Kevin's 2k15 Church Tour... Coming Soon to a City Near You

There are more, but we feel like this is enough for you. 

Different Places, One Home

Kevin wanted to see the many churches of Merida, so he and Janet went on an expedition to find as many churches as possible. The rest of the group decided to go to the Mayan Ruins. We learned a lot about the culture of the Mayans and how it has changed throughout the years. We took a lot of cute pictures playing on the ancient pyramids and were able to swim in a cenote. A cenote is a sunken lake. In the Yuketan, there are no visible streams or lakes, they are all interconnected underground. It was a very cool experience as it was very hot today. On a whim, we decided to go to the beach which was only 15 minutes away. It was one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen. We were overwhelmed by the kindness of the man who let us use his access to the beach. We headed home and Sammy made the best toast of everyone's lives for dinner. We headed to our friend Amelia's ice cream shop and saw some Yuketecan dancing. We visited another church and learned about St. Lucy. We came home and made team shirts for our trip home. We are sad to leave Merida, but we are excited for our last day! Peace and blessings! 

Always on the Run🏃

The day kept runnin along, but it ended pretty solid. We're keeping our energy up and learning new sides of eachother. Some of our group went to lay a cement floor while others enjoyied the company of a sister parish priest. We're sharing plenty of laughs and we're open to all that this trip has to offer. It was extremely hot here today, good thing we took care of eachother and made it through the day. We went on a cemetery tour this evening and learned a lot about the culture and significance of death in the Yukatecan. The way death was handled changed through Mayan times as the Spanairds came into the Yukatan. It was very interesting to see the many grave stones and learn the history. We are excited for a new day tomorrow and a fresh night's sleep.

It is in Giving that We Recieve

We visited the different parts of the Mission of Friendship today. We met so many beautiful children and adults at the home of Janet's Yukatecan family, the medical dispensary, a sister parish, Los Amiguitos (the day care), and Nueva Vida (an after school program for girls 5-12). We began preparing the daycare equipment which is to be repainted tomorrow. We also had a lesson with Jose about Yukatecan fruit! We are in love with Merida and are eagerly anticipating all of the experiences we will continue to have this week! 

Globos y Burbujas

We traveled to a near by village with a Mayan name we can only spell phonetically. We helped with a clothing drive in a church that was built by donations from the diocese of Erie. We met many new friends, many who were children. We increased our Spanish speaking abilities as we learned new colors of balloons. We also had a lot of fun playing with bubbles and enjoyed the smiles of the children who we encountered.  

We met a man named Ernesto, who invited us into his home. He showed us a cenote. A cenote is an underground water system found here in the Yucatán. We originally thought that we were just going to see this underground water system, but he openly invited us into his home. We met his family, tried the tortillas that his wife and mother-in-law were making, and saw his backyard. He was ecstatic about the bathroom that the Mexican government had given to his family. Many other residents of the village were not fortunate enough to have bathrooms. He also had many turkeys, chickens, and roosters in his backyard. His family also grew many different vegetables such as radishes, squash, peppers, and lemons. He was very kind to us and we appreciated the open hospitality of a man who we met just passing by on the street.

In the afternoon we had the opportunity to go to a Hacienda. A Hacienda is a plantation. The haciendas were established by the Spaniards when they came to Mexico. Many of them tore down the pyramids and the Mayan people suffered as slaves. They worked very hard and were unable to break free of the work in the haciendas, due to the currency they were paid, which was only able to be used in the store is owned by the owner of the Hacienda. Though they environment and buildings were beautiful, it was difficult for us to realize the polar opposite between the poverty of Ernersto and his family compared to the extreme wealth of the man who owns the Hacienda.

We made dinner and are now on our way to a park in the neighborhood. We are excited to see what tonight and tomorrow has to offer. ¡Buenas noches!

Explorers of the World Uknight!

We had so much fun exploring downtown Merida. We went to mass at the cathedral. The church was massive and it was very cool that we were able to follow the mass in all of its parts! We saw the municipal building and went on an adventure through an old mansion. We had our first taste of genuine Mexican cuisine. Yummy! Then we explored the square and did some shopping. Kevin was delighted to have found a familiar piece of home, Dairy Queen. We missed our stop coming home from the city and made new friends. We are off to grocery shop and are excitedly awaiting our night!

¡En Vivo from Merida!