The latest letter from Fr. Erps on De Colores:
November 12, 2012
Dear Members of the LMU Community,
I’m happy to announce that university officials have given Campus Ministry permission to resume our De Colores program effective immediately.
Patrick Furlong, who is our Campus Ministry coordinator for De Colores will be working with student leaders to initiate our first trip as soon as possible.
During this hiatus, we have had the opportunity to review the particulars of the program and we will respond to suggestions for improvement from university staff and our friends in Tijuana.
As always, our major concern is for the safety of our students. We will take special care to evaluate the situation in the city of Tijuana before each of our future trips.
I am delighted that we are able to resume this valuable Campus Ministry program now in its 26th year at LMU. I am also very appreciative to all those who have worked to reestablish the program, especially Lindy Wynne, Associate Director in Campus Ministry.
Sincerely,
James D Erps SJ
Director of Campus Ministry
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Join us for an exciting weekend of community service in Tijuana, Mexico!
De Colores is a weekend service/immersion trip made up of students from Loyola Marymount University focused on building homes, local community centers, schools, orphanages, and other community buildings with the people of Tijuana, Mexico.
De Colores strives to build community, both amongst ourselves and with our Mexican sisters and brothers. Through these relationships, we grow and learn first-hand about issues of social justice, immigration and poverty. We become immersed in the culture and lived reality of our Mexican neighbors while striving to embrace their great spirit and faith.
De Colores service trips can be a transforming experience of stepping beyond borders; physical, cultural, linguistic, and personal.
De Colores started over twenty years ago as “Mexico Outreach” with service trips twice per semester. Since then, the program has grown with monthly trips to Tijuana, Mexico during the academic year. A typical weekend includes students partnering with Tijuana residents to work on community building projects, visiting a shelter for migrant men, playing with kids at a local Orphanage, seeing the U.S./Mexico border, learning about immigration issues first-hand, and making new friends. Through collaboration with our neighbors to the South, LMU students have an experience of working with the poor, rather than simply working for them.
The cost is only $40 per person (Scholarships are available for those who need them). A valid Passport is REQUIRED.
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Sign-up Dates
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Trip Dates
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| 8AM Feb. 11 |
Feb. 22-24
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| 8AM Mar. 11 |
Mar. 22-24
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| 8AM Apr. 15 |
Apr. 26-28
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LMU Alumni and founders of the Build a Miracle Foundation, Julianne and Chris North, initially coordinated these trips with the help of the LMU retreat program in Campus Ministry. Sr. Agnes Marie Schon, CSJ and Fernando Moreno, the Social Justice director, played a key role in supporting and organizing these initial ‘retreat’ service trips.
As relationships grew with the Tijuana community and the number of student participants increased, students were encouraged to develop their own trips. By 1988, LMU students were leading and making frequent trips that have grown into what has become known as “De Colores.”
In order to meet the financial needs of the De Colores trips, several fundraisers are held throughout the academic year. Purchase the NEW De Colores T-shirt! We invite you to participate, help out, and stop by our monthly taco sales at the LMU Farmers Markets or watch for other De Colores fundraisers like the fall campus Bike Sale.
Learn more about De Colores, watch our videos by visiting the links below.
Introduction to De Colores - Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZZrLqppTvo
Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3vFAnZ31H0
And the newest ROAR network video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0oWZ-zlBtI