Wednesday March 28, 2012
Much to her surprise, Deacon Cecily was asked to perform the service in Spanish this morning. She was so nervous, her muscles tense, but she did a wonderful job. Today the groups switched up and D’janna, Franki, Deacon Cecily, Alejandra, Ashleigh H and me(Kim) began painting a new house while Kathy Alex Ashley P, Brooklynn, Ellenie, Elizabeth Bintah and D'aesha worked with the kids at the church. Although there was some fuss, everyone generally enjoyed their jobs for the day. This was the first time Franki, Alejandra and I had got to see a house here. The houses here are totally different to what we are used to seeing. The houses we worked on were made of concrete, had no running water or electricity. Outhouses are used and women cook outside and wash clothes in big basins before hanging their clothes to dry on outside wires. In addition, many people walk around without shoes. They live in the simplest of life styles. It really puts everything into perspective and makes us feel grateful for everything we have at home.
At the school, everyone began to become more organized with the children by separating them into four groups and having each group do a different activity. The children made yarn dolls, colored, traced, cut out and decorated their hands, and all talked in a circle with Bintah, one of our more fluent Spanish speaking girls. This helped to ease some of the trouble communicating.
Later in the evening, our Dominican friend, Lissandra, came over to the Kellogg Center, painted our nails and took us out for a night of Dominican club dancing. In addition, Jeiro and Francisco (the boys from the first house we painted) also visited and we arm wrestled and hung out with them. It was a really amazing opportunity for those that had not gotten to meet them and those that had were especially excited to be seeing them again. Overall, we are continuing to grow attachments to the people here, and beginning to have a greater appreciation of one another, their lives and ours.
At the school, everyone began to become more organized with the children by separating them into four groups and having each group do a different activity. The children made yarn dolls, colored, traced, cut out and decorated their hands, and all talked in a circle with Bintah, one of our more fluent Spanish speaking girls. This helped to ease some of the trouble communicating.
Later in the evening, our Dominican friend, Lissandra, came over to the Kellogg Center, painted our nails and took us out for a night of Dominican club dancing. In addition, Jeiro and Francisco (the boys from the first house we painted) also visited and we arm wrestled and hung out with them. It was a really amazing opportunity for those that had not gotten to meet them and those that had were especially excited to be seeing them again. Overall, we are continuing to grow attachments to the people here, and beginning to have a greater appreciation of one another, their lives and ours.