Recap from Day 13: Psychiatrist

Today concludes our service in Cancun and for me, the most moving and significant day of this entire trip. When we visited the Mayan village of the Chiapanecos I worked along the psychiatrist and consulted patients of drug addiction and abuse. I wrote down all the psychiatrist’s notes, including name, age, religion, marital status, reason for consultation and methods of therapy. In working with family abuse and problems, the psychiatrist would have the patient draw a person and then draw their whole family. From the drawings he could decipher different emotional and psychological states of the patient. It was very interesting to see how a drawing could mean so many things. The topics were very grave and serious but the psychiatrist would involve me with many topics and even have me give advice to the patient.

In one case in particular there was a woman victim of verbal and physical abuse who, over the years, developed a very low self esteem. When asking my advice, she reached for my hand and valued every word I wanted to say because she looked up to me as a woman. I became overwhelmed with emotion and tears filled my eyes as I wanted to reassure her strength and security of self. It was a truly touching moment and an indescribable one at that. We spent the rest of the session building up her worth and by the end she had a smile for the first time. It was a very great feeling and I have never felt compassion in such a strong manner.

-Claudia, Junior

Recap from Day 13: Service with Heart

Today was our final of service and it was incredible. We spent the morning and afternoon working at a Mayan village alongside members of a local church. The service consisted of taking weights and blood pressures for a general physician, assisting a dentist, and helping take notes for a psychiatrist. Also, we spent time working on the construction of the school kitchen.

The time we spent at the village really put into perspective the true meaning of having nothing. Many of the people who came to be examined by the doctors today have not much more than the clothes on their backs. Houses in the village are mostly composed of large sticks with a makeshift cardboard or tin roof. As for running water or electricity anywhere in the village, such amenities do not exist.

Being there today I couldn't help but have a heavy heart as well as an eagerness to do all that I could for these people. The most touching part of the day for me and what brought a little light to what seemed like such a dark place were the two kids I got to spend time with. I rolled a "ball" (rock because that's all we had) with two little boys while there mother was in with the doctor. Both of them were smiling and laughing the entire time. It was amazing to see such joy in their faces when everything about that place seemed so sad. These boys and there mother ended up getting on the bus with us when we left and we dropped them off at their home. Seeing the small stick shack they lived in made their ability to be happy even more incredible. I am so thankful that I was able to spend time with the even if we just threw a rock around.

They taught me an important lesson: No matter what life hands us whether its dirt or gold, we can always find a reason to smile! And I was glad I could be part of their reason to smile. Today truly was an incredible day.

-Jestina, Senior

Homeward Bound

Last morning in this special place called Cancun where we have just completed the pilot for Health Services abroad. We decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at Los Biscuits Restaurant: pancakes, crepes, omelets, huevos rancheros, and the yummiest freshly baked pastries ever!! We rushed back to the Hotel Las Margaritas just in time to hurriedly throw our luggage in the vans and rush out to the airport. We had some drama when our wonderful bottles of Yucatan honey did not make it through customs...sigh! They had changed the amount of milliliters of liquid you could take on the plane..sigh.

Today is my birthday so I have been happily surprised all day long. "Happy birthday" in the restaurant for breakfast and the pilot before departure in Cancun even had a word or two to say! We are a united group for we have had the immense pleasure of sharing an unimaginable experience in which we were challenged to work hard, to learn about ourselves, to appreciate two different cultures (Mexican & Mayan), and to leave a place knowing that our efforts really did make a difference. We are proud and appreciative for the opportunity to be of service to others. Thank you, Friends University, for giving us this magical moment. 

Here we are in Denver awaiting our flight to Wichita while I am blogging.



End of a beautiful day and an unforgettable experience.

Our Last Day in Mexico

For our last day in Mexico we decided to focus on the Mayan piece of Mexican culture. There are about 2 million Mayans that currently live in Mexico, primarily in the Yucatan Peninsula. For the most part, they live in small villages deep in the jungle.

We first visited Ek Balam, a set of Mayan ruins that was in its height about 800 AD. Much of the site is still buried in mounds that you can see around the area, but some parts have been uncovered by archeologists and historians. Right as we arrived, a rainbow appeared around the sun, which we considered to be a good sign for the day's excursion.



