Getting ready to go...

This week too much of my energy has been taken up recovering from a cold. But in between sneezing and coughing, I've been finalizing plans for my 1.5 weeks in Sahuarita, AZ.

I'm lucky to be working with a colleague I met at Andover Newton Theological School, Rev. Randy Mayer. He's the pastor at Good Shepherd, UCC (https://thegoodshepherducc.org/) in Sahuarita, AZ and has been doing important work on the border for over two decades now (how the heck did we get that old?!). Randy was gracious enough to connect me with Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritans (https://www.gvs-samaritans.org).

Randy also clued me in to Common Ground on the Border (CGOTB: https://www.commongroundonthehill.org/cgotb_home.html)

a border-issues fair with musicians, artists and speakers. At his suggestion, I scheduled my visit to the border to begin with CGOTB, which will provide a sort of intensive immersion to my week of volunteering with the Samaritans.

During that volunteering week, I hope to spend at least one day on each of the key Samaritan activities: replenishing water stations, joining a search team, bearing witness in court, offering food and clothes to migrants in Nogales. If the government shutdown continues, that might impact the day in court; time will tell.

The reality is I'm pretty ignorant about what life is like in that part of the country in general, and border issues in particular. At the recommendation of others who have made this trip, I'm reading When the Line Becomes a River (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/555764/the-line-becomes-a-river-by-francisco-cantu/). This has been a good item to check off my list from the couch...

I depart on Tues., and look forward to more pictures and stories to share.