Lupita Chavarria, associate pastor at Geyer Springs United Methodist Church, and Rev. Gayla Toften recently traveled to the Immigration Summit: Train the Trainer in Omaha, NE, which focused on providing participants with essential skills in Know Your Rights education, Basic Community Organizing, and Spokesperson Training, as well as theological reflections on land, immigration, and race. Additionally, attendees had the opportunity to network with leaders across jurisdictions and general agencies engaged in immigration justice work.
Lupita recounted her experience and said she was grateful for the opportunity to attend this training, as the topic of immigration and having more tools to help is very important to her.
“The information and organization of the event was excellent,” said Lupita. “It was much-needed training for pastors. For some, this topic or information is relatively new; for me, it wasn’t, but it was very important to refresh my knowledge and meet many people in person.”
She said she had the opportunity to meet people in person that she had only had the chance to meet virtually previously, such as people from Law and Justice Network (Former JFON), with whom Lupita organized a Know Your Rights training via Zoom for friends, the local community, and Latino Pastors in the South Central Jurisdiction.
“For me, it was very important to step up to the microphone and give my opinion on some missing pieces. It was the recommendation that all these agencies, churches, and pastors approach the consulates and pay attention to how they work, especially the consulates that serve the majority of migrants, such as the Mexican Consulate, which is the largest in the country with 50 consulates. Because Mexico is where most people are deported, it doesn’t matter if they are not Mexican. Also I ask to keep the eyes open because this whole atmosphere of hatred and resentment, as well as the lack of cheap labor caused by deportations, will lead to an increase in human trafficking,” Lupita shared.
