Day 7: Stepping up to the plate in all the best ways

On Friday, we returned to all five sites for one last time.  While everyone felt accomplished, it was the Papita crew that deserves a special spotlight.

In about 4 hours, the team of about 20 individuals accomplished an incredible amount of work.  They painted both the interior and exterior of the house and finished the sidewalks around the exterior--requiring lots of cement mixing and wheelbarrow pushing.  At the end of their work day, they were able to hand over the keys to the house to the new owners.  For everyone on the team, it was a remarkably powerful experience.

Sal finishing the door for the house with Mike, Jason & Jesse in back

Gabby painting the house's exterior

The Crossons, preparing some cement

The whole team after handing over the keys!!

After work concluded at all five sites, we headed to the beach for one last hurrah.  The waves were a bit higher than usual, as if they too were celebrating all that we had accomplished.

Photo Cred; Ayize 

We returned to Casa Pastoral for a delicious dinner of chicken, mashed potatoes, and broccoli/carrots followed by a few closing activities.  We met in our triads (technically, quads) to discuss what this trip meant to us and how we will talk about it in the future.  Either we could tell people "the trip was fun!" or we could provide an answer that honors and dignifies the people we met and served.  Our reflection activities helped us craft the stories that we want to relay on behalf of our friends in the DR.

Just before packing up our suitcases, we concluded with arguably the most wonderful activity of all: Paper Plate Awards.  Throughout the week, each student had to discreetly stalk their recipient and surprise them on Friday with an award.  The ceremony was rife with excitement, laughter, corny jokes, fond memories, and good cheer.  Most impressively, however, was the behavior I witnessed in the rare moment when the activity didn't go as planned.  In those instances, I watched as high-school students voluntarily crafted impromptu awards to make sure that their classmates felt honored, appreciated, and seen.  These people stepped up to the plate (no pun intended!!) and made this evening truly unforgettable in the most unexpected and wonderful ways.

Best DR Dad : Avi SR

Presented by Emily

At the close of this event, we headed back to our dorms to finish packing for the long travel day back home. 

Day 6: Thanksgiving

After our fourth day of work, the team had a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Nevertheless, this day is always hard.  From 8-4, we spend the day in the most rudimentary and sometimes sordid living conditions one can possibly imagine.  Then we head to Casa Pastoral, shower, and take a bus to Casa de Campo, a gated resort town owned by the sugar cane industry--where our world is turned upside down.

We arrive at a mansion with vaulted ceilings, lavishly furnished living rooms (plural), and a stunning pool.  Once settled, we crack open a Coke or Sprite (more delicious in the DR, thanks to the natural sugar used in the recipe... which is possible thanks to the exploited sugar-cane workers that we aim to help).  And once the final trimmings have been laid out, we enjoy a filling meal that comfortably feeds over 100 individuals.

The exact site of our Thanksgiving dinner

It's really easy to be thankful after the conditions we have witnessed and experienced all week.  It's hard, though, not to ask "why."  Why were we born into a life of security and comfort?  Why weren't the individuals we serve?  Have we done all that we can do to rectify this injustice?  Is there anything more we can do?

I don't have the answers, but I'm grateful for a Thanksgiving that was authentic and meaningful.

Day 5: The fullest "half" day

On Wednesday, we returned to all 5 sites for a half-day of work.  Most sites continued the work from the days prior, but a few tackled some novel work assignments.

At Joe Hartman, construction ceased for a day in order for us to lead 40-minute classes for the students.  Students were grouped in teams of 5 to lead songs and arts/crafts activities for the students.  Each group taught two classes: one in the lower grades (K-2) and one in the upper grades (3-6).

Nayar, Maaz, Jenna, Ben, Ms. Martins & Samm

bring "snow" to the DR

Seline K., killing it on the kid front (and back)

Priya & Michaela pictured in back

Meanwhile over at La Lechosa, our most talented artists gathered together to create a mural.  They painted a beautiful tree with handprints as leaves.  Although it rained intermittently--each time effectively erasing all of their work to that point--the determined team still managed to realize their vision in just a few hours.

Michaela B, Wat alum, putting finishing touches on the mural

Our artist-extraordinaires

That afternoon, our team gathered together for a short dip in the ocean, returned back to Casa Pastoral for dinner, and promptly headed out to root for the local Toros!

Right to left: Olivia, Clare, Matteo, Seline, Ethan & Avery

Almost the whole gang!

(AKA our team is so big this year that we hardly fit into a single photo!)

Day 4: Putting the "kin" in Watkinson (Tuesday, 11/20)

Yesterday's blogpost was a little UHSSE heavy.  Let's hear from our Wat family today!

