Our three weeks in Arizona and New Mexico came to a beautiful ending back in the city where it all began, Tucson. On our final full day together, we shared a last supper of pizza and salad with both pastors from Shalom Mennonite Church, Tina Schlabach and Carol Rose, as well several of our early … Keep reading »

Stephany Claudio reflects on her wilderness experience near the end of our three-week course: “Backpacking at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument was an experience of a lifetime, both exciting and scary. It brought feelings of anxiety at many times, but also moments of peace. We experienced dramatic changes in weather in the span … Keep reading »

 Mia Wellington’s describes the ranch in southeastern Arizona where Frances and Peter Grill live and work: Have you ever heard of a haboob? That’s what ranchers in Arizona call swirls of dust that pop up across the desert on dry days. At first, we were scared to see them because they look like mini tornadoes, … Keep reading »

In this post, Summer Cooper recounts her time among the Hoodoo rock formations in the foothills of the Chiricahua Mountains: “While in Arizona we camped at the Chiricahua National Monument. We were able to see different animals, learn the history of the monument, and do a 13.4-mile hike. While there I took notice of the … Keep reading »

Kevin Liddell writes about his experience meeting Apache leader Wendsler Nosie: “During our first week in Arizona we traveled north from Tucson to Oak Flat, a campground in the Tonto National Forest near Superior, Arizona.  While there we experienced a conversation with Wendsler Nosie that conjured different opinions and unsettling emotions. After we arrived at … Keep reading »

Manny Villanueva wrote these reflections about our visit with a retired miner and a tour of his town: “Our group got the opportunity to talk to Henry Muñoz, a retired miner with more than a decade of experience and expertise. Henry is from Superior, Arizona, which is where we met him for a discussion on … Keep reading »

Teresa Ross Richer shares what she learned from an indigenous community leader and long-distance runner about the sport she loves: “Settled in at our first campsite, a group of us scrambled up the desert rocks to watch the sunset and see what fascinating wildlife we could discover. Over the soft sound of the oak trees … Keep reading »

Jordan Garlinger writes about the renewable energy system at the church where we stayed and what he learned from one of the people who installed it: “We as a class spent five nights sleeping on air mattresses underneath fans in Shalom Mennonite Fellowship in Tucson Arizona. The fans, air-conditioning, and the electricity we used to … Keep reading »

Naomi Ross Richer reflects on the long hike we did on a mountain south of Tucson: “If there is one thing this trip has taught me so far, it would be to explore: to explore nature and to explore the system we are all caught up in. A specific instance where exploration happened was several … Keep reading »

Arleth Martinez shares her thoughts on our Immigration Day of Learning organized by Katherine Smith of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).  For privacy reasons, the names of the people she met have been changed: This was a very emotional and heartfelt day for everyone involved.  We learned about borders and immigration policies from Katherine before we … Keep reading »