A group of 10 people from the Barrington Congregational Church are planning a mission trip to BorderLinks in Tucson, Ariz., and they are asking the community to help fund the trip.

Will Short, Tom Colby, Bobby Duel, Matthew Selznick, Laura Ward, Amanda Colby, Gabrielle Sclafani, Olivia Noyes, Helen Ward and associate minister Brendan Curran will spend a week volunteering their time for a good cause.

They are planning two fund-raisers in the coming month before leaving for the trip on June 25. The first is a night of fun with comic hypnotist Frank Santos Jr. on May 1. The second is a gourmet pasta dinner on May 22.

The missionaries hope to raise $8,000; so far, the group has raised about $5,000. The cost per person to go to BorderLinks — a border immersion experience that allows missionaries to better understand the plight of people fleeing into America from points south — is $1,500.

Pastor Curran said his church began planning to send a delegation to BorderLinks last year and with the presidential election months only away, it’s a timely trip with candidates discussing border issues.

The mission of BorderLinks is to connect divided communities, raises awareness about the impact of border and immigration policies, and inspires action for social transformation.

It is Pastor Curran's vision to share a ministry of witness and presence while in Arizona.

“I am unsure what they will have us doing while there but whatever they need, we are willing to do it,” Pastor Curran said.

In preparation for the trip, the group made a bulletin board with information about the trip and then covered it with paper “bricks” signifying a wall that they hope to break down through awareness.

“At coffee hour we have a discussion and parishioners can buy a brick for $1 and our hope is to sell them all — hence breaking down the wall that divides people from accepting others,” he said.

The bricks have powerful words on them like "bigotry," "superiority," "tension," "greed," and "suffering." These are words that divide people from living symbiotically.

“We want the delegates to feel personally connected to the issues we are dealing with. We meet monthly for pizza and discussion and have gotten to know each other by asking questions about family immigration situations. We ask questions of ourselves about migrant people and their role in the world today,” Rev. Curran said.

What is BorderLinks?

BoarderLinks has been in existence since 1987 when Tucson Sanctuary Workers, members of the east-coast Meeting Ground organization, and a consortium of pastors from Philadelphia met together to consider the possibility of an experiential education program.

In 1999, with the support of dedicated churches, schools, and individuals, BorderLinks purchased the Casa de la Misericordia community center in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The Casa was originally built and owned by Jose and Esperanza Torres and run by Esther Torres as a food program for children in the community. When Jose died suddenly, Esperanza decided that she couldn’t continue to manage the work alone and offered to sell the property to BorderLinks to continue these community projects.

This was an opportunity for BorderLinks to partner with the people of Nogales by supporting the work already begun by the women in the community. The alliance opened up additional ways of working with the members of the surrounding communities in their endeavors to direct and improve their lives and the lives of their children.

In 2004, BorderLinks purchased and renovated a Tucson property that allowed them to expand and enhance programming. The property was remodeled for staff offices, a large dormitory, a parking lot, and kitchen and community space. Through grants, they have recently developed the outdoor area to include a water cistern, garden, and earthworks projects.

More information

For tickets to either fundraiser, go to:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/frank-santos-jr-comic-hynpnotist-tickets-23070641911

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pasta-dinner-tickets-24502825611