I'm not sure how I begin this story. But it feels important to share now, while it is fresh, still unwritten, before the editor/safe/practical side of me gets a hold of it and I start to limit its possibilities, to add caution to the extremities. So here it is in all its unrefined glory. Operation Border Patrol.
Lately, my heart has been wrecked by the pictures and articles of the immigration crisis at the border of Mexico and the US. That we live in a world where living conditions and poverty cause a family to consider sending their children into the unknown as the better alternative to where they are. There are thousands of children that have survived the odds of extreme and dangerous travel conditions to end up in detainment facilities.....
Sunday night as I was driving home from Shrek rehearsal, I spent the hour long drive praying. For the numerous friends I have overseas, for people here, and for the children and families at the border. I even at one point asked God, "What is it you want me to do?....Drive to the border?" His answer was simply, "Well, you could physically drive to the border, it's within your ability to do that." My response was, "That's ridiculous, that's not even realistic." I got home, went to bed, end of story.
Fast forward to Monday afternoon and I get this random email from the Peace and Justice Studies Association Conference saying that my proposal for a presentation has been accepted for the 2014 event to be held in San Diego Oct 16-18. WHAT!?!??! (as a sidenote: I found that conference in a random google search one night and used it as an exercise of how to put a proposal together on things I am passionate about: music, ministry of presence, living a life of hope.....NEVER thinking they would take it seriously, and certainly never thinking it would be accepted.) And so less than 24 hours after I argued with God about my ability to drive to the border, here is an invitation to speak in San Diego....very close to the border.
Since then, I can't stop thinking about house concerting/church leading my way out to San Diego by route of Indiana, Colorado, etc., ending up in San Diego for the conference, and then making my way back along some of the Mexico/US border visiting ministries that are working with immigration issues and seeing firsthand what is going on. I think I'm supposed to bear witness and tell the stories.........
So there it is. We are only 72 hours beyond that Sunday night prayer drive and I am seriously considering spending the fall traveling the United States to sing, speak, and witness. That sounds CRAZY to me. But it also sounds like something that I can't do on my own. So Spirit lead on, I'll try to keep up.
I'm not sure what the next steps are....the seed has been planted and I have already been encouraged by friends who are considering being a part of the journey. Like literally riding in the car with me. Or knowing someone who may be a potential host or church or..... I don't even know. Stay tuned folks. Things are about to get interesting.