Our final day in the DR (Saturday) began with a reading by Cath about ‘The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee’.  The story provides an interesting perspective on the relative importance of events in our lives.

We then boarded the bus to Lomas de Loschivos for the ‘dedication’ of the new home for Maria’s family.  There has been rotating sickness among the team members and today it was M&M’s turn to stay behind in their room (Marlene and Marilyn).  

Once all the ‘dignitaries’ had arrived, we formed a line and were ‘piped’ down to the homesite by Bill, accompanied by the howling and barking of several local dogs.  The villagers were no doubt wondering what the ‘gringos’ were up to now.  

The Pie-eyed Piper of Goat Hill

Phil began the dedication with a blessing of the house and family and we then sang, “They Will Know We are Christians by Our Love”, subsequently translated by Jessie.

Phil asks a Blessing on the Family and Their New Home

Bea and Harry then explained the Canadian tradition of presenting ‘house warming’ gifts to those who are moving into a new house.  Each of the children received a ‘grocery bag’ of gifts and Maria was given a hockey bag full of bedding, towels, etc. plus 3 bags of food and a large plastic bucket of cleaning supplies, a broom and a mop.  Maria was overwhelmed with our generosity and couldn’t imagine how she could ever repay us.  She was told that she could pay her blessings forward by continuing to help others in the community.

Bea Handing Out ‘House Warming’ Gifts

A Bucket of Food and Household Supplies

Some Gifts for the Children

Following the dedication, pop was distributed to all the people in attendance.   Kids milled around and played while the adults stood talking and laughing and generally getting into the spirit of the celebration.

Party Time

Every Kid Knows What to Do With a Toy Car

Our Team With Maria and Family in Front of Her New Home

Her Present Home

Post Script:  The final construction and painting of Maria’s new house will be carried out over the next couple of weeks.  Enough money has been left with Phil to replace the  roof and make other improvements to Maria’s present home so that she will be able to rent it as a source of income.  Someone noted that it was 2 months to the day that Maria’s husband died.

PPS:  Our plane departed 2 hours late from the DR due to mechanical issues earlier in the day.  Arrival in Toronto was at midnight, but our departure for home was further delayed by over half an hour when the baggage car got stuck in the snow.   The Georgetown crew of John & Bea, Harry & Helen, arrived home by limo at around 2 a.m.   Ahhhh, peace and quiet at last in a familiar bed.  Home, sweet home!  No doubt Maria is thinking the same thing.

We got to sleep in this morning. The bus left at 9. We spent the morning at 'Hogar de Ancianos', a seniors residence in Puerto Plata run by the 'Sisters of Charity'. The residence was built by the Brugal Rum company for destitute seniors who had no family to care for them. Our visit began in the 'recreation room' where most of the 48 residents had gathered. Bill 'piped' us in and we circled the room, introduced ourselves and shook hands with the seniors. Many hugged us back. We then sang several songs, accompanied by Bill, while people clapped their hands and swayed to the rhythm of the music. The ladies had their hands rubbed with lotion and their nails were painted, much to their delight. The men were each given a tie, and every resident received a gift bag containing toiletries. Each lady also received a neck scarf, compliments of Bea and her sister-in-law Diane, who knit them in the evenings at home while watching TV. Some of our team played 'Dominoes' with the men, who mostly beat us.

'Mother Theresa of the DR' Dances for the Seniors

All Decked Out and Nowhere to Go

Clapping to the Music



Tom Challenges the Local Boys at Dominoes

While I was circulating around among the men I spied one that I recognized from previous years in Ascension Village. I first met him in 2007 when Helen Hope and I painted the front of the 'Co-op Store' in Ascension where he was the, probably self appointed, 'watchman'. I had met with him in each of the last 3 years and took a few photos. I looked for him again when we were in Ascension on Tuesday and couldn't find him, so I assumed he had died. His name is Alphonso and he is completely blind. I spoke with him through our translator and he remembered who I was. It was an amazing moment to meet him here and know that he was getting compassionate care.



John Visiting Alphonso from Ascension Village

We were given a tour of the facilities, which are spartan by our standards but very spacious, clean, colourful and more than these people could have even dreamed possible in their circumstances.
 

We ate our lunch on the landscaped grounds in front of the building and donated the remaining sandwiches, rolls and bananas to the nuns. Tim said, “You'd have thought it was the only thing we gave them today, they were so thankful”. We had earlier presented a couple of hockey bags full of blankets, quilts, cloth bags, toiletries, hair clippers, etc.

