A Journey Beyond Borders
by Erika Guedez, Community Resource Manager
I recently crossed a new border. Not only geographically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. I left my country, my people, and my customs behind to start over in a completely new place.
Neomar Alejandro Lander Armas (17 October 1999 – 7 June 2017).Was a young Venezuelan protester killed during the 2017 Venezuelan protests.
“The struggle of a few is worth the future of many.”
My name is Erika Guedez. I am a migrant, a woman, a mother, and a believer. This is my story of how I went from uncertainty to hope. How I left Venezuela with a broken heart and arrived in the United States with a soul full of faith and purpose.
I left Venezuela in early January 2018, alone, with a suitcase full of hope and holding God’s hand, at just 22 years old. In Venezuela, I had my family, my friends, and a “good job,” but the situation in the country had become unsustainable.
Some of Venezuela´s toughest years were from 2014 to 2018. Protests erupted over food and medicine shortages, and families were eating from the garbage. The protests led to the deaths of many young Venezuelans trying to fight for change. All of this made me feel trapped. My mind and heart screamed for a way out.
In the midst of all this, my mother cried every day for my grandfather, who was gravely ill. Getting medicine was a luxury, and even though I worked and gave her my entire salary (equivalent to about $38 a month), it wasn’t enough for what he needed. The days grew darker, and I felt that I had to leave and try to build a new life. I didn’t know how, but I knew I deserved something better.
Every stage was a challenge: adapting, seeking stability, keeping the faith. Migration taught me to let go, start over, and trust that something better always comes if you continue walking with purpose.
Arriving in the United States
In 2023, we began the asylum process with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to migrate with dignity and safety. We were approved for 2024. Our flight was scheduled for less than a week out, so we sold everything, packed our lives in one suitcase again (this time there were three of us), and flew from Bogotá, Colombia, to Washington, D.C.
In 2017, a hopeless father holding his daughter in his arms amidst the chaos.
I remember as if it were yesterday when they told us, “Welcome to the United States of America!”
From there, we flew to Kansas City, Kansas, where the Mission Adelante resettlement agency welcomed us. This is where our new adventure began. We arrived at a beautiful home, tasted delicious food, and were impressed by the country's abundance. However, along with all these new and good things came new challenges: the language, adapting, work, and getting from point A to point B. I barely knew how to say “Hello,” count from 1 to 10, or communicate with a few basic phrases.
Thanks to Mission Adelante, we started English classes for refugees, attended church, received help with transportation, became part of the community, and every step of the way, received a warm and welcome embrace.
At Mission Adelante, they helped my husband get his first job. We already had our basic needs covered. I also wanted to start working, but it was a little more complicated for me. We mothers know how important it is to find a safe place for our children. Since I don't have a family here in the U.S., I had to find childcare so I could work. I had to coordinate schedules. Everything was new and a little difficult for me. I cried, I prayed, I asked God, I was diligent, and I persevered.
Then, during one of my many visits to the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), I found information about programs that help parents arrange childcare while they work. I applied for Head Start at The Family Conservancy, where I was approved and could take my daughter to daycare. The day I took her, I saw they needed staff, so I applied, and guess what? They accepted me! It was my first formal job.
My life was taking shape, and it was definitely an answer to my prayers. Since I started working, I could not continue taking in-person English classes. But God is good! That same month, I was approved to study English online with KC Literacy.
And although it was hard to adapt to that pace of life at first, with the language barrier, the new schedules, and the transportation situation. Starting to work in a place where they spoke 100% English helped me a lot with at least one of those major challenges. Having that immersion in the language was very helpful!
After five months of working and saving, I managed to buy my first car, but I didn't know how to drive, haha! The following month, I paid for driving lessons, passed the classes, and got my license, another victory for the glory of God!
Ten months into our new life in the U.S., my husband and I were formally married. It was a beautiful experience. And with it came more blessings. In the 11th month, I received an opportunity that transformed me: I was offered a job at Mission Adelante as the Community Resource Manager.
I went from being welcomed as a migrant by Mission Adelante to being a part of the team that accompanies, supports, and integrates fellow migrants.
I am currently learning about the citizenship program while also helping the Mission Adelante community connect with resources that help migrants improve their quality of life in the country, just as it has helped me.
For me, that's an honor and a gift from God.
So yeah... that’s how my first year in the U.S. is going. I know what it feels like to start from scratch. I know what it's like to arrive without knowing the language. I know how hard it is to find work, to get around the city, to adapt, and not lose hope.
Thank you to Mission Adelante for being a family that loves, embraces, and accompanies. Thank God, because none of this would be possible without His love and mercy.
And now, with great humility, I want to help people who are going through the same thing, because I can relate. And to them I say:
Yes, you can.
Migrating hurts, but it also transforms. Starting from scratch is scary, but it also gives you strength. Today, my story isn't over; it's just beginning. And if you're reading this, yours is, too. Here I am, to share what I've experienced, learned, and will continue to learn. I am here to support you in this new beginning, because no one should walk alone. I leave you with this scripture.
“He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.”
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Trimester 3
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