WE ARE BACK!

Hola amigos,

We are back and have SO MUCH to share from our amazing 3 days in the village! Hope you enjoy all of our thoughts, feelings, and experiences :)

Hola amigos! It's Erin Behe! We have just returned from our trip to the inspiring Pueblo of Yaxcaba. Tuesday, we were graciously invited to serve the people of Kancabdzonot, a small Pueblo near Yaxcaba. We were able to paint, weed, play, and most importantly, learn from the people of Kancabdzonot about what selfless love truly is. Through love, we are called to serve; through service, God opens doors to new experiences, opportunities, and relationships. Tuesday, I was shown what true selfless giving is composed of: giving out of pure love and will, regardless of ones own economic status. Through extreme poverty and loss, the people of  Kancabdzonot remain faithful to serving God and others. Sitting down, surrounded by my brothers and sisters in Christ, I was served by those rooted in humility. The people of  Kancabdzonot were living through conditions that one can not possibly fathom, however, there is not a doubt in my mind they would have given us the sole shirts off their backs if it was needed. I arrived to Kancabdzonot to serve, but in contrast, I was served by those who I thought needed it most.
Could this be applied to all of our lives? It is often the wisdom that we all need is found in the most unexpected of places. I leave you with this, " For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in." Matthew 25:35. Above all, love and serve. This is what I have learned. 

Hola! It's Sam Griswold! I can't believe it's been four days since we arrived in Merida, Mexico. It's been a fantastic couple of days filled with generous people, beautiful sights and tons of delicious food. I was blown away by the generousity of Padre Felix and the people of his parish who so graciously took care of us while we were in Yaxcabá. On the last day of our stay, we had four meals because the people of Kankabdzonot, one of the villages near Merida, prepared lunch for us without being asked. These people have so little, in the economical sense, but they have so much love and generosity in their hearts that they shared what they did have. When we returned to Yaxcabá, we were able to gather with some of the people from the village who prepared dinner for us. We all sat in a circle and Padre Felix surprised us with a couple who were dressed in traditional Yucatecan garb and performed a few traditional Yucatecan dances. Padre Felix explained their outfits and some of the history behind the items of clothing. Then we were invited to dance for the people in our traditional American style, which ended up being a dance routine from Taylor and Erin. We were able to eat with the people from the village and converse with them in Spanish, which was amazing. They are such friendly, open and loving people with so much compassion in their hearts. The experience that we have had so far has truly been humbling and I can't wait to see what the last few days in Merida bring.

March 1st, 2017 was a very interesting day. As we say goodbye to our friends in Yaxcabá, we, as young adults, saw how we can make such strong bonds with the people we spend time with. Not only did our group get closer, but our relationship with the sister parish, the people of the village, and Father Felix got closer as well. Father Felix took us in with open arms and took care of us as if we were family. We were humbled. He inspired us to be more caring. He inspired us to be better people, for my school, for my community, and for the world. We will all keep him close to our hearts. In addition to all of this, it was my birthday! The night before, Father Felix had a surprise for me. In mass, towards the end, he announced it was my birthday and told the group he had a surprise waiting for me. It was an honor to hear my name to be broadcasted in church. As we head over to dinner, I notice we're sitting around in an open space. Father Felix had invited 2 members of the local dance group to perform a traditional Yucatecan dance! It was fantastic! The intricate footwork, the intense eye contact, the fast pace moves, it was all great! And of course he invited me to take a stroll around the circle in the man's position. I thought it was over after they finished but then he brought over a cake that fed over 30 people and he gathered everyone around the table to sing happy birthday to me. It was a very special moment for me. People from the village, in addition to our group, were present for my "birthday party." I couldn't thank Father enough for this once in a lifetime birthday experience.

¡Hola amigos! This is Lydia. Life is beautiful. When I sit and reflect about the past three days in Yaxcabá, that is the phrase that keeps running through my mind. I don't think I can adequately express how amazing this experience in Mexico has been thus far. The people we have encountered have inspired me so much. The most inspiring and humbling part of our time in the village was eating lunch (well, our FIRST lunch of the day) prepared for us by some of the women of the parish. The lunch was delicious and we later learned that the women prepared it for us without being asked, simply because they knew we were coming. These women had very little, yet they gave to us what little they had. The love they have for God and for their fellow humans was so evident. After lunch, some of the women sang to us in Mayan (their first language). Sharing in this time together is something I will surely never forget. Another very moving moment from the village came during Fr. Felix's homily. Though I did not understand all of it, I did notice that he mentioned our group during it. He told his parish all about each of us and then included a message for all of us. He told us that we would be in his heart forever. That sentiment really spoke to me. Though we were only in the village for three days, we made an impact in Fr. Felix's life. And he sure made an immense impact in mine. While there is so much more I have to say about our time in Yaxcabá, I don't think I could do it justice in words right now. All I know is that my life has been made better by meeting these beautiful people. ¡Gracías a Dios por todo! 

Hello family and friends!! Thanks for checking into the blog it's Erin Lipnicky.  I am both filled with sorrow and joy to be back at the Mission of Friendship from our beautiful stay in a neighboring village, Yaxcabá.  Spending 3 days in the village was beyond amazing, filled with community, friendship, food, and rich rich culture!  The people of Yaxcaba have the most beautiful light in their hearts and I hope that I picked up at least one ray during our stay with them.  Everywhere we went we were filled with their wisdom, spirituality and of course delicious food. Saying goodbye to our new family in Yaxcabá, Padre Felix and so many other loving people was hard, but as the Yucatecan culture goes, it's not goodbye it's "Hasta luego," meaning see you later! I am joyous to be back at the Mission, to spend the days tomorrow and Friday with the girls at Nueva Vida, the children at the daycare and the wise individuals of the Reyna da Paz nursing home.  

The people of the Yuckatan are even more beautiful and gracious than I remember from last year (shout out to my wonderful Merida 2016 ABST group)!  Sorry mom and dad but I'm never coming back (just kidding, I miss you!). 

Please keep us all in your prayers for our next few days of service, reflection and community! 

God bless and peace! 

That's all for tonight folks! Missing our families and friends but so thankful for this amazing and wonderful opportunity to grow in love and faith with one another and the people here. Stay tuned for more reflection from the group in the morning! Buenos Noche!