As part of a lay Catholic ministry, we traveled to Tijuana, Mexico every month. This story took place about twenty-five years ago.

Preparation

Each month we would get donations of 100-pound bags of beans and rice. This bulk product was sorted  and separated into three-pound bags to be handed out to the families. We collected candy for the children and on many occasions  we took-over-the counter medicine: aspirin, Pepto Bismol, cough syrup and whatever was donated. Sorting out clothing for families was usually; one outfit for a male, one for a female, and one child or infant per family. When winter rolled around we purchased blankets for the outreach.

The Fifteen-Decade Rosary

This was not a pleasure trip, so the head of our lay ministry always pulled out the world’s longest rosary. Yes, it was a 15-decade rosary. Sometimes I dreaded the ride; you could forget about napping because we all participated in the rosary. Today it takes me at least 20 to 25 minutes to pray a rosary, but a 15-decade rosary with intentions lasted all the way to McDonald’s in the border town of  Otay.

Border Crossing

We’d met at a local McDonald’s to plan our entrance into Tijuana. Traveling in large SUV’s and vans was a red flag for the border patrol. The briefing was simple: “We are taking some supplies to a ministry.” In most cases it was smooth sailing. Sometimes when one of the vehicles was flagged we all had to pull over until they received clearance. In this instance the local police would confiscate some of our supplies.

Tijuana

I had been to Tijuana on several occasions but only in the city limits. The farther we traveled into Tijuana, it was  an eye-opening experience. We drove  through many decent neighborhoods but where we ministered was off the grid. It was a village called Las Flores, but there were no flowers to be found. Trees were scarce there as well.   This area without plumbing – just dirt, loose, dusty dirt.  Our path led us to poorly put-together houses. I remember that many of these dwellings had discarded garage doors from the U.S. as outer walls. The living conditions were deplorable.

The people that we ministered to were faithful and grateful for the little that they had. Their winters were brutally cold and the summers intensely hot.

Christmas In January

The ministry was so busy in the month of December, we could not schedule a visit until late January. Some of the team members decided to wear Santa hats on that trip but personally I thought this was unwise. So did the border patrol officers when we were detained. The exchange lasted more than an hour, so we were delayed. We had so many new toys donated, blankets, food, candy, and clothing.

By the time we reached Las Flores it was around three in the afternoon. We sang praise songs, had a powerful teaching, and then we prayed for those who needed prayer. By the time we had given out all the supplies we brought, it was dark. The spirit of God was powerful. When it was time to pack up and leave, the man that I was driving with, unbeknownst to me, was planning to bring his  mother across the border. This woman had no legal documents but she did have a suitcase full of clothes.

The Crossing

We were in a Suburban SUV; I sat in the back seat behind the passenger seat, the mother of the man sat behind her son. He knew the law; if you bring an illegal immigrant, your vehicle will be confiscated. My thoughts were, “How in the heck did I get stuck riding back with this man? I’m going to get arrested!” Before we made it to the border, the man coached his mother on what to say. He tells her in Spanish, “You are going to pretend that you’re asleep, and if they ask you where you were born, say Colton.” Oh my dear Lord, the woman could not speak a lick of English, and saying Colton sounded more like Compton. Aside from not being able to communicate, she was the worse actress. I knew we were in trouble.

After questioning the driver, the border control officer flashed a light to the backseat. “Where were you born?” he asked me. I quickly answered, “Brawley.” Anyone with a brain could figure out that the woman was faking being asleep. The flashlight hit her face when he asked her the same question. Under my breath I kept repeating, “Please don’t say Compton!” She opened her eyes and said, “Compton.” We were asked to pull aside for further questioning. Rather than remaining calm, I wanted nothing to do with this illegal crossing. As we were detained, I talked to the man and his wife and told them that I wanted out of the vehicle. It was not that easy because first I had to answer several questions by the border patrol. I was not aware that the man was attempting to bring his mother over until the end of our ministry. After the interrogation, I was free to leave.

