6208 Miles
by Carlos Ingles
The majority of immigrants who come to the United States do not come for pleasure but because of the extreme pain of their poverty and situation. I speak of the deep pain of not having hope – of enduring violence, a crime such as gang extortion, and lack of employment. To truly understand one would have to be in the shoes of the people who live daily with the fear that their families may be killed by gangs. My own family had to flee 13 years ago from El Salvador to Colombia due to crime. It was terrible, leaving their friends, home, family, and entire life behind.
We met Alexeis and Yessenia when they came to an Impact food distribution last November. This couple had traveled with their six children to the United States by land from Chile. Chile is the southernmost country in South America, and according to Google is 6208 miles from the United States – imagine being so desperate that you would make this choice. We eventually developed a great friendship with them, and when we found out that they were not legally married we helped them do so with a beautiful ceremony at Impact. The most beautiful thing to see came later, however, when they decided to be baptized in Christ.
In the book of Matthew, there is a story of an immigrant family fleeing the violence of a horrible king. I’m talking of course about Josef, Mary, and baby Jesus. What pain and fear these parents must have felt when they received the news that their son could be murdered! At Impact, we also see that reality every week during our food distribution, as we serve 600-700 families, many of them immigrants who have fled in fear of being killed.
At Impact, we are not perfect, but we do want to serve families like Alexeis and Yessenia (and Joseph, Mary, and Jesus) so well that if they happen to walk through our doors they would see God and therefore have a little relief from their suffering. 6,208-miles is a long journey, but well worth it if they find relief from their suffering and come to know God better.
