El Ultimo Dia

The last day of work is always a little difficult. I am relieved that we moved the last block from the stack down the hill, that there were enough "funditas" (bags) for the children at VBS despite what appeared to be WAAAY too many children for the number of funditas, and that so many children came to VBS today (about 200 - standing room only). But, it's a bit sad that it's over and that we'll be going home soon. I, for one, feel so distant from my life in Virginia - especially from work. It's hard to think about going back.

Today, while Claudio and Padre Jim were on the roof, I stood watching the ladder and making sure no one took off with it. In the morning when I had this job, I just watched people in the street going about their business, old women buying food for lunch, children playing or running errands, men standing and waiting for something to happen. A number of people talked to me and said hello. This afternoon was a totally different experience. About 10 kids were there waiting for VBS to start. When they saw the ladder coming around the corner, they gathered around me. A few of them stood on the lower steps so we were eye-to-eye for once (bending over and trying to understand a chiquita that's only 2 feet tall is really hard). We chatted about la escuela, las canciones, their lives, the other americanos. It was nice to just have some time to be with the children outside the chaos and noise of VBS. One of the girls kept brushing my hair out of my face and patting my arm. I speak enough Spanish that we could talk for a long time, and I could keep them from clambering too far up the ladder.

Then, VBS. We had enough bags. Total chaos didn't erupt. The children were very sad to see us go. We also almost ran out of crayons. It's always strange to me how such a small thing - crayons - can become a crisis. To tell a little boy who is sitting there quietly holding a picture that we have no more crayons, to have children come up with one crayon and calmly exchange it for another, to feel swarmed by children when you're holding the crayon box - all of this is just difficult in its own way. There is never enough. They have so little and we don't have enough to give them. But, many of them faithfully come. Many of them hug us on the way in and on the way out. They bring letters for their favorite jovenes (our young people). A few little boys were trying to roll up their sleeves on their tshirts just like Mateo. So, it's not really about the crayons or the pictures or the funditas. There is something deeper happening. It's not always apparent what exactly it is we are giving them. But, it is always clear to me that we need to be here.

Margret

Margret - post work

Jill promised me 10 bucks for pictures of sweaty armpits. Is this good enough?
This is Margret post-250 blocks on Wednesday. We got smarter today and worked better so we weren't as tired by the time lunch arrived. It's still a toss-up as to which thing is more exhausting - moving 200 blocks or handing out beads for necklaces to 200 kids in one giant room, speaking Spanish, and full of electric energy. I'd ponder it, but it's too tiring.


More attractive are the children -

Is it ONLY Thursday, or ALREADY Thursday???

Just a few notes from Martha:

Wow. What a week it's been. Our trip here was as smooth as we've ever had it. No, our bags were not all lined up when we got into baggage claim, but they DID all arrive! Our bus trip to Santiago was excellent. I was able to direct the bus driver to the Hotel Colonial without a single wrong turn. (Yes, miracles happen.)

The five young people who are new to the trip have been real troopers. They seem to absorb each new experience like old hands at the game. (Speaking of which, we're now playing a card game called Golf.) They are all making efforts to use Spanish, they're all snapping pictures and scarfing up eggplant at dinner. A really good group for sure. We may go out for Helados Bon tonight!

Highlights so far:
Hugs from Hipólito, Dulcina and the family.
Seeing familiar faces.
The new kitten at the hotel.
Learning a couple new songs.
Singing (shouting?) the familiar songs.
Passing LOTS of block hand to hand.
Seeing Glennys.
Talking to Ercilia on the phone.
Looking forward to the end of the week and transfer to the Gran Ventana.

Challenges so far:
The heat.
Many repetitions of passing block from hand to hand.
Forearms that hurt from many reps of passing concrete block.
Not having quite enough VBS supplies... 200 kids????? On Wednesday????
Watching Poly, Lilian and the kids grieve for the sick puppy who died today.
Noticing that P. Hipólito is having a tough time w/ his hip.

Photos, well I'm not going to get them downloaded tonight. Suffice to say that I have a few and hope they're really good. Now, I'm off to dinner... eggplant again! :-) I'll eat some ice cream for you.

More block... and then some more block...

Our major project is moving the deliveries of cinder block from the street down to the house. More block is coming tomorrow (by Thursday we'll be dreaming of walking with concrete block).

The cinder block has to be walked over this bridge which is not the most stable piece of engineering.

But, before it goes over the bridge, we have to bring it down these stairs.
And, before it goes down the stairs it's passed along this walkway up the hill (and past an outhouse).

After ALL of THAT, the block ends up on this pile near the house.

We spent our morning moving more concrete block across the river in a long chain of people. Then, the afternoon was spent at VBS. More kids than yesterday - almost 200 packed into the church singing like crazy and learning about Noah.

First day of VBS....

This morning, moving block and then some block and then some more block after that. There's another pile to move. All 12 of use worked for about 2 hours to get a stack of concrete block from one side of a river to another, down some stairs, across a rickety bridge, over a path. Block after block after block. We'll move it from the new pile to the mason who will make it into a wall.

Then, our afternoon was spent with over 100 children from the neighborhood of the church. Singing, making masks, coloring, talking. There really is no describing the unbridled energy in that room when they all come in.

Day 2

Hello all!

Yesterday, we had a smooth trip into the country. Along our way home, we were stopped on the side of the road by some old friends, Poli and Lilian and their children, to welcome us into the country. We had a relaxing night at the hotel and our usual dinner complete with the fried eggplant we are known to fight over on occasion.

Today, we went to church in the morning at Cristo Salvador (where Padre Hipolito, our host) is priest. We had three sermons - one for each priest, Padre Jim, Padre Poli and Padre Hipolito. I didn't really feel "here" until we walked into the church and the singing started. In some ways, even though it's been 2 years since I was last here, it feels like I never left. Many of our friends are still at the church. The kids just keep getting bigger and bigger.

After a restful afternoon at Padre Hipolito's home catching up, talking politics and eating, we're back at the Hotel Colonial for dinner. We watched a video about the 50th anniversary of Padre Hipolito's ordination celebration. Katie was teaching some of us to merengue and salsa, but I wouldn't expect a demo when we get back. We're not very good... yet. Matt needs to work on bending his knees.

Tomorrow, the work begins. We'll be working on a house in the barrio of Pastor where the church is and then doing vacation bible school in the afternoon. 2 hours of vacation bible school with about 100 singing, excited, enthusiastic children is more tiring than moving concrete block and cement in the morning.

More to report manana....

Margret

Preparations

If you were to get a glimpse into the 10 households where the Dominican Republic Mission Team members live, I'll bet you could identify with most of the activity as we get ready to leave for our trip.

In at least one house you'd actually see a couple of bags ready to be loaded up for the 4 a.m. rendezvous at Dulles Airport on Saturday. In another house or two you'd find a pile of clothes recently bought to match the requirements on the packing list. In yet another house, the traveler is trying to remember just which safe place holds that precious passport. I can tell you that in my house there are lists made and items sorted... none of it is actually packed. But, hey, we don't leave for another 54 hours!!

As the DR 2008 team prepares to leave, we are bundles of excitement and anxiety. But there are other emotions, too. We know behind each of us are the faces of the St. Anne's community we represent. During our evening meetings, we will express our thanks for the congregation we've temporarily left behind. And when we return, I hope that we'll be able to find the words to tell you just how much we appreciate the opportunity to be part of St. Anne's family out in God's wondrous, wide world.