Yeah, I know this has taken a while. I just never want to blog in my free time. But I finally want to and therefore am finishing telling the tale of the trip. I'll begin with the events of the week after we arrived in Jarabacoa.
The Events:
25th - Friday was just a introduction day. We met with the chaplin of the school and got settled into our rooms (three total- one for girls, one for guys, one for the hosts). We had dinner with Byron and his family and had a meeting about what the plans for the next day were. Pretty boring overall, but a good break to our already crazy trip.
26th - Saturday we work up and went to a local 'park' (b'ball court, small field, pavilion and pool) and played with some boy from the town- "shoeshine boys". This ministry is set up to give the kids an education and on Saturdays provide a place where they can play and just be kids. It was incredible- playing basketball, making balloon items (swords and hats were the favorite- "una espada!"), swimming in the pool and having lunch with them. This was our first opportunity to speak Spanish to the Dominicans and it went well for some of us (I loved it!). That afternoon, we returned to campus and went to a baptism ceremony they were having for three young men at the school. That was awesome, as all baptisms are. I don't remember the evening, but I think we went out to eat and stayed up late playing intense games of mafia :).
27th - Sunday we woke bright and early (5:15) and headed up the hill to the director's house for a sunrise Easter service. Each house and our team shared music or a skit and then the director spoke. Afterward, we hung out for a little bit and then had the traditional french toast brunch. That was followed by a time where we introduced ourselves tot he students and then talked with them in the dining pavilion. Our team then left for a river nearby complete with waterfall. We hiked up the river (in the river itself) to two different waterfalls, one of which we were able to jump off. Talk about a lot of fun. The evening- relaxing and more fun games.
28th - Monday we split into two groups and worked on projects around campus- painting their chapel and leveling out their soccer field. Now, both required more work than it sounds. In order to paint, all of the windows had to be covered with paper and tape. Leveling the field consisted of sifting dirt from their dirt pile in a hand sifter, loading it onto a truck and then unloading it on the soccer field. Both jobs took all day. We then had dinner in the town.
29th - Tuesdays are no-class days at Escuela Caribe, aka work days. One house goes off campus, into town and does a service project. We joined up with on of the houses in helping a man from town by putting a cement floor in his semi-new house. Now, this wasn't easy- the rocks in the house had to be level, the cement had to be hand mixed, using a volcano style, and the floor had to be smooth, flat and have color added to it. It was intense labor, but good; we were serving this man and glorifying God and getting to know the young men of one of the houses. Dinner was at an administrator's house from the school.
30th - Wednesday we left Jarabacoa up a bumpy road to the mountain town of Boma: population 28 families. We stayed the night and thought mid-day on Thursday. More to come in another blog, since all I want to say will take up too much room.
1st - Friday we visited Jarabacoa Christian School: a school started by Escuela Caribe for the Dominicans to have a good education. We played with the kids, from kindergarten to 8th grade, and helped clear an area for a new playground. It was a trying day with a lot going on but no one knowing what was really going on. Dinner was spent in the houses on the campus of Escuela Caribe.
2nd - Saturday we said goodbye to all our friends at the school and left for Luperon where we were going to spend the rest of the day and night at a resort. It was a good, relaxing time after a busy week. The morning of the 3rd we got up and heading to the airport where we left our new favorite country- the Dominican Republic.
Those are the events. Stay tuned for stories of the dinners and our stay in Boma. Also, Thanks yet again to those who gave money. We reached our goal and had extra. Some of that went to the spring break team that went to Russia and the rest went to Boma. Praise the Lord for His blessings!!
