Update #9

So here we are, on the plane, the first leg of our journey home.

 

After breakast (Heuvos!) the kids spent some time journaling and pondering their experiences. Look for their journal entries to be posted here soon. At 9:30 we walked down the dirt street one last time headed to church at San Jose. We carried no guitars this time. As Connor observed, it was time for us to just worship, to just be with God. We arrived and made ourselves comfortable, soon joined by Molly and her friends who were assisting residents of The Hogar. The service began with a lively (of course!) hymn and the brief procession. We followed the lectionary in English while it was read aloud in Spanish and then Karen translated Margarita's sermon for us. Today the topic was Jesus as the Bread of Life. It is my hope that we shared that bread with all those whom we met this week. (If you want to read today's lectionary, check it out at www.textweek.com) Rev. Margarita talked about how we will never be spiritually hungry when we accept the Bread of Life. This is a reminder for us that there is so much more to life and love than that which is tangible, an ideal lesson for us this week. It was nice to get a reminder of that lesson in the homily today. It is almost as if God wanted to make sure we got it.

 

The kids have been through a lot this week. They have made sacrifices and endured hardships that most teenagers would not be willing to do. Away from their friends, families and comfortable homes, they have been in a place where they do not even speak the language. Although the food has been wonderful, it is not what they are used to eating, and they miss American food. They have had limited showers, no make up and were not even able to shave duing much of the trip. Out of respect for the local people, they brought a very meager wardrobe and wore the same clothes again and again. Modesty standards here are different than in the US, and as missionaries we needed to be overly respectful of the customs. Devout Christians always wear pants or skirts that fall below the knee. To be sure, some people here do wear shorts, but since we are here representing the church, we were conservative. Americans have a reputation of dressing inappropriately, we refected the Domincan culture rather than our own, which earned us respect, enabling us to minister to people who trusted us and appreciated the efforts we made. A return to shorts is very much looked forward to by everyone. The plumbing issues were challenging, it is hard to believe that so many people in the world do not have clean water to drink, a concept that was really made real when we saw a kid using a tin can to fetch water from the gutter in front of his house when we were on the way to the waterfall. (I won't even tell you which one drank water from the river.) The kids look forward to brushing their teeth with tap water which a couple of brave (Foolish?) members of our team did, despite the warnings. It was hard sometimes to follow the team schedule, rather than making individual decisions. There was no sleeping late, something that most teenagers do during summer vacation. Some of us got sick, there were a few minor (VERY MINOR, moms!) injuries, bug bites and a lot of heat.

 

On the other hand though there was a river, corn fritters, laughter, new experiences, shopping, pollo fritto, new friends, a waterfall, a bus with curtains, first time air travel, music, punderful humor, playful children, cookies, chickens to catch, a beach, worship, Molly, photo ops, machetes, a pool, prayers, Pepto, beautiful scenery, fresh coconuts and the presence of the living Christ.

 

We can't really ask for a better way to spend a week.

 

At church today Margarita thanked us for our work here, and brought us to the front to pray for our safe travel home and our return to the D.R. someday. When it came time to pass the peace, the joy and singing was not a surprise and our whole team joined in with enthusiasm sharing freely La Paz de Dios with everyone. Nick commented that the peace should be shared that way in every church, and I agree. The closing hymn was one that we sang there last week, "Joyful Joyful"  and with a smile of joy directed at us, Mikeus began to strum his guitar, playing the American version  of the song. This was a gesture of respect, friendship and brotherhood in Christ that touched my heart.

 

God led us here to make a difference, but I think that we have also learned and we have been changed as well. Perhaps not in enormous and visible ways, but still... We return with new ideas, an understanding of how others live, inspired to make change in our own churches and communities and hopefully to continue to make changes in ourselves, with God's help, of course.

 

As we fly above the clouds, the kids are enjoying many of the comforts of home. Snacks, Cokes, a movie to watch, and the not so joyful school books. They don't look any different, and they may not yet feel any different, but I can see changes in them. They worked hard, prayed with enthusiasm and supported one another throughout. They accepted a three year old into their trip and treated her with love and respect, even when she didn't deserve it. The kids certainly made a difference in my life.

 

God bless them and thank you for bringing them into my family. I will always treasure memories of Laura's quiet peacefulness, Connor's perpetual positivity, Sam-Neill's perserverence, Rhett's enthusiasm, Madison's dedication, Nick's sense of humor and Sally's exceptional calmness.

