First Person: Little wandering souls – a desperate situation

It broke our hearts to see their faces—small children, some scared, many not really understanding why they were here, looking totally lost and hopeless.

Surely this could not be happening. Surely these children—and some mothers with their young ones—didn’t travel thousands of miles alone, unprotected and hungry—some barefooted, some as young as 3 years old. Surely they did not leave behind loved ones but also unbearable poverty-stricken communities and rampant crime all around them. Trust me, they did. What an unbelievable and incredible situation.

Texas Baptist Men volunteers set up the statewide temporary emergency childcare unit, along with two regional shower and laundry units, at a temporary shelter in Brownsville. Children and teens who entered the United States illegally without a parent are being detained temporarily in Brownsville before being transported to a shelter in San Antonio. (TBM Photo)

See related article: TBM provides care for detained immigrant children

They traveled in groups, not knowing whom they were traveling with. They came from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, with U.S. families paying an average of $4,000 to $6,500 U.S. dollars to a “coyote” to cross them into the United States, and often using juvenile boys to help guide them to the border.

Many made it to the U.S. border towns, others did not, traveling from these countries to the United States by any means necessary—trains, buses and, yes, even walking, as described by some children. This meant a huge risk for them, but they were willing to take this risk for the sake of a better life.

Not really knowing or understanding what our mission would be upon accepting this commitment on behalf of Texas Baptist Men, God placed on our hearts to be obedient to his calling, and that we did. What an unforgettable and eye-opening experience.

A complicated and controversial issue

It’s a complicated and controversial political issue in the United States—the immigration of hundreds of children into this country. However, we did not question why we were there; we simply accepted the opportunity to tend to some of the physical and spiritual needs of these children.

We sat and watched all kinds of uniforms from Border Patrol, ICE, Homeland Security, officials from the company transporting the immigrant children, women and families. They wore green uniforms, gray uniforms and khaki uniforms, and some worked undercover. They went back and forth, in and out of the U.S. Customs Border Patrol Facility, talking, whispering, instructing, directing, but always showing their appreciation for TBM being there.

Finally, a group of approximately 14 boys came walking in a line—little ones, many with dirty clothes, disheveled hair, no shoelaces, many without socks. They only knew they were being given the opportunity to take a quick shower. Towels were distributed, and then they were directed to the shower stalls, one by one. The little ones looked scared. Some had never used a shower before.

Big smiles and a sigh of relief

As they finished their showers, they were handed a toothbrush and toothpaste. We were told by some of the children that they had not brushed their teeth in as much as eight days, so they brushed and brushed and brushed their teeth. They had big smiles and showed a sigh of relief and gratitude because they felt clean.

In the meantime, towels were being washed and dried in anticipation of yet more children to come. This process continued throughout the day and into the night. Between the two TBM shower units during the first few days, 600 showers were taken and 500 loads of wash were done. On Saturday, May 17, fewer showers were taken, because not only were towels being washed, but also the clothes of those who took showers.

While waiting for their clothes to dry, they wore white, disposable jumpsuits—most of them way too big for the children, especially the little ones. The sleeves and the legs had to be cut off in order to allow them to move in those jumpers.

Books, crayons and games

The little ones were given books to read, coloring books and crayons, and card games to play with while they waited for their clothes to dry. We were given the opportunity to witness to the older ones while they, too, waited. It appeared everyone enjoyed the fresh air and the sun while they waited—something they had been unable to enjoy inside the windowless, cramped facility.

The children relayed so many stories as we had the opportunity to talk and listen to them and ask questions. Here are just a few:

• One 3-year-old little boy was found by himself with just a contact name and number in his shirt pocket of a relative in the United States.

• A 14-year-old girl, teary-eyed, looked totally lost and extremely sad. When asked about her situation, she said she just wanted to go back home. She didn’t know how much longer she would be in “transition” or when she would reach her relatives. According to immigration officials, many of the young girls have been sexually and physically abused, and that situation alone is enough to crush their spirits.

• One young mother, carried two sons, ages 2 and 3. All three of them had scabies. The mother said she left Guatemala because things in that country were bleak due to poverty, and to make matters worse, the area where she lived was experiencing floods that were destroying their homes. In fact, both her sons already had serious injuries as a result of the floods. The youngest had a skull fracture, and the 3-year-old had a huge, long cut on the back of his left arm. This is when she decided to leave her hometown and attempt to join an uncle living in the United States.

• A 4-year-old girl was traveling by herself, sent to the United States by her grandmother, in hopes of joining her mother. It appeared she did not really understand the magnitude or complexity of her current situation. Some of the older girls sort of “adopted” her and cared for her. She was not a shy one, though. She had spunk.

• A teenage boy was given a Bible to read. He was a Christian. He seemed to have an insatiable desire to read the Scriptures. The entire time he waited for his clothes to dry, he read and read, hardly looking up to see what was going on around him. He asked if he could keep the Bible. We were told that we could not give out any Bibles or any books of any kind. However, since he specifically requested if he could keep it, he was granted permission. But the authorities instructed him to keep it out of sight of others, since they really were not allowed to keep books of any kind. He was very happy with his Bible.

With each heartbreaking story, a sense of wanting to do more for these children became apparent. Unable to do more is definitely not the answer we wanted. It is not up to us to do more. We are in a secured facility, dealing with highly confidential information, directed by high-level officials of the U.S. government.

All they want is a new home

Thus, we must adhere to their rules and their direction. A shower, freshly brushed teeth, and for others, even wearing clean clothes, was more than they ever dreamed or desired of getting while waiting for their next destination—whether to meet up with a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, uncle or aunt, cousin, a foster home, with adopted parents. All they want is just a new home in the United States and not to be returned to their country.

They were, indeed, grateful and appreciative of what to us seemed so little. To them, it was so much—feeling clean and refreshed, and feeling the hot sun against their already-burned faces. TBM representatives did their part by showing compassion, giving the children a smile and a hug, and, when the opportunity was there, to share the gospel with them.

We are told many of these children will be sent to a relative living in the United States, eventually. Please continue to pray for the children who are already being processed in the United States, that they may reach their destinations safely, and for all those currently en route to this country, risking their lives, suffering along their way to get here.

These little ones are wandering souls, but they are God’s children.

We are blessed to have so much, and you wonder why others have so little or nothing at all, in some cases. These little ones are wandering souls. But they are God’s children, nevertheless, merely looking for a brighter future—a place they can call home, a hug and a kiss at night, to know they are truly loved.

We never thought a shower, clean teeth and clean clothes could have such an amazing effect on people, but thanks to TBM, it was ready for its commitment to comply with God’s command—that is, standing ready for the task of assisting in an unusual manner, under extremely unusual circumstances, to help these immigrant children, anyway, anytime, anywhere. “And whosoever shall receive one such little child in my name receives me” (Matthew 18:5).

Leticia Rodriguez is a Texas Baptist Men volunteer who served with the temporary childcare unit in Brownsville. The Federal Emergency Management Agency contacted TBM to request assistance in dealing with a sudden influx of unattended minors to the United States, primarily from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Authorities detained the undocumented children and teenagers temporarily at an emergency shelter in Brownsville.