The Detour
This season we have been trying to be less structured in planning our stops. Jim and I are very structured people and not knowing where you will park your home from week to week can be unnerving. So, we compromised. We would pinpoint the “big” places we want to go and fill in with others along the way, waiting until we were closer to those big places before we looked for our temporary home. We knew it wasn’t a full proof plan but being able to adjust without panic was something we desired. I also think it gives God the opportunity to guide us to where he wants us to go. And that’s exactly what he did the day we had to make a detour.
The next “big” place was Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM. We knew Albuquerque was having a balloon festival around the time we thought we would be in the area and surmised the best option would be to stay in Santa Fe because Albuquerque would be packed with RVers. Surely that was a good plan. It turned out this was our first experience in learning to adjust. There was not a single place to stay in the entire Albuquerque/Santa Fe area – and I mean no place! As we continue to experience, it is harder to find towns with RV parks or campgrounds the farther west we get. So we had to take a detour, put Albuquerque and Santa Fe on the backburner, and find another place to visit. That is when our detour took us to our greatest experience so far in our second season.
We were heading to Las Cruces, NM, a Mexican town until the end of the Mexican-American War when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, making the territory part of the United States. This city of over 100,000 people is steeped in a rich culture and some of the most friendliest people we have met. We were immediately captivated by this big city with a small town feel. In fact, within a day, we extended our stay.
We would find so many blessings during our time here. The first revealed itself to us on the drive to Las Cruces. The drive was beautiful. The desert provided views for miles and miles, giving us a glimpse of mountains yet to come. The mountains were different than what we were used to in the northeast, they were rocky (they are actually the southern part of the Rocky Mountains) with little vegetation. We could clearly see the magnitude of their depth and height. I think poor Jim had to have heard me say, “isn’t that the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” at least a thousand times during our stay! Interestingly, we were surprised to see green amongst the sandy, desert view; but soon the colors would change. Stay tuned for our next post to learn what we saw!
During our stay we hiked the Organ Mountains. We strolled the farmers market, noted in 2011 as “The Number One Large Farmers Market in the Nation”. Sounds of mariachi music and smells of roasted chili peppers guided our way through the seven block market. We visited the village of Old Mesilla – most of which is the same as it was one hundred years ago. In fact, the court house (mentioned in Trailing an Outlaw), where Billy the Kid was tried and sentenced is right in the center of town. While there we tasted our very first authentic Mexican meal. It was far less salty than the Mexican food we have had in the past. In fact, I realized later that afternoon I wasn’t as thirsty or feeling overly full as I normally am after eating Mexican food. I’ve often heard authentic Mexican cuisine is bland in flavor but I beg to differ – it was delicious!
There was so much to do during our stay but we had to leave room to serve the Las Cruces community. This time we chose El Caldito Soup Kitchen and Casa de Peregrinos. Most of our service was spent at El Caldito but we did manage to squeeze in time at Casa de Peregrinos, to packing grocery carts of food for those in need. Formed by four residents in 1979 with $3,000 and a goal of providing food and shelter to the homeless, to distributing 5,058,189 pounds of food in 2021, their servant hearts are committed to caring for the residents of Las Cruces. Toward the end of of the day we had the chance to visit with our fellow volunteers. At one point, spending some time playing “Nature Valley Jenga” – waiting with bated breath to watch the tower fall. It never did given the masterful skills of the builder.
Equally committed, hearts full of love, and neighbors of Casa de Peregrinos, is El Caldito Soup Kitchen. Their mission and vision is aimed at providing warm nutritious meals to everyone until the need no longer exists. Often times we walk into a volunteer setting that can feel a little awkward at first. Not surprising given we do not know each other but also because the volunteers are typically so busy. Showing us what to do takes away from their already limited time and resources. Despite that, we have yet to encounter a time when anyone did not take time to welcome us. Jim and I understand how busy it can be and are people who jump in and figure things out. This time though, there was no awkwardness but rather a moment where we felt we walked into something familiar and comfortable.
