Playing On The Playa (Juan Dolio)

Hola todos (hello everybody)!

Noe Morales and Alex Miyamoto here as Lideres Del Dia! Today was a very fun and productive day with the theme- Adventure Fun Day!

After spending a restful night in Juan Dolio, we nearly slept through our alarm clock, waking up at 6:30 AM. Afterward, we ate a quick breakfast and headed off to the beach. We had a super fun day at Playa Juan Dolio: we swam in the warm Caribbean water, played volleyball and soccer, danced, and even performed some cheerleading stunts. We caught a quick ride back to our hostel, thanks to our driver Jose, and jumped into the pool for a last dip. We had a light (and then slightly competitive) volleyball game that ended in hugs and laughs, and then we enjoyed a delicious chicken and rice meal for lunch. Happy and fulfilled, we hopped onto the bus for our adventure back to Jarabacoa. There, we returned to the hostel, had a quick seminar meeting regarding our CAP (community action project) and a wonderful hamburger and french fries dinner. As usual, we ended our experience with a nightly meeting – we communicated our group’s roses and thorns, leader pluses and wishes, and then some heartfelt words of big love to each other.

“JA1C” learned that we are capable of having fun at the pool and beach while also committing to the productive work regarding our community action project. I (Noe) felt a bit nervous at first about being leader of the day but felt more confident as the day went on. I am proud that I was able to do a good job leading the group and that everyone was getting along through different activities. I (Alex) was pleasantly surprised that beach soccer is a lot harder than I thought and gets you tired very fast.

We both felt that leading the group was a little awkward at first; telling our peers to do tasks felt strange. However, as the day went on, we both began to gain confidence in our ability to lead a productive AND fun day. The most inspiring moment as a leader was getting to know my peers better as I had one-on-one discussion with everyone. We also thought that gaining respect from our peers was inspiring.

As leaders, we acted with compassion today by creating personal, individual notes for each glimpser, giving positive affirmations which encouraged them and hopefully brightened their day. As a group, we shared camaraderie by playing sports together and talking to each other which resulted in a stronger bond. And we all proved our commitment by having a meaningful brainstorming discussion about our CAP. Looking back tonight, today really showed us that we can balance serious discussions with fun as well, always maintaining upbeat energy and high spirits.

I (Alex) want to give a Big Love Shoutout to my mom and John back home!  I (Noe) want to send some Big Love to my parents and siblings.

Time to pass the torch to Erica, leading the Deconstructing Poverty Day. We wish her the best!

Signing off for tonight!