Working at Jesus Is Lord Used Tires, Taylor can't help but observe the people living at Mattie's. She begins to understand that Jesus Is Lord Used Tires is more than a tire shop; it is also a hiding place for refugees. People come and go quietly. A doctor named Terry comes on a bicycle and treats the people who are sick or hurt. Mattie explains that, many times, the people have been burned with cigarettes. Taylor soon realizes that these people have been tortured. Many times, Mattie goes away for weeks at a time, claiming that she's "birdwatching." Taylor understands that Mattie's missions are related to the people living in the rooms above the tire shop. However, Kingsolver does not yet explain the details surrounding the reasons refugees like Estevan and Esperanza seek political freedom in the United States.
One evening, Taylor and Lou Ann learn that Mattie is going to be on the evening news, and they invite Esperanza and Estevan, who have become their friends, and Edna and Virgie Mae to watch Mattie on the news and have dinner. Because Angel took Lou Ann's television when he left, Edna and Virgie Mae bring their television. Surprised, they listen as Mattie discusses human rights, the legal obligation of the United States to help people whose lives are in danger, and the fact that most Guatemalans and Salvadorans are not granted asylum — that is, they are not allowed to stay in the United States legally.
Unfortunately, the situation at Taylor and Lou Ann's is rather chaotic, and Lou Ann completely misses the broadcast. When she asks what Mattie said on television, Virgie Mae replies that it was just about "some kind of trouble with illegal aliens and dope peddlers." Aware of how culturally prejudiced Virgie Mae is, Estevan introduces himself and Esperanza to Edna and Virgie Mae as "Steven" and "Hope." They do not reveal their real names, and Taylor begins to understand the seriousness of the Sanctuary movement. Note that when Estevan comments that he and "Hope" have no children, Esperanza reacts as though she has been slapped. Here, Esperanza's reaction and her behavior toward and around Turtle are mysterious — as mysterious as her and Estevan's identities.