I had a cell phone and called my friend who was waiting for us at McDonald’s. I will never forget how dark it was that night and how I had to walk through a dark tunnel to cross over to the US. It was 11:00 p.m. by the time I reached McDonalds. As much as I wanted to stay calm, I was livid! I could not believe the danger this man put us through.

The Stupid Phone

On the drive home I could not stop talking about how careless these people were! Honestly, I must have lamented the entire way home. It seemed that the Lord had His hand on my dogging this couple because my phone was dialed to their number, and they heard the entire conversation. It was a lesson to all involved:  don’t gossip about others and for them don’t bring people across the border illegally. I had to apologize for all the nasty words that spewed out of  my mouth.

The Big  Miracle

The man’s mother was sent back, and how this man and his wife talked their way out of this situation was a miracle. Their vehicle was not confiscated, but they were not released until 2:00 a.m. It was a different time; today if you tried to bring someone across  the border illegally you would definitely  get arrested and we would probably be in jail.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for all those who are operating in fear because of ICE. Lord, You are in control of everything,  so we trust in You. In this perplexed world, we need Your direction. May we all be in one accord in pleading for peace in this matter. Amen.

Mario will finally be released from prison July 28, 2025.

The Demonic Assignments 

This month  has been challenging to say the least. I finally put two and two together and understand why the attacks were so frequent. Ministering the word of God is my calling; so I have been using Social Media as a means to reach the masses. The Holy Spirit has been most accommodating in guiding the words that pass through my lips. Guess who hates the work I’m doing? Satan! He and his minions are always around, they have assignments on people like me who are trying to bring light to the dark world.

The Appointments

For three weeks I have been attempting to schedule an appointment to see Mario. I’ve been doing this with ease all year long, but suddenly the system freezes and I’m unable to complete the process. Making several attempts to reset my password did not help. So in frustration I called the prison and explained the dilemma only to be told that they needed to contact Sacramento.  The response from the facility, “Try in about an hour, or maybe tomorrow.  It should be working.” It never rebooted from my end, so the only thing I could do was go as a walk in visitor.

Getting Out is another means of communication. With this app I could send text messages as well as videos to Mario. With this app you could also make appointments. Being familiar with the app I made so many attempts to make an appointment but the only response I received was in big bold, red letters: MARIO ******* BLOCKED. When I called them for assistance, I was treated like an annoying telemarketer.

The Walk-In Visit

Walk-in visits are for those who did not bother to make an appointment. In my case, it was impossible. You have two choices: show up at 4:00 p.m. on Friday for a two-hour visit.  Saturday and Sunday the walk-in visitors are allowed in at 12 noon. This also is a two-hour visit. I had a great  concern because the last time I visited Mario he was released for the visit only an hour later. I took my chances.

Spectrum Account

I wanted to leave no later than 10:30 a.m. for the visit. Mike was making changes to our Spectrum Account, but since it’s in my name, I had to make the call. We were cancelling the service because of the outrageous price increases. Well, what I thought would take 10 minutes took 45 minutes! I was upset because now I was leaving closer to eleven. In haste I entered California Rehabilitation Center on my GPS and I was on my way. Ten minutes into the drive I realized that I had forgotten the money for the visit. The turn around took another 20 minutes; by this time I was frantic. When I got back into my car the GPS showed that I would arrive at the facility at 11:55! I know how the system works, they do not make allowances for late arrivals. It was yet another attack. I prayed.

Two Choices

On our last visit Mario was concerned because he was not sure if he was cleared to be paroled to Arizona. He said, “Sometimes, it’s not until a few weeks  from our release date do we find out if can get paroled out of state.”  This delay did not take from his  excitement. After all he only had a few more months to go.

On June 26th Mario’s sister received a call and in the process he was given permission to parole with his family in Arizona.