Our tour guide had lived with the Mayan people for 20 years and was able to give us some great insight on their culture and practices. We had the tremendous opportunity to climb to the top of the pyramid at Ek Balam, 105 feet high, where we could see out over the jungle for miles. We all decided that the climb, both up and down, could definitely be counted as our exercise for the day and was absolutely worth the effort.





Hot and sweaty from the climb, our second stop was at a cenote, an underground pool where the rainwater collects through the limestone. The Mayans believed that cenotes were entrances into the Underworld, and as we descended underground we hoped that eventually we would see the surface again.



The limestone above part of the cenote had fallen in, so as we swam and mingled with the fish we could watch the birds soar in and out and see the sun's rays shine down into the water.



Our final stop for the day was at a Mayan village, where we ate a delicious lunch (tortillas made one minute before they arrived at the table... incredible! Grocery store tortillas will never be the same again!), watched some traditional dances, then toured the village and learned about the construction of houses and the types of crops grown.



It was a good day, and it was fascinating to get a brief glimpse of how the Mayan people live, both currently and historically. I think that it is safe to say that we all came away with an increased respect for the Mayans and a heightened appreciation for the many modern conveniences and luxuries that we enjoy.

Chiapanecos

The Chiapanecos are a people from southern Mexico who migrated into the Cancun area in search of work. They have set up little villages in uninhabited land. Their homes do not have electricity or running water. They also do not have access to health care and typically are educated to only about the 6th grade level. Below is a picture of one of their homes.



Today our students, in concert with members of the Community of Faith church worked along side health care professionals and other members of the community to provide much needed services for these people. We had the opportunity to work with a physician, a podiatrist, a dentist and a psychiatrist. In addition we also helped to build a new kitchen in their local school.  The following photos show our students involved in various activities of the day.


Hadassah sanding wood that will be used to build a table.


Allix and Jenna painting the new kitchen.


Courtney assisting the dentist with a patient.


Nathan assisting the dentist.


Jestina playing with the children.

I believe our students had a wonderful afternoon. They aided in several root canals, alerted the doctor about a young man with dangerously high blood pressure, and observed the physicians as they diagnosed and prescribed treatments for their patients. They worked hard and yet again made us very proud.

On a personal note, I have seen the two sides of Cancun. On one side, we have the beach, vacation hotels, classical music, art and culture. This segment of Cancun is filled with all the pleasures life has to offer. The food is elegant and the wares are extravagant. On the other side, there is abject poverty. Individuals on this side struggle to provide their families with the bare necessities of survival. I have seen the pain on their faces as they worry about how they are going to be able to provide for their children. They want, as all of us do, for their children to be able to thrive and achieve all their goals. Unfortunately they are stuck in a system that makes it very difficult if not impossible for them to succeed. We go home in two days. This will be my last blog. I know that it will be quite a while before I can fully process all that I have seen and what it all means to me. To know the pleasure and the pain and how I might in some little way be able to help those in need.

Farewell, friends, & fine arts

Good byes are not fun, really. . . especially when relationships are built on doing good for others. Today is Friday and it is our last day at the Casa de la Alegria. It has been decided that the day will begin with everyone heading to the bodega (storehouse where all of the used clothes items are stored). When we arrived two weeks ago, it was a mess but we have been diligently working on organizing and redistributing items and we are obsessed with leaving it is superb condition when we leave. Below you can see a picture of Allix, Jenna, Courtney, and Ronnie beginning the hot, exhausting work but we are super proud when our work is complete. We got a huge thanks from the Administrator in charge.



We said good by to our friends in Casa de los Ancianos: we played one more game of dominos, (See photo with Karyn, Courtney, Nathan, and Allix), talked with elderly friends (Claudia & Jenna), played paper airplanes with the fellows (Casey). It was sad to leave these special friends who taught us so much.







Next, we went to the elementary school where the students rushed to hug the Friends students who had taught them in their English classes. A soccer ball signed by all of the Friends group was given to the 6th graders in Miss Lucy's room.



Jean Boyance, Director General of the Casa de la Alegria, thanked the Friends University Health Science abroad group for the outstanding service and volunteerism completed over the past two weeks. We were recognized all around the facility for our cheery attitude, willingness to tackle any task in order to be helpful, and sincere care of the occupants of the Casa de la Alegria.

