This week at work I was on the hotline both Tuesday and Thursday, answering phone calls from people in detention. I was doing intakes and trying to answer questions about their cases. I don't always have the right answers but again the people I speak with always express how grateful they are to be able to vocalize their story to someone. When I wasn't on the hotline this week, I was completing mail requests and revising some of the guides we give to participants to help them represent themselves. It becomes clear to me how much I'm learning when I share with my housemates about the research that I've done. Through both the busy and slow moments, I'm helping others and learning more about the field of immigration law, even if it doesn't always feel like it.
On Monday this week it was rainy but I still rode my bike to work. I ended up wet and cold for most of the day. The rest of the week was not rainy but colder than we'd experienced so far. There was even frost on the ground a couple of mornings! But on Saturday, Jessie and I took advantage of the warmer, sunny weather and rode our bikes downtown. I wanted to do a little bit more Christmas shopping and explore shops on 4th Ave (which has a fun, small-town vibe). Here are a few photos from the ride: a mural, a rattlesnake bridge, and some art from a shop we visited.
This weekend we also decorated cookies with our unit coordinator, Lisa, and her family! One of her sons and I created a pretty good team where I frosted and he sprinkled. Our sprinkle to frosting to cookie ratio was about 1:1:1. They taste great and those cookies, combined with the Christmas hymn sing during second hour at Shalom, definitely brought some Christmas flair to our weekend.
In other news, I continued baking this week, finished another puzzle, and began packing for my trip back to the Midwest for my tour of "I" states (Iowa, Indiana, Illinois). Michaela and I both leave on Wednesday morning suuuuper early and will be getting a ride to the airport from some very generous housemates.
I'll see some of you soon!
Can't wait for you to bring some sunshine to Goshen!
Hey Cade, I heard about your upcoming trip to I I I from your Pa this morning at Silverwood this morning. Pack your warm clothes. A late day walk in my Goshen IN neighborhood today was shortened by the cold and wind. That, shall I say, hippie dippie jigsaw puzzle looks challenging. And without missing pieces! (Proof that I read the blog each week tho I may not always comment. 😉)