A Week in the Life of a YAV

A Week in the Life of a Young Adult Volunteer

I wrote most of this blog a few months ago, but never finished it until now.  Here is a depiction of one of my many full, challenging, and joyful weeks during my YAV year.

Sunday, Oct. 26th, 2014

I start the day by visiting my coworker's Spanish-speaking Pentecostal church.  Unsurprisingly an hour service turns into three hours of singing, laughing, praying, and eating.  My coworker, Nancy, sings beautifully and also stars in a biblical skit about David.  Apparently, Apostle David was blonde...

Nancy dressed as David

Next, I come home to discover that we have spontaneously decided to host a barbecue for 15 people so I start chopping and marinating.  A beautiful mixture of coworkers, volunteers, and refugees show up with an array of foods and drinks.  We sit outside and enjoy the balmy late-October weather Arizona has gifted us.  The evening morphs into a time of sharing musical talents.  Hanbyeol plays the flute and sings a high-pitched, airy Korean song.  (Listen here.)  Emily chimes in with a deep, soulful tune.  Jean Marie, a Burundi refugee, sings "He Raised Me up."  I sit back and marvel at the rich culture and talent that surround me. 


Monday, Oct. 27th, 2014

After work, I go to my first Academia Liderazgo (Leadership Academy) meeting, the first of an eight-week course on community organizing and social justice issues.  As I sit and eat my Domino's pizza I note what it feels like to be one of the two White people in the room.  We go around the room to introduce ourselves, where we are from, and what organization we represent.  The room is full of people involved in diverse political and social groups that serve the Latin American immigrant community in Tucson.  We go through the syllabus, which includes topics such as systems of oppression, machismo, and Zapatismo.  I am excited to be learning about these issues and am especially grateful to be learning side-by-side with Spanish-speaking individuals who have experienced the negative effects of immigration policy and have decided to get involved to educate and uplift their communities.  I feel privileged to be in this space. 


Tuesday, Oct. 28th, 2014

I get to work at 7:30 AM and jump in the van.  We drive for an hour before arriving at Florence Detention Center.  I check to make sure I am prepared: close-toed shoes, no revealing clothing, and an ID.  I've been briefed on what to say and do, but I am still nervous.

As I wait for the guards to escort me into the visiting room, Norlan, a local day laborer, and activist, walks out of detention.  Just by coincidence, I was there at the exact moment he was released.  Finally outside the prison walls, he walks swiftly up to his beaming partner Marbel, gives her a hug and kisses his baby girl.  I feel so happy to see him reunited with his family.  I met Marbel and her baby, Genesis, on my first day of work at BorderLinks.  They were the first family I had ever met that had experienced detention.  I feel grateful that I have been able to witness this part of their story and congratulate them on Norlan's release.  
Read my blog about meeting Marbel.

Marbel, Norlan and baby Genesis together at last!

I walk into the detention visiting room and meet Estrella, a trans-gender person from Guatemala.  We sit down, introduce ourselves, and exchange awkward smiles.  First, we chat about Guatemala and then she tells me her story.  She migrated north to escape cartel and anti-trans violence.  Read my blog entry about Estrella.  Although, she has experienced much trauma, she keeps a positive disposition.  We laugh, draw pictures, and she even predicts my future through palm reading.

***Estrella was released from detention in December and is now fighting her asylum case from a safe place.  I was thrilled to learn she'd been released!

Picture take mid-January: Estrella and me at my house

Wednesday, Oct. 29th, 2014

After work, I walk home and cook dinner for my housemates.  We have a community dinner once a week where we eat together and go over any house business.

Thursday, Oct. 30th, 2014 

I have no recollection of Thursday. Ooops.

Friday, Oct. 31st, 2014 

On Fridays, we have a Community Day.  This means that instead of going to work, my roommates, my site coordinator Brandon, and I spend time together as a community.  We do many things such as discuss books, worship, explore vocational discernment, go to events in Mexico and Cascabel, or go hiking.

On Halloween, we went on a beautiful hike through Pima Canyon.  We crossed many streams and admired the cacti.

Halloween hike in Pima Canyon

View of Tucson from Pima Canyon

After Community Day, we went downtown to celebrate Halloween!

Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Martin Luther King Junior Day!

In honor of the faithful activist Martin Luther King, Jr., I would like to share a call and response text I read at Saint Mark's Presbyterian Church yesterday.  I found Martin's quotes to be both touching and timely.  

