Day 5 Group 3 and 4

Today was one of our longest days, by far. Not only were we very sleepy, but we also had to move locations from the First Christian Church, to Borderlinks. Although this was only about a 7 minute drive, it took quite a bit of preparation. Once we arrived at Borderlinks, we started right off with a border simulation of financial and emotional aspects of those on both sides of the border. People were assigned roles such as corn farmers, store owners, border patrol agents, and more. After that and lunch, our two groups finally had the opportunity to experience Operation Streamline, which allows the public to view illegal immigrants trials that have crossed the Mexico- Arizona border, but been caught in the process. Some of the people being tried had been caught as recently as last night. They arrived in shackles and had Spanish speaking attorneys that were able to clarify some of the more difficult proceedings, along with a Spanish/English translator. Afterwards, we came back to Borderlinks, and began another border simulation that gave each person insight into how America's legal immigration process affects people from all over the world, not just from Mexico. Specifically, group 3 got a chance to speak with the women who runs Borderlinks; she recently became a U.S. citizen. As the night wound down and we began dinner, the seniors began to plan our last worship for Friday night. When it became dark, we drove to a vigil for immigration awareness. Overall, the day was extremely eye-opening, and we're excited for a second day with Borderlinks.