Hey Bay Area Glimpsers!

We are Flora Maciel and Camilo Maldonado, your Program Coordinators in the town of San Cristobal. We are excited to see you in just a couple days, ¿aren’t you excited too? We have so many great people, places and stories to show you! We have stayed busy here, planning and preparing all the activities that we hope will make this a meaningful, adventurous and memorable summer for all of you. We’d also like to take this time to share just a little about us:

I (Flora) was born in a rural community in Michoacan, Mexico and immigrated to your neighboring state, Oregon, before I turned six years old. I have a degree in Sociology and a growing curiosity to learn more about the people who live all over this planet. I have spent some time traveling around Ecuador, Perú, Belize, Canada, Morocco, Spain and Mexico.

And I (Camilo) come from Caracas, Venezuela. I left my country four years ago due to a major crisis and I’ve been travelling ever since (Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, Haiti and the D.R.). This journey has opened my eyes and mind in so many ways that now it’s not just about growing personally, but also about serving and providing others with skills and tools so they can grow as well.

The people from this region of the Dominican Republic are very warm and welcoming and we are ready for you to be impacted by them in many ways! All of our community partners are eager to meet and share experience with you; we are especially excited for you to explore the Cuevas de Pomier, an anthropological reserve in SC.

Don’t forget to triple check your packing list for dress code expectations and other important items. We will be living among the hot and humid weather of the caribbean so don’t forget the next quite essential items:

1.- Sunscreen
2.- Bug spray

3.- Water bottle

4.- The mightiest closed toed shoes you can find!

5.- And a rain jacket / poncho (or even both) to keep you dry during the random

     and quite unpredictable spurts of tropical rain!

Get ready for your minds and hearts to be transformed throughout our time together in the Dominican Republic! Wishing you a safe flight and we’ll see you at the airport on Sunday!!

Adios,

Flora and Camilo