Es Su Casa: This is Your Home

This morning we journeyed to the village of Tinum (tee-noom) - approximately 2 hours outside Merida. When we arrived we met Padre Felix and some of his parishioners. Padre showed us the church in Tinum and arranged for us to take motorcycle-cart rides around town on a tour. We saw many important sites in Tinum, but most notably were invited into a family’s home to see how tortillas are made! Of course, our favorite part was tasting the tortillas!! Afterwards we were welcomed for lunch prepared by parish families and later went back to the church to help paint the back wall of the building. 

 

In the evening we travelled to the nearby village of Uayma (why-mah) where we would be staying inside the church overnight. After settling into the beautiful church with our hammocks and cleaning up from the day, we were able to rest a bit before we were hosted for a lovely dinner in one of the main hallways of the church. 

 

The parish prepared delicious panuchos for us - refried tortillas stuffed with refried beans and other toppings. The mayor of Uayma joined us for dinner and a few parishioners even showed us some traditional dances after dinner! At one point, a couple group members jumped in to learn a dance. The joy of the parishioners in sharing their culture with us was absolutely contagious! We went to sleep that night feeling totally welcomed, loved, and at home. 

We can’t thank Padre Felix and his parishioners enough for our day today - especially for welcoming us just 1 week after  Padre Felix moves to this area of Yucatan.

Buenos Dias from Merida!

Buenos dias to our family, friends, and ABST alumni! Below are our summaries from the past few days now that we’re back in the city and can post them! 

Day 1 - Sunday 3/3 - Merida en Domingo 

As mentioned, today started with attending mass at the cathedral in Merida, which sits right in the heart of the city. After mass, we went on an adventure to purchase hand-wrapped ‘hamacas’ for our overnight stay in a village Monday night. Hammocks are thought to be invented over 1000 years ago, potentially by the Mayan culture, and quickly spread to many areas in Central and South America as a traditional way of sleeping in warm weather. 

We spent the afternoon shopping in the city where Kevin and Conner purchased (much-awaited) sombreros. We visited museums where we saw exhibits displaying Mayan art and had the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Yucatan. To top it off, we enjoyed lunch in a restaurant/museum that taught about ancient Mayan cooking methods and foods. We ended the day resting at the mission house and cooking dinner together.

Arrival and Immersion!

Our Merida ABST arrived safely Saturday afternoon and were welcomed at the airport by our mission partner Tricia! They had a great day in Merida on Sunday - mission partners Valentina and José showed the group around town after mass at the cathedral. The group is headed out into a village to spend time there and will be largely out of communication for the next two days. We'll keep you posted!

My name is Marie Burch and I am a freshman Nursing major. I am from Erie, PA. I am excited to travel to Merida to help others in any way that I can, grow as a person, and to learn about and experience the culture.

Hi! My name is Abbey Chenevey and I’m from Milan, Ohio. Here at Gannon, I am a freshman Occupational Therapy major. I am also involved in the Honors Program, Habitat for Humanity, and the Student Occupational Therapy Association. Going on an international service trip has been a long-held dream of mine, so I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to travel to Merida! I am looking forward to experiencing a new culture, country, and language as well as giving back to the people we meet! It is my hope that this experience would give me new perspectives and a greater appreciation of the blessings in my life.   

My name is Taylor Taft and I am a Sports and Exercise Science, Pre-PA major. I am from Harborcreek, PA and I am excited to travel to Merida because I love being able to help people and make an impact. I am also excited to go because I love children. I currently work in a daycare and I believe it will help me to put things into perspective while I’m in Merida with the children and bring something back home to share. I’m very interested to see the difference and understand the culture!     

Caroline Bard

Senior Occupational Therapy student

Hometown: Twinsburg, OH

I am excited to travel to Merida because I have always wanted to expand my horizons by traveling, meeting new people and serving others. This is the perfect way to end my senior year!