After lunch we met with the Rector of La Salle University, Cancun, Dr. Fernando Mainou. He is very interested in this pilot project and asked to have a special meeting so that the students could provide feedback on their impressions of the project so far. He also accepted in writing the kind invitation of President Arant for him to visit Friends University during February 2014. Vicki Ramirez de Cosio, coordinator of foreign exchanges, surprised everyone with one of her delicious home-made cakes. Then we rushed to a performance at the Teatro Cancun of classical and contemporary music of Italy. The tickets for this musical performance by the Cancun Chamber were a gift from Horacio Martinez, Board of Trustees member.



This was a long day with a variety of important experiences. Tomorrow will be spent in the countryside an hour from Cancun with the disenfranchised poor of the State of Quintana Roo.

A New Opportunity

This morning brought us back to La Ciudad de la Alegria, excited to see what the day would hold. As we talked with the administration, they asked us to help with general health checks for the primary school children. Each fall as they start school and spring as they finish the school year, the children are measured and weighed, and their general state of health is recorded.

It took us a while to get organized, but once the children started coming in, we were ready for them. Our Friends students have been practicing their interview skills for taking basic medical histories, and this was a great opportunity for them to use those skills. Many of the children recognized our students, as they had worked in some of their classrooms earlier in the week. Today we worked with the first grade girls and boys and the 2nd grade girls.







Over lunch we celebrated the 19th birthday of Sarah, one of our Friends students. Everyone had been planning a surprise for her, and after lunch she was presented with some gifts and a birthday cake. The staff at the hotel restaurant were so excited to be in on the secret that they could hardly contain themselves, and after we serenaded her in English, they all serenaded her in Spanish.



In the late afternoon each day we have been going to La Salle University for a time of discussion and reflection on the day's experience. Today, as everyone had a chance to express what they have thought about and learned throughout the time that we have worked at La Ciudad de la Alegria, I was most impressed with their responses. Many students reflected on the relationships that they have developed during the short period of time that we have been here, even with the language barrier. Several students talked about the lessons that they have learned from even the hard manual labor, and how the knowledge that they have made a difference has impacted them. A number of students brought up the difficulties of being in a place where they feel unable to communicate easily, and how this experience will help them be more patient and understanding of those who they come across and work with in the future that have the same challenges. This has been a tremendous couple of weeks, and we all recognize that it is going to be very difficult to say goodbye tomorrow.

Recap from Day 9

Today I had the pleasure to work inside the primary school at Ciudad de la Alegria helping teach the students English. I got to work with the sixth grade boys and first, third, and fifth grade girls. We helped the students with the English alphabet, spelling, and their English vocabulary words. We divided each class into two teams. I would lead one team, and my fellow Friends student led the second team. It was quite the competition. I would test my team on the alphabet and receive a score then the other team would be tested and receive a score. The students loved this challenge and would really push themselves and their team members to say the alphabet perfectly. I could definitely tell how important the teachers thought it was for the students to learn English, and sometimes their English was better than mine. I could also tell how much the English teachers appreciated us and how much they love seeing our faces throughout the week.

The children absolutely love having us there. Numerous times while I was at the school, I was bombarded and tackled by tons of students. They all wanted to hug me and ask me questions. It touched my heart and is definitely an experience I will never forget. I am excited to see what the rest of the week holds for us.

-Hadassah, Senior

We Take a Little Break

This is a pilot study abroad program which basically means we are learning as we go along. We did our best to prepare our itinerary and our students for the work that they may be doing, with the full knowledge that much will need to be changed here on the ground as we progressed through the experience. We have already learned so much, and there is still so much more to learn. The students are doing a tremendous job adapting and changing as our responsibilities change. Today they continued with their work at the various service sites. While much of the work may have been tedious and difficult, they attacked their tasks with enthusiasm and excellence.

