Marissa's first blog post

So I guess this is my first blog post...per the title. I've had a few requests to start a blog so this is not exactly of my volition...but I will try so here goes.


We've been in Arizona for a month and a half now. Let's see...weather. I really am enjoying the endless sunny skies. Ok maybe not endless, its rained twice now I think, both times in the past couple of days. Its definitely dry, not the humid heat of the South. I enjoy the unsticky feel when I walk outside, its a nice change. We live in the White Mountains and our town (Show Low) is at an elevation of about 6500 feet, so, I've heard they get a lot of snow here, which is kinda cool, me being from California, then Georgia. There is a ski resort about 45 min away. The area is chock full of Ponderosa Pines. We are about 3 hours (175 miles)north and east of the Phoenix area (the Valley). So that should tell you a little about where we're at.

Work: work is really cool. Our job is to build relationships with the high schoolers that come to "The Kennel" (our ministry youth center) and just hang out with them, be there for them, encourage them and listen. The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is about 45 min away from us (30 miles?). And the "Rez" as it is locally called, is a completely different world than any I've known before. Their lands are located down the eastern part of Arizona. When you are on the Rez, you will see a lot of poverty, you'd think you were in the inner city or a third world country, but its odd because you are in the beautiful Arizona mountains. It is an odd dynamic.

You will see horses and cows in the middle of the road, you see elk and deer. You see a lot of run down homes or trailers. Its hard to find a lot of good to say. I guess I really feel the people are so interesting though. They are typically quieter than us loud folks. They are, honest, open, they feel a strong sense of pride in their heritage and culture and language. I have enjoyed getting to know this people group that were here way before us Europeans. There is much to learn from their history and where they've come from that's made them who they are today.

My prayer is that God will give them dreams for their brokenness, give them honor where they've been ashamed, give them peace where there has been violence and give them His love where there has been the substitute of drugs and alcohol.

There is much more I'd like to write about the Apache and there is still so much I have to learn.