Bienvenidos a Mexico

*Note: I had an amazing 8 days in Mexico. Instead of trying to collapse all of my experiences into a single post, I'm going to take the next few months to slowly post stories and descriptions so that I can better share what happened on the trip. I won't detail everything that happened. I'd rather just share stories and impressions with you.

Mexico City, a city of many many hills like this one. This was on the outskirts of town.

Mexico City, also known as Mexico DF, known to the locals simply as Mexico. Flying over it for the first time provides an amazing sight that brings new meaning to the phrase "a city on a hill". At almost 8,000 feet above sea level, Mexico isn't simply built on one hill. It expands and crawls over several steep hills, creating what looks like a tight labyrinth from the skies.

My journey begins here, specifically at the OCA cathedral, the Cathedral of the Ascension.

Inside the Cathedral of the Ascension, Mexico City

Hospitality, kindness and friendship overflowed from the priests, parishioners, monks, and the archbishop. The building itself was absolutely gorgeous to me, as well.

The cathedral at night.

After every service, the troparion for St. Herman of Alaska (one of the first missionaries to America) was sung and everyone gathered to venerate his icon. You can read his story here.

At the cathedral, I also met my fellow team members for the first time. I'd spoken with a few of them on the phone, but nothing quite beats meeting someone face-to-face. Slowly, as flights arrived, we all united in the cathedral's kitchen and started making plans (and memories).

We did not have long to plan, and details were basically left to spontaneous creativity. Archbishop Alejo filled us in on what to expect at the mission, and Father Serafin, the priest-in-charge at the San Esteban mission, also talked with us about the parish and the plans to build a rectory so that he could serve in the village regularly instead of once every six months or so like it is now.

The thing that struck me most about the cathedral was not the planning, the talking, the meeting and greeting. It was how much it felt like home. Even though I was in a completely different country, I could walk into this church and worship just like I did at home. The culture of the church is the same everywhere.

Celebrating divine liturgy at the Cathedral of the Ascension.

There were some differences in how things were done. I had never attended a service with a bishop serving. And the women of the parish wore headscarves (a practice that I actually enjoyed while I was in Mexico. It left me with a new perspective of the tradition). But I could still follow along in services.

And when the time came in the divine liturgy to sing the Trisagion (Thrice Holy), it was so beautiful, I nearly cried. I can't explain why that prayer has always been one of my favorites in the service, but it has always had a special place in my heart. To hear it in another language using the same tune that I had sung in English was overwhelmingly beautiful to me. (As you can hear in the very shaky video I took, I even started singing along toward the end...sorry you have to hear that!)

Archbishop Alejo called us all up at the end of service, blessed our travels and mission and presented each of us with a wooden cross necklace. Yes...I almost cried then, too.

The missions team with Archbishop Alejo, Father Elias and a few other parishioners.

A small crowd of parishioners saw us off after service, and we began our journey to San Esteban, via the town of Pisaflores. I was sad to leave the cathedral but excited to see what the rest of the journey held!

Waiting at the bus station.

Preparing for Take-Off

Hello all!

Christ is risen!

It is an exciting time for me! Thanks to a few last-minute donations, I have been able to completely pay for my flight and trip to San Esteban, Mexico! I reserved my plane tickets today and am already planning and preparing for my time south of the border!

As I get ready to go, there is so much more than finding the right backpack and fitting all my peasant skirts, sunscreen and bug spray into my bags. I find myself more and more nervous about what to say and how to act in this new situation.

My team members and I are already planning what everyone will be teaching and helping with. So far, I know that I'll be helping with the youth program, specifically the crafts and arts activities. I can't wait to interact with the children and have fun with them through that class!

I also get to work with the teens, a bit more challenging group. Since I'm only a few years away from my own teenage years, I'm hoping I can reach out to that group as I get to speak with them about prayer and share my own story with them.

The adult group will be an interesting group for interaction for me, just because I am still so young. I get to share my story with them and listen to their stories. I must say that I cannot wait to hear the stories of the people of these small communities.

The thing I am most excited about, though, is singing. As a member of the choir in my parish here in the US, I expressed interest in learning the songs in Spanish and helping to teach them. It will be a big challenge, though, because I learn everything by ear and there are very little examples of the music in Spanish.

 I also have been delayed in practicing the music because I had surgery on my jaws just this past week. I've been slowly recovering and stretching my jaws back out so that I can sing again. I can already tell a huge difference in how my jaws are going to work as I regain mobility. Previously, even singing through a thirty-minute service was a painful experience. In the future, I'm hoping to be able to sing and speak (and maybe even chew fresh fruit again) without many of the problems that have plagued me over the past few years.

Above all, I've been working to increase my own prayer life, praying for my fellow team members, the people we will meet, the people who have sponsored us, and what I can bring to this trip and this team. Your prayers are appreciated as the countdown to take-off officially begins.

T-30 Days!

Blessings,
Sara D.

The Journey Begins...

Dear friends,

For those of you who may not know me, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sara Dawson, and I am a parishioner at St. Maria of Paris Orthodox Mission in Cleveland, TN. I am also a high school Spanish teacher with a passion for languages and learning.

I have been blessed with an amazing opportunity this summer: the chance to go on my first mission trip.  July 6-17, 2013, I will be traveling to San Esteban, Mexico, with a group of clergy and lay people from all over America to teach and help the churches in and around San Esteban.

San Esteban is a remote subsistent village of approximately 1000 native Aztec Orthodox Christians four hours northwest of Mexico City. Because it is so remote they are only visited by a priest only two or three times per year. When a priest does visit the church is full. The people are hungry for Christ!

While the Diocese of Mexico is preparing to bring a mission priest to the village, the people still lack some of the fundamental teachings that would prepare them to participate fully in Divine Liturgy and the day-to-day life of a Christian believer.

When I heard that the OCA was putting together a trip to aid in teaching the people of San Esteban, I humbly requested to be considered to join the trip and was elated when I received news that I could travel with the teaching team. But I cannot do this without your help, friends.

I ask that you please prayerfully consider helping me fund this trip. The total costs are approximately $1, 200. All donations are being collected through St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church in Jacksonville, FL. If you would like to donate, there are three ways to do so.

1. Send a check to St. Justin Martyr Orthodox Church. The address is 12460 Old St. Augustine Road Jacksonville, FL, 32258. Please mention my name in the memo of the check.
2. Visit the St. Justin Martyr website to give online. Then send an email to the church at office@st-justin-martyr.org and mention that your donation is in my name.
3. Give your donation to me directly, and I will send it to the church with other donations that I collect over the next few weeks.

Your gift is tax deductible. The absolute final due date for my funds to be in so that I can be on the team is June 1. 

Throughout my trip and the weeks leading up to it, I will be posting updates on preparations for the trip and reports from the trip itself.

Thank you so much for all of your help in making this opportunity a reality for me.

Blessings,

Sara Dawson