Final Day in Dominican - February, 22, 2019

Outside the resort waiting for our ride, we met Manuel with his bus.  Manuel is a long time acquaintance in the Dominican, as we used to hire him when we worked for the Samaritan Foundation. When our ride arrived, went to Loma for our final time this morning.  The whole staff was there for a 'debriefing' where each person has an opportunity to speak about their experience.  Many thanks were exchanged and many suggestions given from both sides.  Back to the resort for packing and check out at 1:00 p.m.  Ate lunch at an American style buffet of burgers, dogs, french fries, nachos and pizza.  Bea says we should have gone to the regular restaurant for beans and rice and salad.  We are now busy killing time before departure to the airport at 4:20 p.m.

 Fish and Water Lily outside Restaurant

 Changing Green Flag to Yellow for Surf Conditions

Manuel and His Bus

 Manuel and Vic

 View out Back 

Loma - Thursday, February 21, 2019

The best laid plans......we arrived at Loma to discover the wood we needed for today was at the bottom of the pile delivered yesterday after we left.  Once the 'chicken coopers' arrived and shifted their dozens of timbers, we were able to get to work.  While Vic and John cut pieces, Bea got busy with the 'termite juice'.  By lunchtime, all pieces were ready to install.  

After lunch we did a mini-tour of Loma to visit Victoria, for whom a house was built by Servant's Heart in 2015 and paid for by St Luke's Lutheran Church in Kitchener.  Victoria (a grandmother) came running up the hill from her house in bare feet, arms outstretched and yelling our names:  "John & Bea, John & Bea".  Following hugs, Victoria ran back down to her house and grabbed her latest grandson and ran back up the hill to show him off.  We resisted her invitation to visit with the family and see changes to her house in order to carry on with our tour.  We then went to the home of Maria Estes, for whom a house was built in 2014.  Journey 2014 painted her house and this year she received a chicken coop, compliments of Team Ridgetown.  

Vic, Bea and John finished the closet shelves in the afternoon and hung the last cupboard door in the classroom, followed by some celebratory photos and a bit of silliness.  The staff were overjoyed with all the improvements to the Community Centre.  They have started a list for next year.

 View from the Breakfast Table

 Murphy's Law of Need - the lighter wood is what we need

 Getting started an Hour Late

 Chicken Coop Construction

 Nothing is Wasted

 Vic MacGyver at Work

 Students practicing for Independence Day on February 27th

 Victoria running to Greet Us

 Bea and Victoria

 Maria's Chicken Coop under Construction

 Maria's House

 New Art Tables

More Shelves in Office Closet

 Orquidea, Wendy and Rebecca Testing the New Shelves

 The Mighty Trio - John, Bea and Vic 

Shelves and Cupboards in a Classroom

Another Fine Sunset to end the Day

Loma - Wednesday, February 20, 2019

What started out looking like another busy day ended up being half a busy day for Vic and John, who ran out of wood in the early afternoon.  We finished the second art table and put doors on the two cabinets in one of the classrooms.  Orquidea found some busy work - putting up a key holder in the office and levelling the legs on 4 student tables.  Then Risa, found another key holder that she asked me to put up in the kitchen.  She fooled us by using it to hang up the dish cloths to dry.  We passed the delivery truck as we were leaving to return to the resort.

Bea's day joined the women from the Ridgetown group in the morning and visited the Pregnancy Education Centre, then did some home visits of mothers with babies, including a set of twin boys.  

In the afternoon Bea returned to Loma for more termite-proofing of the second desk.  She and Donna visited a garden project started by Eddy, who lives near the Community Centre.  The Ridgetown folks contributed a watering system to the gardens using plastic piping.  Donna introduced Bea to the 'breadman' and some of his family.

After supper Vic, Bea and John met with Phil and Donna for discussion over tea and coffee at the Balogna Restaurant (seriously).  

 Rebecca doing a Presentation at the Pregnancy Education Centre

 Making a Home Visit

 Twin Boys entertain some young ladies

Orquidea testing out her new Key Holder 

 Orquidea is Pleased with the newly Covered Bulletin Board

 John mounting another 'key' holder in the kitchen

Risa used it to hang her dish cloths

 Eddy's Garden

 Bea and Donna visited the 'Breadman' & his wife & grand daughter

 'Grandchildren' 10 and 11

 John leveling Tables

Dario& Rebeca's daughter

Sosua by the Sea Resort

Sosua - Second Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Lots happening today.  We all went to Loma to start the day's work.  Vic and John cut plywood for table tops and cupboard doors.  The rest of the morning was spent sanding the pieces and assembling an Art Table.  Bea then went to Cangrejo to Kairos de Christo School in the open air truck, but she got to ride in the cab.  She would later return to Loma on a bench seat in the back.  At the school she did covering of books with contact paper and also observed the shoebox distribution.  In the afternoon we returned to Loma.  Bea did more anti-termite painting and John attached the cabinet to the wall in the Art Room and finished mounting the hardware.  We had to work around the Ridgetown 'chicken coopers' who got a lot of components put together and covered with wire mesh.
We returned to the resort in the Acura 'White Knight'.  After supper, Bea and John went for a 'romantic' stroll while awaiting the rising of the 'Super Snow Moon', the closest full moon of 2019.

 Students Waiting for the Tutoring Class at Loma

 John & Vic marking and cutting Plywood

 Kelvin Sanding the edges of the Plywood

 Director Marta praying with the Students at Kairos de Christo School

 Bea and Wendy got to ride on the Open Air Truck - Woo-hoo!!

 Finishing Art Table #1

 Bea Putting Anti-termite Juice on the Table

 Ridgetown Team building a Chicken Coop

 Completed Locking Cabinet in the Art Room

 Waiting for the 'Super Snow Moon' to Appear

And Here it is!!

Loma - Monday, February 18, 2019

We had an earlier pickup today and stopped by the lumber yard for more supplies.  Vic and I cut out and sanded pieces to build two more art tables.  We also made doors and put them on the locking cabinet in the art room.  I took pictures of the paved road into Loma village.  We were told that many roads are being improved because of the 911 service.  

Bea and Donna went to Kairos de Christo (Cangrejo) School in the morning.  Bea got a quick tour to see the changes to the school and took pictures of some of our projects from past years.  They then counted and sorted shoebox gifts for the children to receive tomorrow.  They also began covering texts books with clear contact paper for protection.  

After lunch we all returned to Loma, where we were locked out of the Community Centre, so we did a road tour of the village to see some of the houses built by Servant's Heart Ministries Teams.  We had never before seen the extent of the village.  We eventually got into the building and got back to work.  Later on the group from Ridgetown, Ontario arrived for a briefing session and a tour.  They will be building chicken coops for some of the families and doing VBS and other activities.

 The Road to Loma has been Paved since Last Year

 Front of the Loma Community Centre

 Locking Cabinet for the Art Room

 Arrival of Team from Ridgetown Ontario

 Future Shade Tree in Kairos de Christo School Yard

 Welcome Sign in Former Library Area

 Dominican Flag made with Bottle Caps

 Cupboards We Made 2 Years ago and added to Last Year

 Staff Room where the Cupboards Are

 A Grade 3 Class in Kairos de Christo School

 Cupboards Built Last Year in Primary Room

 Primary Room

Bea and Donna Cover Books with Contact Paper

Beautiful Flowers in Loma