 

We will land in Atlanta soon, and the journey into the rest of our walk with Christ begins. Can seven kids change the world? Yes,  with God's help.

 

Yours in Christ,

Dorothy

Update # 8

It is 6:49 on Sunday morning, and our journey on the mission field has ended, our journey home begins now. Bags are mostly packed, hearts turned toward home, thoughts are on clean clothes, Big Macs, families and friends. After breakfast we will attned church at San Jose, say goodbye to new friends, have lunch and go to the airport. Sometime late tonight, we will land in Charleston, greeted by our families, exhausted but happy.

 

So what was the point of all of this? What did we accomplish? Quite a lot, actually. We cleaned out Pablo's shed, removed a massive amount of trash, sorted what was left and finding many treasures in the process, built shelves to store things on and put things back in an organized manner. We sanded and painted 34 ugly, rusting folding chairs. We painted cabinets, closets and drawers in the Carruther's home. We cleaned up two playgrounds. We took a trash team into the community and picked up an insane amount of litter.

 

You might think that this is an insignificant list. You would be wrong.

 

After six years with no leadership, the Camp is in a bad place in a way. With no one to run things, to maintain it, to provide direction for work teams like ours, things are a mess. There is an unfinished building behind the dining hall filled with weeds and debris. Tools were gone and what was left was impossible to find. Terrible wiring jobs had left the mission house literally dangerous, lack of maintenance left it uncomfortable and shabby. Those chairs were in terrible shape and when you sat in them, you got rust spots on your clothes. When you only own 2 or 3 pairs of pants, it is no small thing to have a pair ruined. Sanded and painted, the chairs will no longer be a burden on the people who visit the Camp. There is litter all over the community. After seeing our team pick it up, hearing about what our youth groups accomplish at home, and seeing our kids for herself, Mary Craig was inspired to disciple and empower the youth in Pedergal to do the same. School starts in two weeks, they don't even have enough teachers, but the children have cleaned up playgrounds to enjoy, as well as the knowledge that the people who did it did so out of love. The houses in the village are in bad shape, and they are not always well taken care of, but when they are invited into the Caruther's home, they will see a modest (by our standards) house that is cared for and loved, making it a home.

 

Maybe this team didn't build a church, run a medical clinic or teach people to read. I am certain however, that the kids did the tasks that God set out for them. They are a small team, and a young one, and yet God allowed them to make some huge accomplishments. They have prepared the way for the teams that come behind us, the tools and equipment are in good repair and accessable. They helped the new permanent missionaries settle in and feel at home, during perhaps some of the most difficult days of their ministry here. They made a small accomplishment with paint that will help to save the dignity of hundreds of people. They have done many small works that will have big impact. They worked together, side by side, sharing the light of Christ.

 

It is no coincedence then that the team members were presented with crosses made out of rock before we left. As they received them I said to each person: "Jesus said to Peter, on this rock I will build my church. We are going to be a foundation too." ( A rock solid one at that!) The foundation of a building may not be the most visible or glamorous part, but it is necessary, and nothing else can be built without it.

 

In addition to the work with  hands, they accomplished even more. On Wednesday night, they helped Mary-Craig with only the second Mass she has held at the Camp, and the first all child one. Mary-Craig was again moved by their willingness to help, how quick they were to act and the spirit in which they worshipped. A standard was set for the youth group there. Each day as the kids played with the local children, the message sent was "You are as important to us as our tasks are, we are making time for you!" This is an important message in an often difficult life. Perhaps we have also had an impact on the youth group here at San Jose, we may not ever know. That's not important though. We followed the path that God set out for us, we planted seeds and laid a foundation, with His help. Now we give it to Him, in His glory, He will make those seeds grow and build a church on that foundation. In His time, in His way.

 

I am so thankful to have been a part of His plan. I am so thankful to have been here with these kids. I am so thankful.

 

Yours in Christ,

 

Dorothy

 

"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be expolited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness."

Update # 7

Last night, just as we were ready to go to bed, the power went off. This is a common occurence, as the country can only produce two thirds of the power needed at any given time, so at least one third of the population has no power, at rotating intervals. What this meant for us was no ceiling fans, and since there are no screens on the windows at Eco Village, it made for a very hot night for most of us. The boys, we found out later, since their room is in the building occupied by the owners, had power all night, as there is an inverter on that structure. The only solace we had was that the nearby bar with insanely loud music was much quieter last night.

