Hispanic Leadership
A Day in the Life of... an Hispanic Leader
by Jackie Bernal
“Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. This poor woman has given more than all the other people. All these people had plenty of money and they gave only a part of it.
She was poor and she gave everything she had.'” Luke 21:3-4
We are all looking for something. We search and search for meaning, for fulfillment. We hunger to be wanted, to be cared for, and to be seen, but I am convinced that none of that compares with our longing to love and be loved.
Although we were asked to share a typical day in our lives, I could not pass up the opportunity to share about the lives of those at Casa Guadalupana instead. This is where I serve as a part of my Latino Leadership scholarship.
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I have been working at Casa Guadalupana for two years now, and can say that my life has been changed in a drastic way because of it. Casa, as we like to call it, simply put, is a Catholic worker house that offers emotional, legal, and financial support for immigrants and their families.
In my two years of service there, I have been touched in a unique way. The individuals and families that knock on Casa’s door have nothing --literally. They, often times, have left behind carriers, families, and friends in pursuit of a dream. This dream comes in different shapes and sizes. For some it means freedom from oppression, others safety, but for most it is hope for a better life --a new beginning. Along the way these immigrants have hit a wall and cannot move forward without assistance, and that is where Casa comes in. Most of these individuals carry heavy burdens. For instance, one single mother arrived at Casa with 70 % of her body badly burnt in a fire, three children, and a newborn baby. Another was a mother of two children recovering from breast cancer; she was left unemployed. The youngest addition to the Casa family at that time arrived pregnant with no support, but hoping to carry the baby to term. These are just some of the incredible individuals whom Casa has taken in, providing refuge, and most importantly, a boost to help get them over that wall so they can continue to pursue their dreams.
Although each family that stays at Casa holds a special place in my heart, the Sanchez’s have become like family. Fabio and Fany fled corruption in Colombia in search for a better life for their two children. Along the way they too hit a wall, and were left with nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Casa took them in. They mean so much to me because it is through their example that I have learned some of the most valuable lesson in life: true wealth does not come in the form of money (the Sanchez family are some of the richest people I know, and they don’t have a cent to their name); that true love and faith is unconditional; and that giving is even more rewarding than receiving. God has worked miracles in me through this family, and to them I am forever grateful.
Every Tuesday after school I head over to Casa to help around the house. Some days I cook, and other days I tutor and clean, but most days we just share laughs. It never matters how rough my day at school has been, how much homework I have, or what burden I am clinging to, when I walk through Casa’s doors all that is put aside -- I am home! Instantly I am bombarded with hugs and kisses from the five-year-old, Melissa, and nothing else seems to matter.
Casa is a unique home because at any given time there are multiple families in and out the door; there isn’t one set of parents or one set of children, rather it is one big, diverse family each united under one rough fighting for survival. All of them materialistically have little or nothing, and yet battle day in and day out to survive, not merely against society who has rejected them, but their own insecurities as well. Each one of them persistently gives the whole of themselves to others in love and service. Those whom the world says have nothing give everything! Much like the widow whom gave her two coins; ironic isn’t it?
One time, I distinctly remember being at Casa and I was translating for a group of benefactors. As each immigrant told his or her story my heart broke. I realized just how heavy the cross they bore was and how ignorant I was. I realized that it is so easy for me to forget how needy they really are because they live life with so much joy; their smiles never leave their face. They are a testament to God’s ever abounding grace.
Also, I cannot write about Casa without mentioning the mastermind behind the madness, Kim. She is the director of the house and has been such an inspiration to me. A few months ago I had the opportunity to sit down with her and talk for a few hours. I realized then just how much she had sacrificed for this ministry, and how radically she had chosen to live out Christ’s calling. She is the most selfless person I know, and I hope to one-day give back to this world as she has.
All in all, as funny as it sounds, serving at Casa has truly served me. I have had the opportunity to witness suffering united to the cross like never before. Every time I leave Casa, I leave changed and more convicted to live life selflessly, and I know that is what God had in mind all along. It is because of Him, and this scholarship, that I have had the opportunity to go to the school of my dreams, meet people that have restored my faith, and experience things that have forever left me changed.
