Justin Tanis and Seva Sergio Flores Acevedo at la iglesia de los Tres Reyes
“I keep trying to find words for this last day but I can’t yet. My heart is too full; God is too real.” -Ally Vertigan
20 Agosto – Vaya con Dios
19 Agosto – Aprendiendo el idioma y la cultura
“Our class includes five students. We are all at different levels. Some have lived in Spanish speaking countries and some have never spoken a word of Spanish. Yet, the instructor treats us as equals. Every voice is respected. We wait patiently as one of us struggles to speak. We encourage and assist each other, cheering one another on. Truly, this is what embodied grace looks like.”
“Our instructor told us he keeps a sign in his house: ‘El machismo mata.’ What followed was a fascinating discussion on machismo in Mexican culture.” – Karen Oliveto
18 Agosto – Comunidades Cristianas de Base
“Yesterday we met with members of a base Christian community. These communities, grounded in liberation theology, believe in and work for political, economic, and religious change in the face of repressive/oppressive powers. They were so inspiring!”
“Attended a meeting of a base Christian community where we studied Acts 2. So powerful to see a community committed to a radical Gospel of change in themselves, their community and the world no matter the risk. Note to self: stop playing it safe.” – Karen Oliveto
“Honored to have been welcomed by a group of Christian women for prayer, song, and conversations about justice in our communities.” – Justin Tanis
17 Agosto – Otro Día en la Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera
“Another day in the City of Eternal Spring. Three new students joined us at Cetlalic. Our class dove head first into the subjunctive form of Spanish. Woof. It’s never come easily to me, but I am actually feeling a shift toward understanding. I’m grateful for our phenomenal teachers. My housemate and I came home for lunch and a brief rest, stopped by our local ice cream shop, and went back to school for the evening program. The conversation about women in social movements in Mexico was so wonderful. We braved another huge thunderstorm to go out for a bite to eat as a group. It felt great to connect; the long days have made that challenging. Tomorrow will be another day of learning, loving, and laughing.” – Ally Vertigan #psrimmersion
— at Cuernacava, Morelos.
16 Agosto – Enjoying Domingo
“On my free day, I slept in, went to a mass with mariachi musicians, made a complex pitstop at a birthday party, saw a play put on by some beautiful youth, and hung out with Kerri and Nikira and their marvelous host mom. Three more days of class and one day of travel until this too-short trip is finished.” – Ally Vertigan
15 Agosto – ¡Fotos!
#psrimmersion
14 Agosto – LGBTQ Ministry en español
“Another amazing day of intercultural exchange on the CLGS #psrimmersion in Cuernavaca. This evening we met with Rev. Alfonso Leija of the Iglesia Apostolico who ministers to and with the LGBT community. Glad to have this tremendous opportunity to engage with our Mexican neighbors and colleagues.” — Justin Tanis
“Today, we spent a lot of time at Cetlalic in class with our professors, celebrating Mario’s birthday, and reflecting on the week. A lot of stuff was really useful and helpful in my grammar class. I’m glad to have some more days to practice. I had the best enchiladas verdes for lunch and a good nap after. We visited a huge market and also a church with MCC roots that is working to create a network of LGBT churches in Mexico. The youth were so lively and the stories we heard from the staff were just remarkable. Here are just a couple photos to show some of the great things we saw. Tomorrow we visit an archeological site and Taxco, a city known for its silver production. I’ll have more photos tomorrow for sure. I feel so grateful and at home here!” — Ally Vertigan
“Robert Brady bought a former convent right near the cathedral in downtown Cuernavaca. He turned it into a home where he displayed an intense global art collection and threw big parties for the gay male community. He died from “liver cancer” aka AIDS. These are photos from his home. The art and decoration are just marvelous.” – Ally Vertigan
13 Agosto – A Breezy Walk to School
“I had a lovely breakfast and breezy walk to school. This morning, Nikira and I learned all the words they don’t often teach in formal settings, but are so helpful in practical ministry. Our group visited an organization that supports activists and activist groups. I admit that the hour and a half long presentation was over my head a little bit. It’s taking a lot to listen and think in Spanish for so long. This, I suppose, will improve over time. I came home for a delicious lunch then went almost immediately back to school with my housemate from our group. Despite my vacation email away message being on, it felt great to spend an hour catching up on some home responsibilities. We had another presentation on Base Christian Communities. I don’t quite understand the concept but they gave us a great handout that has more info, in Spanish. It will be a good read. Tonight, I chatted with my host mom, Iza, who is the sweetest woman in the world. I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep because tomorrow is a long day!” — Ally Vertigan
— in Cuernavaca, Morelos. #psrimmersion
13 Agosto – Fundación Don Sergio Méndez Arceo
“Powerful testimony today at the Fundación Don Sergio Méndez Arceo, a human rights advocacy collective, about the oppression faced by activists and human rights defenders (we are joined here by the director). Then we met two wonderful members of a Christian Base Community here. Deeply faithful people committed to justice and equality.” — Justin Tanis #psrimmersion
12 Agosto – Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán monastery
Engaging Communities of Liberation 
