For our Alternative Spring Break, we travelled to the P.I.M.E. mission in Mexico and were transformed by the hospitality and love of the people. Mexico is in turmoil as it wrestles with changes to its traditional culture, the rights and treatment of indigenous peoples, the exploitation of the poor, and the violence associated with the drug trade and yet our group gained solidarity and connection with the people of Mexico and the P.I.M.E. mission which we hope will grow at Holy Trinity.
Please check out our photo album and join us for a Mexican Fiesta on April 17th to learn more about the trip and ways you can help. Details will be posted soon.
We will be working with the Mixtec people of the PIME mission in Mexico and the community of Nazareth Farm in the hills of Appalachia.
The PIME mission in Mexico
The work of the PIME Missionaries in this country is unique. Opened in 1993 to assist the local Catholic Church and the Mixtec community, PIME has had a hands-on role in Guerrero, one of Mexico's poorest states.
In these sixteen years among the Mixtec people, much has been accomplished: mission centers were put up, many programs have been started, many people have grown in awareness of their dignity and have begun to work towards living that dignity, many interested persons have visited and given their time and talent for the betterment of the people. We will be a part of PIME Missionaries ministry of assistance in health, nutrition, education, development, the promotion of women and children, ecology, and other pastoral works.
You will give but you will also receive. It is about mutuality and solidarity. Opportunities for real interaction with people of diverse backgrounds allow you to be enriched with the faith perspectives of those with whom you serve. To describe the Mission is not easy. It is better to see it once than to hear about it one thousand times. There is no substitue for a personal visit to experience the heat, the smell, the flavor, and the interaction with the people, to become globally aware.
Surprise yourself and put your faith into action.
Nazareth Farm, West Virgninia
For thirty years, the community of Nazareth Farm has tried to live the Gospel through the cornerstones of prayer, service, community, and simplicity. In solidarity with their neighbors, they address sub-standard housing by providing home repair to those in need. They celebrate the richness of Appalachia and experience God by building relationships between volunteers and the local community. Through their unique service-retreat experience, they have transformed thousands of lives. Nazareth Farm is truly Almost Heaven and an experience you do not want to miss.
