ELIAS PINA DAY 3

Today we tackled the mountain and we won!!!  Everyone made it to the top of the mountain even Ms Simon & Betty!!  It was a great sense of accomplishment.  We had fun walking with our new Dominican friends.  We observed how different life is up in the mountains.  Children walking barefoot carrying large jugs of water for their family and just really homes that are basically nothing compared to where we are living for the week.  It was much warmer today without a cloud in the sky.  Temperature in the shade reads 92 degrees. We all had a frozen fruit bar when we got done with our walk and that hit the spot.  We are all a little exhausted so after breaking into a little of the chocolate that we brought along, the students are resting a bit before heading out to play more with the kids.  Tonight is the Easter Vigil Mass at 9:00 pm so tomorrow we will sleep in and then we are SO EXCITED for the Easter party with the little kids.

It is looking like our paint will not arrive until Tuesday afternoon so on Monday we are going to do a little laundry and play some more with the kids on their last day of vacation and work in the bakery.  The students are really starting to get attached to some of the people here (especially the little kids).  We are having a blast.  Last night we spent more time with our families and have lots of stories to share!!

Our group at the top of the mountain

A little excited to get to the top of the mountain

Grace showing the kids the picture she took of them - they reacted like they hadn't seen a picture of themselves before

ELIAS PINA DAY 2

Today began early with the Stations of the Cross through town and ending at the top of a small hill along the border of Haiti.  It was a great way for us all to begin our Good Friday.  After the Stations we spent some time playing on the playground with the children who were waiting for us when we return to the parish.  After a hot morning of playing we had American Mac N Cheese for lunch - 10 boxes for 15 people and we finished almost all of it!!  This afternoon we are going to walk and see more of the town - yesterday was Market Day and too busy to walk around town too much.  We are going to visit all of the homes and see how everyone lives.  Most of the students are in homes with buckets for baths but most do have indoor plumbing except for Emily, Rachel & Millaine but they have been great sports about it and embracing the experience.  Here are some of our memories from the morning.

Connor giving out jelly beans to some of the kids

Betty, Rachel and Reed taking a break from bubbles for a group picture

Every looks pretty happy at 8 am - this is right before we began the Stations of the Cross

Matt & David posing with some of the girls in their family

 Rachel, Emily & Milaine with some new friends they made along the stations of the cross.

Our group after the stations of the cross with Elias Pina in the background

Anne & Leah coloring with a little girl on the playground

DAY 1 ELIAS PINA

Our day of travel couldn't have gone much smoother than it did.  We all arrived safely and all 28 bags made it as well.  Last night the students met their families for the next 9 days.  Everyone settled in and had a much needed good night of sleep.  Some have already commented on the roosters beginning to crow before the sun is even up but that is the Dominican way of life.  We got a chance to play for a little bit on the playground this morning before our first lunch of beans, rice and chicken.  Everyone seems to be doing well and fitting into life here.  God has a way of knowing what we all need.  Today was overcast with a few sprinkles here and there - not nearly as hot and humid as it normally is here but it is warm enough for all of us being that we came from such a cold climate.  It has been a way for our body's to adjust to such a change in climate.  We plan to play on the playground a little bit more this afternoon, work in the bakery for a little bit and then get ready for Mass at 8:00 tonight.  A full day but we are all getting along great and there have been lots of smiles and laughs and memories made already.  Enjoy our pictures from the playground.

Leah helping to put on a temporary tattoo

Troy playing "monkey in the middle" with two little boys

Emily found a new friend.  

Reed waiting to jump rope with her new friend

Millaine & Anne playing bubbles

A game of volleyball with the older kids

David & Emily painting Carolina's finger nails

FINAL MEETING BEFORE THE TRIP

Tonight is the final meeting before the 2013 trip to the Dominican Republic.  Lots of excitement and I'm sure a few fears.  Looking forward to spending 10 days with this remarkable group of young ladies and men.  We take off on March 27 so be sure to check back between March 27 & April 5 for updates on our adventures and pictures of our experiences.

