Day 4

The best part of yesterday, Wednesday the 17th of April, was visiting Shura Wallin's home Green Valley. So far, the one thing I never want to forget is her passion towards helping immigrants. Shura co-founded the Green Valley Samaritans. This group goes out into the desert for hours carrying water jugs and food in the hope of finding an immigrant in need that they can help. Shura and the other club members are not young chickens, and if they are anything like Shura, they are small, fragile, and weak looking. However, their heroic actions do not match their physcial appearances. It takes serious strength to lug around food and water in the desert for long amounts of time. They have to be strong in order to deal with the criticism and threats made by others who fear immigration and those that help immigrants. They have to be strong to deal with the possible outcomes of the immigrants they help out. Even though it is a slim chance, they have to hope that the immigrans they help will meet a happy life in America and live their desired dreams of freedom and liberty. Shura not only told us what she and her fellow Samaritans do for immigrants, but she also shared with us some of the more interesting and striking objects that she has found in the desert that immigrants have left behind. These posessions varied from jeans, yound child and infant clothing, a baby's bottle, tortilla cloths, shoes wrapped in blankets, carpet shoes, religious items, make-up, treasured photos, keys, burlap-covered water jugs, and a diary. She told us stories that she pictures goes with each of the objects with so much zeal and excitement. It was contagious! The significance of Shura showing us these possessions made us realize that these immigrants led normal lives before they made the long journey crossing the border. They didn't always plan on crossing the border but had regualr worries and cares. The objects also taught us the ingenious inventions came up with to prevent detection and ensure survival. They covered their shoes to avoid making tracks, they kept their water jugs covered with burlap to keep the water cool. They made many objects more convenient to carry. Her talk about the lives she associates with the various objects, her passionate stories made the stuggle of the immigrants and those that go out of their way to help them so much more real to me.

-ADIANNA