 

The power returned in the middle of the night, but when morning came, we were exhuasted, but had to be up and ready for the day. Breakfast was at 8:00 and then Karen came to take us into the capitol, Santo Domingo. Our first stop was the large market where tourists (and missionaries) buy souveniers. Karen took us to the booth where she has a great relationship with the staff, who gave us a 50% discount of the price tag, right off the bat. They also served up cold orange juice and small cups of coffee to enjoy while we shopped. The kids were excited about shopping and so was I, as I expected to make a dent in my Christmas list. There was so much stuff crammed into a small space that it was overwhelming. Finally, the kids started to find things that they wanted and the baskets began to fill. I was on a mission and the proprietor could see that, so when Jonathan asked where there was a pharmacy nearby, they asked what he needed and ran down the street to get it for him, and refused to let him pay. I can only guess that they thought if he didn't feel well, he might not let me spend as much money! Finally, everyone had what they needed and our purchases were wrapped up and bagged. The kids laughed at me and teased me for buying so much, but in the end, though I had two large bags, I bought very little for myself. One thing that was for me was a silver necklace with a stone called larimar which is indigenous to Hispanola (The D.R. and Haiti comprise the island of Hispanola) and is only found here, in just one mine. It is a light blue stone, similar in appearance to torquoise. Larimar, was named by the man who discovered it for his daughter Larissa and for the ocean as "mar" means "sea."  I got Ellison a smaller version of my necklace so we can match and she wore hers to supper.

 

After we left the market, we headed to the historic city center or Zona Colonial, the first Colonial city in the New World. We settled into a restaurant directly across the plaza from the Catedral Primada de America (Primate Cathedral of America) whose first stone was set by Diego Columbus, son of Christopher Columbus, in 1514. It was completed in 1540. Need I even mention that lunch was pretty darn good? The service, however was a bit slow, so we had a lot of time to chat and visit with Karen. She is an U.S. missionary from St. Petersburg Florida whose job is to run the nursing home that is part of the Church campus here in Boca Chica. It is mostly referred to as "The Hogar", "hogar" being the word equivelant to "home" as opposed to "house." Karen has been here for almost five years. After lunch we walked over to Cathedral. We were at first denied entry, as we were thought to be a tour group, and the guard wanted to charge us admission. (Karen told us later that there is no admission, but as with so many things here, people in authority tend to make up the rules to suit themselves.) Karen explained that we were not touristas, but missionaries, and we were allowed to pass. I did note that shorts and tank tops are not permitted, so I imagine a lot of tourists are probably turned away for that reason. The Cathedral was beautiful, with stunning arches and spectacular stained glass windows that really shone from the sunlight in the mostly dim space. Sallly took an especially long time looking at all of the details and art work. When Ellison grew restless, Jonathan took her outside to feed the pigeons on the plaza. Before we left, we took a few moments to pray in that very special holy place.

 

Karen took us on a brief tour of this very historic area, beginning with a walk down the first paved street in the New World, Calle de las Damas.  It was laid in 1502 and got it's name from Mrs. Diego Columbus and her lady friends who strolled the road each afternoon and had complained that the dusty or muddy street was ruining their dresses.(Damas means woman.) We walked a little while and saw some different places, and happenind upon two sights at once, one of interest to the girls, the other to the boys. A bride and groom with flower girls were having pictures taken near an ancient wall that had cannons. Guess who was interested in which sight?

 

Finally, we headed back to the van to return to Eco Village. Our drives through Santo Domingo were quite fascinating, I must say, with many sights you would never see in the States. There were four people on one moped, people pushing carts of coconuts with machetes ready to cut them open, jeans on sale for $6.00, huge fruit carts... it was truly an adventure. As much as we enjoyed it though, the unairconditioned van was really hot, and we were ready for a swim when we got back. Everyone jumped in the pool just in time for the rain storm, but it barely dampened their spirits. I stayed inside, waiting for it to stop, and when it was just sprinkling, I ventured out, still in my street clothes. Rhett and Nick splashed me so much I finally just jumped in and swam in my clothes the rest of the afternoon. We had quite a good time. Connor and Nick had breath holding contests, they all played with Jonathan's underwater camera, and they all took turns playing some with Ellison, who just wants to be with The Big Kids as much as possible.

