Faye and John Buttrick and I had lunch with Delle McCormick today at El Minuto Resturant in downtown Tucson. It was a wonderful chance to catch up. It is also a reminder of how small a world it is when we have lunch in Tucson with a person whom we first met as a UCC missionary in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Delle is an ordained UCC minister who is now working as the Executive Director of BorderLinks, a group which works in the area of popular education to inform folks about the reality of the border and the dynamics of the world economy. BorderLinks is the group with which we were to have been travelling this last week as part of an international delegation. We had scheduled this delegation months ago. But it had to be cancelled at the last minute because of the H1N1 virus. And therein lies the rub.
Had our delegation taken place we would have spent about $7,500 for the week with BorderLinks. Instead they received the $500 deposit. And we are not the only ones cancelling this spring. First there was the fear of the drug related border violence. Then this flu. All together BorderLinks has lost about $100,000 in anticipated income this spring. They have had to lay off staff and Delle told us that she has a board meeting tonight where significant decisions will need to be reached.
Delle is an ordained UCC minister who is now working as the Executive Director of BorderLinks, a group which works in the area of popular education to inform folks about the reality of the border and the dynamics of the world economy. BorderLinks is the group with which we were to have been travelling this last week as part of an international delegation. We had scheduled this delegation months ago. But it had to be cancelled at the last minute because of the H1N1 virus. And therein lies the rub.
Had our delegation taken place we would have spent about $7,500 for the week with BorderLinks. Instead they received the $500 deposit. And we are not the only ones cancelling this spring. First there was the fear of the drug related border violence. Then this flu. All together BorderLinks has lost about $100,000 in anticipated income this spring. They have had to lay off staff and Delle told us that she has a board meeting tonight where significant decisions will need to be reached.
- Please pray for BorderLinks as they work through difficult times.
- Pray for all those who make a living along the border as these times, along with a militarized border makes it hard for everyone.
- Consider making a donation to BorderLinks.
- For those who are UCC, think with us about how we could affirm our partnership with BorderLinks so that all would know that this is part of "us." In the Methodist nomenclature they could be designated an "advance special" which would make them eligible for donations from churches and provide a stamp of approval to any who would want to know. What is the UCC equivalent?
If you want more information go to: http://www.borderlinks.org/
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