48 hours

I've been in Tucson for over 48 hours now, so I wanted to give a quick outline of some of the things I've done since arriving.

• After being picked up from the airport, I went with my supervisors to Pasco, a local restaurant near the university here. They try to serve healthy, fresh, and locally grown foods. I had a grass-fed burger and it was delicious! 
• Once we finished eating, we walked over to First United Methodist Church, where I met the pastor and several other women. This was an encouragement to me because they were all so friendly and welcoming. 
• For the rest of the day, I unpacked, showered, picked up some minimal groceries, and tried to start settling in. 
• In the evening I met the person I am living with and her dog, Donald. She is friendly, hospitable, and helpful, so I feel comfortable and welcomed here! 

• On Tuesday, Natalie took me into town so I could get my bus pass and my library card. The office to get the bus pass was much more crowded than I expected it to be! It was like going to the Secretary of State in Michigan--drawing a number and waiting a long time. My SunGo card has a picture of me on it, and sadly it is like a return to school pictures. (AKA, it is not flattering.) 
• The library has 20 different branches, and I could pick from several different designs on the cards! I am pretty excited about this. I love Willard Library in Battle Creek, but my library card has been the same gray one since I was about 5 years old. This one has a Tucson sunset and a saguaro on it! In addition, the librarian who registered me grew up in Kalamazoo! 
• In the evening, I walked down to First United Methodist Church to attend the Wesley Foundation worship and dinner. It took me a while to walk there, but it was nice to see the campus and to get out of the house for a while. It was also wonderful to be able to meet students and see a campus ministry in action--nearly 100 people turned up for their event! I met someone who knows Diamond, a fellow US-2 serving in New Jersey, and it was great to make that connection. I also met two Indian international graduate students, so it was nice to be able to welcome them to the US, if briefly. 
• I have also been given the chance to go to La Jolla this weekend with the Wesley Foundation as a chaperon. I'm excited to go to California for the first time and to see a west coast beach! 

• Today, my main excitement was receiving the part to my phone in the mail, which means two things: 
• I can go to the library and get a full access card because now I have a proof of my Tucson address. (Right now I can only check out 2 items at a time. If you have ever come to the library with me, you know this is not my style.) 
• My phone works again! 

• Tomorrow morning I will start my training at Iskashitaa, then in the afternoon I will be heading to La Jolla! Please pray for the beginning of my training, for my weekend away, and for me to have transportation (via bike) soon!