 

After showering and getting dressed, the kids and I started to have a de-briefing of our trip, but our guests for the evening arrived early. Four kids from San Jose (the Episcopal Church here in Boca Chica) along with Molly and four of her friends who flew in today to help with VBS next week joined us for supper. (I am so glad that their VBS wasn't this week... ) We enjoyed pollo fritto (fried chicken) pasta, salad, tostones (fried plantains) and bread with doughnuts for dessert. After supper we turned on some beach music to teach our new friends how to shag, I gave Laura and Madison a crash course in Cha Cha and then we heard from Connick who played both of their songs. Finally it was time for our guests to go as they had to get home before the lights are turned off in the streets. We stayed up to talk and de-brief a little, and, following prayer, we went to bed.

 

Home tomorrow!

 

Yours in faith, Dorothy

DR Update #6

Six o'clock came far too early today. There was still more packing to do and the kids had reported that they wanted to go down to the river to pray again, but only a handful of them made it out of bed in time. We all scurried about gathering our belongings, cleaning the dormitory, setting aside the items we were leaving. The breakfast bell rang and we trooped up the hill for our last meal at Camp. Although we are excited that our journey towards home is beginning, it is sad to leave this beautiful and happy place. Most of the staff kids were hanging around to say goodbye and that was a good feeling. We left gifts for them, and tips for the staff that Mary Craig and Laird will distribute in our absence. It is preferred that the short term missionaries not give out gifts or money, that we let such items be distributed by the permanant missionaries. It is more dignified for the recipients, it decreases the attitude of begging in the locals and it keeps us from getting full of ourselves. Also, although tips are one thing, especially for excellent service, we are firmly instructed not to give out cash to anyone, rather we should give that to the church and they will give it out where it is needed. For a multitude of reasons, it is better this way.

 

It was a sad goodbye, especially for Jonathan and I as we have already established relationships with the people at the Camp. It didn't end even when we pulled out of the gate because many of the village children ran alongside the bus for quite a ways. We opened the windows and waved and finally we drove out of sight, down the dirt road towards Jarabacoa.

 

It was not a long drive to La Vega where Keren our Compassion representative was waiting for us. We then drove to Winifer's home. We pulled over on the side of the highway to an extremely dilapidated collection of buildings. Walking between two of them, up a broken and cracked walkway, we saw the Sosa family there to greet us. Winfer was told which one I was, as I am the one who writes to her, and she came forward shyly but happily to hug me. I introduced her to Ellison and they hugged as well. Senora Sosa brought out chairs for all of us to sit on the porch, I think some may have come from a neighbor's house, and we setlled into an awkward gathering. We asked a few questions of one another, shared names all around, while Winifer sat contentedly on Madison's lap. We learned that Winifer lives in the house with her mother, baby brother and another woman with three children. Keren also told us about the Compassion Center and what goes on there. Winifer's tutor from the Center was there and she told us about Winifer's time there.  After a while, Keren suggested we go into the yard to play so we taught the children how to play "Little Sally Walker" a popular game from Camp Saint Christopher. They then sang for us a lively song and then Nick went to get his guitar and we sang a few songs, some of which our hosts sang along with us, but in Spanish. Then we played the Hokey Pokey before we loaded up and went to lunch.

 

Traveling by car is so different here than at home!. The end of each row of seats in the van has a fold up seat with no seat belt, and there is one between the two front seats as well. (I have not let the kids sit on these seats.) When we all piled in, Winfier was on my lap with Ellison next to us in her car seat (protesting that she was the only one in a restraint) and Senora Sosa was on the jump seat behind me, holding the baby. Sometimes I see large vans stuffed with people on John's Island. It was a lot like that.

 

We pulled in at the restaurant and got out of the van, looking, I think, like we were getting out of a clown car. We pulled some tables together, shooed the cat away and enjoyed the breeze in the open air restaurant. (I guess I should point out that virtually everything here is open air.) There were hamocks hanging all around the edges of the porch like space, and the now sleeping baby was promptly nestled in one. Ellison who can find a playground anywhere, spied the rusting and frightening play equipment in the back and she and Winifer raced off, with me at their heels. Meanwhile, Molly ordered up a fabulous feast which arrived quickly and was served up family style. There was a gigantic platter of Domican style fried chicken; bowls of rice; platters of tostones (fried green plantains); piles of corn fritters; platters of salads composed of red onions, tomatoes, cabbage, carrots and avocados; bowls of beans and a couple of bottles of Coca-Cola. With Keren, the Sosa family, our driver and the team, it was a lively lunch party. When we had eaten all we could, and Connor ate six peices of chicken, there was still so much food that Senora Sosa said it would feed her family for a week. We had it boxed up, although I doubt she has a refrigerator, so it probably fed their small community supper tonight.