Our Response in Faith

Call

Response

We remember the conviction of Martin Luther King Jr. that "freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."

Therefore, let us pray for courage and determination to stand by those who are oppressed. (Silent prayer)

We remember Martin's warning that "a negative peace which is the absence of tension" is less than "a positive peace which is the presence of justice."

Therefore, let us pray and work for justice for all people that we may live in peace with one another. (Silent prayer)

We remember Martin's insight that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.  We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality tied in a single garment of destiny.  Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly."

Therefore, let us pray that we may see nothing in isolation, but may know ourselves bound to one another and to all people under heaven. (Silent prayer)

We remember Martin's lament that "the contemporary church is often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound.  It is so often that arch-supporter of the status quo.  Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent and often vocal sanction of things as they are."

Therefore, let us pray that neither this congregation nor any congregation of Christ's people may be silent in the face of wrong, but that we may be disturbers of the status quo when that is God's call to us. (Silent prayer)

We remember Martin's hope that "dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will be lifted from our fear-drenched communities and in some not-too-distant tomorrow that radiant stars of love and true community will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."

Therefore, let us be a people of hope as we work and pray toward a world of peace and justice.  Amen

Assumptions Enforced

Assumptions Enforced
(or not)

I work at BorderLinks leading educational trips or delegations that introduce people to the border and immigration issues.  Groups come from colleges, graduate schools, seminaries, and churches across the country.  During a delegation, participants meet with different immigration stakeholders such as immigrant-led political organizing groups, border patrol, and pastors involved in the sanctuary movement.  In addition, participants learn about topics like NAFTA, Popular Education, border history, and the prison system in interactive workshops led by BorderLinks staff.  Delegations are an intense whirlwind of complex ideas, personal stories, and strong emotions.  Days are often long, challenging, and eye-opening.  Participants leave broken-hearted, inspired, and determined to change our broken immigration system.

I got back from winter vacation ready to lead my second delegation.  I was excited, but nervous as it was the first delegation I would plan completely on my own.  Reading my participants' applications, I felt uneasy.  These students were very different from most people who I know and have grown up around.  Most were from the midwest, studying criminal justice, and hoping to go into law enforcement.  One of the male participants was planning on joining the Border Patrol after graduation.  About half the group had never been outside of the country and most had not lived in multicultural settings.  How would this group react to BorderLinks' liberal ideology?  Would they feel comfortable in this immersive cultural environment?

After meeting the group at the airport, I breathed a sign of relief.  They were great.  When I asked them to help put luggage on the roof rack they immediately organized as a team, volunteering to help.  Driving back to the office, several of the group members talked about football and hunting.  I chuckled, thinking about how different this was from my San Francisco upbringing.  When we got into the office, one of the men asked me if there was something to drink.  I responded, "There's only milk in the fridge."  His face lit up as he said, "I love milk.  I'm from Wisconsin."  I smiled and thought, this'll be fun.

As the week went on I got to know the participants better.  Over meals, we cracked jokes and talked about our personal lives.  Many of my participants work at least one job in addition to going to school full time.  One of the women goes to school, works as a waitress, and works the night shift at a gas station (10 PM - 6 AM).  She only sleeps a few hours from Sunday to Tuesday.  I was amazed by my participants' work ethic and persistence.   Many of them are first-generation college students, forging their own path.

About halfway through the week, the participants stayed with host families in Tucson.  These families are made of immigrants who are active in their community.  BorderLinks routinely organizes home stays so participants can meet people who are directly affected by immigration issues.  As I dropped off the participants, I noticed several were anxious as they had never done a home stay and they did not speak much Spanish.  I assured them that all our home stay families are friendly, welcoming, and have hosted many students before.

The next morning, I got up early to pick up students from home stay houses.  While driving, I got call from the group leader notifying me of "a situation."  The college president had found a student's Tweet (from Twitter) that said they had been "kicked out of their lodging, forced to live with illegals, and not allowed to call Homeland."  My heart sank.  Who wrote this?  Did someone actually want to call Homeland Security on these immigrant families?  Was someone going to call ICE?

Source: Google Images

Comments like this on social media can be vague, unintentional and extremely hurtful.  To me, this Tweet was a threat.  My jaw clenched as I thought about the families who had generously and bravely opened their houses to these students.  Where they now in danger?  Had I put these people in harm's way?  

