Working with the local community ☕️

Hello families and friends! Liya and Mathilde here! We had so much fun being the group leaders today!

Today was an extremely productive day as working in coffee fields as locals and developed an idea of how coffee was produced. After waking up early to the crow of the rooster, we ate a nutritious breakfast. We were educated on Miguel’s self managed coffee business and how locals on the fields worked, and then experienced this labor first hand. As volunteers, we were split into two groups: one group plucked weeds surrounding coffee plants while the others threw away defective plants. This was tedious and tiring work but by working in groups and with the help of music in the background (thanks Naldo), we were able to power through the work quickly and efficiently. This helped the glimpsers develop a deeper underunderstanding of how native Dominicans earned their living. Experiencing the creation of coffee led to dirt all over our clothes and hands, so we freshened up and had a hearty lunch. We learned about the background of Cafe Monte Alto, and then made our way to their factory to see where the magic was made. Coffee making is a long process, starting from the growing of coffee plants to the extraction, washing, sorting, and roasting of the beans. Kudos to everyone that’s a part of the production of the rich, dark beans that we find in our coffee every day! Our day was beautifully interrupted by the thundering skies and heavy rain, so we tried a hot cup of freshly brewed coffee at Cafe Monte Alto to warm ourselves up. After arriving home, we got free time, in which all the Glimpsers bonded over volleyball in the rain, dominos, and cheerleading! We all shared laughs over dinner, in which some of us were lucky enough to see the colorful sunset of orange, purple, and pinks! After an exhausting day, we ended with a lively nightly meeting and passed our torch over to the next leaders of the day ?

Everyone is so grateful for what we got to experience today, especially the coffee tasting! On a real note, it was amazing to have an insider perspective on the farming and production of coffee beans. We will definitely think of today every time we have a drink at Starbucks!

Parents please keep the comments coming as we love to read them out loud! Spread the love!

Liya: Hi Dada and Ryan, don’t have too much fun in India without me, and make sure to buy me a new dress ? Hi Mama, hope you’re having a relaxing time without the ruckus and mess that me and Ryan create in the house (make the most of the next week)!

Mathilde: Bonjour Maman, Papa, et Thomas, je vous aimes beaucoup! J’ espere que vous passez des bons moments a la maison, vous me manquez beaucoup! J’ai hate de vous retrouver! I love you Berto <3