We met today with the director of Casa de La Alegria, Mr. Jean Boyance. Our goal was to introduce ourselves, explain a little bit about the Health Science Services Abroad program, and discuss current and future volunteer activities at the City of Joy. Mr Boyance is a kind man with a great passion for the work that they do here. Once our goals were understood, he immediately agreed to change the nature of our work for the remainder of our time here in Cancun to be more directly involved with Health Care. This was great news to us, and we were enthusiastic to share this news with our students. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Yesterday, it became quite apparent that our students are tired. They are wearing out and it was obvious that they needed a little break. So today we gave them the afternoon off. As I write this blog, which is for once not near midnight, many students are swimming in the pool and relaxing in the sun. Several went straight to bed after lunch. Our hope is that this little break will provide the students with the energy they will need to finish out our time here in Cancun. We are already so proud of them. I know they will have the strength to finish strong.

What is Ciudad de la Alegria?

People come to Cancun searching for better jobs and for a better life for their children. They arrive from all over the Republic of Mexico lacking education, ignorant, and poor. They become part of the societal margins of development. Poor and vulnerable without food, health care, or education, they are a group whose needs are not met. In 2000, a spirited group of Cancun professionals met to concretize a project that would allow them to practice genuine care and concern for others in need. They decided to construct a "city" that would give assistance to a wide range of sectors of the city of Cancun. Their challenges were enormous; they needed to find land, design the buildings, and fundraise. Luckily a group of entrepreneurs were captivated by the idea and during September 2001, the first stone was laid.

Friends University students and faculty have been working in a variety of the "hogares". Each has its special focus group, mission, and support group. Below is a brief description of each "hogar".

1. Hogar de Cobija y Pan (clothing and food dispensary)
• 30,000 needy served each year in marginalized regions of the City
• Supported by Foundation Caritas de Quintana Roo

Below is a picture of those who worked diligently today to sort out clothing for the prison and other facilities. Pictured are Ronnie Davis, Jenna Engels, Sarah Rader, and Claudia Koch.


2. Hogar de Mujer (Womens Home)
• Areas of rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration of women who are victims of violence or abandonment, pregnant teens
• 130 women yearly
• Supported by the Gilberto Foundation
3. Hogar de los Ancianos (Elderly Home)
• The state of Quintana Roo has the highest rate of growth in the elderly. This is the only nursing home in Cancun and serves people who lack resources, have a disability, or are unable to meet basic survival needs.
• 40-60 elderly annually
• Supported by Oasis of Abandoned Elderly
  
  See the picture below of Nathan Thompson as he serves one of the patients. Notice how she is holding onto his shirt.
  
  
4. Hogar Cafarnaum (care for adults and children suffering from terminal diseases like AIDS)
• This is the only AIDS hospice program in the state of Quintana Roo.
• Supported by Paipid Inc.
5. Hogar de Desarollo Humano (quality meeting space for community groups focused on social problems of the area.
• Supported by Ultreya Valores, Culture and Service, Inc.
6. Hogar de Ninos (Childrens Home)
• Only today did we get permission to work in this area. It serves children from 4 months to 4 years by offering maternity care, health services, nutrition, psychomotor development, spiritual values for parents of limited economic resources
• There are 35 children in three classrooms. They hope to expand to 70 children with increased fundraising.
• Supported by the Sisters of the Divine Heart.
  
  See the picture below of Courtney McCune surrounded by the beautiful faces of the three year olds she worked with today.
  
  
7. Colegio Mano Amiga (Schools of the Helping Hand)
• Primary, middle, and high schools that provide education to 1000 kindergarten to high school age students with special emphasis on spiritual, scientific, human, and social tools so they can overcome poverty. There are 28 classrooms, a computer lab, science lab, recreation areas, and sports fields. Students come from compromised home situations and find a safe place in these schools.
• Supported by the Altuis Foundation
8. Comprehensive Center of John Paul II (service and support to 300+ prisoners and their families)
• Supported by the Liberating Foundation.

More adventures to be continued tomorrow...

Recap from Day 7: Community of Faith

The final day of week one was spent with worship and sun. We started the day with a worship service at the "Community of Faith" church. The pastor gave a great sermon about the misconceptions of forgiveness and what true forgiveness is. It was amazing how even though the sermon wasn't in my language, the meaning and the conviction in the message was still felt in the same way. God truly does transcend all things including language.

