Day 3- 76 Miles of Justice Trek!

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Day 3

May 17th, 2010

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Our resilient group left Marysville at 9:30 AM and is now in Everett and will continue walking today until they reach Lynnwood.

The morning started out slow with only 2 people- Juan Jose Maldonado and Francisco Lopez, walking along the state highway until they reached Highway 99.

Afterwards they were joined by 5 other community members from Mt. Vernon and the group of 7 is now going strong! The walk has been peaceful and they continue on with happy spirits.

During lunchtime, they walked by Tienda Oaxaca in Everett, where the Oaxacan women who owned the restaurant, invited them in for lunch and gave them something to drink. Such kindness! While at the restaurant, they shared the rally flyers and why they are walking and the women began to post them up all over the store. In each place, they stop they are telling people their stories and having them sign their OneAmerica teal shirt.

The shirt is now covered with messages from people supporting Immigration Reform and their journey. But the journey is not without struggles. As the group has been their way down to Seattle, they have encountered people who are against immigrant rights. They yell hateful words at the walkers. However, this means nothing to this powerful group. They reflected that in these moments, when people see their crosses and flags, which are both beautiful symbols of freedom, faith, and justice, they smile and honk in support. But when they see the group’s faces- the faces of immigrants, brown from the sun, they start looking at them as lesser human beings and their position changes. This makes the group reflect on Jesus as a migrant and gives them courage to keep walking, praying, and marching onward to Lynnwood! Our group is ahead of schedule and will take a day of rest before continuing to Seattle on Wednesday.

Please stay tuned! More is sure to come!