with me. God is an important part of many peoples lives. He calls us to help each other- to go out and support those who need it. It is relevant for us to understand the role and importance of God in our lives and the lives of the people around us so that we can better understand how to help those who need it. Our hike was only 5 miles long, and by the end, we were hit with the reality that many migrants face when crossing through the terrain. Thousands of people cross through conditions much worse than what we experienced. This is just another thing that solidified our understanding of the real help that many people need.

After we got back from the hike, we headed around town and explored the city with our new friends from Cathedral, before heading back to the Encuentro House to hear from Brother Hector and a Venezuelan refugee who crossed the border on December 9th, seeking asylum from her oppressive government. Her story, which included crossing the jungle with her two young kids in order to escape the inevitable death they would have faced if they stayed, facing the cartel, robbery, and wild animals, and having no place to live once she was finally in America was heartbreaking, and hearing how she had to send her two older kids to Spain to save them from the dangers of sexual assault and kidnapping during the journey, even though that meant they would be seperated for an indefinate period of time  was something we will never forget. It is easy to be so wrapped up in our own lives that we feel seperated from the injustices people around the world our facing, but hearing this story today reminded me, and I’m sure many of the other students, to do our part to speak out against oppression and injustice even if we are not actively affected because no one should have to go through what her family experienced. After she answered some questions we had, it was now Brother Hector’s turn to speak to us, He had prepared a lesson for us about the people who taught him the most throughout his life, and it was a very touching speech as many of the people who had moved him most were just regular people who had demonstrated what it means to be kind and truly follow in Jesus’ footsteps. Some examples of this are his homeless friend Jose who was starving and yet still decided to offer food to a fellow homeless couple or his former mentor in the brotherhood who believed in him and gave him a second chance even when others thought he was destined to fail. These stories really inspired us to be the kind of people who inspire others because of our acts of kindness towards others and it helped ground everyone with the message that to be a true Lasallian, means caring for all of our brothers and sisters, whether that be through speaking out against injustice, volunteering with those struggling, or even treating one other person as human when so many people see them as “other”. These lessons are something we will definitely be taking back to Portland with us, and trying to implement into our day to day lives. 

Lastly, after finishing the panel, our group headed to the White Sands missile testing site. People played music, ran, jumped, took pictures, sled down dunes, and talked to each other. Today was the last day our group would be joined with the Cathedral students and it was really cool feeling the community we built. At the beginning of the week, a lot of us met for the first time, but as we end the week, we leave with friendships and experiences much stronger than I imagined. It has been an amazing experience and this trip and the people on it have been so influential for everyone.

Overall, today was a very impactful day as it really solidified the reality of migrants who flee oppression and make the journey to cross the border, but it was also a day where we made time to have fun and enjoy the beautiful terrain of New Mexico and each other's company building community with new and old friends. We believe that today is one that will really stick with us as most of the week has consisted of learning about migration and today we truly experienced a fraction of the reality. That was insanely impactful. We hope that when we return home, we can share even a bit of what it feels like to walk along the same path as immigrants or listen to a firsthand account of oppression so that students at La Salle will be inspired to do their own research about the injustice at the border and stand up for our brothers and sisters in need.