Day 6 Everyone

So today we left borderlinks to go to a Unitarian church in Tucson. We listened to Leila Pine from No More Deaths, she talked about the treatment of migrants traveling in the desert by Border Control. Then we drove a long way to Nogales, AZ. We saw "the wall" running through the town and got up close enough to touch it. We tried to talked with a Border Control officer but they were a little unfriendly. So then we got back in the vans and drove to a park and ate sandwiches for lunch and hung out in the hot Arizona sun. Then on the basketball courts we sat down and listened to a woman who was a part of a community center in Nogales, Mexico. She told us stories about immigrants in her native language while Margi from Boarderlinks translated. Then all of the van groups went to "In n' out". It was a good end to a long day. We are excited for the senior worship tonight. Tomorrow we will be leaving a 6:30 to head off to the airport.
Anna, Annabel and Izzy

Day 5 Group 2

Today we left the First Christian Church and made our way to the Borderlinks Headquarters in Tucson. With a very tightly packed itinerary we found ourselves incredibly busy today, starting with an orientation of Borderlinks as well as an activity called "Immigration Simulation", in which we each had roles as farmers, salespeople etc. in Mexico and the US. After that and lunch our group heard a presentation by the Sierra Club, an environmental protection organization talking to us about the harmful environmental effects of the border wall between the US and Mexico, as well as a second activity called "Legal Immigration Simulation" which taught us about the difficulties of immigrating legally to the US and why illegal immigration was often a more viable solution for many desperate workers. After dinner we drove a few blocks away to attend a night-time vigil for immigration awareness in Tucson, also attended by Rev. Hoover. The service itself resembled a Unitarian service with the symbolic candle that was lit and the prayers we said. Though we didn't have as much free time today as before, we still managed to do lots of interesting things, and I'm sure we'll all sleep well...

Day 5 Group 3 and 4

Today was one of our longest days, by far. Not only were we very sleepy, but we also had to move locations from the First Christian Church, to Borderlinks. Although this was only about a 7 minute drive, it took quite a bit of preparation. Once we arrived at Borderlinks, we started right off with a border simulation of financial and emotional aspects of those on both sides of the border. People were assigned roles such as corn farmers, store owners, border patrol agents, and more. After that and lunch, our two groups finally had the opportunity to experience Operation Streamline, which allows the public to view illegal immigrants trials that have crossed the Mexico- Arizona border, but been caught in the process. Some of the people being tried had been caught as recently as last night. They arrived in shackles and had Spanish speaking attorneys that were able to clarify some of the more difficult proceedings, along with a Spanish/English translator. Afterwards, we came back to Borderlinks, and began another border simulation that gave each person insight into how America's legal immigration process affects people from all over the world, not just from Mexico. Specifically, group 3 got a chance to speak with the women who runs Borderlinks; she recently became a U.S. citizen. As the night wound down and we began dinner, the seniors began to plan our last worship for Friday night. When it became dark, we drove to a vigil for immigration awareness. Overall, the day was extremely eye-opening, and we're excited for a second day with Borderlinks.

Van Group 1, Day 5

Hullo parents at home! Today I am writing this journal! Aha!
So, today we got up in the morning and finished packing our belongings, loaded them into the vans and cleaned the rooms at the church. We then drove to BorderLinks, where we did a simulation of the agricultural industry in the US and Mexico before and after NAFTA. I started off as a Mexican corn farmer on a family farm. We were the most successful of the family farms because we were really fast at picking up corn (our task as corn farmers was to pick up kernels of corn off the ground and put them in cups and sell it to the corn buyer). Then NAFTA came along. Suddenly Mr. Corn Man would only pay 100 pesos for a full cup of corn as opposed to the previous 400 pesos. Food coupons also became ridiculously expensive, going from 100 a piece to 800 pesos. All of my family snuck across the border and I never heard fom them again (Except Kendall who sent me a frozen dinner and a thick flank which is a piece of meat I'm pretty sure).
We discussed why this happened and ate lunch which was super yummy. After lunch our group (Van Group 1, best group ever) went across the street to Derechos Humanos (Human Rights) and watched a presentation adressing the various issues roused by militarization of the border.
After this we returned to BorderLinks and watched a documentary about the journey across the border. It was good in the scene that it very clearly showed the specific reasons to cross as well as the difficulty of doing so but the directors attempts to make as dramatic as possible with crackly voice overs and random black and white clips made it a bit difficult to take seriously.
Lastly we explored why many immigrants do not take the legal path to citizenship or a green card. We did a roleplay activity where each person was given a character and was sent through the immigration process.Most people who actually made it through to the US were either very skilled, very famous, or had direct family in the US. Although they could become citizens or green card holders, it would take about 15 years for most of them to go through the process.
It is now almost time for dinner and I am writhing this blog post. Huzzah!