The Dormitory

The Cafeteria

Following lunch the team left for Lomas de Loschivos, which I learned means 'Goat Hill', a possibly facetious reference to the steepness of the terrain. This is the village where Maria and her 4 children live. We were here earlier in the week to view the construction of her new house. Our crew got busy and sanded the stucco surface then applied the primer coat of paint. Ninos and ninas from surrounding homes gathered to watch and get in the way. LOL When the 'Skim Ice' man arrived, Phil pulled out a wad of pesos and treated us and the kids to these 'DR freezies'. I believe we made the vendor's day!!

The Ladies are Not to be Outdone



Sanding a Wall in the New House

 Manuel caused a bit of a stir by informing us that his bus lost it's oil.  A line had failed.  He was able to locate a mechanic and get what he needed.  Tim 'passed the hat' to collect 3000 pesos (about $90).  The bus was back in order by the time we were ready to leave for the resort.

The 'Skim Ice' Man Cleans Up

 I spent some time talking with Maria and asked her how she felt about getting a new home.  She replied that she was 'blessed' by our generosity and had been praying for 10 years that she might some day be able to fix up her house. I then asked her how the neighbours felt; were they jealous? She said they were happy for her. Maybe some could be jealous, she didn't know. She has been cooking using scrap wood because she can't afford propane. She has a stove and a 30 Liter tank. How much does it cost to fill it up? I don't know. The interpreter said about 700 pesos ($17). How long would a full tank last? I don't know, I've never had enough money to fill it right up. The interpreter said about a month.

 
I then spoke with the next door neighbour who had been watching our crew work. He said we were the first 'mission team' to visit his village. He then recited about a 5 minute long prayer, which translated to, “He was saying thank you for all your goodness and generosity. He asked a blessing on all of you... so that you may continue to be prosperous and come back and help more people”. He lives in a shack next door but is a self employed 'metal recycler' and is apparently 'happy in his misery'.

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you.

The morning 'Inspiration' was based on a poem attributed to St. Patrick entitled “St. Patrick's Breastplate”.

Christ be with me,

Amigo 'Vic' in His Fashionable New 'T'

Christ within me,

Christ behind me,

Christ before me,

Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ in quiet,

Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Today we were scattered among 3 villages. The “Three Amigos” (Vic, Chuck and Harry) went to build and paint a shelf to support a mini-fridge in the medical clinic in Villa Liberacion, where some of the team went on Monday.  Vic has vehemently vetoed every attempt by 'Journey' teams to print a pink T-shirt, so leader Cath hand designed a 'one off' specially for him.  Vic good naturedly put it on for a few minutes before leaving for Liberacion. 

Bea went with a painting crew to put a second coat of paint on the house in Nazareth where we painted on Tuesday. The remaining people did a craft program with about 80 children in Sosua Abejo school. The kids danced the 'Hokey Pokey' as a warm up, then played a game of 'keep the beach ball from hitting the floor'. The noise level inside the concrete structure approached 'dangerous'.



Gr. 3 Making Bead Necklace

K and Gr. 1 Making Foam Hearts

We all got back together for a nutritious lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches (or was this a cheese and ham day?), banana and dinner roll with jam. We learned that all work was accomplished. The second coat of white paint inside the house was a semi-gloss which covered much better than the first coat.


Gr.s 2 to 4 Make Balloon Valentines 

Wee Lass Tries Her Lungs on the Pipes

The afternoon began with a trip to a local market to shop for household supplies and food to present as part of our 'housewarming' gift to Maria and her family on Saturday. We also made some personal purchases of vanilla and spices to take back to Canada. It's hard to pass up vanilla at $1 a cup!!



The Senior Class at Cangrejo School

Library Improvements at Cangrejo

Following the market we went to Phil & Donna's Cangrejo school where Valentine's day programs were run in two classrooms. We got to view improvements to the library, including additional books, and a more organized storage system carried out by a group of visiting teachers. The 'Newbies' on the trip were given a tour of the village by leader Tim. A highlight of the tour was meeting with Johanson, a young lad who just turned 14 and has no parents. When he started at the school he was, as he put it, a 'troublemaker' but has since become a leader in the school, including being chosen as Class President. He is cared for by a grandmother. An example of success for 'Servant's Heart Ministries' and all of the people who support their work in the Dominican through donations of time and money. Thank you.

The morning 'Inspiration' focused on contrasting our perceived needs with the reality of what we require for a just life. The complaints of a consumer society reveal a total disconnect with our true needs. Those who struggle daily with obtaining food, clean water, shelter and companionship become invisible to us. When we meet people at this level of need, we are humbled by their thanks that we would choose to spend even a moment with them.

