¡Bienvenidos! Welcome!

¡Hola amigos! Hello Friends!

Welcome to the blog for the 2014 Gannon University Alternative Break Service Trip (ABST) to Mérida, Mexico! There are 10 of us going, 2 faculty members and 8 students (we’ll introduce ourselves soon). We will leave on Saturday, March 1 for Mérida, and return on Saturday, March 8.

Mérida is located on the Yucatán Peninsula:

While there, we will have the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the local culture, which draws influences from both the Mexican culture and the ancient Mayans. We are especially excited to witness Carnival, an annual festival before Lent, which will be going on from February 27 – March 4!

While we are in Merida, we will be staying at and serving La Misión de Amistad (The Mission of Friendship). Through the Mission, we will have the opportunity to work with various programs, such as:

• Nueva Vida – A place where young girls can go for tutoring and enrichment classes from noon to 7 p.m. every day; we will be putting together a skit with the girls
• Amiguitos Day Care Center – A place where infants to 3-year-olds can stay while their mothers work
• A Medical Dispensary – Provides low-cost doctor visits, medical care, and medicine to low-income citizens
• Amigos – A sponsorship program that pairs American families with families from the Yucatán
• Sister Parishes – Since 1971, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie has been in partnership with the Yucatán Diocese. This partnership serves to provide an intercultural exchange and a unity in Christ.

We invite you to follow us on our journey through this blog, which we will update on a regular basis. In the next couple weeks, we will introduce ourselves to you!

A trip like this is truly once in a lifetime.  We appreciate any support you can offer us, both spiritually and financially. You can donate at www.gannonalumni.org/abstmexico. Thank you very much!

¡Feliz Navidad y Prospero Nuevo Año!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!