Beyond the Beach: How Community is the Heart of Our Work in Mizata
- Johanna Olivas
- Nov 27, 2025
- 7 min read
When people see photos from Joyful Awakening in Mizata, it’s easy to focus on the obvious beauty — the black sand beaches, the palm trees, the oceanfront yoga platform.
But there’s another story unfolding just a few minutes away from the shoreline, in classrooms filled with bright eyes, colorful notebooks, and kids practicing phrases like, “My name is…” and “Nice to meet you.”
On my most recent trip, I sat down with Nestor, the lead teacher of the Mizata English Academy, to talk about the deeper work happening here — the kind of work your retreat spot helps nourish, and that our Mizata Foundation fundraiser helps sustain.
This conversation wasn’t just an interview. It was a reminder of why I am committed to leading retreats that don't simply “drop in,” enjoy the land, and leave. Our intention is to be in authentic relationship with the community — to give back in ways that are tangible, long-term, and led by local wisdom.
“We’re Not Just Teaching English. We’re Opening Doors.”
We met in a neighboring community where kids were running outside, the air warm and alive. Nestor smiled shyly at the camera and introduced himself:
“My name is Nestor. I’m the teacher in charge of the English program at Mizata. We have the Mizata English Academy… and we’re discussing some ideas and things that we can do together so we can benefit the kids from this area too.”
The Academy currently serves children and youth from about age five all the way into their teens and early adulthood. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with older students coming after school or after work, many of them high school students and young adults looking for better job prospects in hospitality or remote work.
What I loved most was how clear his vision is:
“The main objective is for us to help them and see that English is not difficult for them to learn. We’re just trying to make sure that they have this familiarity with the language at early stages, so when they grow up, they feel it’s easier. And of course, they can also apply for job offers that require English… maybe at their own homes using the internet, or maybe in hospitality.”
He isn’t just teaching vocabulary and grammar. He’s tending to possibility.
English, in this context, isn’t about prestige. It’s about access — to jobs, to financial stability, to being able to stay rooted in their own community by choice, not because other doors are closed.
A Success Story: From Student to Local Chef
When I asked Nestor if there was a particular student whose story stayed with him, his face lit up.
He told me about a young man who studied in the Academy for two years and simultaneously took a cooking course offered by another NGO in the area. That mix: language plus technical skills, changed his life.
One student. One job. One steady income for a family.
This is what community work looks like on the ground: not abstract impact metrics, but a real human being whose life trajectory shifted because people showed up, collaborated, and cared.
Growing Roots, Not Just Numbers
Right now, the Academy is full, in the best and hardest way.
The classes started with a handful of children who lived right by the beach. Then, slowly, word spread:
“It was basically mouth to mouth… we started with the kids that live nearby at the very shore… then they talked about it with their relatives or classmates. So we had more kids coming and coming.”
Because space is limited, Nestor organizes students in small groups, so they can receive consistent, quality attention. And the kids love coming.
They have an attendance-based rewards program, special celebration days like Children’s Day, and this year, for the first time ever, a spelling bee contest.
“They don’t miss classes… they are super enthusiastic. They are always willing to practice and do activities. This year is going to be special because it will be the first time that we’re going to do a spelling bee contest. It’s a way to challenge them and reward them for that big effort.”
And he’s dreaming bigger. In the years ahead, the goal is to keep expanding, reaching more children, strengthening the program, and continuing to weave education into the fabric of daily life in Mizata and the nearby communities.
The Bigger Picture: Four Pillars of Community Care
My conversation with Nestor is one window into a larger ecosystem of care that The Mizata Foundation is tending — and that our retreats are committed to supporting.
For this Joyful Awakening cycle, we are fundraising for four key community projects:
The School in Texicio- Education changes everything. The Mizata Foundation supports the small local school in Texicio with supplies, classroom repairs, and learning materials.Your contribution helps create safe, inspiring spaces for children to learn, dream, and build brighter futures close to home.
The English Academy in Mizata- This is where Nestor’s heart is centered: an English Academy that offers free or low-cost classes for local children and adults. By learning English, students gain opportunities for work, education, and connection with visitors from around the world. Donations help provide teaching materials, support teachers, and keep this vital program running strong.
