Day One: Journey to Tucson and First Impressions
Waking
up and meeting at 4 o'clock in the morning was a struggle for most of
us. But the excitement and anticipation that pondered our minds made it
worth it. Having our first flight to Phoenix delayed, our group put in
serious work, literally running to the next terminal to board our next
flight to Tucson. We definitely cut it short. And before we knew it, we
had arrived at Tucson, Arizona. At the airport, we were met by two
Borderlink delegates. They picked us up and we were on our way to the
Borderlink hostile. After an interesting icebreaker and a general tour
of the Borderlinks hostile, we sat down and had our first organic meal
with the Borderlink coordinators. Not the food we had in mind but
definitely delicious. After a healthy and filling lunch, we had a
presentation by another Borderlink leader. She gave us a history on
immigration and how it has evolved throughout the years, as well as the
differing perspectives surrounding this predominant issue. After a long
morning, it was time for some well deserved down time. While some of us
decided to tour the streets of Tucson, others decided to catch up on
hours of sleep. Then came the highlight of our day...Mike Wilson! Mike
Wilson came to Borderlinks to talk to us about his first hand accounts
with migrants and families of migrants, and his active role in the
issues surrounding immigration. Mike Wilson plays an active role in
serving migrants. He spends his days placing water at reserves where
they are available to people crossing the border. His insights and
contribution to the issue of immigration made him a truly inspirational
figure. Despite being shunned by government tribes, his strong moral
sense of community and perception of spirituality enabled him to do what
was morally right. And finally, we ended our day with a reflection on
our initial thoughts of Tucson, the speakers, and the issue of
immigration.
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