 

After goodbyes at their home, we were back on the road towards Boca Chica, but Keren needed a ride to Santo Domingo so she joined us. The kids, Connor especially, were very interested in the scenery on this trip, and spent time gazing out the windo and talking about what they saw. When we got to SD we stopped at a large grocery store, a French chain called Carre Four. I picked up some chips for the kids and some drinks for the adults and we said goodbye to Keren there. We made another stop at the home base for the company that owned the van to refuel and for our driver to show his boss the tar that had been thrown all over the van when we passed a road construction area. It was covered, I am not sure how he will get it off.

 

Finally, we were in Boca Chica saying "good-bye" to Molly at the Hogar where she is staying this summer, and then we pulled in at Eco Village around 4:30.  Everyone was in the pool as fast as possible, and we stayed there until almost supper time, some of us didn't even get out to eat snack. It was some sort of coconut spread with crackers and Sam-Neill raved about it. Nick, Rhett and Madison gave Ellison swimming lessons, Laura spent some time reading poolside, as she was working on her summer list today. Jonathan tried to launch Sally over the volleyball net and Rhett took the "Nestea Plunge" for a photo op. There was almost no water when we went to shower, so we all washed under tiny trickles of water and dressed for supper.

 

Supper! I hope that y'all are not tired of hearing about food! We had mashed potatoes, macaroni salad, regular salad with their amazing dressing and the best pork chops EVER. They tasted exactly like bacon. I guess they were so good because the pigs here are raised with no cages and eat, well, whatever pigs eat when they are not fed commercial pig feed, plus they are not as lean as US pigs are, so these chops were out of this world. It is for this same reason that the eggs are so good, they aren't just fresh, they are also made by chickens who eat seeds and grass and bugs. (I hope we have eggs tomorrow!) When we were completely stuffed, we were presented with bowls of ice cream. Mine had was dulce la leche with bananas and it was sooo good.

 

By 9:00 everyone was exhausted so we had a short meeting and prayer and everyone went to bed. Tomorrow we see the capitol!

 

Yours in faith, Dorothy

 

 

Update # 5

We got up extra early today so that we could go down to the river to pray before breakfast. Our water was running orange and the toilets were not exactly in top form, so we ran a little behind. As we descended the hill, we noticed that the river was also running orange.  The rain last night caused a lot of runoff. The kids were a little surprised that the water inside was "coincidentally" orange as well, and then they realized why. We gathered on some large rocks and had some prayer time together, then we sang a few songs and headed back up the "stairs" to breakfast. After breakfast, Fr. Marshall returned to Santa Domingo as his flight left today.

 

The morning's work was building shelves in the shed, painting 34 folding metal chairs, helping wash a lot of sheets and more electrical work. Jonathan has fixed it so that Mary-Craig and Laird no longer get electrocuted every time they take a shower, touch the faucet or touch the window frame.They are very happy! They are also pleased with the team, who has worked tirelessly, had great attitudes and treated adults and one another with love and respect. They have praised the work that has been done, the modest clothing they wear, the way they treat Ellison and the way they interact with the local children. I must confess that this trip has been harder for me than I expected. This is my eleventh youth mission trip, and usually I am right there with the kids, painting, building, cleaning, whatever needs to be done. Although I made it clear to everyone, including myself, from the beginning that the only way we could do this trip at all was if Ellison came with us, it has been difficult for me to be sidelined. Jonathan has always been the crew leader in the DR and can fix anything. He is vital to our ability to accomplish many needed things. On domestic trips that job falls to me, in addtion to being their Chaplain. Either way, I still get my hands dirty and work. This time, I have been Chaplain of course, and photographer/journaler, and a morale booster of sorts, but I have not been able to really work and take care of Ellison at the same time. We have helped paint a few things, done some odd jobs here and there, but mostly we just visit with everyone, joke, talk and take pictures. The kids understand of course, but it has been rough on me, feeling rather useless. In the end though, it has been a brilliant experience for Ellison, and it has been great for the kids to have her along, I have seen them care for her and look out for her and that really warms my heart.