Hurt and panicked, I began to doubt the trust I had put in these students.  After reconvening, I immediately sat the group down and explained the severity of inflammatory comments on social media.  Also, I described what it would look like if someone called ICE on one of these families.  Imagine flashing lights, crying children, not being able to contact your family for days, detention, an expensive bond, and a chance of being deported, separated from your home and family.  Disappointed and perplexed, I looked out at the group for reactions.  Most participants were shocked and apologetic as this Tweet did not reflect the majority's opinions or home stay experiences.  In fact, the Tweet was not written by someone in the delegation, but by their friend who did not fully understand the context.

Although I still felt violated, I breathed deeply, knowing that the Tweet should not be taken seriously.  Yet, I reflected on why this may have happened.  Many of my participants grew up in environments that have a high respect for cops and believe you should do your best to enforce the law whenever possible.  As many are going into policing, they maybe experienced an internal conflict or cognitive dissonance when living with a person had immigrated illegally.  Using this logic helped me understand my participants' perspectives, but did not shift my opinion that this Tweet was a callous, disrespectful display of entitlement and power.

Although I dutifully follow most laws myself, I try to think critically about the law.  I do not think that government-dictated rules necessarily have higher moral authority than personal or religious values.  Even though laws are powerful, foundational structures that control our lives, they can be changed quickly with a politician's signature.  In the last couple years, huge cultural concepts such as our legislative definition of marriage has changed.  Laws are a flexible, impermanent cultural constructs.

Mike Wilson, a member of the Tohono O'odham tribe in Arizona, is known for his controversial work distributing drinking water for passing migrants on the Tohono O'odham nation.  Although, this is against his tribe's laws, he continues to do it because he believes the God's law is greater than any man-made law.  If we truly loved our neighbor as ourselves, we would give them water.  If we truly loved our neighbor as ourselves, we would help them through deadly terrain.  If we truly loved our neighbor as ourselves, we would let them live in peace with their families.  

Acts 5:29: "But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'"

Despite this negative moment during my delegation, the rest of the trip went well.  The participants expressed a greater, more complex understanding of immigration policy, undocumented immigrants, and minority-police relations.  One participant wrote, "The most impactful part for me was the home stay...being able to talk one-on-one with them really opened my eyes... This will inform my decisions in my career in law enforcement for my whole life."

I thank this delegation for opening my eyes.  They taught me more about police work, the military, and what it is like to live in a different part of the United States.  I think we both shocked, challenged, and comforted one another.  Most of all, we reminded each other to meet people where they are in their life journey without making hurtful comments or assumptions.  

Rainbows and Walls

Rainbows and Walls

Estrella

"I am 24 years-old and I come fleeing from Guatemala. The reason why is because gang members in my neighborhood tried forcing me to deliver drugs for them. I refused. Within a few days, I found out that they killed a transgender friend of mine for refusing as well. So I decided to leave my country so that I wouldn't end up the same way. Now I'm in the Florence Detention Center (FDC) and I need your help to get out and meet my goals and dreams to continue studying here in the US."

- Estrella, transgender person currently in detention 

"According to a November 2013 report from the Center for American Progress, LGBT detainees are 15 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than heterosexual and cisgender detainees."

Read more here:  http://www.advocate.com/commentary/2014/10/14/op-ed-why-you-should-help-me-get-lgbt-people-out-detention

Detention is a horrible place for most detainees, but it can be an especially hostile place for LGBTQ individuals. Transgender or gender queer people like Estrella often face verbal and sexual harassment from guards and other detainees. Detention centers or prisons for undocumented people are divided by sex, leaving little room for people who identity outside of strict gender and sex binaries. Homophobia is rampant in these environments which creates a physically and emotionally unsafe place for LGBTQ people. 

In addition many individuals like Estrella have experienced rejection, prejudice, and violent threats in their home country. When I visited Estrella at the all-male Florence Detention Center, she told me part of her story. 

Estrella grew up in a large family in rural Guatemala. Accustomed to traditional gender roles, his family did not react well when he started to experiment with his gender expression and cut ties with him.  Estrella moved to the city to find more economic and social opportunities. Unfortunately, Guatemala City was not a tolerant or accepting place. Powerful cartel members asked her to transport drugs for them. When she refused, they threatened her life.  She fled Guatemala and migrated to the United States in search of safety and acceptance.  After crossing the border, he was apprehended for Border Patrol and sent to detention. Estrella has been in detention since May 2014, seeking asylum. 