Group 3 Day 4

Group 3 went to two different places today. In the morning we went to the Gospel Rescue Mission, which is a center for women and children. It is having its opening in April, so construction was nearly completed. We moved furniture that was going to be donated and dug a trench that was going to be used for piping. The mission of this place was very structured and it seemed like this place could do some real good. In the afternoon we went with another group out into the desert to pick up items off of a migrant trail. The desert was covered in thorny bushes and trees, unlike the sandy deserts I was expecting. We found bags, clothes, food, and even old shotgun shells. Then we drove out to the border and saw the fence. It was an interesting day to say the least.

Group 4 Day 4

Today group 4 (The Fresh Princes w/Will Smith) went to two different soup kitchens/shelters in the morning. Half of the group went to Casa Maria and made lots of ham and cheese sandwiches (500+) to serve at lunch. The other group went to Primavera (a men's shelter) to make and serve lunch to about 30 men. After lunch our whole group went with Rev. Hoover out to the desert and the Mexico-America border. We helped clean up trash from an area where immigrants had camped, viewed the border and the Sasabe point of entry, and looked at water stations Humane Borders had set up. This is a picture of Will and Rebecca Fennel, looking at a jack rabbit while at the water station.

Day 4 group 2

Today was day 4 of our trip to Tucson. We first went to Marana farm which was part of the Community food bank and took a tour of the farm. We got to play with the hens, lambs, and even pigs. Then we proceeded to lay down hay to protect the onions. After that we went to the boys and girls club where we got to play soccer, basketball, trivia, and pool. All in all we had a great day and are looking forward to going to border links tomorrow.
-Will

Day 3 Groups 3 & 4

Today groups three and four started off the day at local, community food bank, organic farm. After getting a very in-depth and insightful tour we helped them weed their garden. They also treated us to a delicious salad from the farm that we harvested ourselves. Then we cam back to FCC and got a couple much appreciated restful hours in the sun. Then the two groups went off to separate Boys and Girls Clubs where we were able to spend time playing games and organizing activities for the kids there; it was a ton of fun. We were very surprised by the social skills and how friendly the kids were. It was a very valuable experience to be able to learn about and interact with kids form different backgrounds. For our evening theme we had a gender bender, (boys and girls trade clothes) which got everyone laughing. We ended the night with a worship and candles.
-Gwen, Matti, Maggie, and Abby

Day 3 Group 2

Today started quite early for half of our group. They went to Primavera, a men's homeless shelter, at 5:30 AM, making them the first up and out of the church. While there, that half of the group was able to speak to the residents who were very friendly and willing to speak about their lives and experiences.
My half of the group got the chance to go to Casa Maria, a small food distribution center. We formed an assembly line and made at least 300 sandwiches (by the end the whole group never wanted to touch a sandwich again). The lady who was instructing us, Adrianna, told us about how she has been waiting 20 years for a response as to her citizenship status. Now that she has applied for her paper work she is stuck in the US and can't go back to Mexico until her paperwork process is complete, or else she will lose any progress she has made. Unfortunately this conversation was held in Spanish so the whole group wasn't able to hear it directly from her, but I was fortunate enough to hear and understand it.
Later in the day, we got the chance to go to the courthouse, with another group, to witness firsthand how the undocumented immigrants are tried. The men and women who were being incriminated had both hands tied to their waists and both feet in shackles. At first glance you would think that they had committed a first degree murder. The hearing itself was incredibly systematic, about seven questions were asked to each person, and in the end each one plead guilty and were given a sentence of 30 up to 150 days in prison.
Once our groups got back we saw that there was a protest in support of Libya. Katelyn, Marina, and I tried to go up to them in order to ask them about the cause, and instead wound up being able to join into a worship they held. We stood in a circle with them and listened as a megaphone was passed around for people to speak from their minds and hearts about the idea of Libyan freedom and they recited prayers in Arabic. The whole experience was incredibly inspiring and we were very fortunate to be a part of it.

