After the 80 hours on the train from DC to Tucson, it felt so nice to be here and get settled in! When we first arrived at the train stop around 9:30pm (it was supposed to be 6:45pm), Mandy Schlabach, who apart of the MVS Committee, brought us dinner and took us back to the MVS house. It felt so wonderful to finally be in a house, our home. I thought I would have slept for 10+ hours to recover from the train, but my body decided to wake up bright and early at 5:30am. I guess I was still on Eastern Time. Friday morning consisted of rearranging, unpacking, and working on miscellaneous tasks…and dealing with a mouse in my bedroom. Jessie and I also had the opportunity to explore the city in the afternoon to get groceries and go to a thrift store. We were fascinated by the mountains that surrounded us and the Saguaros along the road…definitely not Virginia.
The other two MVSers arrived on Saturday afternoon. Michaela Esau is from Hutchinson, Kansas and Cade Fisher is from Goshen, Indiana. I was nervously excited when they both arrived because it was the official start of our year together. Lisa Showalter, our Local Program Coordinator, took us to Seis Kitchen and then we drove up to Gates Pass to watch the sunset. We watched a monsoon in distance, although we haven't experienced one yet...
I think it’s important to note that ever since we arrived in Tucson, I’ve been squealing every time I see a Saguaro cactus on the street, and the drive up to Gates Pass Scenic Overlook was no exception. As someone from the East Coast, I’m used to seeing old deciduous trees and lush green grass. While the desert has been an abrupt change, there’s such beauty in the native cactus plants and Catalina Mountains close by.
Sunday was our first time attending Shalom Mennonite Fellowship (for more information https://shalommennonite.org/). I was anticipating this moment because I’d been drawn to the congregation since I first accepted the MVS placement. My heart was filled by the amount of people that welcomed us and how the church had been anticipating us for months! I won’t forget how we were walking down the driveway to church when a kid had a phone in his hand and he turned the screen around, which had a photo of us and exclaimed, “YOU’RE the new MVSers!” The boy, who we learned was one of the children of Lisa, our coordinator, had been going around the church looking for us. I knew then at that moment that this faith community was going to be very special and supportive of us throughout our journeys
The service was welcoming to all and a comfortable space to bring whatever you were feeling at that moment. I was impressed with how they worship; integrating Spanish and Swahili along with English, and also providing translators throughout the service. We fellowship together for lunch with Colombian food made from a family in the congregation. I left church feeling energized and hopeful for what the year would bring. That evening, we shared stories of faith with the co-pastors, Carol Rose and Tina Schlabach.
The rest of the week has been about building our living community together and finding times to relax. We’ve been going through expectations, community agreements, learning our conflict styles, working on a house budget, but also finding time to read, work on a puzzle, and go thrift shopping. We also visited CHRPA (Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona), which is an organization that's our next door neighbor and has historical ties to Shalom and MVS. Some other highlights of the week have been timing to see how quickly the laundry will dry, finding a lizard in the shower, and getting to know the 2003 Ford Windstar Van, we like to call her Winona, and her many problems. This week, the alternator was replaced! Stay tuned for next week...
Wednesday Aug 31 was the first day that we left the city of Tucson and explored Mount Lemmon and the Catalina Mountains. It is only a hour and a half drive from where we live. What a treat that was. Cade and I made a similar comment on Tuesday about, “I’m going to miss hearing tree leaves blowing in the wind.” Little did we know that driving up 6,000 feet would shift the entire ecosystem and make it feel like you were in the middle of Colorado on a fall day. While Tucson reached 100 degrees that day, up in the little town of Summerhaven, the high was 70. The town’s name is QUITE fitting. We hung out at a cabin that Tina, a pastor, was staying at and we played games, went on a hike, read, and ate warm soup together. We stayed all day and missed the extreme heat down below...so sad (not really).
On our way back down, we stop at a viewpoint for sunset, and WOW. I was amazed by the landscape throughout this past week, but I am ACTUALLY living here. I think that was the first time my body felt oddly at home. The pictures can’t describe the panoramic view that we truly experienced, but the 4 mountain ranges, Tucson glimmering below, and the vibrant clouds made for a remarkable and memorable sunset.
Thursday, we officially visited our placements and met the people we will be working with. It was amazing to see Casa Alitas (Jessie), Literacy Connects (Michaela), Watershed Management, and Florence Project (Cade) in action. I personally was excited to meet my boss and coworkers at Watershed Management and the location where I will be working for the next year. I am starting to get more information about my first week of work, which makes me nervous and really excited!
Other orientation activities we have been up to include getting fit for bikes and exploring a bit of the city on bike paths. We also visited an Art Museum of local artists in the downtown area that was free. On Saturday we did a scavenger where we explored various parts of Tucson, including a cafe, a street car, bookstore, murals, a plaza, and exploring the Mission San Xavier del Bac, also known as the White Dove of the Desert on the Tohono O’odham Reservation.
After one week, I can tell that my body is starting to acclimate to the hot weather, but is not fully adapted. There have been challenges with feeling fatigued, dizzy, and light headed, likely because of lowered electrolytes. I’m learning that drinking lots of water is not enough to help with dehydration, but also it's critical to replenish the electrolytes as I am sweating throughout the day. It has been the most comforting when we’re out in the middle of afternoon when it’s over 100 and realizing it’s not THAT hot...haha! We are making it through, slowly...
Next week starts our first week of placements, and I can’t wait to share more what a typical week will look like. Every day, I’m starting to feel more grounded and at home, and I’m eager to see what the next few weeks bring!
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