Even though Estrella has faced unprecedented tribulations he remains positive and actively engaged in his community. He takes great pride in his work as a kitchen aid at the detention center, volunteering to work extra hours. As her name indicates, she truly has a powerful glow that surrounds her. Somehow, she has managed to maintain a sense of humor and generosity throughout this time. When I met with Estrella, we laughed about silly things, as he read my palm and predicted how many children is have. We daydreamed about delicious foods that are not available in detention. We cried about the abuses he has experienced. After talking for about two hours, we ended our experience by both praying for one another. 

As I drove home from the detention center, part of me stayed back with Estrella.  I imagined her walking back to her cell, escorted by a guard who probably inspires more fear than security. I imagined her serving food to the very detainees who had abused her earlier that week. I did not want to imagine her spending Christmas alone in a cold cell.  More importantly I did not want to imagine him going back to Guatemala, where his life is endangered.  

Please help us raised funds to pay the bond to get Estrella out of detention before Christmas. Give her the opportunity to fight her asylum case from a safe and loving place. 

I will match every donation up to $100. Please let me know if you have questions or are interested in getting involved. 

Donate!

http://www.gofundme.com/freeestrellita

*Estrella uses masculine and feminine pronouns interchangeably. 

For more info

The Family Who Crosses

The Family Who Crosses

Border Wall with handprints from people who have climbed over to the US side

Recently, I was at a Migrant Resource Center in Agua Prieta, Mexico sharing a meal with a migrant family.  I was there as a part of an intense study of border issues and ministries on the Douglas, Arizona/ Agua Prieta, Sonora area.  Although, I had spent the whole week with a large group of Young Adult Volunteers from the Tucson and Denver, this moment was all about the family sitting across from me.

As we ate our pasta and sipped our sugar-infused juice, we began to talk about where we came from and why we were here in the dusty border town of Agua Prieta.  The father of the family, Ronald*, was charismatic and friendly.  His big green eyes glittered as he excitedly told me that he and his family of four were going to cross the border in the upcoming week.  His glee was uncontainable.  Ronald and his wife, Maria*, animatedly walked me through the details of their itinerary.   

When their coyote (human smuggler or guide depending on your perspective) contacted them, they would drive out into the desert where they would climb over the border wall using a ladder.  Then, they would walk through the harsh terrain, in the dark to the closest American town, Bisbee.  When they assured me it was only a ten-hour hike, I began to get uncomfortable.  This would be a fast-paced hike.  Ronald described how they would have to follow the exact footsteps of their guide to avoid alerting Border Patrol motion detectors or heat sensors.  After arriving in Bisbee, they planned on taking a van to Phoenix, then Las Vegas, and finally Indianapolis to meet his sister.  I wondered how they would do this, as there are Border Patrol checkpoints on the only road out of Bisbee where the guards check for identification.  Maybe they’ll take a dirt road.  Maybe they’ll hide in the trunk or under the floorboards of the car as some migrants do…

By now my heart was racing. I was worried for their safety and worried that their coyote had mislead them so I asked, “Is it worth it for you to endure this dangerous trip?” Ronald replied with an absolute, “Yes.”  Even though he is leaving a good job as a nuclear electrician and his eldest son is leaving college, he believes he can have a better life in the United States.  This family lived in Veracruz, one of the most violent states in Mexico.  Ronald and Maria said they live in constant fear of the cartels.  Ronald confidently said, “I would rather be captured by Border Patrol than the cartels any day.”  Having a good job in Veracruz actually makes him a liability, as the cartels are most likely to extort money from him.  It is a paradoxical situation with little hope of changing any time soon.

After we finished dinner, I thanked Ronald and his family for their honest conversation and wished them the best on their journey.  But saying, “Safe travels” did not suffice.  I kept thinking about them, worrying about them, and praying for them.

“Dear God,

Please let Ronald, Maria, and their two sons find a peaceful, dignified life.  Please help them find their way through the desert.  May they be protected from abuse from their guide or Border Patrol.  God, everyone deserves a dignified life and an opportunity to raise their family without fearing for their lives.  Please protect this family and help them safely reach their destination.”

And what happens if they make it to their final destination?  If they find jobs they will forever work in the shadow class, afraid of deportation.  Will the son who was in University in Mexico, be able to get an American education or will he be resigned to minimum wage labor for the rest of his life?