Two weeks prior he had called me and wanted some advice. He was contacted by a faith-based Christian  organization.  This group is privately funded and helps inmates to acclimate to their new life. It’s a sober living environment that only takes referrals. Mario came highly recommended by the prison. Mario explained that he needed to take care of a DUI he got in the early 1990’s in order to get his drivers license. This organization  can help facilitate  these types of matters. The only advice I gave Mario was for him to pray and ask God for direction.

Mario’s Decision

Mario will be 50 years old in November. This program offers the inmate a six-months stay, but this organization will also help him find employment. Mario decided to take this route because after praying about what direction to take the pastor of from the organization called him. At the end of the conversation, he prayed for Mario. To Mario, the prayer was a confirmation.

The Routine 

During the visit I shared how heartbroken his family was with his decision and said, “Mario, keep this in the back of your head.  This is your last hope for freedom. You can’t mess this up.” He answered, “Tia, I have it in the front of my head.” He explained that he wants to keep to his routine: reading the Bible, serving God, completing  his AA and learning to reenter this crazy world.  Inner Vision has Bible studies on a regular basis. His main reason for this decision was because he felt he needed this time to transition before he goes out to the real world.

Buttercup, the beautiful golden retriever puppy that he is helping train as a service dog, remains at his side. Mario said that she is his best friend.

The Visit

As frazzled as I was, by the time I managed to get all of our food together I could see Mario coming down the hall. Being the last visitor with slim pickings, I asked the guard for a table in the shade.  We read from Matthew 10: 26-42, slowly stopping at every verse to go deeper into its meaning. Reading this chapter was a fluke because what I wanted to share was from Matthew 7:21-29, but I could not remember the verse.

My Prayer

Lord, You know your son Mario and all the suffering he has endured. I beg You, Lord, to bless him and continue to pave a safe passage for him when he gets out. I pray for Mario to excel in this program and that he would ease into finding employment. Lord, nothing is impossible with You. Give your son Mario special graces to get by. Amen.

This Story is about my good friend Lan.

Lan

Lan was born in Ha Noi, North Vietnam; she is now 75-years-old. When she was five years old, her family moved to South Vietnam to escape communism.

Her husband was in the army when they married. They had two daughters when North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. Her husband was captured and taken to a concentration camp but it was referred to as a re-education camp. They were told that he would remain there for eight days, but he would not be released until six years later.

The South Vietnamese soldiers were indoctrinated to sing worship songs to honor Ho Chi Minh.

There was only a scheduled time to visit so Lan’s husband would write her to  inform her when she could travel for the appointment.

The Visits

To prepare for the visit with her husband, Lan and a group of other wives  had to take a bus and travel 18 hours. Once they reached the edge of the forest they had to hire motor cyclists to transport them deeper into the jungle. From there came another group of people to help them carry the supplies they brought for the visit. Those helpers could only travel so far because they were afraid of getting caught by the communist soldiers. So the rest of the way they carried their supplies. By the time she reached her husband it was a day in and half later.

The Meeting 

The room was furnished with a long table, maybe eight feet. When her husband came out, they could only reach to touch each other’s hands. A watchful communist guard listened to their entire conversation. After 15 minutes the visit was over. As much as Lan wanted to cry she was warned against it. If any of the women cried the men would be punished by more intense labor.

Homecoming

There was no announcement of the release of her husband; but one day, after six years in the “re-education” camp, he was home. He had to report to the local police once a week.

The Exodus

To leave a communist country an underground network had to take place. In Lan’s case they used gold leafs (a form of currency) to pay for their freedom. By this time Lan and her husband had given birth to another child, a son. The asking price per person was three gold leafs. They paid the price and prayed, but they had to wait a full year before  they were notified that their passage out of Vietnam was available. Lan’s daughters were eight and six years old when they departed. They could not bring their newborn son because it was too dangerous. They could not risk him crying and getting caught. He remained with Lan’s parents.

The Boat

They took a bus and were transported to the shore. Their tiny fishing boat, loaded with 50 people, embarked on the dark waters of the China Sea.                      .