The Women’s Circle- The Women’s Circle is a safe, uplifting space for women in the community to grow, connect, and empower each other. Workshops focus on self-confidence, entrepreneurship, and skill-building: helping women cultivate independence, support their families, and inspire others. Your donation helps fund supplies, mentorship, and small business training that ripple out to entire households.
The Dog Sanctuary- A cornerstone of The Mizata Foundation’s compassion work, the Dog Sanctuary provides rescue, shelter, and care for dogs in need, along with a new spay/neuter clinic that serves the wider community. Every contribution helps build a safer, healthier environment for animals and people alike.
Together, these four projects form the heart of The Mizata Foundation’s mission:to educate, empower, and protect — creating harmony between people, animals, and the natural world.
How Retreats Become Community Investment
From the beginning, my intention with Joyful Awakening has been to build a retreat that is in relationship with Mizata - not just a retreat that happens to be located here.
That has already taken shape through the library project we helped bring to life in partnership with the Mizata Foundation — a dedicated space where children can read, study, and dream.
Now, through our partnership with The Mizata Foundation, we’re expanding that commitment by:
Supporting the school in Texicio with supplies and improvements
Strengthening the English Academy that Nestor leads
Resourcing the Women’s Circle so women can access skills, mentorship, and community
Helping sustain and expand the Dog Sanctuary and spay/neuter clinic
When we gather for retreat, we’re not just coming to reset and rest (though that is sacred, too). We’re choosing to be part of a web — a network of care that includes the community that holds us.
I never want Luna Serenity to be a model of, “We arrive, we take, we post photos, and we leave.”
My commitment is: We arrive, we listen, we learn, we collaborate, and we leave something meaningful behind.
How Your Donation Helps
Every dollar given to this campaign moves real projects forward. Here’s a glimpse of how your contribution can support the work:
$25 – Supplies for students or materials for the Women’s Circle
$50 – One week of English classes or food for rescued dogs
$100 – Classroom repairs, a community workshop, or spay/neuter care
$250 – Sanctuary infrastructure or school improvements
$500+ – Deep, multi-layer support that advances all four programs and creates lasting community impact
And if you’re not able to give financially right now, sharing the campaign is also a powerful way to support. Every share helps us reach more hearts and brings us closer to our first milestone of $1,000.
👉 Donate or share the campaign here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/luna-serenity-fundraiser-for-the-mizata-foundation
Two Ways to Be Part of This Story
If your heart is beating a little faster reading this, if you feel that quiet inner “yes,” there are two powerful ways to plug into this vision:
Our next Joyful Awakening Retreat in Mizata is happening June 22–27, 2026.
Over these days together, you’ll experience:
Oceanfront yoga and sound healing
Sacred ceremony and reflection time
Connection with an intimate circle of like-hearted humans
A lived experience of what it means to heal personally while contributing to collective wellbeing
And you’ll know that part of your retreat investment is directly supporting the school in Texicio, the English Academy, the Women’s Circle, and the Dog Sanctuary.
👉 Learn more and reserve your spot here:Retreat
Not everyone can hop on a plane, and that’s okay. Your care can still be felt in the classroom where kids are sounding out new words, in the circle where women gather to dream, and in the sanctuary where rescued dogs are finally safe.
👉 Make a one-time gift or contribute what feels right here:Donate to the Mizata Foundationhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/luna-serenity-fundraiser-for-the-mizata-foundation
Every contribution, big or small, becomes part of a much larger story of learning, safety, and empowerment for the people and animals of Mizata.
“We Can Make This Better. Together.”
At one point in our conversation, I found myself reflecting back to Nestor the impact of his work. I told him:
“You’re unlocking a whole world for these children… Language can open up the door to a whole other world for them.”
He smiled and simply said, “Exactly. That’s the idea.”
That’s the heartbeat of all of this:
The retreats
The library
The school in Texicio
The English Academy
The Women’s Circle
The Dog Sanctuary
This is a shared project of imagining and building a future where kids in these communities don’t have to leave home to access opportunities: where women are resourced, animals are cared for, and dreams are nourished right where they are.
If this mission resonates with you, I’d love for you to be part of it: whether by standing barefoot with us on the sand in June, making a donation, or simply sharing this campaign with someone who might feel called to give.
Either way, you are helping ensure that we don’t just receive from this land.
We give back. We grow together.
And we remember that healing, for ourselves and for our communities, is something we create in relationship, one small act of care at a time.
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