Even if this family fears deportation and works hard for low wages, this is probably better than living under the reign of a violent cartel.  Due to my privileged and limited perspective, I did not realize that what may seem horrible to me may be a relief to another person who has suffered far greater challenges than I have.

This is blind privilege is one of the many reasons why we do not know how to “secure” our border.  In the 90s, Operation Gatekeeper and other similar policies were enacted to reduce illegal immigration.  The Border Patrol focused its resources on securing metropolitan areas, while leaving the unpopulated desert areas less patrolled.  The official plan was “attrition through deterrence” as Homeland Security thought that the desert would be a natural and obvious boundary for migrants.  This thought process makes sense when coming from a privileged American who is unaware of the conditions of poverty and violence in parts of Mexico.  Yes, desperate hardworking people who cannot find jobs or fear their lives will cross, even if it means risking their lives.  In fact, many people like Ronald see the cacti-laden desert to be a small challenge compared to their daily lives back home.

We will not be able to create just, holistic immigration reform until American politicians are aware of the root causes of immigration to the US, the current socio-political climate in Mexico and Central America, and what people are willing to give up.  Ronald sacrificed his job, home, and son’s college education to climb a wall, walk in the dark, and work minimum wage jobs in hopes of a safer, more dignified future.

Ephesians 2: 11-22

Jew and Gentile Reconciled Through Christ

“Therefore, remember that formerly you are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands)- remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.  His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.  He came and preached peace to you who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostle and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God live by his Spirit.

·      *For the privacy of these individuals, I have changed their names.

Reflecting at the wall with my roommate Hanbyeol during our border delegation

Jesus Christ Superstar

Musings by Jim Burklo

My placement supervisor, Brandon, recently presented this sermon, which was originally written by Jim Burklo, at a Young Adult Volunteers fundraiser.  I found it to be humorous, beautiful, and reflective of my faith.

The Sermon on Mount Hollywood

Blessed are the clinically depressed, for they all shall get free first-rate psychiatric care when we establish the kingdom of heaven in Los Angeles.

Blessed are the just plain sad, for they shall be entertained by stand-up comics who are secretly just as sad.

Blessed are the shy, for Hollywood needs them:  it has too many extroverts as it is.

Blessed are those who want to do the right thing when surrounded by opportunities to lie and cheat.

Blessed are truly nice people in a town with so many people who get paid to pretend.

Blessed are the pure in heart, even if that means they get fewer gigs.

Blessed are the gang members who choose peace instead of revenge.

Blessed are those who recommend others for auditions without expectation of getting recommendations from them, for theirs is the kingdom of very good karma.

Blessed are you when people talk smack about you on Facebook and dis you on Yelp;

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they messed up the social media of the prophets who were before you.

You are the salsa of the world.  But if salsa goes stale, its flavor cannot be restored.  It's so bad it would kill the worms in your compost heap.  So be that fresh tub of salsa that’s always ready in the fridge.  Let others savor your flavor!

You are the spotlights of the world.  A city built on Hill Street cannot be hid.  Nobody puts an LED lamp under a laundry basket, but instead you let it shine on the bedstand so you can read the LA Times.  In the same way, let the light within you shine a bright beam into the smog and direct the public toward your good deeds, so that people will say Wooo Hooo to Love, who is God, who inspired you to do them.

You've heard it said that murder is wrong, but I say to you that anger is just as bad.  So take that anger management course at the community center before the court mandates it.  You've heard it said that no good can come from sleeping with your boss's publicist.  But I say that even thinking about it is trouble.  

You've heard it said, a bad review for a bad review.  But I say to you, when you get a bad review, invite the reviewer for drinks at the Dresden in Los Feliz, and pay the tab gladly.  God is what happens when you do that.  God is a rare LA rain falling on jerks and good dudes and dudettes alike. 

You've heard it said that you should love your neighbor and hate your landlord, but I say to you, love your landlord -- yes, even love your condo association president.  What reward do you get for loving people who are like you?   Even paparazzi love each other.  God is what happens when you love the apartment manager who kept your security deposit for no good reason.  

When the guy in the Red Line subway station, the guy with the dreadlocks and the scruffy dog, you know who I mean, that guy in the subway who asks you for money, give it to him.  Give him a lot.  Don't tell him to get a job.  Don't tell him to pull himself up by his nonexistent bootstraps.  Just do it.  Yes, he will buy ganja with it, but so what?  The suits with window offices at Seventh and Figueroa buy ganja, too.  Just give him the money.  And don't tell anybody you did it.  God is the knowledge of the good you do when nobody else is looking. 