What impressed me the most about today's church service was the place where the service was held. The congregation gathers in a simple, somewhat small conference room of a local hotel. I know it doesn't sound too spectacular – and it wasn't – which to me gave it the most meaning. For me, this was the true example of the insignificance of how you come or where you gather, but all that matters is that you join together in worship. For the congregation it wasn't about meeting in a large fancy building. It was about giving praise to God. The energy and love you could feel in the atmosphere when you walked in was incredible. Even though we are from another country and speak another language, we were still welcomed with open arms and God's love. This was definitely a powerful start to our day.

Church was followed by a day at the beach with members of the church youth group. We had a blast catching rays and winding rays! Looking forward to another week.

-Jestina, Senior

Catching the Spirit of Service

This morning brought us back to La Ciudad de la Alegria to continue our work. We were recognized and greeted by the staff as well as by many of the primary school children and residents of the senior care facility that we worked with last week. We've been mixing up the work assignments so that each student has the opportunity to serve at each of the work sites.

Today one group of students worked in the storage room sorting, counting, and folding linens. They got a tremendous amount of work done and are well on their way to having the items in the storage room organized and in ship shape.



A second group of students went to the primary school today to work with the 1st and 3rd grade girls and the 1st and 3rd grade boys on their English spelling words and pronunciation. Our students noticed a marked difference between working with the girls versus working with the boys- guess which ones were rowdier! After the formal classes were done, some of the students entered into a very spirited soccer game with some of the older boys that was enjoyed by all.



A third group of our students went to the senior care facility. We visited with the residents for a while then were asked to help sort and organize some of the donated clothes for a bazaar that will be held on Saturday for members of the community. The clothes are sold at reduced prices to those who need them, and the proceeds go to help the facility. We made some good progress, and with a few more days of work should have the job completed. After a couple of hours of work, we took a break to help with lunch, serving food, feeding residents, and then cleaning up afterwards.



Another chance for service opened up today as one of our students who is bilingual was invited to translate material on the organization's website from Spanish into English. It is a tremendous service for La Ciudad de la Alegria that will take many hours of mental effort, but it is a great opportunity for our student to get some hands on experience in the challenges of translation.



We left La Ciudad de la Alegria mid-afternoon for lunch, a siesta, a stop for ice cream on the way to La Salle University, discussion, and then burned off some steam with a friendly volleyball game. As we spent some time discussing and reflecting on the activities of the day, I was very impressed with the stick-to-it spirit that runs through each of our students. Several of them expressed their desire to see the jobs through and mentioned how great it will be to work to the end of some of these tasks. Others recognized that although the work may seem unimportant in the grand scale of things, any tasks that we can help with will free up time for staff members and help the community as a whole. I feel as though our students are catching the spirit of the service that they are doing, and I'm excited to see how this experience will affect their lives as they come home to Wichita and carry it on.

Recap from Day 4: Hogar de Pan y Cobija

As the first day of full service, we were dispersed throughout the City of joy and got to volunteer in different divisions of the foundation. Three of us in particular were in the “Hogar de Pan y Cobija” or the food and clothes shelter. This shelter provided food and clothes at a reduced price to needy families. On the first day of tour, our guide told us that the shelter always made sure its services were going to responsible families. She went on to say that “nothing in life is free” and this establishment is not to be taken advantage of. They want to promote that hard work and responsible life styles can come with benefits at this reduced priced service, as it is understood basic necessities are in need of help along the way.

It was our job today to sort through overflowing heaps of clothes into organized piles, assorted my gender and either pants or shirts. There was also a designated pile for children and accessories. The work was strenuous and mindless but none the less good work. It was nice knowing we were giving the workers there a break even if it was just for a week. At the end of the day we were exhausted and honestly it would be hard to imagine doing this manual labor, day in and day out. Much appreciation and gratitude goes out to the workers in this facility as they are the ones behind the scenes, making it possible for deserving families to get clothes.

-Claudia, Junior

Recap from Day 4: Ciudad de la Alegria

Today we traveled to Ciudad de la Alegria, the city of joy. Here, facilities and resources are provided for women and their families who have no home. Also, the city has a school as well as a home for the elderly. To begin our adventure in the city of joy, we toured the entire facility. First, we took a tour of the building where they receive and sort donations to be given to anyone in need. Donations received include clothing of any sort, furniture, toys, etc. The place reminded me of a Goodwill, except with no price tags and the donations were given to people who absolutely need them.