By the time they reached the ocean they realized that the compass on the boat was broken. So they used the North Star for navigation. By the fifth day the boat was sinking; the men worked feverishly all night to get the water out, but to no avail. By 7:00 a.m. the men were worn out from all the work and did not have the strength to continue bailing the water from the sinking boat.  So together the Catholics and Buddhists prayed for their souls and prepared to die.  Suddenly a young man on the boat saw a small speck in the sky. It was an airplane. They tried to start a fire but could not because everything on the boat was wet. The captain’s wife had a mirror,  so they used it to signal the plane.

The plane circled over them and dropped a large bag with some type of beacon device to locate the boat. Three hours later a huge ship appeared, the USS Bainbridge. Two soldiers reached them by dinghy to ask if they needed help. They were rescued! First the women and the children then the men.

The USS Bainbridge took them to  a refugee camp in  Singapore. After approval to reside in the U.S., they were scrutinized by a Singapore judge. Under penalty of perjury they had to swear that all the information they were claiming was true; this was a grueling process. They were interviewed by U.S. officers and were sponsored by a Catholic organization and UNHCR (United Nations High Commission of Refugees). The UNHCR organization has been in existence for over 70 years working  to protect and advocate for people forced to flee war-torn countries. Lan and her family stayed in Singapore for three months to prepare for their new life.  The next five months were spent in the Philippines, where they were taught a series of  orientations to acclimate them to their new life in the United States.

The Payback

Lan and her family signed loan documents for their airline tickets to the United States. While in the states another program was required; because they were legal refugees they received a stipend of  500 dollars a month plus food stamps. This was a government program; the assistance was for a maximum of 18 months. Lan’s family got out of that program in 13 months because her husband found employment. He also took a graveyard shift so he could send money back home to bring their son to the United States.

Though Lan had three years of law school and an accounting degree, because she could not speak English she could not find work. So she applied for a loan to become a cosmetologist. She worked at this job for three years. She felt a strong calling to social services. For twenty-three years she worked for the Social Services Agency of Orange County to give back to people in need.

Lan and her husband paid back every penny for the airline tickets. After five years she and her family became American citizens.

It took eight years for her son to get sponsored into the United States. Lan remembers crying and having nightmares because she could not be with him. He is now grown, an engineer with a family of his own. Her oldest daughter works for the government and her younger daughter is a pharmacist.

The Patriot

Despite great duress and persecution, Lan and her family entered this country legally. They never took advantage of our system.  She is a true patriot who loves her country.

I believe in free protest but burning the American flag, destroying property, looting businesses is not helping the matter. We are a free country, but if you are going to wave any flag other than U.S. flag, you do not belong here. You’ve got to be living under a rock not to understand that the protesters who are breaking the law are fueled by Antifa communist propaganda. When you mix in the peaceful protesters with them, it’s hard to make a distinction. Yes, we need immigration reform laws. This is my idea:

If you have been living here for more than 20 years, you should be vetted, and if proven law abiding then they should allow you citizenship. We should start with those who have been here the longest, and move on from there. I know plenty of illegal immigrants who are scared, who can blame them.

I am not happy with how ICE is apprehending people. But we do need to address the elephant in the room, 20 million people is too much for our country to take on. Our state, in particular is suffering, having to foot the bill of over 2 billion dollars for their healthcare? Does that sound fair? I want to help but not with my pocket book. Immigration laws need to be reformed.

One more thing, please do not sing our National Anthem in any other language than English.

Lan and I met at daily Mass, so our love for God and country rings the same, plus we both teach First Holy Communion classes. We pray for our families and for peace to reign on this hollowed ground.

My Prayer

Dear Lord, I pray for Lan and all that she had to endure to become a United States citizen. Every sacrifice was done through much prayer and her faith in You kept her focused. She wanted to live in a land free of communism, and, through much prayer, she continues to thank You, Lord, for bringing her and her family here. Amen.