Two of our team chose to remain behind at the resort today due to 'health issues'.



'Harvesting' Corn

We took a break from painting today to visit Villa Esperanza (Hope) to drop by the homes we had sponsored in past years and say hello to the residents. The men in the 'seniors duplexes' that we paid for 2 years ago were busy cutting corn off of cobs and were happy to see us. Many of us stopped into the 'jewelry' store 'HOPE' (Helping Other People Eat) which employs 10 women and one man. One of the highlights of visiting Esperanza was seeing the former site of the 'slum' of 'Los Algodones' completely cleared of all the former shacks of people now living in Esperanza.

 

The 'HOPE' Ladies of Esperanza

Bea & Helen Shop For Beads 










We then went to Ascension Village where we met Bill and Donna (a couple who gave up a successful business in Canada and came to the DR three years ago). They run a 3-pronged program: feeding of seniors and children 3 times a week, family assistance food supplements, and baby and expectant mother care. Within 3 years, the health of children has greatly improved and the average weight of newborn babies has risen by over 2 pounds!! We assisted with the feeding of about 25 seniors and over 300 children. They were fed a nutritious soup from dried vegetables and grains provided by 'The Gleaners'.  Bill entertained the kids with the pipes while we were setting tables.  Donnqa then spoke further about the work that she and Bill were doing.  A little girl named Chichi was a special concern of their's since she had been abandoned by her mother who left the village.  Chichi, who is 5 years old, is being cared for by a 'Big Brother' figure as well as by Bill and Donna.


Bill & Donna and Chichi

The 'Pied Piper' of Ascension








 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Sign in Front of the Shops at Ascension

 

Following a lunch of 'cheese and ham' sandwiches, bananas and a cookie, some us us did some bartering in the artisan shops in the village.  We then departed for a nearby mountain village to see an after-school program run by Elfredo and Pastor Joseph. The program is held in the church, a very crude structure, using 'folding chair' desks, not unlike those that some of us would have encountered at university 40 or 50 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elfredo Accepts Our Donations

We sang 'Oh Canada' (accompanied by Bill on the pipes) and they returned the favour with a rousing rendition of the DR National Anthem which seemed to go on forever. We left school supplies with Elfredo that overwhelmed him. The tiny office/storeroom was groaning under the weight of materials that we left behind.

Students Singing their National Anthem





Bill gave us our 'Inspiration' this (much drier) morning. Extending the theme from yesterday he spoke about the perfect, unconditional nature of Love as taught and demonstrated by Jesus, during his ministry. To create justice, we must learn to accept and give love in this manner.



House Exterior at 9 a.m.

We then had a quick breakfast, boarded the bus and were off to Nazareth Village where most of us spent the day. Jane Huizinga, from Samaritan Foundation, met with us there and received soccer equipment for 6 teams (donated by The Georgetown Soccer Club), to go to 'Dominican Advance' Schools in Nazareth and Paradise Villages. We painted another house built with funds from 'Servant's Heart Ministries'. This one is still under construction so we didn't have to deal with furniture. We learned something new - the walls have to be 'sanded' before they are painted in order to remove the imperfections and dirt. We used blocks of stone for this task and quickly had the surface smoothed. Then the whole house had to be swept to remove all the resulting dirt and sand. Our experienced crew soon had the priming done and it was time to break for lunch. We congregated in the medical clinic where some of the team had spent the morning cleaning and reorganizing. 



Exterior of House in the Afternoon

Bea 'Sanding' a Wall

A contingent of 3 team members took a trip to Emanuel Village in the morning to deliver refurbished computers to the school. The director was ecstatic to have these computers. He had recently received a gift of microscopes and balances, so he now had the requirements for outfitting both a Science Lab and a Computer Lab!! The school will soon be undergoing a Government inspection which is required for accreditation, and this equipment will be in place.

Following lunch we spent time with Phil and Donna Williams to learn more about the work of 'Servant's Heart Ministries' in the Dominican and to 'pick their brains' about where we might best allocate the funds which we raised back in Canada. This was a productive session which will greatly assist us in our deliberations to allocate money later in the week.



Interior of House in Afternoon

Debbie & Helen Cleaning

In the afternoon the team was reorganized and some remained at the clinic to freshen the paint on the exterior and interior. The cleaning crew continued to wipe down shelving and generally clean the interior of the building. Back at the house the remaining workers put a finish coat of paint on the inside and outside. The inside of the house will need one more coat of white paint but the blue exterior looks great. This house is going to a teacher from 'Nest of Love' school in nearby Emanuel Village (where the computers were delivered).

