No electricity, bucket showers, and light meals: this is how we started the day.
Lisalot prepared bread and hot chocolate for breakfast. Meals were light all day because we wanted to make the experience of living like a local authentic. Once we finished breakfast, Juan Pablo picked us up, and we went to Bejuco Aplastado where we were separated into 5 groups and were assigned a host family. Our hosts family took us to their homes; there we were treated as part of the family. Our host families were hesitant to give us chores because they wanted to impress us, but all of us wanted to help and show them how thankful we felt for giving us the opportunity to spend the whole morning with them.
The families appreciated us helping them and our presence seemed to delight them overall. The families were very humble and even though they didn’t have much they wanted to “compartir” (share) everything they had with us.
It was a wonderful experience, and it is obvious that we’ve all found a home away from home. Some of us even found long lost siblings because all the kids were so welcoming and appreciated everything we did for them and their families. After helping the families with house cleaning and cooking, we went to the community gathering area where we were able to socialize with the families, play dominoes, and baseball. Apparently, our baseball team was named “Los Tramposos.” (The Cheaters)
Desiree: I hope you are having fun! Love you Bestfriend! Can’t wait to see you when you get back and get some tacos. I haven’t broken our promise lol.
Alejandra and Desiree,
What a wonderful post! It’s never easy to walk in someone else’s shoes or life! Your post truly represents your understanding of the essence of your journey! Wow! You all are so blessed in so many ways from this incredible enlightening of life through your host families! Great Job! You had me in tears…just hearing that the families welcomed you so openly and freely shared whatever they had with you all!
I am so thankful that each of could contribute to a families daily life in DR and understand the effects of your contribution! I hope this work/chore experience will change your perspective of chores at home, too!…lol!
Everything looks great but I have a question for the leaders. When our kids can call again. It’ll be nice for the parents.thanks
Good morning Desiree & Alejandra,
It’s really amazing to see you both, at such a young taking on such selfless, altruistic acts and completely immersing yourself into the culture of another. I’m so happy to see you both making a difference. Those little faces are so happy you are there with them and we are very proud of you all. Theses experiences will remain with you for the rest of your lives. Be sure to enjoy each and every experience to the fullest. Soon you’ll be back home and one day you will look back and be even more thankful for such an opportunity and experience of a lifetime.
Desiree, what a great way to test the waters and immerse yourself into the line of work you want to do in the future. Wow. One thing is for us to have talked about this and but it must be quite another to actually experience it firsthand. I’m not exactly sure you know how proud I am of you but like Elias/’Yaya’ would say, it’s “too much, too much.” ?
Love you 360 (…in a tiny little circle)
Hi Desiree it’s me JoJo
Happy to see you and i am fixing your mine craft world . I am going to help mom . And take your hamster a bath .
Mil gracias ha esas familias q los aceptaron en sus casas,quizas ofreciendoles a ustedes lo mejor q tienen.Espero q este jesto no pase desapercibido para ustedes y se los agradescan de corazon.
Se q esta experiencia va a ser inolvidable para mi hija y para todos en el grupo.
Sean humildes y sepan apreciar todo lo q la gente humilde y sencilla de Bonaho les brinda.
Saludos a todos y un beso y un fuerte abrazo para ti Ale.