Just a glimpse..

Written for Saturday, August 8, 2009

As I sit here gathering my thoughts for this blog, all I can think about is how no matter what I write and how I write it, nothing will do justice for the things I have seen, heard, smelled, tasted or witnessed in the last 7 days. I have always found it extremely difficult to put my feelings into words, and here, now, I find myself struggling to describe even the surface of my experience thus far. But, for the sake of all of you reading this and following us on this journey, I will try my best. I only wish whole heartedly that all of you, whom I love dearly, could be right beside me going through all the same feelings and emotions with me. It really is only then, that you could truly have an understanding of life here in the Dominican Republic.

My head is in such a whirlwind and my heart is bursting with so many indescribeable emotions that it is hard to pinpoint exact moments that really touched my heart..all I know, is that I will be forever changed by this experience. Nothing will ever be the same again. Life as I once knew it no longer exists. My outlook is different, my perspective is different, my views are different. I have seen the conditions that these people live in. A hot, stuffy, one-room aluminum scrap hut that shelters families of many, many children. I have seen the filthy, polluted water that these people drink, eat with, and bathe in. I have touched a child's dirty, hard, cracked feet after walking many kilometers on rocky, tough terrain with barefeet. I have smelled the most rotten stench from an open sewage hole they call their bathroom. I have heard their cries for help asking us for money or food. I have fed a starving child's belly. I have held the hand of children who are craving for some attention from someone, anyone. I have heard the cries of elders begging God to do something about their living conditions. I have went to sleep at night struggling with all of these memories in my head and raw emotions in my heart..calling out to God asking why..wondering how these people even get up out of bed..thinking to myself, this is their life. This is what they have to wake up to every day. And all I can do is pray that we, or someone else, can give them something to look forward to, something eternal to hold on to..

That was a glimpse of what's been on my mind and in my heart the last few days..I knew going into this that things weren't going to be easy..that this trip wasn't going to be one to take lightly. I knew that I would be challenged and stretched..and see and feel things that I'm not used to..I know that this journey will be forever etched in my memory as one of great worth, great sorrow, but also, great joy!

On a lighter note, our day began with a nice breakfast at a small cafe type restaurant, La Costera. We have been buying groceries together and scheduling different team members to prepare our meals every day but this morning it was refreshing to take a break from that. I have to say for the amount of food we received and the size of my orange juice, it was well worth the 130 pesos! :)

We then walked over to Momma D's to pick up our laundry that we did the day before. Because of the time of day we started it, we had to hang it up on the lines to dry all night. Let me tell you, I have never been so thankful for my washer and dryer at home! Doing laundry here is back-breaking, especially doing it for 6 people! However, we embraced the challenge and it was definitely worth the team bonding!

By the time we returned home, we were all feeling the 38 degree heat so we took a few minutes to enjoy the pool that is shared between apartments at our complex before we undertook the task of preparing our VBS prgram for 150 children! With all of us ready and determined to finish all of the preparation today, it didn't take us long to sort through the program and organize all of the craft supplies into little baggies for all of the kids.

We then decided to take another trip to the supermercado (supermarket) to purchase all of the supplies we would need for playdough, another VBS activity. Try calculating how much salt, flour, oil, etc. you need to make enough playdough for 150 children! By the time 29 batches were finished, there were cramped hands, red fingers, sticky clothing, tired people, but there were smiles all around!! We thought it was a great accomplishment! Kudos Team!

Now, as we get ready for another day in the DR, we are thankful for what the last week has brought but we are also looking forward to what next week will bring. Tomorrow will hold dedications of 2 completed houses for a Dominican family, and a Haitian family that teams from Hero Holiday finished building last month. We have already witnessed the living conditions of these families, families just like yours and mine.. so we are very excited to be a part of the celebrations tomorrow!!

Until next time..

Peace and Blessings,
Danielle P.