¡Estamos Viviendo Nuestros Mejores Vidas!

Hola, friends and family! We are back at the mission after an enjoyable three days in Yaxcabá, a small village located about two hours outside of the city of Merida. We are delighted to be able to finally share our wonderful experiences.

On Monday, we were welcomed with open arms by Padre Felix, a priest of Yaxcabá who graciously welcomed us to the village. Other parishioners were also kind enough to greet us, cook traditional meals for us, and share their knowledge of Mayan history and culture. After settling in, we had the privilege of riding in motorcycle-powered carriages to explore the rest of the village. While on this journey, our group admired the kindness and positivity of the entire community.

Tuesday began with a work day at the church. Lewis, Tricia, and the Gannon ABST group painted the interior of a guest space at the church. This experience strengthened the bonds of the group by allowing us to play games and share stories as we worked. In the afternoon, we cooled down with a visit to a local cenote, an underground stream that we courageously swam in. I say 'courageously' because many of us felt outside of our comfort zones while swimming in a dark cave while bats flew just over the top of our heads. The fear surpassed as we let go of our hesitations and simply enjoyed living in the moment. When we returned to the village, Padre Felix had organized a gathering for us to meet some people in the community on a more personal level. With the help of Tricia and Lewis translating our words, the entire group was able to learn about each other's lives. We discovered that a particular woman in the village made and sold hammocks, so several of us visited her home after the gathering to see one that Sydney ended up purchasing.

We said our goodbyes to the lovely people of Yaxcabá on Wednesday as we left to venture to Mayapan, a site of ancient Mayan ruins. Despite a few members feeling carsick from the bumpy ride to what felt like the middle of nowhere, the group enjoyed being the only people at this less commercialized location where we could explore the fascinating history and architecture of the Mayans. The views were breathtaking and well worth the journey to that location. Later on Wednesday, we ate a late lunch at the Hacienda Taya Restaurante where we recovered from the heat with delicious Mexican food and drinks, topped off with some refreshing ice cream.

Now that we are back in Merida, we are eagerly awaiting our next adventure at Nueva Vida on Thursday. The group has been excited all week to meet the girls, so stay tuned for our next update when we can share that experience with you. ¡Hasta luego!