The day we arrived at El Caldito, they were very busy preparing for their annual Empty Bowls event to be held two days later. Despite that, the administrator and volunteer coordinator, Laura, took time to welcome us while her team stepped in to put us to work. This time we were able to help prepare meals and serve them. A former cook many, many years ago, I was thrilled to get to help prepare. Each day the kitchen has a head chef in charge of preparing the meal. I will tell you, the quality of the food was amazing! All home cooked and prepared just as if the volunteers were preparing it for their families on Thanksgiving day. A true testament to a community that comes together for the betterment of everyone in their city.
From the moment we met our head cooks each day we served, they made us feel welcome. As we prepared the meals we visited with all of the volunteers, learning about them, the city, and the people of the area. We laughed, joked, and served with each other. The following week, after the Empty Bowls event, we were able to spend more time with Laura and some of the Board members. We truly felt like we had found a second family with these beautiful people. Those we served were equally amazing. They were so thankful, continually wishing us God’s blessings.
While in the area, we were also able to get a better idea of what is known as a tent city. On the property of Casa de Peregrinos and El Caldito, was an area set aside for those in need to set up their tent. If not already taken by someone else, some were fortunate to be able to set up their tent in a 3 sided structure – just enough room for a small tent. Otherwise their tent was on the ground.
Las Cruces, located in southern New Mexico, is in what is called a high desert region. At an elevation of 4,000 feet, nights are cold, particularly in the winter when temperatures can get below freezing. Surrounded by mountains, the summer is not only very hot but experiences monsoon rains and flash flooding for the entire summer season. Lest I forget, the area is also very windy. Imagine that setting while you live in a tent. The sad part is, homelessness is everywhere and climate doesn’t discriminate.
As we visited with both organizations, one person said something that has stuck with me. In my lifetime, I have often heard people say any money the homeless get is likely used for alcohol and drugs. The person we were speaking with said (and I paraphrase), “if I was homeless I would drink and do drugs too, maybe it would make my situation feel better.” I, and the person we were speaking with, certainly do not promote drinking and drug use as a means of feeling better or fixing our problems, but think about his statement for a minute. The homeless do not live in four walls of their own, they are fed what they are given and not always three straight meals a day. They do not have daily access to a shower or medical care. They do not have family get togethers at the holidays. In fact, they are looked down upon by a majority of the population. Why would they have any hope?
I know there is a lot more to the homeless situation but quite honestly I do not care what that “more” is. That doesn’t mean I do not care about the people or situation, but I do not have to know why or how they got to this point in their life. I just have to know how to love and serve them.
As we served those in need at El Caldito, I thought about how my heart has changed. How have I become so passionate about serving and loving those in need? The answer is the Holy Spirit in me. I understand that sometimes it is hard to understand, it was for me for much of my life. Accepting Jesus for who He is allows the Holy Spirit to enter our bodies. To be our guide in this new life we are leading in Christ.
I know it sounds a little crazy for those who have not experienced it, but sometimes, like not spending our time judging how people became homeless, or knowing how the Monarch butterfly migration works, we have to accept what the Bible tells us about the Holy Spirit. Then we can spend our remaining lives learning, trusting and having faith in who He is and what He does in our life. It may not happen overnight – I’ve been a Christian for my whole life, stumbling for a time, and finding my faith again. In all of those years I did not understand the Holy Spirit until just a few years ago.
I will tell you what He did in my life once I understood. When I accepted who Jesus is and asked for forgiveness of my sins, which by the way, I still have to do sometimes, the Holy Spirit was allowed to enter my heart. What I didn’t know was He was there to help guide me in right from wrong, to let go of my past hurts, my past mistakes, my judgement of others, my willingness to change the life I knew and serve, to learn who God says I am. Without that process, I could not truly love myself the way God does. Until then, I could not unconditionally love others, I could not step out of my comfort zone, I could not see my purpose, I could not love the least of these.
As Jim and I watch God guide us on this journey, we are starting to learn what hurts our hearts, and are becoming more and more passionate about continuing to do what we can to make a difference. If there is one thing I wish for everyone in this new year, it is to experience what I have, heal like I have, continue learning like I am, and accept the gift God gave me in my partner in life – the Holy Spirit. Then we will all know how to love the way Jesus did. We will walk through this new year seeing lives changed, including our own.
