A Week in the Life of a YAV - Grace

Nancy dressed as David

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...

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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!