When you pray, cut the "we just ask you Jesus", "we just praise you Jesus”, we "just this" and "we just" that.  God hates Christian jive and especially God hates Christian radio.  Enough of the Jesusey talk.  When you pray, you are not talking to me, you are talking to my Dad in heaven.  So put it out there in plain English.  Spanish is cool, too.  Here's how Dad wants you to pray:  "God, you rock.  Whatever you want, I want.  I only want enough so that I can do what you want.  I want you to forgive me for messing up against you, like I want to forgive others for messing up against me.  Please don't make my life any more complicated than it already is.  Don’t let telephone solicitors get my number, and deliver me from email spam, because yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen."

Don't store up treasure in that Self Storage unit under the 101 freeway, where roaches and excessive bills proliferate.  Put your treasure in heaven, where junkies can't rip you off.  Nobody can work for two film directors at the same time.  They will make your schedules conflict just out of spite.  You cannot serve God and Donald Sterling at the same time.

So really, don't worry about whether your Levis are properly distressed, or whether or not the stainless steel spike in your lip is screwed in straight.  God has counted every hair on the coyote that keeps you up at night with its howling in Laurel Canyon.  So much more has God measured exactly how long your fashionable two days' worth of beard has grown. Stop worrying about tomorrow when you’re reading today's Variety Magazine.  Sufficient for today are today's troubles on the Channel 5 Nightly News. 

Don't judge, lest you be judged.  Hello?  How basic is this?  Don't post an ugly picture of somebody on Instagram, lest you be similarly posted.  Why do you whine about the dandruff on your neighbor's eyelash, when you have a gob of spluge on yours?  Don't be a hypocrite.  Get the funk out of your own eye first.

Enter through Fountain Street, for Sunset is a wide road that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.  For the intersection is narrow and the street is full of potholes that leads to life, and there are few who find it, even with GPS.

Beware of false promoters who come in designer poodle's clothing but inwardly are hungry coyotes.  You will know them by their fruits.  Are pomegranates gathered from poison oak, or oranges from greasewood?  A good jacaranda cannot blossom bad flowers. 

Everyone who hears what I'm saying is like a person who builds her house on ten-foot deep reinforced concrete piers.  And everyone who hears my words but doesn't follow them will be like the foolish person who builds his house on top of an earthquake fault.  The earth shakes, the house collapses, the lawyers show up, and great is the fall of that house!

From A to Z

From A to Z

It's been a busy few weeks and I have not gotten a chance to blog.  Here are some snapshots of my Tucson life recently.

Ab workouts - When my coworkers and I are feeling tired or disengaged we get up and do an "ab break." I absolutely love it. After doing planks and sit-ups, we feel so much more energized and focused.

Brandon is our fun-loving site coordinator.  Last time we were driving in the desert, he made sure to stop every time we saw a tarantula on the road so we could examine it.

Costumes - For Halloween, I am dressing as a biker chick.  I am happy to say that my outfit includes a denim crop top, leather boots, and temporary tattoos.  Two of my housemates will celebrate Halloween for the first time this year.  April, who comes from a Pentecostal background, has not allowed to participate as a child.  Hanbyeol is from Korea, where they do not celebrate Halloween.

Davidson friends - I am so thankful for my two Davidson alumni friends who live in Tucson.  Andrea and Iain have not only helped me transition to a new city, but have also helped me stay connected to my North Carolina community.

Equality - Recently, gay marriage became legal in Arizona!  My neighbors have been together for decades and can finally marry now.  My house was invited to the wedding!

Food Bank - I've gone on many trips to the Food Bank, where we get most of our groceries.  Who says you can't eat expired food?

Glamorous Dinners - My housemates and I host a community dinner every Friday where we cook a big meal and invite over a few people.  Last week, we had pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, sauteed green beans, and baked apples with crumble and ice cream for a dessert!  We try to add a touch of beauty to our lives by creating flower arrangements, lighting the candles in the fireplace, and playing great music.  It's one of my favorite parts of the weekend.

Hens - Ok, so I may have contemplated killing the chickens in the backyard, but now I love them.  We bonded during my morning feeding chores.  I am especially fond of Loquita who is tiny, but full of personality!

