Greetings from the Tucson-Marana XPLOR 2018-19 House!
Tucson-Marana XPLOR 2018-19 House
Happy Holidays from the Tucson-Marana house! We are reveling in the 75 degree weather. For Natalie and Emily, it doesn’t quite feel like the holidays. We are used to snow on the ground and colder temperatures. As for Ethan, it is pretty similar.
Natalie is rehearsing to sing Handel’s Messiah with the choir at her church. They are called the Sol Singers. At BorderLinks, she is in the middle of transitioning from the administrative department to the education department. There, she has recently completed a week facilitation training and will be co-leading a delegation at the end of December!!! So exciting!!
Ethan is happy at his internship with Saguaro Christian Church food banks. They are starting construction on a new industrial kitchen in about 3 weeks. He will be “spying” on other food banks to see how they work and succeed. If anyone wants extra Halloween candy, Saguaro still has three full boxes from Trunk or Treat.
Emily has found a home at her internship with Interfaith Community Services. She has traveled around Tucson to the different offices to help out where she is needed. She does a lot of business/administration work, but her introverted self loves it. At church, she sings in the praise band, helps out with the youth, and works on the audio/visual team. These two places really keep her busy!
A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to participate in the Arizona Regional Assembly at Saguaro Christian Church. We were asked to lead a workshop on the XPLOR program and inform people of our experiences as residents. The workshop led to a lot of meaningful discussions about the whole program rather than just reading pamphlets on it. We also were able to give a benediction at the Friday evening service, and hear a sermon from THE General Minister and President, Rev. Terri Hord Owens.
This holiday season, we are very thankful for new opportunities, oranges, challenges that lead to growth, support systems, and love that we have received just from being a part of the XPLOR program.
We are getting excited to spend the holidays with our families back home, though we have already made one here. May all of your travels go safely and smoothly, and send your favorite holiday recipes our way!
Love,
Natalie, Ethan, and Emily
NBA XPLOR is a 10-month service residency opportunity for young adults ages 21-30, with the purpose of empowering young adults to discern and develop a “heart for care” as they live together in simple community, engage in direct service and justice work, engage in leadership development, and discern their vocational calls to honor the various communities they are called to serve. Learn more and apply at nbacares.org/xplor.
