Written by Jeanne Graham of Community UMC Huntington Beach, CA
On May 11, members of the Cal-Pac South District Immigrant Ministries collaborative participated in a cross-border immersion experience in Tijuana led by Pastor Joel Hortiales, with logistical coordination by Susan Harriss and Jeanne Graham. The experience provided participants with an opportunity to witness firsthand the ministries serving refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, and deportees along the U.S./Mexico border.
The group gathered in the morning at Park Hill United Methodist Church before crossing the border on foot at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Once in Tijuana, we were welcomed aboard a comfortable shuttle driven by Guillermo Navarrete, a lay leader with the Methodist Church of Mexico, who would later guide us through the border park and participate in a moving communion service.
The day’s primary destination was Parque Morelos, where Centro 32 staff had organized Día del Niño and Día de la Madre celebrations for refugee women and their children. Centro 32 serves vulnerable migrant families by providing accompaniment, support services, shelter connections, and compassionate care for those displaced by violence, poverty, and deportation.
Our group carried donations across the border, including diapers and feminine hygiene supplies, and also helped sponsor lunch for the families gathered at the park. Participants spent the morning interacting with children through games and activities while mothers received a time of care and encouragement. We shared a delicious taco lunch together and enjoyed watching the children enthusiastically break open piñatas.
Although the schedule had included a possible visit to Comedor Juan 6:35, the Methodist feeding ministry was unable to host us due to the illness of the site volunteer. Pastor Joel nevertheless shared about the importance of this outreach ministry, which provides meals and hospitality to migrants, unhoused neighbors, and others in need throughout the Tijuana community.
Pastor Joel provided valuable context about the extensive outreach ministries supported through Methodist partnerships and the ongoing needs facing migrant communities in Tijuana. The experience helped participants better understand both the challenges faced by displaced families and the faithful work being carried out by churches and community ministries along the border.
For the last stop, the group traveled to Friendship Park along the border fence. For many participants, it had been decades since last visiting Tijuana, and it was reassuring to travel with experienced guides who helped us better understand the social, political, and spiritual realities of the border region.
Participants reflected on the contrast between public perceptions of the border and the lived reality we encountered. The Mexican side of the border park was vibrant and welcoming — a place not only marked by division, but also by worship, community gathering, remembrance, and hope.
At Friendship Park, Guillermo Navarrete shared about his ministry at the border. As a lay leader with the Methodist Church of Mexico, he regularly gathers at the wall to pray with and bless people on both sides of the border — families separated by immigration policies, deportation, and economic hardship. Pastor Joel Hortiales and Guillermo then led our group in a meaningful celebration of Holy Communion beside the border fence, grounding the day in prayer, solidarity, and Christian witness.
The group crossed back into the United States without incident and returned home carrying many reflections about the realities faced by migrants and the importance of faith-based ministries responding with compassion and justice.
Beyond helping participants better understand the realities and needs present along the border, this immersion experience also strengthened the interpersonal connections within our South District Immigrant Ministries collaborative. For the past ten months, members of the group have gathered monthly by Zoom to coordinate advocacy, education, and support efforts related to immigrant ministries across the Cal-Pac South District. While those meetings have fostered important connectional work, this border tour provided a welcome opportunity to come together in person to experience and support one of the district’s vital ministries firsthand.
Sharing the day together — crossing the border, serving families, worshiping in communion beside the border wall, and reflecting together during the return trip home — deepened relationships within the group and renewed our shared commitment to immigrant justice ministries. Participants expressed appreciation not only for what they learned, but also for the opportunity to build community with one another through shared experience and witness.
This immersion experience reminded us that cross-border ministries are not abstract political work, but deeply human ministries rooted in accompaniment, dignity, hospitality, and hope. Refugees, asylum seekers, and deportees arriving in Tijuana often face uncertainty, trauma, and isolation. Ministries such as Centro 32, Methodist outreach programs, and local church partnerships provide practical assistance while also affirming the sacred worth of every person.
As the South District Immigrant Ministries collaborative continues its work, participants look forward to future joint outreach opportunities, immersion experiences, and field trips that will further strengthen relationships and deepen understanding of ministries serving vulnerable communities throughout the region.
We are grateful to Pastor Joel Hortiales, Guillermo Navarrete, Susan Harriss, the Centro 32 staff for organizing this meaningful day of learning, service, and reflection.
For more information about the US/Mexico Border Immersion Experience contact Rev. Joel Hortiales, a GBGM Missionary, at jhortiales@calpacumc.org or Susan Harriss, CalPac UMVIM Coordinator, at slharriss.77@gmail.com.