The Emerging Need

Oaxaca is thousands of miles south and inland from the Baja. Home to 16 native tribes, many of whom do not even speak Mexican Spanish, the poverty for many is so severe that the appeal of migrating to work in the agriculturally rich farms outside Ensenada is a step up in income. Here, a worker might earn as much as $3-$5 pesos a day if they are willing to put in 12-16 hours harvesting asparagus or fresh flowers by hand. With a twelve month growing season, a seven day work week, and only a few national holidays, one can earn a wage that will help provide at least one meal a day for a workers family.

Since most farm workers have come as far as 2,000 miles to this area south of Ensenada to find work in the farm fields, many have traveled with only the clothes on their backs. Farmers (land owners) will set aside a small portion of their land where the workers might "live" in small dwellings erected from whatever scraps of wood, tires, plastic or other materials they can find roadside, or in half-finished buildings begun by ambitious landowners, but abandoned when they ran out of money. These "campos" or communities might include ten to fifteen families of all ages, often with two or three generations living in one dwelling.

This is the ministry context for Lantern Hill (LH). The team connects with these various communities, offering everything from basic needs like food and clothing, to child care, education, and sometimes even medical assistance. At Casa Esperanza for example, a shelter for battered women and their children, Lantern Hill has begun a jewelry co-op, where women are given the opportunity, supplies and guidance to create jewelry that is then marketed and sold here and in the U.S., to provide a better wage, as well as dignity and proide to the women of this community. The children from Casa Esperanza participate in an after-school program offered by the LH staff, increasing their oportunity for a quality education, social interaction and recreation.

Similar partnerships have emerged at Agua Viva, one of the agri-communities that also has a a children's home, school, day care and feeding program. At Templo Casa De Dulzura, a Mexican church where the team currently worships, Sunday School areas have been added, the church was painted and other improvements accomplished in cooperation with the congregation. Baja 89 is an inner-city site in Ensenada, offering early childhood development, a feeding program, and an offering of English as a Second Language classes. At the concrete village, a truly emerging community, early connections are being made and the team is still identifying needs (see an earlier post on this blog).

The goal for LH has always been to listen first, and then to accompany where applicable. Accompaniment is never easy and takes more time, but is infinitely more helpful to the people with whome we serve, and to establishing lasting relationships. We strive to not only answer the question, "how can we help?" but also "why is this happening?" Putting groups that travel to serve at Lantern Hill into situations where they can not only serve alongside the people, but wrestle with the ultimnate question of "why" this is happening, is critical to this ministry.