TUCSON BORDERLANDS YOUNG ADULT VOLUNTEERS

  • Home
  • About
    • Current Volunteers
    • Community Partners
    • 2020 Annual Report
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • YAV Stories
  • 20th Anniversary
  • Community Workshops
  • Home
  • About
    • Current Volunteers
    • Community Partners
    • 2020 Annual Report
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • YAV Stories
  • 20th Anniversary
  • Community Workshops

Abundance in the Desert - Mary

9/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Yesterday my fellow Tucson YAVs and I were literally showered with blessings as the congregation of Mountain Shadows Presbyterian Church pooled their funds to buy us essential and non-essential but very much appreciated goods: mattress pads, a microwave, towels, sheets, blankets, board games, and more. I am overwhelmed with the love and support they gave us, how they all wanted to hear what I had to say about what little of my year I’ve experienced so far and give me friendly advice about avoiding sunburn and finding cheap meals in a new town. 

I had a similar experience last week. During orientation in New York, all seventy of us were split into groups to visit local churches, where we told our stories, participated in the service, and then were commissioned. After the service, the church I visited (First Presbyterian of Beacon) gave me and the six others with me lunch while we got to know some of their members. Then they pledged to offer financial support for our fundraising goals.

What on earth did I do to deserve this? I haven’t even done any volunteering yet - my first day of work isn’t until tomorrow! These strangers (yet brothers and sisters in Christ) are truly invested in us, believing that a group of young people who throw themselves headfirst into new environments with nothing but one suitcase, willing hearts, and maybe a little bit of experience can bring some salt and light to the world and spread the love of God. I hope they’re right! That’s quite a lot of responsibility.

I am grateful because an empty cup cannot pour into others. Knowing that I have the support of the body of Christ behind me in Tucson, New York, and back home in Charleston, I feel like with that example of generosity, investment, and joy I can now show some of that to the community I am living with and serving.

On the more practical, less feelings-y side, I absolutely love Tucson. I don’t miss the lush green of home yet because the desert has its own beauty. Mountains surround me, cacti are blooming, and a constant breeze is enough to keep me happy. There are new birds to learn about every day in my backyard and neighborhood (sighting of the day: a quail!!!!) and I actually love riding my bike. As it’s been at least six years since I last tried that, it was a rough start but this morning I practiced my 6.4-mile (one-way!) commute to work and found that it was really fun to be moving so quickly with the wind on my face and the world open around me. I actually can’t wait to do it every day.

Updates to come on how excited I am once the times I do it are 5:30 AM and then during the heat of the afternoon.
Picture
a cross behind Mountain Shadows church.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    2017 2018
    2017-2018
    Agua Prieta
    Biking
    Border
    BorderLinks
    CHRPA
    Colonization
    Community
    Community Food Bank
    CRREDA
    Deportation
    Desert
    Education
    Emily Oshinskie
    Expectations
    Faith
    Flash Blog
    Florence Project
    Frontera De Cristo
    Grace Dover
    Hospitality
    House Of Neighborly Service
    Immigration Detention
    Iskashitaa
    Jake Crowther
    Justice
    Keep Tucson Together
    LGBTQ
    Migrant Resource Center
    Migration
    Militarization
    Pandemic
    Posts In Spanish
    Primavera Foundation
    Privilege
    Race
    Refugee
    Sermon
    Sojourn
    Southside Presbyterian Church
    Spiritual Practice
    The Inn
    Tucson
    YAV 2014 2015
    YAV 2015 2016
    YAV 2015-2016
    YAV 2016 2017
    YAV 2016-2017
    YAV 2018 2019
    YAV 2018-2019
    YAV20192020
    YAV Life

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    December 2017
    September 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014

Tucson Borderlands YAV
Send mail: 400 E University, Tucson, AZ 85705
Call/text: (520) 355-4YAV Email: tucsonborderlandsyav@gmail.com
Connect with us on instagram and facebook: @tucsonyav
We are located on traditional Tohono O'odham and Yaqui homelands.

Donate
Creative Commons License