Next we toured the school. We stopped in to visit the primary school children. As we entered the courtyard of the primary school, the children just completely surrounded us and started giving us high-fives us and hugging us, and speaking to us in cute, little Spanish voices. I was immediately overwhelmed with love and joy from these children. It was exhilarating and we just wanted to stay and play with the children.

Our next stop was Casa de la Alegria, the home for the elderly. As soon as we arrived, we immediately got to work. We had the opportunity to chat, color pictures, or play cards and dominoes with some of the residents. I had the pleasure of playing a few rounds of dominoes with a couple of delightful gentlemen. It was an experience I will honestly never forget. After playtime, we assisted the residents with lunch as well as doing other tasks like cleaning tables and hanging laundry. We were definitely exposed to a lot of Spanish but I think we all handled it fairly well. I’m excited to continue our experience at Casa de la Alegria tomorrow and I’m excited to learn more of the Mexican culture.

I will end today with this quote by our spectacular tour guide at Ciudad de la Alegria talking about why they do what they do at the city: “When you receive love and give love, your life makes sense.”

Buenas noches.

-Hadassah, Senior

A Day of Reflection, Rest and Friendship

It was a wonderful day for all of us. Dr. Jerry Smartt took the students to the Communidad de Fe or Community of Faith Church this morning for Sunday mass. While I did not get to attend the service at the Community of Faith church, I did get a chance to talk to the students over dinner about their experience. There was consensus that the church service was wonderful and meaningful. Many students were surprised that the service, while in a different language was very similar to the ones that they have at home. The non-Spanish speakers felt that while they may not have understood all that was said, the meaning was still clear. One must be able to forgive before they can truly love unconditionally.



After church, our students went with individuals from the church's youth group to have lunch and spend the day on the beach. They said they had a wonderful time swimming in the ocean and visiting with each other.



I spent the day with my Cancun family, the Guzman-Cantarell family. Luis was an exchange student from LaSalle University Cancun who stayed with us during the month of January, and today I got to spend time with his family. It was wonderful. We went to the Grand Cenote (a deep natural sink hole filled with fresh water), Tulum (an ancient Mayan city) and Plaza de Carmen. They are a wonderful people and I feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to spend some time with them.



Tomorrow we return to the City of Joy to continue our service work. The students already have their assignments for tomorrow and we anticipate a very busy day. I am excited to see how the service work that we do at the City of Joy develops over this next week and possibly in the future.

The Cultural Context

We are living and working in a tropical paradise and today we were able to relax after two days of volunteering at "La Casa de Alegria." Each day new opportunities were opened to us and we settled into a routine of loving and caring for the dear children and adults at this facility. The ten students who were selected for this pilot project work splendidly as a team with just the right combination of serious intentions and delightful senses of humor. They deserved a day of rest and relaxation and exposure to the Mexican culture. We spent the afternoon and evening at Xcaret swimming, snorkeling, attending a mini-rodeo, eating traditional Mexican dishes, watching people, and learning more about our cultural context.



The first picture was taken on arriving; the second is a photo of the entire group in an enormous hammock. We had just swum the entire length of the park in a subterranean river. 



The last is a photo is part of the group just before we entered the "Grand Palapa" for an evening of traditional Mexican music and a musical drama concerning the historical confrontation between the Spaniards and Mayan Indians. It was a meaningful and informative way to end an important day by continuing to learn about the cultural context in which we have the pleasure to live and work and learn.



Tomorrow the Friends students will attend church and spend the afternoon with the college church group. On Monday, our responsibilities have expanded to include a wider range of volunteer options. We look forward to a full week of assisting the community of the "House of Joy."

A Good Day

We returned to La Ciudad de la Alegria this morning to find that they were all ready for us. After seeing our students in action yesterday, the staff realized that our group was ready, willing, and able to do whatever needed to be done, and they were right.

One group of students went back to work at the senior care facility where we were yesterday. They were recognized by many of the residents and welcomed as they spent the morning interacting through conversation and games. Our students were able to help the residents with lunch, serving food, feeding some who were unable to feed themselves, and doing clean up afterwards.