HOW DO WE SAY GOOD BYE?

Sorry for the delay in this post - lack of electricity and access to a computer was the reason for the delay.  On Thursday we were able to visit the new high school, then we finished painting the chapel and had to say good by to the people there - just the first of many good byes coming for us all in the next days.  Then we went to an English class here and broke into groups to speak English with the students (to help them hear a native speaker).  Once again with the evening came rain but the girls decided to all meet at the parish office anyway.  The electricity was out so they colored by candle light and spent more time talking to their new friends from the Dominican Republic.  Today it is Katie Sander's birthday.  I was able to find a lady in town who makes cakes and paid her to make a cake for Katie's birthday.  I told her there would be about 20 people eating the cake but she made us a cake big enough for about 50 or more.  We only ate about 1/2 of the cake and the girls said it was one of the few things they have had that has reminded them of home.  The tears began this afternoon as they all started to write letters to their families here to let them know what this experience has meant to them and how much they are going to miss them.  I have had the chance to help translate some of these letters for them and they are very heartfelt.  Carolina made her way here this afternoon to wish Katie a happy birthday and as she sat on Katie's lap and Katie was feeding her the cake there was a tear in both of their eyes just thinking that this may be the last time they see each other.  It will be a difficult night and day tomorrow.  As sad as they are to leave here and leave their families here - they are as equally as excited to share this experience with their real families.  We were able to go to the Friday market today and many of the girls found small gifts for their friends here and family at home.  There isn't much here to get for gifts but they found a few things.  This will probably be our last post until we see everyone on early Sunday morning.  Thanks for following our journey and for your love and support through your prayers during the week.

CHANGING A PART OF THE WORLD AND BEING CHANGED OURSELVES

What a day it was today.  We began the day by walking to the chapel we are painting and then finishing a 2nd coat on the outside and completing the first coat on the inside.  One more morning of painting and we should have that chapel looking so beautiful for the people in that neighborhood who we have come to love so much.  We have gotten to know them even by name as they work and play beside us all day.  The late afternoon was a time to rest during an afternoon rainfall and then we decided to do our group sharing in the early evening hours since the last two nights have been a complete wash with heavy rains.  It is amazing how much your life can change in such a short amount of time.  We spent time this afternoon sharing what we have learned, how we have been changed, how we have experienced Christ on this trip and what has been the most difficult experience.  I don't think there was a dry eye at the table.  So much to take in and absorb and so much to be thankful for.  Each of the girls has been uniquely touched by this experience and we have all become so much closer to each other as a result of our time together.  It will be difficult to explain all that has happened to us and all that we have observed and felt along this journey.  God always has a way of letting us know that he is with us - after about an hour sharing we went out to get ice cream and we were treated to a beautiful double rainbow in the sky - it was breath-taking and definitely a sign of God shining his love on all of us.  The talk of leaving here on Saturday is something the girls are trying to avoid.  I know they will be so happy to see all of you but I think a part of their hearts will be left here in Elias Pina with the people and I think a little of the people here will be in the hearts of our girls.

TUESDAY PAINT DAY

We FINALLY got to paint today!  What a large chapel it was.  We fell in love with the kids up there and spent as much time interacting with all of them as we did painting.  We got a coat of paint on the outside - we will need to do some touch ups on the outside and apply a 2nd coat in a few areas and then paint the inside tomorrow.  We will miss the pretty blue color - the inside will be cream colored.  Sorry that there aren't as many pictures - I was too busy painting and almost forgot to take pictures all together.  With the heavy rains last night all of the girls spent the night with their families and all came back so excited about how much fun they had that night.   Many learned how to dance, played Uno, Go Fish and other things to pass the time. Tonight we are looking forward to sharing on the roof.  Our friends Rafael and Gabriel plan to join us tonight for sharing and then they always make sure that all of the girls get home safely and that their families know what time to get them up in the morning.  The thought of leaving has already come up in conversation and most of the girls have said they can't imagine saying good bye.  All are healthy and happy and we have lots and lots of stories to tell when we get back.  We miss you and send you our love!!