Tuesday, February 25, 2014

It was another beautiful warm, sunny morning.  I gave the ‘Inspirational Talk’ this morning.  I talked about the importance of relationships and community.  I read a ‘Letter to the Editor” from the Toronto Star from 2007 in which a High School student, a Muslim girl, was asked to do volunteer work at a community hall, which turned out to be in an Italian Catholic church.  While she does not celebrate Christmas she was asked to help children make ornaments and simple gifts at different centres.  During the morning, an elderly lady came up and hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks, all the while rambling on in Italian.  The girl had no idea what was said, but knew it was a heartfelt and unique experience.  The girl later learned that the lady was telling her, “ It doesn’t matter that I don’t know you or where you are from, we are all alike in some ways”.   The girl who wrote the letter said that it gave her a new attitude towards others, and a hope for the future.

Our work here in the DR it is no different, we are always helping others whom we do not know and who don’t know us, but by working side by side we are equals and while we speak different languages we feel connected by the fact of our humanity.  It is one of the things that keeps me coming back year after year to do what little I can to make another person’s journey through life a little easier.  It is about giving hope. 

Today our team visited the senior’s residence in Puerto Plata that we visited last year.  We entertained them with singing and presented them with simple gifts.  The ladies were treated to manicures and the men to baseball caps.  Some residents were given hair trims by one of our team members, who is a hairdresser by profession.   A few of us played dominoes with the men.  Gift bags were left with the nuns who run the residence, to be distributed as needed.  Fabrics and sewing items were also donated.  We then spent the remainder of the day painting all of the walls surrounding the courtyard and hallways of the facility.  The nuns were overwhelmed with our generosity and thanked us over and over. 

The Seniors Were Waiting

Sister Explaining What to Do

Tom & Pauline Paint the Railing

Nahlah Cutting a Resident’s Hair

Jim Paints the Top

Bea Paints the Bottom

Chuck Paints in Between

Note:  During last year’s visit were learned that the nuns needed a new sewing machine, which has now been purchased.  We didn’t get to see it because a woodworker has taken it to his shop in order to build a more substantial work table for it.  The nun’s old sewing machine has also been sent off to be repaired.