A second group went to work sorting, folding, and organizing a mountain of clothes that had been donated by members of the community. These clothes, along with other household supplies, are sold at very reduced rates to people in need. It was hot, grueling work, and we were very proud of all that they accomplished in the hours they were there.  Looking at the before and after photos below, you can see how their organizational work will allow for more space in the storage room and for access to the clothes by those who need them.





The third group of our students went to the primary school to work with the English teachers and their classes. Bingo was the activity for the day, and we went from classroom to classroom working on vocabulary and spelling words with 1st, 5th, and 6th grade girls and 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade boys. It was great fun to interact with the primary school children and feel of their tremendous energy. The school at this facility starts the students learning English very early in their school careers, and they are very eager to learn and practice their phrases.



We were so pleased with the opportunities that our students had today and we're looking forward to continue with our work next week. Everyone at La Ciudad de la Alegria has been incredibly welcoming and appreciative. It is a facility whose mission emphasizes doing everything with love, caring, and dignity, and we are honored to be a part of that.

First Day of Service

Today we began our service work at Casa de la Alegria or City of Joy. This is an amazing organization that provides a variety of services to their surrounding community. The facility was built in 2001. More precisely, the first brick of the facility was laid at the same time the towers of the World Trade Center were falling on September 11. At the time the priest in charge of the project noted that "at the same time evil was causing destruction in the north, hope based on love was born in the south." The mission of this organization is to first and foremost give love and then restore hope in the people they serve, for when people feel love and have hope they gain value and strength. This mission was developed as they learned that providing the needy with things like food and clothing might solve some immediate problems, it did nothing to restore hope in their lives and therefore did not function to improve the human condition. The volunteers at the City of Joy believe that all individuals should give and receive love because only in this way can one keep a sense about all they do in their lives.

The City of Joy provides services in many areas including: providing food, clothing and furniture to 300,000 residents within their surrounding community; a home for children to support their mothers as they work; medical and dental care to all individuals within the facility and surrounding community; legal help for women from abused homes; a private school for 1200 students ranging all the way from elementary to high school; Mission Maya, a facility for visiting missionaries to reside as they do their service work; spiritual guidance to incarcerated individuals; and a residence home for the elderly. All of these services are either provided free of charge or at much reduced rates.



We spent our time working in the home for the elderly. It was definitely a learning experience for all of us today. First, the volunteers in this facility are not used to having help and it was difficult at first for them to ask for it. Second, our students were feeling a little uncomfortable and awkward not knowing what to do or how to help. They did an amazing job though. They all dug in, did their best and had tremendously positive attitudes. The head of this organization was interested in knowing how the experience went and what should be done differently. We told her that our students should be used to do any kind of work from helping the residents, cleaning the floors and windows and washing dishes, and that they should be assigned more tasks to accomplish in the time that they have and they should accomplish them. Finally, we said that they should leave this place completely exhausted and spent. I believe as our time here progresses they will learn how to use our help and we will learn how to give it.

May 15, 2013

Today we had the honor of visiting the Centro de Rehabilitacion Infantil (CRIT), which is a child physical and social integration center. The signage above describes its mission: to serve disabled children with an intentional focus on support, equality and respect by combining "love and science for life-long service." There are twenty CRIT facilities in Mexico; the CRIT in Cancun opened on November 29, 2007. We do not have anything exactly like this center in the United States. The students learned about the impressive results from their integrative approach to child care, which combines not only traditional physical and occupational therapies but also art and water activities. Maria del Carmen Viesca, subdirector of the volunteers, explained that the children learn protocols for safe living at home including learning how to maneuver movement on rocks, tiles, cement, and artificial turf in a therapeutic garden. The spiritual aspect of living a complete life is emphasized with mass every Friday. Future plans for Health Science volunteers is being developed.



May 15th is "Teachers Day" and is a national holiday to celebrate educators. There were no classes today so families took advantage of the free day to spend time together. We celebrated also by taking a ferry to Isla Mujeres where we swam and rode golf carts around the island.





We can hardly wait for tomorrow because, at last, we will begin our service project at the Casa de la Alegria. It is a facility that is responsible for disenfranchised elderly who totally depend on the government and generous volunteers to provide for their daily needs. We anticipate that tomorrow we will all learn a lot about providing volunteer service in Mexico.