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