This week was orientation which means we spent time exploring the city, talking about expectations for the year and settling into this new space. There is a lot to tell, so I will just share some of the highlights from the week...
I cannot get over these mountains. Tucson is surrounded by mountains on all sides. To the north (pictured above) are the Catalinas. The Rincon mountains are to the east, Santa Rita to the South, and Tucson Mountains to the west. For someone who does not have a great sense of direction, this is extremely helpful to orient myself. I also just think mountain ranges are one of the most breathtaking sights to behold. That is to say I spent a good amount of this week staring at mountains with my mouth gaping open and tears in my eyes.
Saturday afternoon the other two MVSers arrived! Cade Fisher (leftmost in the first photo) is from Goshen, Indiana. Michaela Esau (second from the right in the first photo) is from Hutchinson, Kansas. That evening, the local program coordinator (Lisa) took us out for dinner and we watched the sunset from an overlook above the city.
Seeing a saguaro for the first time is quite an experience. No one prepared me for how tall they are! For the first couple days, Andrea and I were both squealing and gasping every time we would see one. It's hard to describe the feeling of awe that comes over me when I look at these beasts absolutely thriving out of the scorched brown land.
Pictures do not do them justice, you have to see them in person.
On Sunday we attended the mennonite church (Shalom Mennonite Fellowship). It is one thing to preach about love and inclusion and another to practice it. First off, Shalom is trilingual. What does this mean?
There are interpreters in the back speaking Spanish and Swahili into little headsets for those who need translation.
We sing songs from the hymnal some in English, some in Spanish, and others off a projector in Swahili
When someone offers a prayer concern the congregation responds in all three languages:
Oremos (Let's Pray)
Bwana (God), Here our prayer
There is not much about this church that polished or routine. We were warned about this, but for me this is absolutely beautiful. This is community in action. The awkwardness, the mistranslations, the changing of styles and organization. This is a group of people from different perspectives and theologies learning to worship together and care for each other well.
A homemade vegan croissant is pictured above; a morning treat from the chair of MVS Tucson committee, Mandy. Throughout the week I was continually amazed by the support we received from the community. Whatever we needed, someone had already prepared for us. Cheryl's got blankets. Edie and the neighbor across the street have house plants. Duane is going to tune the piano. Pastor Tina will supply us with a compost bin. Josh knows what to do about the swamp cooler and supplies us with bike equipment. There was nothing we asked for that was not already thought of and ready for us! It is such a unique experience to be so cared for by a community barely even knows me yet!
On Wednesday we drove up Mt Lemmon, the highest point in the Santa Catalina mountains. Pastor Tina and her husband Jay invited us to come join them at a cabin they had rented in Summerhaven. The town is rightly named. We left 90 degree weather down in Tucson and traded in for a day of a breezy 65! We spent the day in awe of the luscious greenery (product of the recent monsoons), playing games, and hiking. I did do a bit of all-terrain crutching, but turned around after a short distance to find a place to hammock while the group finished the hike. For this New Yorker it is good to know that there is a beautiful escape from the heat just an hour drive up a mountain. :)
Evidence of significant forest fires were prevalent in our landscapes the entire day on Mt Lemmon.
After the hike we stopped to play in a stream. It felt like a small glimpse of home.
We ended the day by watching the sunset from partway up the mountain. The view was so incredible! The beauty was so incredible I felt like I physically could not appreciate it fully. With an almost 360 degree view, I kept turning to see different mountains and clouds. It was overwhelming in the happiest way.
On Thursday we visited each of our placements. Seeing Casa Alitas filled me with emotion. It was good to tour around my work place in this way and meet my coworkers in person before starting in the chaos next week. I was encouraged by the needed work that the organization is doing and I am excited to be a part of it all (I will explain more after my first week). And a feeling of nervousness set in. I have never really had a "normal" day job and so there are many questions and so much newness.
It was also super encouraging to visit the organizations that my housemates will be working at. Michaela is working at Literacy Connects, which provides free classes for adults who need support for taking the GED or increasing language skills. Andrea is working at Watershed Management Project, which is working to restore Tucson's natural water sources and educate the community about water usage (we were served rain water tea, pictured above). Cade is working at the Florence Project which provides legal support for people in detention who are under threat of deportation. I was amazed at all the incredible work that is happening around me in Tucson! Sometimes the prevalence of injustice can feel overwhelming, but to see people just diving straight into the work with so much passion and joy was so incredible to witness.
Joy was actually a theme of the tours we were given. I think every person who showed us around their organization mentioned the necessity of maintaining an element of joy in their work. In order for these nonprofits to be sustainable, joy must be present they told us.
Follow these blogs to hear stories from my fellow MVSers:
Andrea Troyer: Wandering Wonders
Michaela Esau: Writings from Tucson
Cade Fisher: Tales from Tucson
On Saturday we toured a bit of the city: a coffee shop, book store, murals, the street car, and colorful houses.
Fun fact about Tucson: It has the oldest agricultural history of any city in the United States! It was also designated as the Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2015, so we have been eating quite well. Tamales, tacos, fry bread, salsa galore!
Joy in community. Joy in beauty. Joy in exploration.
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