The Family Photo

Intentional Community - My housemates and I have had many conversations about how we can best live together in a way that pushes us to be better individuals while still respecting our boundaries.  We come from various economic, cultural, and regional backgrounds so there is a lot to discuss!  Living in community, sharing resources and uncovering personal stories has been one of the most challenging parts of my YAV experience, but also one 0f the best parts.  My housemates keep me accountable, and encourage me to expand my perspective while trying to actually live out my Christian faith.

My Community

Jokes - Every evening, I come home from work and laugh for about three hours straight.  My housemates are hilarious and help me stay light even when I am working with heavy issues.

Allie and Hanbyeol

Korea - Who would have thought I'd come to Tucson to learn about South Korea?  Hanbyeol, one of my housemates, is from South Korea and has taught me a lot about Korean food, history, music, and standards of beauty.  

She also encourages me to analyze my own culture.  The other day, I tried to explain the issues in Ferguson in simple English.  I ended up explaining about 200 years of American race relations.

When I tried to explain Halloween, she asked, "Why do they scare the children?"  
Well, that's a good question.  I don't know.

Loneliness - After living in Tucson for two months, some of the "newness" has worn off.  Lately, I have been missing my family and college friends.  Although, I am grateful for my work friends and housemates, I was growing weary of introducing myself and trying to explain where I come from.  I long for familiarity and deep relationships.

Music - Last Friday, I went to a fundraising concert for the Florence Project, a non-profit that provides detained immigrants with legal representation.  A band called Santa Cecilia played a mixture of cumbia, rock, and Tex-Mex music. I especially like their song Ice El Hielo, which is about the daily lives on undocumented people in the US.  I recommend the music video!

Nogales - Recently, I spent a couple days in Nogales, Mexico where I met with representatives of an immigrant shelter called Kino Border Initiative.  This is a wonderful organization that provides food, shelter, medical care, and Know Your Rights classes for vulnerable immigrants.  I served tortillas to about 50 tired, weather-worn, brave immigrants.

View of Nogales, Mexico

Office - Last week the BorderLinks Education Department had a staff retreat where we went on a hike, did a conflict resolution workshop, and envisioned what we will do this year.  Afterwards, I felt closer to my coworkers and more excited about becoming a trip leader.

Public Speaking - YAV has been an exercise in public speaking.  I've spoken about the YAV experience at a different church every Sunday for the last month.

Queer Immigrants - At a Mariposas Sin Fronteras fundraiser, I got the opportunity to write three letters to LGBTQ immigrants who are currently in detention. Many queer detainees undergo abuses due to their sexual orientation or gender expression.  Mariposas Sin Fronteras is an organization that supports these individuals in immigration detention by visiting them and raising money for their bond release. 

Riding bikes - We like to do yoga as we bike.  

Spanglish - I get to speak Spanish with many of my coworkers and I love it.  

Some of my friends from work: Indira, Nancy, and Josue

Tumamoc - Tumamoc is a short, but steep hike by my house.  I absolutely love the view of Tucson from the top.  My goal is to hike this hill at least once a week.

Unplugged - I have not had internet access at home for the last three weeks.  Although, this can be frustrating and isolating, it can also spark creativity.  I have started reading the books on my bedside table.  Emily has journalling more.  Allie has gone on evening walks to the local cafes.  April has even brought out her crocheting needles!

Vigils - In the last month, I have been to several prayer vigils for Rosa Robles Loreto, who is in sanctuary at Southside Presbyterian Church.  Vigils usually consist of a call and response invitation to worship, a couple Bible passages, and prayer.  It is a peaceful way to create community and stay focused on social justice issues.

Prayer Vigil for Rosa (picture on poster) outside of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building

Whaling - Some of you may have heard of this YouTube sensation.  My housemate, Allie, and I are determined to bring Whaling to Tucson.  #Whaling

Xerophilous - Definition: "cable of thriving in a hot, dry climate, as certain plants and animals."  I am becoming xerophilous!

Yoncé - One of my favorite ways to relax these days is to do yoga while blasting Beyoncé's newest album on our house speakers.

"I am a grown woman.  I can do whatever I want."

Zaftig - Definition: "having a full, shapely figure: said of a woman"   
Fun fact about “zaftig:” It’s a Yiddish word that comes from the German “saftig,” which means juicy.  This is my new favorite personal adjective.