Theresa in the Hairdressing Salon

Seamstress Class

We then left Nazareth for Paradise Village where we toured the technical school facilities built with funds from 'Spruceland Lumber' in Alberta. This company has contributed a lot of money into the projects in this and other 'Samaritan' villages. We visited the wood shop, cosmetician, and sewing facilities of the school and were greatly impressed with the quality of the classrooms and programs of the school. These programs will provide 100's of young people with the skills needed for a promising future.

Through the night rain fell steadily, with periodic deluges which wakened me several times. All I could think was,”This doesn't sound good!” It was still coming down in sheets at 7 am when I was to lead the morning 'Inspiration Time', which is normally held outdoors, so we gathered in one room. I spoke on Micah 6:8, focusing on the meaning of 'justice' in our modern consumer society, ending with a joint reading of a 'covenant prayer' composed by John Wesley in the 18^th century. To sum it up briefly, we must share the earth's resources more equitably and help the less able to achieve the basic requirements of a dignified life.



Interior of House at 9 a.m.

Exterior of House at 9 a.m.

Though our bodies were dampened our spirits were not as we boarded our bus to head off for the days work. A team of painters was dropped at the home of Pastora Nieves, a single mom with 3 'teenagers', where we were to paint the inside and outside of the building. This seemed rather unlikely to happen, since it was still pouring rain when we started on the inside. In less than 2 hours, we had primed the whole of the inside – living room, 3 bedrooms, kitchen and bathroom!! The rain let up and just enough sun dried the exterior to allow priming. We then left to join with the second team for lunch at Villa Liberacion, where 2 team members had spent the morning cleaning up a medical clinic in preparation for painting in the afternoon, while the remainder of the team worked with 50 children to make bead necklaces.  For entertainment they danced the 'Hokey Pokey' and played basketball.



Interior of House at 3 p.m.

Exterior of House 3:15 p.m.

The 'Bead Necklace' Group of Girls (and friends)

 Following a nourishing lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches, buns with jam and a banana, chased with cold water, we divided into new groups for the afternoon. Seven of us returned to the house painting while the rest stayed behind – some to paint the clinic and others to work with some older girls in the community and do fingernail painting. The weather cooperated enough for us to finish the 'colour coat' on the house by 3 o'clock, followed by hugs all around. The 'Liberacion' group also achieved their goals and we boarded the bus for 'home' by 4 o'clock, thankful that we able to accomplish so much on a day that had seemed doomed at the outset.
  

The 'Fingernail' Group of Girls

Journey 2013 arrived safe and sound in the Dominican Republic yesterday (Sat) around 6 pm DR Time (hour ahead of EST) after a snowy sendoff from Ontario. It was cloudy and 30oC but cleared by 8 when we went to supper.

This morning our group was picked up my Manuel with his newly refurbished bus. Manuel is an amazing bus driver and an amazing human being. He has been our bus driver for 3 of the last 4 years and a mutual affection has developed. We went to a church service in Sosua Abejo, where some of us had painted part of the exterior of the attached school last year. They were anxiously anticipating our arrival, in fact they thought we were arriving last week so they were doubly prepared. A multimedia system, including screen, sound equipment, drums, keyboard, 3 guitars and many fine voices made for a lively celebration. Two translators helped us understand the mostly Spanish service. We Canadians sang 3 pieces of music accompanied by Bill on the bagpipes (a small 'traveler' instrument ), which greatly amused them. They joined with us in singing 'Amazing Grace' is 2 languages. Following the service, a number of them tried their lungs on the pipes, some with surprisingly good results.

Following some refreshments and conversation with our hosts, we departed for the town of Sosua where we had lunch at 'Michael's' (father of one our translators). We had ordered ahead so we didn't have to wait too long for our wonderful meals – Chicken Cordon Bleu, Lemon Chicken, Sea Bass, Mixed BBQ, Etc. The total bill, including tip, was $10 American each!!

With stomach's groaning, we left to see the house we were sponsoring for a single mom and her 4 kids. Her first husband, a Canadian with whom she had one son, committed suicide. She remarried an older gentleman who fathered her next three children. Tragically he died of a heart attack, witnessed by the family. The new house is beside her present house, a derelict shack built of scrap lumber. She was understandably very emotional upon meeting with her benefactors. To give you an idea of her poverty, her refrigerator held a bottle of water, a part bottle of juice and a small bowl of rice. She plans to fix up her present house and rent it out as a source of income for her family. I suspect we will be helping her in this regard. The village where she lives is on a steep hillside and I imagine the pathways are very treacherous in wet weather, but at least they will be protected from the elements much better in their new home.