Don't just believe in miracles -- depend on them.
Recent events in our community have made me feel the need to tell a little about the day to day life of the farmworkers in Dade City. In 1979 when I first came to this beautiful place called Pasco County with its hills that, though not like Tennessee, but in a much smaller way, reminded me of that great and gorgeous state. In fact, there is a road in Dade City that as you come around a curve and look to the right, you will see a beautiful view that I like to call ‘Little Tennessee’, and it is only about 2 miles from Tommytown.
We have seen a horrible week of death and desolation in our community. Three farmworkers have been murdered. Two in the darkness of our unlit streets while on their way to the store to wire money home to their families. Another was shot with no doubt many witnesses that are refusing to come forward. We see violence in other places and other cultures, but I have not seen the hate that has been added to these. We read the stories of these killings on the websites of our local papers and we see the comments left by other readers. “Three down, many more to go.”, “Throw the garbage out.”, and equally bad sentiments from people who feel that Tommytown’s troubles will all go away once we have killed each other off. It is almost as if the people making these comments do not see these three men as fellow human beings. How horrible it would be if someone said of the woman and her children that were recently murdered in another community that she had it coming because she exercised poor judgment in who she hung out with. That would be wrong and inexcusable and yet people are saying that the best thing that could happen to the people of Tommytown would be more murders simply because they are in this country illegally, or that they speak another language. Where are we as compassionate, caring Americans? We must all take responsibility and seek out the answers. Do not blame the problems facing Tommytown on race; blame it on economics and poor distribution of wealth. Tommytown was economically depressed before the farmworkers came. The white families of Dade City have said that the Mexicans are ruining the beauty of Dade City. When we worked to give hope to our community by changing the name of Lock Street to Calle de Milagros (Street of Miracles) we over heard people in the local grocery store commenting that Lock Street was the more fitting name because the Mexicans needed to be kept locked down. The blacks in our community claim no responsibility here as they feel that they are the minority and have no voice here. I am saying that we are all our brothers’ keepers. We can contribute hope or despair and by choosing to look the other way and do nothing is choosing despair!
What have we done? Since 1979, FSH has built an organization that has almost single handedly brought hope to this community. We have built a learning center, a free clinic for the farmworkers, a 4 acre park and a children’s church that now serves entire families. Not bad for a bunch of poor Mexicans, and with the help of our white and black brothers & sisters we have built a social services office that works to address many of the issues that affect farmworkers on a local, state, and national level. Before there were any services available for farmworkers, we were it and on many fronts, we still are, at no expense to the government. Through foundation grants, individual donations, and gifts from churches that care about what we do, we have brought money into this county, possibly over a million dollars in the 30 years that we have been working. Does the public see our staff in grandiose offices? No!, we have poured our lives into making Tommytown a better place to live and Lock Street is a street of miracles, God is not finished with us yet! We must remember that out of difficulties grow miracles. We must provide the work of our hands and hearts. And then I have to ask, where are the churches? There are six churches on our Street of Miracles including our own Resurrection House Mission. All of the churches in Tommytown have strong membership so I have to ask, why are we not dealing with our problems? We must be responsible and face the issues that are killing our community. The folks that shot those young men belong to somebody! Get it?
I did not intend to write a book here but this is what happens when you wake up at 2am with so much on your heart. I had planned to start work on our newsletter but our great strides and accomplishments seem so small in retrospect to what has happened here. I struggle to think of how we can fix the problems here, and they are our problems again, not the sheriff, not the County Commissioners, and not our neighbors. This is ours and we need to face it and take ownership and work toward a solution.
Wednesday evening we will once again call our community together to pray for our fallen brothers and then have a meeting to see what else we can do as a community. We plan to invite the sheriff and the County Commissioners as well as the Dade City Commissioners. If they do not come we will keep holding meetings until they do.
Good things happen in Tommytown too. Know that even while there is gang activity here, there is also God activity. Though there are youth here that are bent on destruction, there are also young people in our community that are doing something positive. They have gone through the community and replaced the gang tags that show up on buildings with messages of hope. Our Teen Dream Team youth have traveled to Tallahassee to learn how government works and they have met with legislators to discuss the problems that their farmworker parents face. Some of the youth have created a ‘Fish to Feed’ project that combines aquaculture and fish farming with traditional gardening. They have met with youth from other communities and cultures in an effort to understand each other better and they found that for all their differences they were not really that different.
We can not stop what we are doing! We must spread the great commission that Jesus gave us. Jesus said in John 14:12, “I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” The word also says that by our fruits we shall be known. Where are those fruits? Inside church walls, or out where everyone can see? We must have faith and we must shine for all to see. I challenge all of us, churches and individuals, if we are truly Tommytown residents, then let us rise up and take responsibility for the well being of this community for if we can not all come together simply as children of God, then we have already lost the battle. We can overcome the evil that waits in the darkness but only if we work together. Jesus said that we must seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. I pray that we can come together as one and forget the names of our churches, forget what denominations we come from and remember that our one true shepherd is Jesus and through Him, all things are possible.