Med Clinic:

At the Med Clinic, we served nearly--if not over-- 100 people. We took their blood pressure and temperature, and then allowed them to talk to one of three doctors in depth about their medical needs. Our team then quickly put together a medkit with hygiene products and their prescribed medicine.  Although the process was sometimes slow, we managed to give everyone what the doctors ordered. The Med Clinic really lets you see the change you're making. 

-Cesar R.

Med team = dream team

At Joe Hartman, we continued work shoveling and transporting sand and dirt to finish the new kindergarten building. We made significant progress, almost entirely depleting two waist-high piles of dirt. When school got out, we began taking 10-minute shifts, switching between transporting dirt and breaking to play with the kids. More and more of them began gathering around us, with gleeful shouts of "los Amaricanos!" Everyone had a great time playing with the kids, whether they were putting stickers on our foreheads or just cuddling up next to us on the benches. It is always rewarding to see and interact with the people whose lives we are affecting.

-Oliver A.

Allison K., Olivia C., and Clare C. -  some serious girl power

At the Hospital, we continued work on putting up drywall and helping to finish construction on the fourth floor of the hospital. Our day started off with being shown how to correctly drill the dry wall into its correct place, and also to cut drywall into the dimensions that we needed for each area. Our group was very small, amassing just about six or so people, and that small number allowed us to get to know one another quite well along with our translator and the other people we were working with. After continuing to set up drywall we had to bring up 2x4's and more drywall from the bottom level of the hospital. We did this by attaching a rope to each piece of material and hoisting it up four levels. Overall the day was very fulfilling, and the people we worked with and met were very kind and friendly.

-Ethan L.

Ethan & Matteo join UHHSE folk for some drywalling at the Good Samaritan Hospital.

At Batey Papita, I started off by sifting sand for the first hour and a half.  Then, I shifted to pick-axing and loosening the ground to level the foundation of the house we're building.  After lunch, I started picking up larger rocks to help fill the foundation faster, and then I went back to sifting.  By the end of the week, we hope to get the foundation of the house completely finished.  If all goes according to plan, a family can move in on Friday! 

-Cam J.

Batey Papita, where they work hard and play hard.

(Just kidding, they play hard and work way harder.)

At La Lechosa, we were first greeted by a kindergarten class who sung a welcome song to us and once they finished they ran to come and hug us. We started by painting wooden posts different colors. Once that was done, we began to level out the ground inside the area enclosed by the fence that we were painting. After that, we shoveled rocks. The children also came out at various times to interact and play with us. It was really great to talk with these kids and learn more about the school we were working for. 

-Alli V.

Picture Still to Come :)

The next few days will be insanely busy!  We'll try to update the blog before Friday, but if you don't hear from us... it's only because we're squeezing in work sites and baseball games and Thanksgiving dinner and beach adventures and reflection time... and much, much more.  Stay tuned, dear readers.

Day 3: Work, work, work, work, work (Monday, 11/19)

To the team's big surprise, we didn't just divide up into three work groups... we divided up into five!  Although this wasn't on our original agenda, the DR requires a certain level of flexibility.  The only certainty is uncertainty!  Fortunately, we are more than ready to adjust our expectations to meet the needs of the people we serve.  And so, here is a recap from a team member at teach of the five sites from today. 

---

My day today was awesome! We went to Batey Papita, and our job was to fill in the floor of a church with dirt. Even though that sounds like a small task, it involved pickaxing, shoveling, wheel barrowing and leveling! Also I was playing with a young boy. He wasn’t very talkative, but we played hide and go seek and I got him to smile and laugh. That was the highlight of my day.

-Cora  

Batey Papita

Pictured: Matteo & Dave

Photo Cred: Avi

Today I went to the hospital, and it was really fun! I was with a group of six people and one chaperone. We painted the walls and lifted sheet rocks, which we then nailed in to the frames to make new walls for the fourth floor of the hospital. During our break, we went up to the fifth floor of the hospital, and we could see all of La Romana and it was beautiful! All of the workers were really nice and they were helpful when we didn’t know what or how to do.

-Rachel

View from the top floor of the hospital 

(Fun fact; this hospital was built entirely by volunteers from the mission over the years.)

Photo Cred: Beonce

I went to La Lechosa today, and it was amazing! This is my first time on the Dominican Republic trip, and I cannot express how happy I feel when seeing the work that we do here. La Lechosa is a school, and our jobs were to paint the fence enclosing the – soon to be -  garden,  and to remove concrete and rubble from the enclosure. The children greeted us with a song and then rushed to give us hugs. It was so heartwarming. The sun was out, but working to improve this school was worth every drop of sweat. The kids also had an afternoon assembly, in which they sung their national anthem and welcomed us to the Dominican Republic. Overall, the day was productive and eye opening, I can’t wait for the days to come.

