Like a Whirlpool, It Never Ends
Per usual, it is time for my monthly update. This past month has contained a whirlwind of activity and adventures. I spent a wonderful week in Pittsburgh, visiting with family and friends and sharing stories about my time down here in Tucson. In addition to speaking at
Duquesne Presbyterian Church, I led a
Waverly on Tap Discussion about
SB1070, a workshop about the YAV program and BorderLinks at my church retreat, and an Adult Sunday School at
John McMillan Presbyterian Church that focused on my work as a YAV at BorderLinks and about SB1070. It felt good to be able to share my knowledge and passion with people all the way over on the other side of the country. As well, there is
similar legislation to SB1070 looking to be passed throughout the country, so I benefited from the conversations with people involved in this opposition.
When I returned to Tucson, I jumped right back into my delegation with a group from the University of Michigan
GIEU (Global Intercultural Experiences for Undergraduates) Program. This was a wonderful group of students who were down here for a month and who took part in our educational programs as well as service opportunities in the local Tucson community. They wrote a wonderful
blog about their journey with us and created a
site that documents their time with students at Cesar Chavez High School in South Tucson.
We also celebrated Pentecost Sunday, my favorite day of the year. There is just something about the Holy Spirit that speaks to me. I had the opportunity to be the liturgist and to give a brief sermon at
St. John on the Desert Presbyterian Church in Tucson. I spoke about the power of the Holy Spirit when it came to the disciples long ago. The Spirit enabled them to speak in tongues, to communicate and talk with people who were different than them. My hope was (and is) that the Spirit can come to us in these turbulent times and allow us the grace and wisdom to speak openly and honestly with people that think differently than us, with those who might disagree with us, whether about immigration, health care, war, or politics.
I also led a wonderful delegation from
Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio. I was so impressed by the enthusiasm, energy, and questions that the group brought with them throughout the delegation. While we were not able to make it into Mexico, we still had a jam-packed schedule full of a visit to Operation Streamline, a desert walk, impromptu discussions with Border Patrol agents, a homestay, and discussions about immigration history, SB1070, and organizing in their own community.
Read Between the Bars, the books to prisoners collective that Mike and I are a part of had a wonderful fundraiser and celebration, raising over $1,200 which is enough money to send packages of 3 books to over 433 prisoners in Arizona. Our organization and the event were
featured in the local Tucson Weekly paper. This past weekend we had our last book packing party of the summer and had many new wonderful volunteers!
Emily and Catie are doing well. Emily was accepted into a Master's Program at NYU for
Food Studies. It is perfect for her and I am glad to see her following her heart. Catie has also decided to go back to school at the University of Memphis where she is from. And me...well, I am applying for a few things here in Tucson. But I am going to keep them secret for now, until I find out if I've been accepted or not.
I was going to write more, but this seems to be enough of an update for now. I'll comment on stuff in greater detail soon! Oh! I also wanted to share this
photo album with everyone. It documents some of my time here on the border. Enjoy!
