Church leaders from the First Presbyterian Church in Silver City are shown arriving at a Presbytery meeting in Paradise Valley, Arizona, earlier this month with donations for the Migrant Resource Center in Aqua Prieta, Arizona. Shown from right to left are John Baumberger, Ruth McPherson, Debra Knapp, Pastor John Cheek, and Barbara Nelson.Elders and deacons from Silver City's First Presbyterian Church arrived at a recent Presbytery meeting in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with a carload of donations for the Migrant Resource Center in Aqua Prieta, Mexico.

First Presbyterian congregational members donated 30 food packets, 17 hygiene packets, $75 of additional food, extra toiletries and a large bag of socks for the center's border ministry program.

Delivering the donations were First Presbyterian's Pastor John Cheek; three church elders, Ruth McPherson, Barbara Nelson and Sunny McFarren; and two of the church's deacons, Debbie Knapp and John Baumberger.

Church leadership from Presbyterian Churches in New Mexico and Arizona attended the meeting at Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley amd attended workshops on topics ranging from Using Social Media to Reach Your Congregation and Community, to Group Leadership, to Desert Spirituality, to Advocating for Immigrant Children in Federal Custody.

"We learned a lot and are bringing back new ideas and programs to our congregation," said McFarren. She said the large number of border ministry packets First Presbyterian donated reflects its focused mission to help with programs where the needs of children and the problems of poverty intersect.

"Since visiting Frontero de Cristo and the Migrant Resource Center, I've been impressed with both the volunteers who work there, and hearing stories about those migrants who get stuck on the border," said McPherson. She said most of those people who are served at the Migrant Resource Center have travelled long distances, are looking to find work to support their families, and have "tried in vain and at great financial cost" to obtain proper credentials for legally crossing the border into the USA, and have been rejected by the border patrol.

"What the MRC offers these people," McPherson explains, "is food, a shower and a cot to sleep on, and then some conversation about what their next steps will be for crossing legally or finding a way to get back home."

Through its member churches in New Mexico and Arizona, the Prebytery de Cristo provides the MRC with food and hygiene packets. "These are such small things, but they become enormous gifts when they are presented by loving, caring volunteers who treat the migrants with dignity, respect and love, " McPherson said. "I am always grateful for the participation of our congregation in this endeavor," she added.