D.R. Slideshow Week 5

It hard to believe that our week with the team has come and gone already. What an amazing time it was. We were able to install all of the toilets and sinks at the school, clear out all of the building materials that were being safe-guarded in in the school, build shelving to organize and store school supplies and go through dozens of boxes and bags of donated items that have long been stored away because of the lack of man power to organize and inventory these items.

We had a great time as a team, working and playing with the children of the community, helping Sofia and Rafael get organized and growing in our own understanding of development and relief. I think an important lesson was seeing the difference between empowering people and creating a culture of dependence.

What does it mean to help people help themselves? If we give handouts instead of a hand up the expectation that we set steal people's dignity and replaces it with dependency. How are we giving people the tools to overcome the challenges in their lives. Are we taking the easy road of giving to those in need to satisfy our our sense of duty or are we willing to take the long hard road of relationship development and empowerment? Who are you investing in?

D.R. Slide Show Week 4

D.R. Slideshow Week 3

It has been a wonderful experience – of course, as expected, some challenges along the way. We’ve met some great people who share our desire to help the marginalized and are doing wonderful things. In fact we’re finding more and more ways to collaborate with people and organizations who complement the work that we are doing.

Farwell to the Team

What an incredible week... How quickly the week flew by and I cannot believe the team is gone. We met a lot of people, did so many things, and built wonderful relationships. Sofia and the kids at the school were so excited when the team came to work with them on Friday. There must have been 100 people at the school for the team youth project. Interacting with the kids and showing them how to do something new was rewarding to both the kids and the team. The kids were so proud of what they did and could not wait to show Sofia their wonderful creations. What a difference Sofia is making in their lives. For many of these kids Sofia's influence means the difference between making good choices or bad choices. When bad choices are made grace, forgiveness, and support in making better choices are available to them. I watch the 10 to 16 year old kids and how they teeter on a line between a good path and one that is not. Having Sofia believe in them and hold them accountable is a priceless gift that provides them with an opportunity for a future they may not have without her. She is always available, always open to give whatever she has for another, and always there to go the extra mile for others. Sofia and her family are poor in finances but truly rich in the things that matter. Thank you Sofia for loving others despite your own circumstances, you daily change lives for the better. How are you living each day? How do your daily actions effect others? How are you impacting your community? If you moved away tomorrow, would the community you live in feel an impact?

D.R. Slideshow Week 2

D.R. Slideshow Week 1

Working in the DR

The team has been working hard to help get the school ready to start. The toilets and sinks are in. The school has been cleaned and painted and is ready to go. Electricity is left but we had a chance to meet with an electrician and get a quote while we were here. The team also spent time organizing all of the donations here at Sofia’s. Shelves were made and items were sorted, stacked, put in bins, labeled, and neatly given a place to make it easy for the kids to see what is there and for Sofia to find what she needs to give away.

We can’t believe the team leaves tomorrow. How fast the time went. Everyone fell in love with the kids and Sofia, Rafael, and Moses. We will miss them and pray God continues to bless them, ARRAS, all the children and the people of Hato Mayor. Blessings from IGN!

Donations

One of the tasks the team is doing here in Hato Mayor is helping Sofia organize all of the donated items that she has received. This entails going through boxes, sorting items, building shelves, and finding other options for organizing and making items easily available for when the need arises for that particular item. As the team began pulling open the boxes we came across everything from new office supplies (Thank you to the donors) to old used items, to people’s mail, magazines from 1974, ripped up books and papers, games missing most the pieces, and other misc. items covered in mouse poop and other unrecognizable substances. We were surprised at some of the items people put in the donation box. Not all of it has been bad but more than half have been things we would consider trash. I am reminded of how Christ calls us to give our best. How in the book of Ruth Chapter 2 verse 16 Boaz instructed the workers to: “pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don't rebuke her." He had them leave some of the good part of the crop for her, not the left over scraps that no one else wanted. How often do we give our best, both when we give to others as well as in action and words. Do we save the best for ourselves or do we generously bless others with the best of what we have?

The Team Has Arrived

On Saturday the team from Chicago arrived in the Dominican Republic. After cramming all the luggage and supplies they brought, as well as 9 people, into the 9 person van we headed out to Hato Mayor where the team is spending the week serving the community.
On Sunday we had a chance to walk around the community where the ARRAS school is located. We got to meet and talk with the people (doing our best at Spanish), play a little with the kids, and when it started to rain multiple families enthusiastically invited into their humble homes to take refuge from the pouring rain. The hospitality we are being shown is humbling.
The team is now working on getting the school ready to start on Friday. This includes purchasing and putting in the toilets and sinks as well as other items needed to get the building ready. We are also organizing donated items at Sofia’s house, as well as youth activities and programs. We have already built some amazing relationships and cannot wait to see what else God has in store for our team and the community of Hato Mayor.

My Dominican Republic Family

While here in Hato Mayor I had the incredible opportunity to live with one of the families here in town.  Mama Maria is a wonderful woman who is a devout follower of Christ, mother to 3 children (2 boys and a girl) and an all around loving and beautiful person.  Married to Maria is Victor, but people call him  “Tico”.  Tico has a GREAT sense of humor and I love the beaming smile I receive from him whenever I see him.  He somewhat reminds me of my Grandfather (Papa).    Of there three children that Tico and Maria have Yaska is the only child left in the house.  Yaska is 22 years old and such a joy to be around.  She also has her father’s sense of humor.  She is high energy and bubbles over with joy for life.  Yaska gave up her room while I was there so I could sleep in her room.    I am posting pictures here of the house and my DR family.  They live on the bottom floor of the house.  There is a small kitchen and eating area with a small sitting area on the side.  There is one bathroom, and 3 bedrooms.  Tico and Maria’s room is about 8X8, Yaska’s room (where I stayed) about 7x7, and the third room had single bunk beds in it and was about 6X4.  Every morning Maria would make me a cup of coffee (lots of sugar) and we would talk.  This was no small thing because Maria, or her family, do not speak English, and as most of you know I do not speak Spanish well AT ALL (working on that… definitely not born with a gift for languages).    We were not only able to communicate, but we connected in a special way.  My heart and love go out to Maria, Tico, and Yaska.  Thank you for taking good care of me and for all your love!