Reflections from South Texas: Finding God’s Heart at the Border
As one month in South Texas passes, I find myself reflecting on all the work that has been done in such a short time. I thank God that He has used this place to help me find His heart and grow closer to Him. This is a place that is known by intersectionality, colored by nuance and fluidity. A crossing of culture, of countries, a breeding ground for varying opinion and political pawning. My work with BP has given me a space to explore and search for God’s heart here in the Valley.
Going straight from a Service Learning Trip into the Border Summit, it was a busy two and a half weeks. In all the hustle and bustle, I was encouraged my Caroline’s saying “present in love.” She was set on completing tasks in a way that honored God and those around her, which was crucial amidst all the craziness of preparation.
The Summit kicked off on Thursday with beautiful bilingual worship, that led into a night of prayer for different countries, families who were immigrating, politicians, and for the weekend. It was a time of reflection, of asking the Lord to be present for the days to come, for Him to reveal His heart in the things that would be shared.
The next two days featured several speakers who specialized in everything from the pro-life conversation to God-centered immigration policy. There was time for crowd discussion, and a panel of Christ-centered organizations shared as well. It was so beautiful to see so much diversity, both in the crowd and from the speakers, a myriad of nationalities, religions, languages, career specialties, and perspectives on immigration and the border. The conversations that came from this melting pot of ideas were fascinating, and everyone was striving to understand each other better.
There is plenty of work that goes into hosting a conference, and we were blessed with a group of volunteers from Overlake Christian Church in Seattle. It was a pleasure to meet all of them, and spend so much time together over the weekend. In the middle of all the running around, rushed cleaning, and setting up countless chairs, there was a fellowship with this group that was so meaningful. To have all these people helping so cheerfully meant so much to all of us.
As I have stayed here over a month now, my relationships with the community and the local church have grown tremendously. I have been so blessed by the friendships and fellowship I enjoy here. In spite of being a transplant and obviously not from here, I am never made to feel that way, and am always treated gracefully and kindly. I think we could all learn from the spirit of welcome I have experienced here. Time and time again God is showing me how to love my neighbor how Jesus has called us.
I thank the Lord for you all. Thank you for your support!
Azie Murphy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Azie is serving in South Texas from Sept. 17th - Nov. 15th, 2024 as part of our Leadership-Development Program. Her ministry involvement consists of serving alongside local organizations in South Texas, and supporting our service-learning mobilization program.