Today, after praying in a parking lot which overlooked Samish Bay, we walked out of the Chuckanut Ridge complex into Skagit Valley. The first miles were quite pleasant as we walked through fields with Mount Baker to our left and fields and the shore to our right. As the sun climbed, the ten or so walkers began to feel the miles and the heat. After seven miles or so, we turned toward a migrant worker camp where we were met by a group of about 30 middle and high school youth, their chaperones, and four college students who are filming a documentary about the lives of migrant agricultural laborers.
It was a long, hot day, today… Day Three on our pilgrimage.
Ten people began this day with prayers on Chuckanut Drive, led by Bruce Radke. We celebrated the gifts of various pilgrims…Our “Wardrobe Mistress” brought three cute outfits for one of us who needed cool hiking clothes. A leader of “Sacred Ambience” emerged, who brought us 6 artifacts from her round-the-world travels, reminding us of the purpose of our pilgrimage. The Popsicle Lady saved the day as she distributed icy delicious fruitsicles to pilgrims in the last half-hour before lunch. And the lunch lady who gave us PB&J sandwiches and apple slices saved our stomachs.
We paused in the shade of a large tree in a school yard and
then met up with 30 kids from Migrant Youth Project--a wonderful week-long
experience in social justice for middle-school kids from St John Vianney Church
(Kirkland)--at St Charles Church in Burlington, led by Jose Ortiz.
Jose led all 40 of us through a migrant workers camp (where we
used their bathrooms). Four college
students who are making a documentary about migrants—and have done some tomato-picking
in California before coming to Washington—also joined us for a long, hot
stretch of Skagit County. The kids carried signs saying “Reform Not Raids”,
“Fair Pay”, “Reform Immigration”, “If You Want Peace, Work for Justice,” and
two white crosses. Two women from the
Latino radio station also interviewed some of the pilgrims.
It took us almost two
hours to reach the Church! We found
quiet restful peace in the Church, where Jose led us in prayer, and Father
Michael blessed two crosses that remind us of the many people who die trying to
better themselves by crossing the border. “No More Death” the cross says, and
was made and signed by all the Youth Campers.
It was a sacred and touching moment when Jose presented the crosses to
Nick and Mary. The second one is to be given to Rosalinda Guillen, for
Community 2 Community. Afterward, we had a tasty meal of homemade burritos, and
lemonade.
Nick and Mary are spending the night at the Church; the rest
of the pilgrims have gone home to Bellingham, but others are coming to join tomorrow. (posted by Lee)
Greetings and solidarity from the Interfaith Peace Walk against nuclear weapons and war! Today we walked 18 miles from Tacoma to Auburn ... our walk ends on Bainbridge Island on August 10. After that, myself and perhaps a few other Peace Walkers are interested in possibly joining your walk for immigration justice. (A main concern for me is whether you are traveling with a support vehicle that could carry my extra stuff, since I'm up here from California and I brought a large backpack that's too heavy to carry for 10 miles!) In Tacoma this past weekend and tonight we're staying with the Guadalupe Catholic Worker community ... wonderful folks who i hope you'll get to meet when you arrive in Tacoma. FWIW, I have also recently lived and organized with the Trinity House Catholic Workers in Albuqureque, NM. Please respond to me at ethanagri4(at)gmail.com ... blessings for your walk, and hope to meet you soon!
Posted by: Ethan Genauer | 08/03/2009 at 09:24 PM
It sounds like Monday was an inspiring day, being able to visit the Migrants who live in that valley and who are served by the parish. What a fitting reward you had that day for all your walking!
Posted by: Liz Wright | 08/04/2009 at 07:32 PM