Church eases immigrants' plight By Mark Schoeff Jr.
UMCONNECTION CORRESPONDENT John Jairo Garc?s slipped out of his native Colombia in January 2001, wearing a wig and sunglasses in the airport to avoid being spotted by the thugs who killed his father 10 months earlier. But he didn?t just exchange a life marred by relentless violence for a new life in the United States. He started living two lives. 
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Since coming to Washington, D.C., Garc?s, with the help from Wesley UMC in Washington, has gained political asylum, started a small business and helped other Afro-Colombian immigrants. But his mother and five siblings remain in Colombia, frequently on the move to avoid the threats that drove Garc?s away. Their trials became more daunting when Garc?s? mother underwent surgery for a brain tumor on Nov. 1. Garc?s cannot visit her because it is too dangerous to return home. ?We feel safe here, but part of us is still in Colombia,? said Garc?s. ?It?s a double life ? worries there and worries here to get through things.? The pressure and separation from his family takes a toll. ?It?s hard, it?s hard,? he said, his voice halting with emotion. ?I have hope that everything is going to change not only for me, but (that) I can help people that have been struggling the same way I have struggled.? Garc?s, 25, and several other young Afro-Colombian adults have been aided in their journey by Wesley UMC in Washington. They met the Rev. Whit Hutchison, the pastor and a longtime advocate for Latino immigrants, through the Colombia Human Rights Committee in Washington. Colombia is a place where ?average folks are caught in the midst of heart-rending violence,? said Hutchison, who is fluent in Spanish. In the murky world of the Colombian civil war, it?s not clear who murdered Garc?s? father. He was a journalist and union leader at the Pacific coast port of Buenaventura, who sought to eradicate drugs in the port and halt its privatization.  | CIA WORLD FACTBOOK 2004 |
In Washington, the lean, soft-spoken Garc?s has demonstrated his father?s determination. He and the other young Colombians arrived with no resources, just as the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, made life for immigrants tougher and devastated the Washington economy. ?The church was a refuge for them, because there weren?t many other places to turn,? said Hutchison. The resourceful young men first set up a catering service, once supplying Colombian cuisine for a northwest Washington bar mitzvah. Now Garc?s has formed Hopeday Inc., a home cleaning, repair and landscaping company. Like many entrepreneurs, he?s climbing a steep mountain. He lacks a truck and tools, but he does have two employees. ?Whatever I do, I do it with my hands,? Garc?s said. Members of the Wesley congregation have helped him with the business. ?John Jairo has so many ideas and big plans,? said Pam Siekman, a Wesley member and former management consultant who is confident that Garc?s will succeed. ?It was just a matter of trying to break it down into many baby steps. He has a strong, strong, strong work ethic. What he doesn?t have is the experience.? His learning curve will benefit fellow immigrants because Garc?s wants Hopeday to be a springboard for them. That attitude has touched the church. ?What we have seen in these young adults ? has been a great spirit of mutual aid and hopefulness and community spirit that has sometimes been lost in American culture,? Hutchison said. The appreciation runs in both directions. Wesley has been a source of support and a place where the Afro-Colombians can express their culture. ?God has been on our side,? said Garc?s. ?I can say this is my church. I love these people.? | 
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