Come and See: Witnessing the Human Story at the U.S.-Mexico Border
The reality at the U.S.-Mexico border is not a new one. It is complex and generational — a heart-wrenching condition that has plunged too many families already experiencing vulnerability into even greater need. It is deeply tied to the global crises of forced displacement. Many have been displaced by conflict, crises or climate disasters and are seeking safety and stability in an unfamiliar land.
World Relief’s Border Immersion is an advocacy initiative that focuses on education and equipping. Led by Liliana Reza, World Relief’s Director of Border Engagement, this initiative offers select participants with firsthand knowledge and meaningful ways to advocate. For Liliana, this work is deeply personal — a calling rooted in both lived experience and a commitment to justice at the border.
Elyse Fitzpatrick, author and a recent Border Immersion participant, shares her reflections on how this experience transformed her understanding of borders, reshaping the way she sees both those seeking refuge and the neighbors in her own community.
Liliana: The Invitation
The U.S.-Mexico border is often reduced to narratives of crisis, division and fear. But beyond the headlines lies a more deeply human reality — one of beauty, hope, resilience and faith. In the borderlands, I have come to see not just geopolitical tension, but sacred ground. I have witnessed the tenderness of a mother and child stepping into an uncertain future. I have stood alongside volunteers who have given decades of their lives to quiet, unseen acts of hospitality. It is here that God is undeniably present.
Created out of a desire to inform and form the church, World Relief’s Border Immersion experience seeks to challenge misinformation and provide a deeper understanding of the realities faced by those arriving at the southern border. At the heart of this experience is a commitment to listening, learning and leaving a minimal footprint — ensuring that our presence is one of humility and respect. Border Immersion invites us to ask hard and holy questions about what it means to live the way of Jesus in a world where forced displacement is a daily reality for millions.
There are no easy answers. But as we walk the borderlands, we are reminded of our shared humanity. We navigate conversations and questions like, What does the Bible say about immigration? How do we balance compassion with rule of law? What is the role of the Church in advocacy? How can we live in Christlike solidarity?
Border Immersion is rooted in the invitation from Jesus in John 1:39, “Come and see.” The central message of John chapter 1 is that the divine became human — the holy came close, and dwelled among us. Jesus always comes to see and be seen, to be near and encounter; because presence is the central message of the Gospel. This scripture has taken on a deeper, more embodied meaning for me in the tenderness and texture of the borderlands.
As Director of U.S.-Mexico Border Engagement with World Relief’s Advocacy and Policy team, my work is rooted in presence — accompanying and advocating for those arriving to seek asylum or refuge, navigating some of the most layered journeys imaginable. I spend much of my time in the San Diego-Tijuana border. It is a place full of hope. Since 2018, World Relief has engaged faithfully in this region, partnering with local churches and organizations that have long been responding to the needs of those arriving. Their faithful presence reminds me that the Church is at its best when it is near — when it shows up.
As global forced displacement reaches unprecedented levels, World Relief remains committed to walking in solidarity alongside those impacted, not just internationally, but here in our borderlands. We believe the border is not just a line on a map, it is a sacred space where the Gospel is seen, heard and embodied.
This is the invitation: come and see. Come and witness not just the challenge but the beauty. Come and be transformed by the stories that often go unheard. Come and discover what it truly means to follow Jesus, who is always found at the margins and who is always inviting us closer wherever we find ourselves.
Elyse: I Could Not Look Away. A Call to See and Respond
I thought I knew my city. I thought I had seen it all. I was wrong.
I am a San Diego native. I have lived here in this beautiful corner of the country for over seven decades. My roots go deep into my city’s sandy soil. And whenever I respond to the question about what city I’m from, people generally respond with an, “Ah! San Diego is so beautiful.” Yes, it is. And yet…
San Diego is my beautiful home, but it is also a borderland; it is one side of a border that stretches thousands of miles east. And although I have been aware of and traveled to the city and country to my south my whole life, my eyes were opened to see something more when I joined a group from Women of Welcome for a Border Immersion. I saw the border wall — not simply as a point of reference that I easily traverse with my passport — but as the doorstep to my city, a doorstep that was littered with the remnants of shattered dreams and echoed with the cries of the migrant.
I saw a family who had trekked for countless days, whose entire portfolio consisted of what was on their backs and in their meager backpacks. I witnessed as extra layers of clothing were shed and shoelaces confiscated. And I witnessed as they arrived to seek asylum. I did not know what their future held. I only knew that they were like me: people who longed for life, for a home, a place where, though transplanted, their roots might grow deep like mine had. They wanted to belong. Just like me.
