Hi friends and family,
Today, Stephanie and I (Anais) were leaders on a very special day. We started off the chilly morning by waking up at 6:30 and having breakfast at 7. We had oatmeal along with yummy watermelon slices. After, we did a mental warm-up and learned about water sanitation in the mountain communities where many people get sick from not having proper filtration systems. We then headed to one of those communities (unfortunately Brenda and Angela stayed back with upset stomachs) where we went to help out with various tasks.
Many of us had a DELICIOUS cup of Santo Domingo coffee and some of us had other food offered by the generous families such as blackberries, sandwiches, and herbs to make tea for our upset stomachs. The tasks consisted of mopping, washing dishes, doing laundry, and helping prepare a YUMMY lunch. For lunch, the main dish was locrio de pollo which was a rice dish with spices and chicken. We also had white rice, fried eggplant, avocado, and potato salad. After lunch, we all played with the local children where we colored, painted nails, played tag, and did many many piggyback rides (shoutout to Tyler the horse, which was a nickname given by a local kid).
Sadly, we had to depart and say our final goodbyes to the very lovely families we had the pleasure to meet and spend time with. We all will treasure and remember the wonderful time we had with one another and the stories they told. Once we were back at Dilenia’s, we reflected on our experiences. We got together with our groups and got vulnerable and expressed our feelings after such an amazing experience. Afterward, we dressed up and prepared to give a presentation on the Community Action Plan (CAP) that we will be starting to work on tomorrow. Alondra and Yoanna were brave enough to explain our plans to the President of the neighborhood association. We spoke about how to improve our plans in a better way to help the community. After, we all took some very cute pictures that we can’t wait to share with one another!
Dinner was ready at 7 and we had mashed potatoes with yuca, zucchini, eggplants, and carrots, as well as cheese with peppers. Once dinner was over, we had some free time before heading up to the nightly meeting where we announced what we did during the day and shared how much fun we had before handing the leadership roles over. Tomorrow, the incredible Alyssa, Sophia, and Andres will be in charge of CAP Day 1! We had a spectacular time being leaders and spending time with our host families who we will remember forever.
Can’t wait to start working tomorrow,
Anais Arellanes and Stephanie Hernandez