ICE RAID
By Bryan Félix Vásquez
ME & MY FAITH
By Kheri Martínez
MY STORY
By Catti Pérez
I BELIEVE
By Yesenia Llulisa Morales López
MY SHORT STORY
By Iris Pérez
ICE RAID
By Bryan Félix Vásquez
8th GRADE
Forest, Mississippi
Saint Michael’s Catholic Church
Immigrants went to work
ICE began to lurk
For immigrants to arrest
Immigrants jobs were suppressed
Immigrants who were arrested were unlucky
Those immigrants were taken into custody
Children’s parents were taken
Children were awakening
To may never
See their parents forever
Later some immigrants were freed
Others weren’t freed
To this day
Immigrants are still kept away
To someday
Find a gateway
To freedom someday
Me & My Faith
By Kheri Martínez
5th GRADE
Forest, Mississippi
Saint Michael’s Catholic Church
One day I found these:
“I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Psalms 121: 1–2
“And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
“For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:37
Today that I am a teenager, I see my reality … a pandemic COVID- 19, my education, my immigrant parents, my confusing feelings.
My mind and heart are at peace because I know God is everything. I go outside with my family, and I talk with my parents while watching my sisters play.
And nobody is sick. God is there.
I can’t go to school, but I practice what I know with my mom and the internet. God is there.
My parents aren’t legal, but my dad works and never have we been in need of something. God is there.
My emotions get confused but my family is here with me, they hug me. God is there.
I get out of my house, get on my bike, I go to my main road. And I listen to the birds, the wind, I look at the trees, the plants, animals, flowers, the blue sky, the clouds. And I understand that God is caressing me with the rays of light from the sun and is whispering to me with the wind.
God’s timing is perfect, and his plan is wonderful, my faith doesn’t make things easy, it makes them possible.
God is with me and everything is okay and will be okay.
My Story
By Catti Pérez
12th GRADE
Morton, Mississippi
Saint Michael’s Catholic Church
Once upon a time on a gloomy day of school, a tragedy occurred. This happened on the second day of school, which as you can imagine is hard.
That morning I felt a bad feeling, like something bad would happen, which indeed occurred.
That day was marked as a tragic day for most, if not all, Hispanic families as a result of the ICE raids in Mississippi. That morning I got picked up by my sister and find out my dad was taken into custody at a correctional center.
For two months of my life, I faced real struggles, real suffering and hard days.
During those days I reached out to God. I prayed and prayed trying not to lose hope and to have faith that things would get better.
Of course, God, being our loving and almighty God, heard my prayers, and after two months, my dad was back home!
I Believe
By Yesenia Llulisa Morales López
11th GRADE
Forest, Mississippi
Saint Michael’s Catholic Church
Jack recently moved into a town called “Sea Central.” On his first day of school, Jack was prompted by the teacher, “Now Jack, why don’t you tell us something about you?”
He said, “My name is Jack Russell. I’m eleven years old. I like to play lots of sports. I like music. And I’m also Catholic.”
Suzy asked, “What does Catholic mean?”
Jack told her, “It means that you believe in God, Jesus and the Virgin Mary.”
Alexander asked, “Have you ever seen them?”
Thinking carefully Jack responded, “No, I have never seen them. I believe in them.”
Alexander blurted out loudly, “Jack believes in ghosts!”
As the weeks passed, Alexander and the rest of the class teased and bullied Jack for his beliefs. Eventually, Jack stopped believing.
He said, “I DON’T BELIEVE IN GOD AND JESUS! THEY ARE JUST GHOSTS! THEY AREN’T REAL!”
Jesus appeared in a blinding light before him and said, “Now that you have seen me, do you believe in me?”
Jack knelt before Jesus and answered, “Because I can see you, I believe.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Jack realized that even though one cannot see Jesus or God, they are there with us spiritually. Jack learned that he shouldn’t doubt God.
My Short Story
By Iris Pérez
12th GRADE
Morton, Mississippi
Saint Michael’s Catholic Church
Through tough battles in life, God will strengthen you. Even in times where hope has disappeared.
This became a reality in my life one August. A time where memorable moments should have taken place, but instead were overtaken by sourness. Though it might not have been visible to others, sadness had overtaken my world. I had seen and heard many situations like mine, though I never thought it could actually happen in my life. In many news channels, I had seen stories where individuals were taken away from their families. All I could do was feel sympathy for those individuals and hope for them to unite with their families.
I never thought that something like that would actually happen in my life until that August. My father had been taken away on the second day of my sisters and I going back to school. That day, we went from greeting our teachers to crying and calling lawyers to help free our dad. We went from days of getting paperwork done, to waiting weeks and later months.
Every day was exhausting and heartbreaking. However, I knew God was with me and my family. His presence was felt every time we prayed with hope. I felt comfort and happiness after each prayer. God was working in majestic ways, as he has always proved to me countless times.
Then the day to find out if my father would be freed came. That day, I felt the Lord’s presence like never before. After a few hours of waiting, my family and I were notified that my dad was set free.
A few days later, he was home and I felt an immense amount of happiness. It was at that moment that my life felt completely taken over by the Lord. I will forever be eternally grateful to God not only because He freed my dad, but because he is with me every day.
Through the dark moments where I felt trapped and without an escape, God has strengthened me. Even in times where hope had disappeared.