Written by: Leslie(mostly) and Katelyn (the ending) Edited: The wonderful Katelyn

Day 3 Group 1

First thing in the morning today, we went out the the Gospel Mission Project where we helped in the construction of a shelter for women and children. The girls where sent off to clean the floors of rooms that were already ready and the guys were sent to aid the workers in landscaping; yes, the staff there was wonderfully sexist. After that we left for the courthouse to witness the judicial proceedings of the undocumented immigration process first hand. It was a very striking experience for many of us because of how real and mechanical the system for the conviction of undocumented was. Since it was very depressing and gloomy we needed something to raise our spirits. For this purpose we visited the wonderful land of Dairy Queen and spent a fun evening dressing in the clothes of the other gender in the "Gender Bender" evening (details withheld for privacy reasons :().

-Valentin

ps: Sorry for the lack of lots of good pictures for our group today. We were not allowed to take a camera into the courthouse so our biggest visit of the day was undocumented (no pun intended)

Day 2 Group 2

The first part of our day was spent at an old migrant camp, picking up trash and belongings that had been left behind (Picture 1). After that, we drove to the border and saw the 11-ft high fence separating the Unites States from Mexico (Picture 2). Our guide/host, the Reverend Robin Hoover, then took us to a water station. These stations are placed strategically throughout to corridor and are helpful to keeping migrants from becoming dehydrated and ill (Picture 3 is some of us and some of Group 1 with a cactus that was next to the water station). Finally, we came home and cooked breakfast for the Prima Vera foundation that we will be helping serve tomorrow morning. It was a beautiful all day (high sixties and perfectly sunny), so it was a fantastic day to be outside.
-Emily and Will

Day 2 Group 4

Today we went to The Gospel Rescue Mission just a few minutes from the church we're staying at. The people in charge didn't expect us but happily welcomed our volunteering. Jesse and Nick began shoveling dirt to make the ground flat for a lawn, and the rest of us prepared rooms for women and children to move into. We moved loads of furniture out, cleaned the bathrooms, and scrubbed the floors. It was definitely a couple of hours of work, but it was enjoyable, and we felt good about helping get ready for the women and children to move in.

At around 11:30 we drove into downtown Tucson and found a beautiful picnic spot surrounded by colorful shops. Then we relaxed on the grass for a while, soaking in the warm Arizona sun. After that, we drove to the mountains, on winding roads around the mountains, and took a beautiful hike up a steep rocky trail. We were amazed by the stunning views, the warm dry air, and the incredible landscape. We've also loved seeing the variety of cacti, including some that are over 20 feet tall!

Altogether today was a great day! We're looking forward to bonding over the next few days, and to having some insightful and valuable experiences.

-Rebecca

Day 2 Group 1

We got up around 5 am, and went to the South Side Labor Center, where we prepared and served food to immigrants and homeless persons. We also got to interview some migrant workers, who were very happy to talk to us. :)
After that we trekked out into the desert to pick up migrant trash. This tome of the year has to most immigration across the Arizona border, but because of all of the efforts to clean up migrant trash, we worked at an older site. We then drove to the Arizona-Mexico border and observed the border patrol station before heading back to FCC. On the way back we stopped at a water station in the desert, and learned a bit about the stations.
--Posted by Jeremy and Eve aka J.Curl and Ginger Snap

Group 3 Day 2 Post

Today, we broke our van group in two, half going to Casa Maria, half to Primavera. Both groups worked preparing food for poor or homeless people of migrant origins. Casa Maria was a very run down, Catholic community based food distribution center. After spending some time making sandwiches (more than 300 of them) we attended a brief Catholic mass on the side porch of a tiny pantry, where a campus priest and Dominican friar preached to a congregation of no more than 50. Primavera was more of a well-equipped homeless shelter with full facilities. We were planning to observe an immigration trial at court in Tucson, but the court turned out to be closed for President's Day. So we walked around town for a bit and then took a drive and hike into the mountains, which had more cacti than Belmont has UU's! We then returned to base and are now in the process of showering. All returned safely and happily.

Scott Backman

2011 Arizona Service Trip Day 1

We convened at the church early in the morning around 4:45 in order to make it to the Airport in time. After a rather smooth process in the terminal, we were in the air and on our way to Arizona. After a 6 hour flight we embarked on another two hour drive from Phoenix, to our final destination, Tucson. Nice scenery, picturesque cacti, the works. In Tucson we went to the First Christian Church which we will stay in for the rest of the week (I think). We had a welcoming and informative talk from a member of Humane Borders who was also going to help us with some of the service work that we would participate in. In the evening we went to Las Fuentes a restaurant where they served delicacies such as cactus and had live Mariachi music.