 

Lunch was really amazing today. I wandered in and out of the kitchen while they were cooking, and saw Thomasina fill her mortor with garlic and crush it all and add it to the beef that Anna Marie was butchering. The smells coming from that kitchen made it really hard to wait. Along with the beef we had black beans and rice, cucumber & lettuce salad and cole slaw along with fresh squeezed limeade.

 

In the afternoon, Sam-Neill and Madison helped Jonathan build shelves in the shed. Sally napped for a long time as she was feeling a little weak today, but she sprang right back to work after extra sleep.The rest of the mess from the shed was cleaned up, and it looks great. The chairs were finished up and by all reports Laura rocked the chair painting, painting more than anyone else on the crew. We also aired out all of the mattresses in the dorm. There were a few other odd jobs to do, but at 5:00 we were ready to play with the village children! They began gathering outside the fence at 4:15 and at 4:55 they stood outside of Confessor's house-- he is the security guard and lives across the "street"--and they were shouting for him to wake up and let them in! It was hysterical. Finally Pablo arrived to let them in, as Confessor patrols the Camp all night and sleeps in the daytime. The kids came in and everyone played. The older girls have taken a liking to Ellison, and endlessly pushed her in the swings, carried her about and took her picture. She was thrilled with the attention. There was of course soccer going on, Molly and Nick kicked a gazillion balls. Connor "redeemed" himself in basketball, and there were happy children everywhere. Every time I see Laura during playtime, she is holding some tiny child in her arms. It is quite surprising, from a US point of view, how young the children are that arrive on their own here each day and leave at six without an adult at all. When it was time to go, the children got a special treat: popsicles! We got some too, in really interesting flavors such as tamerind, mango, chinola  and pineapple. They were delish! This afternoon Josefina cornrowed my hair and also Ellison's and Madison's hair. We asked her how everyone knows who the chickens belong to, she replied that the chickens all look different, and people know what their own chickens look like. Oh.

 

As the kids left, Nick and Connor gathered up the sports equipment and I headed up towards the dining hall where dinner smelled, as always, fantastic. Laird and I managed to talk Thomasina out of some corn fritters and they were outstanding. I shared mine with Rhett, Sam-Neill and Madison and we all just groaned with delight. When the dinner bell rang the kids were already there and said the blessing before I could even get up the walk. Connor and Sam-Neill ate an astonishing amount of food. After supper Rhett, Nick and Sally wrestled on the lawn, and then we ate more popsicles and several packages of cookies.

 

After supper, Mary Craig presented us with pins commorating our service here  and gave us a lovely blessing. Then it was time to pack up and be ready to leave in the morning. Connor and and Nick, who have become a duet called "Connick" played a song in honor of Sally, following their smash hit "Me Gusta Molly." Then we had Compline, but Rhett, Laura and Molly were already sound asleep. Everyone wants to get up early to pray and have devotions by the river in the morning. Our bus comes at 8:30 to take us to the Compassion Center in La Vega. We are going to meet the little girl, Winifer, that our family sponsors and see her home and the Center, and go out to lunch. Then we head back to Boca Chica. We plan a little sightseeing on Saturday with Karen and then the youth group from the chuch will join us for supper again, along with Molly and some friends of hers that are flying in from the States to assist with VBS next week in Boca Chica. 

 

Yours in faith, Dorothy

 

 

DR Update #4

Another (and an especially) glorious day! Some of the kids got up early for prayer time and then, following breakfast a devotions led by Sally and Molly, we took a field trip. We started out at about 9:00am led by Javier to see a waterfall. The Jarabocoa area is world famous for it's waterfalls, in fact, one of them is featured in the opening sequence of Jurassic Park. Although that is not the one that we went to, we saw an amazing sight none-the-less. It was about a 60 minute trek to get there, and we were joined by a couple other kids as well as Mary Craig and Laird. Sadly, Madison was not quite up to speed today, and stayed back to rest. Molly stayed with her. (Madison is fine now, ibuprofen, Pepto and a long nap fixed her up right. I am really sorry she missed the trip) Jonathan carried Ellison on his shoulders the whole way there. She hiked some on the way back, and Nick carried her some, Jon carried here the rest of the way.  Our trek was up and down, through puddles, over rocks and even crossing a river on a log. Not to worry though, the water was shallow, the log was not up high. A few people who didn't mind wet feet just crossed in the water. It was worth the long hike though, the fall was spectacular. Simply stunning! We waded in the water, stood in the mist, climbed the rocks and collectively took about 600 pictures. I got an especially nice one of Sally standing in the mist, another good one of Laura on a giant rock and some great group shots. Havier and his buddies scaled the cliff-- no ropes, no supports, no shoes, nothing-- as if they were climbing the slide on a playground and did a couple of spectaular dives into the deep water at the bottom of the fall. It was amazing. I would not let the team try this. There was some disapointment.

