\u201cOur Anabaptist history is intrinsically tied to migration, and so is our Christian story,\u201d says Saulo Padilla, immigration education coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. \u201cWe must keep challenging the narratives that separate us, build borders and invite us to dehumanize others.\u201d<\/p>\n
Several Anabaptist-Mennonites participated in the 14th Migrant Trail Walk May 29\u2013June 4, 2017, a 121-kilometre (75-mile) solidarity hike from Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico, to Tucson, Arizona, USA, that mirrors the paths migrants travel to cross the border.<\/p>\n
Respect for people<\/strong><\/p>\n Some 7,000 people have died en route, 1,000 of whom have not been identified. \u201c[This pilgrimage] allows us to honour those lives and to accompany the families that were not able to give a proper burial to their loved ones,\u201d says Padilla.<\/p>\n \u201cAs Anabaptists and Christians, we believe that every person is created in the image of God and deserves to be respected,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n For seven days, some 50 participants walk 20\u201325 kilometres each day, eating meals provided by volunteer supporters and sleeping outside. Support vehicles provide water and logistical support, and carry supplies.<\/p>\n Why they walk<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cAs Mennonite Brethren, we work for justice,\u201d says David Bonilla who works with MCC partner Cafe Justo\u2019s migration programs in Mexico. He joined the walk to support vulnerable people. \u201cJesus taught us this. We are imitators of Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n Seven-time participant Padilla\u2019s commitment to the walk comes in part from personal experience as an immigrant. Born in Guatemala, Padilla lived as a political refugee in Mexico before immigrating to Canada in 1986.<\/p>\n Jonathan Ziegler, a member of Circle of Hope, a Brethren in Christ congregation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, was drawn to walk the Migrant Trail because as an Anabaptist, he believes nation-states and borders are \u201cinherently violent. I believe in radical peace that undoes the oppression they cause.\u201d<\/p>\n For MCC Connecting Peoples Coordinator in Guatemala Sara Ritchie-Helmuth, the walk was part of a larger journey, from learning about \u201cthe American Dream\u201d as history to meeting people who chase the dream today.<\/p>\n \u201cI understood why migrants leave their country and what they experience once they reach the so-called Promised Land, but I wanted to understand what happens in between,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, I will never fully understand those struggles because I will never be able to abandon the privilege that has been assigned to me.\u201d Participants have the security of a passport, the comradery of a group and confidence in decent treatment from border guards.<\/p>\n