Category Archives: Reflections

Reflections on how we feel and how the mission is changing us

What We Leave, and What We Take

Community, Human Rights, Migrant Death, Reflections

Travelling to Texas over the past few summers is always challenging.  We usually try and pack in as much as humanly possible.  This applies not only to our luggage, but also our time in the Lone Star state.  Every day is crammed full of experiences to ensure that no second of time is wasted.  This year we completed 17 skeletal analyses (alongside the fine people of Texas State University), participated in “Missing in Harris County Day”, and even managed to have a little extra time to construct and fill water stations in Brooks County.

A woman smiling in front of a field.
My beautiful wife, Jessica.

Every time I travel I cannot help but think about what I’m taking and what I’m leaving behind.  Leaving Indianapolis, my first instinct is to pour over the trivial things… like did I bring underwear? or how much deodorant do I need for 10 days?  Those thoughts soon give way to the more meaningful.  The first and most important thing I leave behind every time I visit Texas is my beautiful wife.  Everyone who knows me will tell you that I’m not always the easiest person to get along with.  Jessica and I have been married for nearly 9 years now, which places her level of patience and understanding on par with saints.  It may seem silly, but I always feel like part of her is with me on my journey.  She understands that the work we do is meaningful and important, and I could not do it without her support.

A brown and white dog
Watson is on the case.

I left something new at home this year… This 3-year-old basset hound mix Jessica and I adopted from the Indianapolis Humane Society.  We changed his name to Watson, a fitting name for an intelligent and loyal side kick.  He has already become a member of our family, and I look forward to our future lives together.

The last thing I left in Indianapolis was my case knife.  I forgot that it was in my jacket pocket before the TSA security checkpoint.  It may sound trivial, but I loved that knife.  I am also glad that the TSA is doing their job so well.  I hope you enjoy my knife (although I suggest you clean it before using it).

The things that I take and leave from Texas are much more ephemeral.  If I had to choose one material thing to take back to Indy, it would be HEB grocery stores (sorry, everything else, its’s HEB!).  Alas, like most of the wonderful people and places in Texas, I am forced to leave them all behind.  I leave behind friends who treated us like family.  I leave behind families still searching for loved ones.  I also leave behind an amazing group of individuals that continue to fight for human rights, and aid in the identification of the missing.  People like the wonderful faculty and students of Texas State, and Eddie Canalez and Ryan Strand of the South Texas Human Rights Center show us what we can accomplish if our hearts and minds are in the right place.

I hope that I have taken part of that fight with me.  Although it seems that we are thousands of miles away from issues on the border, these issues permeate our entire country.  Even with this perceived separation, it is how we act now that that will that will continue to shape our great country.  Our country was founded on the magnanimous ideals of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  I believe that everyone should have access, after all, todos somos inmigrantes (we are all immigrants).

Justin

Good Bye Texas

Reflections

I am so incredibly grateful to have been given a second opportunity to go back to Texas. Although our time in Texas is now over, the work in south Texas continues on in our absence. We accomplished a lot in the 11 days that we were there and it was mostly thanks to working efficiently as a team, especially at Texas State University.

Two team members standing on a farm gate with three other members standing around them

At Texas State, we surpassed our quota of 8 skeletal analyses even though we had 2 half days where we worked on other things. I can’t believe how much work we were able got done in such a short amount of time. I enjoyed working with Dr. Spradley and her graduate students and Dr. Gocha. Good things always happen when we get together with the Texas State team. I also enjoyed getting experience in intake and working with personal effects, which was something I didn’t get to do on our last trip to Texas.

I had a great time helping out at the South Texas Human Rights Center. Those couple of days in Falfurrias were a whirlwind of activity. We did something different every day. I enjoyed the hard work of repairing and maintaining water stations. I only wish that we had more time in Falfurrias to help out. It takes so much time and effort to keep up with the stations. I don’t know how they do it. It was also interesting to participate in the cemetery survey project. So many cemeteries with unidentified individuals are being found and mapped out. Progress is being made! Working on this project also gave me a new appreciation for Texas wildlife. Texas is unbearably hot and humid, but beautiful. Finally, I’m happy I got to see so many of our friends again and catch up with them.

Four team members placing a red cross flag on a blue barrel with aqua painted on it
Setting up a new water station.
Looking down a dirt road through the trees
Texas is gorgeous.

This trip was a little less emotionally difficult than our last trip, at least for me. We had less interaction with the Falfurrias community and with the migrants themselves. Not to say that it wasn’t emotionally difficult at all. Missing in Harris County Day was intense with loved ones of missing individuals telling their stories and reporting their cases. I felt like this trip was a little more manageable. I hope that in our short amount of time in south Texas that we were able to make a difference.

Team members walking towards a building

–Amanda

New Perspectives

Reflections
A person in PPE kneeling on the ground with buckets, plungers, and a plastic tub
Processing Personal Effects

Words cannot describe how immensely grateful I am to have had the opportunity to go to Texas this year.  I met so many wonderful people at Texas State University, Missing in Harris County Day, and Falfurrias that I will never forget.  The experiences I’ve had on this trip have helped me gain new perspectives and have greatly increased my knowledge on this human rights issue.

Two team members going over paperwork in a lab
Skeletal Analysis

At Texas State University, I was exposed to other aspects of  the human identification process.  In addition to conducting skeletal analyses, I learned a lot about forensic odontology with Dr. Fancher, processing human remains, washing the clothes of the deceased, and taking photographs of the clothes.  All of these experiences have broadened my understanding of the human identification process, and I am very thankful that so many people were willing to share their methodologies with me in addition to improving my skeletal analysis skills.

Missing in Harris County Day was my first experience directly working with the families of the missing.  While I contributed mostly by compiling data from intake forms and documents, I was still able to interact with those who are directly affected by this humanitarian endeavor.  I hope that our work will positively impact them by finding their missing family members.

In Falfurrias I was really excited to be able to help and work with people who are in the thick of this issue.  It’s hard for me to imagine constantly working on border crosser issues and border crosser deaths after such a short immersion.  But the individuals we met there are incredibly passionate and inspiring.  Helping Sister Pam make T-shirt bags for the families at the Respite Center and Eddie with the water stations were just a few small ways in which we could help, but I’m grateful we got the opportunity to do so.

Three people around a blue barrel with a red cross flag flying in the sky
Water Stations

Before going to Texas, I had heard so many stories and tried to understand the complexities of the issues surrounding migrant death.  By being in Texas, I realized how much more complex the issues really are and how many people there are working on all kinds of facets of this matter.  Leaving Texas, I still feel like I can’t fully understand the difficulties faced there in such a short amount of time, but I do have a greater appreciation for what everyone I have met is doing to help resolve this issue.

Two girls wearing coon hats
At the Alamo

I am also very thankful to have gotten to work with this team.  We not only achieved the goal of 15 cases in a week, but exceeded it by completing 17 skeletal analyses.  This group of people are hardworking, dedicated, and passionate about helping in any way they can, and they all truly inspire me every day.  We had a lot of fun moments in addition to the work we did, including visiting the Alamo, creating the blog videos, hanging out at the hotel pool, and all the inside jokes that were made along the way.  I’m happy I got to work alongside this team, and I hope to be able to continue helping in the future.

–Helen