-Ananya

Fleance, Ananya, Kim, Mya, Priya & friends

Photo Cred: Ananya

Today was my first workday, and it was awesome!  I helped with the med clinic that we ran in one of the bateys.  During some of the free time I had, I got to interact with a lot of the kids.  Although my Spanish might not be the best, it was so great asking them questions, like how old they are and what’s their name.  It was also rewarding seeing the smiles on their faces after giving them a sticker or a stamp on their hand.  They also loved putting stamps on some of my friends and me… we ended up getting covered head to toe in them!  Most rewarding of all was being able to physically hand someone in need a pair of shoes and seeing how appreciative they were.   I can’t wait to go back again!

-Emily

Emily & friends

Photo Cred: Emily también

Today I went to the Joe Hartman School, and it was even better than everyone else’s day! We plopped our bags down and rushed to start working. After creating a system of work and establishing our roles, we started moving dirt to help level the ground of a new building for the kindergarteners to be taught in.  While this was happening, a separate group of our members was painting the cafeteria that we helped build last year.  After a while, our painting team finished their work and started helping with the wheelbarrows but encountered an issue of congestion. This was solved due to some quick thinking and the establishment of a bucket brigade.  After a delicious lunch break, we reunited and finished our work almost completely laying down the foundation of the new floor, ready to have cement laid in the coming days.

-Samm SR

Shoveling dirt to be transported via wheelbarrow / bucket-brigade to the site of the new kindergarten

PS - these boys were absolutely relentless!  MVPs of the day.

Day 2: Full-Scale Prep (Sunday, 11/18)

Sunday, November 18.

DRST’ 18: Day 2.

This morning at 8 am, our 71 travelers arose wide-eyed and ready to face a day of relentless service preparation. After a delightful breakfast of pancakes, fresh fruits and various meat products, we felt properly energized and began to work on organizing our materials for the week ahead. Most travelers spent the morning counting meds, preparing hygiene kits, and sorting food for distribution.  Others helped prepare things like school supplies to provide for the children we meet at Joe Hartman School. These jobs are all equally important for the success of our week.

Photo Cred: Cory Wilson

At noon, our team took a well-deserved break and enjoyed some lunch. After noshing on some chili with crackers and bread, we were sent upstairs to change and prepare for a beach trip. One short bus ride later, we arrived at the beach with smiles on our faces ready to soak in the sun.  If you have been to the Dominican Republic before, you know that the water is a blue unlike any other water you’ve ever beheld.  In no time, our team found refuge in the cool, salty water, as we tossed around a foam football and even fought like chickens.  Thanks to a few gracious souls who stayed behind with our backpacks, we played in the water until well after our hands had pruned.   After a long day of unusually hot weather (even for the DR), this was the perfect way to cool off.

Photo Cred: Cory Wilson

We all boarded the buses feeling sandy and plenty tired. After arriving at Casa Pastoral and showering, we had a dinner of some sort of meat—still not completely sure but it was good—and some delicious juice. Our post dinner festivities kicked off with information about tomorrow’s work sites, followed by meetings with our quads, and finally the commencement of La Fuerza Azul’s 2nd Annual Paper Plate Awards. What are the Paper Plate Awards, you ask?  To begin, every team member must draw a name of another traveler from a baggie.  (Pictured below, chaperone Courtney P. holding up said baggie.) As the week unravels, one must stealthily learn as much as they can about their secret person and determine the best “award” to give him or her, such as: “most helpful” or “fastest showerer.”  These awards will be bestowed to their deserved winners at Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday night. This activity is a great way for our team members to get to know one another and to make new friends.  

Photo Cred: Avi S-R

What awaits us in the coming week? No one truly knows but one thing is for sure: Samm S-R’s wit is second only to his mother’s. 

By Samm and Jenna

Arrival: Success (Saturday, 11/17)

Circa 5am in the morning, 71 weary-eyed individuals boarded two buses en route to New York City. After catching some z's and discussing our excitement for the coming trip, we arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport.  Then began the epic adventure that is checking bags, traveling through the security line, securing some sustenance from the food court, and arriving at our gate in time for boarding.  Shepherding 71 travelers and well over 100 pieces of luggage requires the highest degree of planning, organization, and teamwork--but we made it look effortless!

In the sky, we took advantage of the time to catch a few more z's and watch some of the high quality television that JetBlue airlines had to offer (no sarcasm here: the programming selection included classics like Hocus Pocus, Mean Girls, and both Home Alones). One remarkably smooth landing later, we traveled through customs and began to grow used to the inescapable heat of the Dominican Republic. We boarded another bus and took off on a 2-hour ride to La Romana, during which time we enjoyed beautiful views of a sunset over the ocean until we reached Casa Pastoral, our home away from home for the week. We finished organizing all of our bags and went up to our dorms for some restful sleep to prepare for our first day of work preparation.