 

I really wish that I could post some pictures on here for you to see, but I have really limited means. Each night, when i have finished typing on this ridiculously small computer, Jonathan gets his cell phone and dials up the internet. We have to stand outside and hold it up in the air, turning and waving until we have a good signal, and then it sends to the blog. Still, the fact that we can do it at all is amazing. When I was here in 1999, we said goodbye in the Charleston airport, and the parents didn't hear from us again until we landed in NY on the return flight. I am excited to be able to let everyone follow our adventures in this way. Please forgive the typos and other mistakes, the keyboard is small and unfamiliar, plus I am usually doing this very quickly.

 

We got back from our adventure just in time for lunch, and we were seriously hungry. We could smell it up the way and we headed straight for the dining hall to eat. Madison was much better and was ready to join us. After lunch, we had a very brief siesta and then got to work. Our tasks included sanding chairs, more electrical work, further sorting of items from the shed and carrying them to various places.  Jonathan had to go with Pablo to the hardware store and while he was there, he bought himself a machete to bring home. Guess what all the kids want now?

 

The kids have been working hard and have great attitudes. They have endured all of the hardships and indignities with great spirits and humor. We are in a place where there is no A/C anywhere, and yet shorts are not an option. We cannot put paper in the toilets, and cannot so much as brush our teeth with the water. We have to (discretely) use hand sanitzer constantly, we are away from TV, radio, Facebook and phones. It is a huge growth experience for them!  They are all talking about coming back here, in one way or another.

 

When 5:00 came, the village children were lined up at the gate again, waiting to come in. Some of the girls set about braiding and fixing hair, the boys found the sports equipment and the playground filled quickly. Ellison and I were walking across the yard at just the right time to see some wild parrots fly out of a palm tree. It was really cool! A few moments later, God created a glorious rainbow over the top of the mountain. It was so beautiful! Another neat thing that happened is that one of the girls brought her photo album, and in it was a picture of me with Giselle in 1999! Giselle was thrilled to see it, as was I. It was a magnificent afternoon. At six, we invited all of the children to come to church and we all trooped down the hill. Sam-Neill and Rhett served as acolytes and our whole team was an inpromptu choir with Nick and Connor on guitar. Fr. Marshall preached and Mary-Craig celebrated the Eucharist. I don't know how many kids there were, but there were a lot! Our team fanned out and sat amoungst them and both Marshall and Mary-Craig complimented them on their willingness to serve, the lack of eye rolling and the politeness. They were impressed by the whole team. It was an exciting service, we sang some songs in English, the children sang some in Spanish. The passing of La Paz was expecially moving.

 

After that long day, we were ready for supper. We enjoyed the rest and the nourishment before a full scale cleaning of our rooms and then showers for all. Then we moved to other rooms due to a bug problem. The cleaning and moving was a huge task for already tired people, but by the grace of God, we finished. The dormitory is kind of like the large cabins at Camp Saint Christopher used to be, four individual rooms filled with bunks and each sporting a bathroom, all opening up into a central room. Here there are 20 campers per room, instead of ten, with 2 sinks, 2 toilets and 2 showers. Once settled in to the new rooms, it was time for Compline.Just then Havier showed up with an amazing bug with intensely glowing spots, the pictures we took do not do it justice.  Fr. Marshall led Compline as it was his last night with us. I passed out everyone's "mail", read some letters to the team and even had a note myself. (Thanks, Brenda!) I read the kids some passages from Acts 2, starting with verse 42, and we talked about it a little, then, due to the insanely late hour, it was time for bed.

 

Until tomorrow,

Yours in faith, Dorothy