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