They were short staffed and I was someone in a Salvation Army uniform that could be put to work! So I sat at the desk at the entrance to the men's hostel, booking in the men who were standing in line for a bed and receiving from them the small fee required. The hostel in Tijuana, Mexico, was a busy one, especially for men deported back to Mexico from the United States. Most of those registering for the night could speak some English after spending months or years living in the U.S.A., which was a good thing considering my lack of Spanish.

Their stories were often heart-breaking even while acknowledging that their years living in the States were as illegal immigrants. Wives, girlfriends and children usually remained across the border, with little possibility for the family to be reunited. The lure of the “good life” in America looms large especially for those living on the other side of the fence. Along the length of the border between Tijuana and the U.S.A. is a wall covered with crosses marking the dates, names and sometimes the ages of those who attempted to enter illegally, often with a tragic result.

Borders are part of travel. Sometimes, as in much of Europe, the border between countries is marked simply by a sign. More often these days, entering a country includes acquiring a visa, in some cases even to pick up your suitcase! I learned this lesson when traveling to Paraguay via Brazil. My suitcase could not be checked through to my final destination, and without a visa for Brazil I would not be permitted to leave the transit area to pick up my luggage and re-check for Paraguay. A lesson in traveling light with only a carry-on!

Border cities face unique challenges. This may be because of the inequality between the economic reality of the countries, or the spillover of violence from one nation to another.

Major Gillian Brown was appointed as Associate Director of World Missions in June 2006. In this role, she travels frequently to other countries to observe projects funded by The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda. She is married with three adult sons and has a daughter-in-law. Gillian has her Master of Religion degree from the University of Toronto and in May 2009 was elected as one of the three Vice Presidents of the Canadian Council of Churches.