On Nov. 30th, more than 600 migrants who are stranded in Matamoros, Mexico - just across the Rio Grande from Brownsville, Texas - were given an orientation on U.S. immigration processes by Elket Rodriguez, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship U.S.-Mexico border field personnel, with the coordination of Pastor Eleuterio Gonzalez of Valle de Beraca Church.  

Más de 600 migrantes varados en Matamoros, México – justo al otro lado del Río Grande de Brownsville, Texas –fueron orientados el 30 de noviembre sobre los procesos migratorios en los Estados Unidos por el personal de campo del Compañerismo Bautista Cooperativo para la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos, Elket Rodríguez, con la asistencia del pastor Eleuterio González de l iglesia Valle de Beraca.

1,500 migrants crossing en masse in El Paso this week is an act of desperation by folks frustrated with a broken system. The U.S. immigration system is broken and overwhelmed, not unlike so many individuals seeking asylum here.

Fellowship Southwest supporting congregation Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, is doing impactful, courageous, and faithful advocacy we think you should know about. Take a few moments to read this in-depth article from Baptist News Global about Broadway’s Justice Committee and their local advocacy work. The church has been a leader in the city calling for improved conditions and procedures at the Tarrant County Jail and for an independent investigation into why 39 inmates have died since 2019.

We’re at the hanging stuff on the walls phase at our new house in Drippings Springs. Yes, finally. It has been a busy fall. This week I hung a sign above our kitchen table that reads “Gather Here with Grateful Hearts”

Consider this newsletter column a grateful gathering.

FSW Executive Director Stephen Reeves is in Washington, D.C. this week with Elket Rodríguez, Chrissy Tatum Williamson. Elket is a CBF field personnel and immigration specialist in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, and Chrissy is the pastor of Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.

Evangelical Immigration Table invited advocates from all over the country to join together in an organized action week for immigration advocacy. They are asking Congress to pass long overdue immigration reforms to provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and agricultural workers, and work with administration officials to improve border management.

In Ciudad Juarez, on the banks of the Rio Grande River across El Paso, Texas, over 1,200 Venezuelan migrants are living in makeshift shelters, because of the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to authorize the rapid expulsion of Venezuelan migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Durante los últimos cuatro meses he tenido el privilegio de trabajar junto a Fellowship Southwest y nuestro socio Jorge Zapata, enseñando "Introducción al Trabajo Social" a pastores que tienen ministerios a lo largo de la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos. La idea de este entrenamiento nació por el tipo de labor que los pastores hacen a lo largo de la frontera. Ellos son los trabajadores de primera línea durante las crisis y las emergencias, trabajando con comunidades de escasos recursos e de inmigrantes.

During the past four months I have had the privilege of working alongside Fellowship Southwest and our partner Jorge Zapata, teaching “Social Work 101” to pastors who have ministries along the U.S.-Mexico border. The idea of this training was born because of the type of work the pastors do along the border. They work with very poor and immigrant communities and are the front lines during crises and emergencies.

On October 30, 2022, Royal Lane Baptist Church in Dallas voted unanimously to call Reverend Victoria Robb Powers as their next senior pastor.

We are extra energized this week after our semi-annual meeting with the Fellowship Southwest Board of Directors. Our tradition is to rotate the location of our meetings around the region, so this time we convened in Norman, Oklahoma.

El presidente Biden convirtió en ley la semana pasada un proyecto de ley de inmigración respaldado por Fellowship Southwest, que brinda esperanza a las decenas de personales de campo o misioneros que trabajan directamente con inmigrantes y refugiados.

An immigration bill supported by Fellowship Southwest was signed this week by President Biden—giving hope to many who welcome and resettle immigrants and refugees.

The Biden administration has become addicted to Title 42 –the order that authorizes the rapid expulsion of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border due to the threat of COVID-19. And like all addictions, the real problems are avoided.

You might have noticed several “away” responses if you’ve tried to email one of the Fellowship Southwest staff this month. Here’s a summary of what we’ve been doing and who we’ve gotten to connect with.

Among the many worthy organizations you could associate with or give your time and resources to, we are grateful to have you with Fellowship Southwest. If you are looking into how you or your church can be more involved with us, here are a few suggestions to consider.

Elsa Romero demonstrates faithfulness by trusting God every step of the way in her life, never really knowing what might come next. Time and again, God has blessed her with the gift of education. She honors this gift by giving back to others in the form of education and language. She says, “Language is like a bridge. It connects us with people. It also allows us to pursue the education we need, the job we dream about, the life we want for ourselves and our children.”

"El Espíritu del Señor está sobre mí, porque me ha ungido para proclamar la libertad a los cautivos. "

El mes pasado en Brownsville, TX, junto al pastor Carlos Navarro y la Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville, nos reunimos en un centro de bienvenida establecido para las organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Estábamos ahí para ofrecer alimentos, agua y otras necesidades básicas a los refugiados y migrantes. Minutos antes de entrar a este centro de bienvenida, ellos son liberados de los centros de detención de la Patrulla Fronteriza.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim freedom to the captives.”

Last month in Brownsville, TX, alongside Pastor Carlos Navarro and Iglesia Bautista West Brownsville, we gathered in a welcome center set up for non-profits to offer food, water and other basic needs to refugees and migrants. Minutes before they enter this welcome center, they are released from Border Patrol detention centers.

Bethany Rivera Molinar, vive y trabaja en el barrio Río Grande, en el centro de la cuidad de El Paso, TX, como directora ejecutiva de Ciudad Nueva. A Bethany le apasiona ver cómo se desenvuelve el reino de Dios en su barrio, ya que hace parte de la naturaleza de las personas que viven allí con ella.