I saw travelers, sojourners, as people who were like me, people created in the image of God who had value and dignity. I also saw them as people who had hopes and dreams like mine, hopes that those they loved would be loved and cared for, that they would be able to survive and that their children might someday find a place to flourish. I knew that they would have loved my city if they would have been given the chance to know her .
The asylum seekers I saw that day (and thousands of others like them) were just like me. I was just like them. In my well-protected and cushy life, I learned that I must push myself to see what my days would have been like if I had been born where they were born. What if, instead of Southern California, I was born in Southern El Salvador, or Southern Venezuela, or Haiti, or Sudan or Iraq? What is the difference between my life and theirs? At bottom, it is only a matter of where I was privileged to be born. That’s it. Beautiful San Diego is my home because my parents chose to settle here. My parents wanted their children to be loved and cared for and find a place to flourish. My pride of place was deep self-deception. I was not better than they. We are the same.
I could not look away. I must not look away.
Further, I could not look away from the suffering of those knocking on the door to my city because Jesus Christ would not look away from me when I was on the broken outside, searching for a flourishing life. Jesus enjoined his followers to care for “the least of these”, those who were vulnerable and needy, because in doing so, they would be caring for and serving him. To be like Jesus is to be empathetic. To be like his enemies is to be pitiless.
Sadly, some vocal factions of the American church have forgotten this call. They have believed the lie that the God they claim to worship does not value all human life. They have hardened their hearts to the plight of the poor from other nations. They are sadly mistaken, not unlike the German church in the 1930-40’s and the enslaving church of the American south. And yet, the true church found a way to respond in empathy then, as she will now.
In the months since my eyes were opened to see my beautiful home as she really is, I have responded in various ways: For instance, I encouraged my church to donate jackets for those who had been granted entry and were traveling on to colder climes. In addition, my family and I prepared and served dinner to nearly 100 migrant men several times. At these dinners, my husband and I were thanked and called “Father” and “Mother” by African men who smiled in appreciation. Some other Spanish speakers tried out their English with us and we laughed together as one said, “I appreciate” and I tried out a “da nada.” Then, when the city of San Diego closed down that venue, I began to use my platform to speak for those whose voices have been drowned out by louder ones who spread fear and hatred. And presently, in conjunction with another local church, I am educating my congregation about the life of day laborers while we make gift bags with insulated mugs, food and personal items like sunscreen and hand sanitizers.
I have seen my city and my migrant neighbors. I cannot look away.
These few actions feel like nothing compared to the systemic problems I have witnessed. But they did furnish warmth to a few cold and weary travelers and filled the bellies of hungry men for one night. Perhaps these actions help my friends who love Jesus learn to see and love their neighbor. Honestly, there are times when I feel so overwhelmed by the problems that I am tempted to give up. After all, what can one old woman do? But then, I recall what I have seen and I determine, once again, to continue. What can I do? Only this: One small act offered in faith day-by-day. One small act with my eyes and more importantly, my heart, wide open.
Will you allow yourself to see? Will you open your heart to love your neighbor?
Faith in Action
At World Relief, we believe a just and compassionate immigration system is possible — one that has secure borders while extending compassion to those who are in need. Thoughtful policy solutions are needed that respect our laws and due process for those who profess a credible fear of persecution.If you’re like us, you long to act. Will you join us in calling for action? Sign the Christian Statement today and stand with our refugee and immigrant neighbors. Together, we can ensure that compassion remains at the heart of our nation’s response.
Liliana Reza is the Director of Border Engagement at World Relief, where she advocates alongside refugees, immigrants and displaced communities. An ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene, she holds an M.A. in Intercultural Studies from Nazarene Theological Seminary. Based in the San Diego-Tijuana region, Liliana is passionate about building bridges through faith, justice and community — often found exploring the borderlands or training for her next marathon.
Elyse Fitzpatrick holds a certificate in biblical counseling from CCEF (San Diego) and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from Trinity Theological Seminary. She has authored more than 25 books on daily living and the Christian life. Elyse loves to proclaim the good news of the gospel: That Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, perfectly obeyed all the law in our place, suffered in isolation and agony as punishment for our sin, died, and then rose again, all for our justification. A frequent speaker at national conferences, she has been married for over 50 years and has three adult children and six grandchildren. Along with her husband, Phil, Elyse attends Grace Bible Church in Escondido, California.