I've lost track of what "Day" it is, but I know I've been here exactly one month!

The past couple of days have been pretty hectic. I wrote my previous post while on my Casa Teresa shift. I was literally waiting with nothing to do, so I thought, why not write some? I actually ended up writing quite a bit.

After lunch, though, my activity became as fast as it had been slow before. Ruben Garcia, our director, came into the office and asked, "Dara, can I borrow you for a bit?" I said "Sure."
I followed him out to his white pick-up truck parked down the street as he explained to me that I needed to become an expert on the event that we are planning. What event would that be? A procession and memorial mass for Sergio Hernandez Gueraca, the 15 year old who was killed earlier this month...the one about whom I had been conducting research before.

I hurriedly scribbled notes as Ruben drove us around, talking about potential routes and what I needed to do to continue investigating and planning. Continue? I hadn't even started! Ruben stated "this needed to be done yesterday" as he explained the urgency of what I would be doing. I recruited Kyla to work with me on it later in the day, so now the responsibility is divided between the two of us, but initially I just felt so overwhelmed.

As Ruben stated the things I needed to do, I just kept thinking "What in the world led you to believe I am capable of doing all this???" However, as I thought about it more, that wasn't the right question to be asking. As with any other work in the house, it's not about me it's about the work. We serve as we are needed to serve. I don't dump the mop water 2-3 times each shift because I like it, I do it because it has to be done. Same kind of thing.

Anyway, so I went to City Hall once on my own with Dunya (she drove and walked in with me) and have gone twice with Kyla. There are so many logistical issues! Ay! We have to get a permit to use the space where the Memorial Mass is taking place, we have to submit a sound amplification permit, we have to get a permit for the procession, and all of this must be done with an extremely unknown estimate of attendees. We have no idea how many people will show up.

On a personal level, I really just don't want to screw up and disappoint Ruben, but then of course on the larger scale, I want us to be succesful in organizing this event in order to remember Sergio as well as all of the others who have been affected by violence along the border.