What a rollercoaster of emotions the last 24 hours have been for us.
Yesterday we spent the afternoon playing on the playground because it was the
last day of vacation for the kids before returning to school. We met some other
Americans who are here as Morman missionaries and they played volleyball with
us and then went to get ice cream with us. While eating ice cream there was a
little boy who just sat at the entrance of the store and never begged for
anything just watched all of us. He was filthy dirty - looked like his clothes
hadn't been washed in at least a month and he hadn't bathed for as long. He had
no shoes. Betty bought him an ice cream and she and Connor struck up a
conversation with him. Troy, Connor & Matt decided that since the market was
still going on that they were going to go through the market and buy him a pair
of shoes - he came back with a nice pair of tennis shoes - then we made sure he
got some bread, water and cookies before he went on his way. It was difficult
to see this young boy so alone in the world - so innocent, so hungry and so
dirty. The students started to question, WHY? Why was he born into such a
situation? How could someone so young be so hungry and poor? It was a difficult
afternoon of questioning and praying.
We also had a chance to work in the bakery - many hands make light work -
with all 14 of us working it took so much less time to get all of the bread and
cookies bagged so they could sell them.
Then at night we met to learn how to dance the Dominican way - we had fun
and laughed and made great memories with our new friends here in the Dominican
Republic.
On Tuesday morning we had the chance to go up into the mountains and have
Mass with the La Rosa community. We now know how sardines feel because this was
us on the back of the truck. But it was a fun ride through the mountains being
able to see a different part of this beautiful country. There weren't many
people at the Mass but they all made sure they gave up their seats so we had
somewhere to sit. After Mass we had brought a bunch of toys and bubbles with us
to keep up there. These children had never seen bubbles and didn't even know
what to do with them - we had to show them how to use the bubble and the
jumpropes but the balls were a different story. They immediately found a big
stick and a game of stick ball began. We had so much fun!! Such a big
difference in the mountains - they have so little - no toys to play with and
not much as far as homes to live in. It really has opened our eyes to a
different world here.
After the Mass we got a tour of the parish's technical high school and now
we are waiting for lunch. No paint yet so we may get to the English school this
afternoon and hopefully paint tomorrow. It is so hard to believe that we only
have 2 full days left after today. The time is going to go by so fast - we are
already dreading having to leave our new friends and family here.
We are having a surprise birthday party for Matt & Troy tonight -
ordered a 4 pound cake and invited all of the families along. We have party
hats and horns and candles so it should be a great celebration for them.
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Ali teaching a little girl how to jump rope |
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Bagging bread in the bakery |
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Anne & Leah with two little girls at the camp Mass |
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Ice cream break with our new friends who are Morman
missionaries |
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Matt, Connor & Troy showing off their friend's
new shoes |
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Packed in the truck like sardines but so much fun! |