Migrant apprehensions in the month of March are the highest since 2006, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This massive influx of migrants has created a humanitarian crisis at the southern border. Border Perspective is currently providing relief and volunteers to help the dire situation that migrant families and local shelters are facing in South Texas.

Rachel Van Bebber and her team were a part of a service-learning trip to the South Texas border in March 2021. In the entry below, Rachel shares her team’s experience with families in shelters and along the southern border.

Over the past few weeks, our team has had a lot of time to unpack our thoughts and reflect on our time spent on the border. When people ask about the trip, I have so much that I want to say.

The most meaningful moment of the trip, to me, was getting to speak to the people I met in the Catholic Respite Center, who are seeking asylum. I can carry a conversation on in Spanish, even though some of it is broken, and God provided me with great conversations with people.

I met people from Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.

I loved getting to talk to the people and interact with their children. Some of the people even asked why we were there, which provided a great opportunity to share with them. On this trip, we got to see (and experience) how we can further obey our command to love others.

I learned from the Moya family.

I learned from my teammates.

I learned from the asylum-seekers that I encountered.

No matter what our political views are, we should be able to see the people who are hurting and help them.

We are told in scripture, "Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me". In Luke 10, we are told "Which one of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers? He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise".

There are many pieces of scripture that tell us to love others, show mercy to others, be kind to others, take care of one another, etc.

Why would that not apply to this border crisis?

You will never be able to say, with certainty, what is going on at the border unless you go and experience it yourself. The news/media tell us what they want, but we may not always be getting the full truth. Go, see for yourself.

Do not let others tell you what you believe.

Go, seek out the truth.

The trip with Border Perspective helped me to do just that. They never told me what to believe. Rather, they provided an opportunity for me to experience life on the border, so that I could determine what I thought was true.

I am so thankful that I got to see for myself what is going on at the border.

I have seen how I can help, and I am going to continue to share what I experienced so others can learn and experience it too.

Border Perspective is responding to the dire need of migrant families on the U.S. and Mexico border. Click below to learn more about our Crisis Response.