Days 53-75
 |
| Jarabacoa |
After the
tournament in Santo Domingo, I was pretty worn out. It was a great experience interacting and
coaching the kids, but it left me dragging the following week. Luckily for me, the Dominicans know how to
relax and recuperate – so the sisters let me have a little time to myself in
the mountainous town of Jarabacoa.
During this
time, I was to accompany Ronald (a young volunteer in Barahona) to a retreat in
Jarabacoa, which is in the center of the country. Before I departed, Sor Elizabeth told me to
bring a jacket for the night time. I
almost laughed when she told me this, but did so anyway, thinking that she was
just not used to cool weather.
Jarabacoa
is a beautiful green town known as, “The city of everlasting spring” and is
quite a bit different from the rest of the country. Fruits and vegetables grown in abundance and
the population shares its heritage not only with the Spaniards, but a small
population of Japanese immigrants as well.
Clouds roll through the mountains in the morning and the sky clears up
by mid day, giving the air a crisp and cool feel. Of course, Sor Elizabeth was right: I did
need my jacket at night as the temperatures dropped well below 50 degrees.
 |
| Vicente, Antonio, and I |
During my
stay in Jarabacoa, I was able to meet other volunteers who are serving in the
DR: Vicente from Spain, Antonio from Italy, Malou from France, and Tony from the
Dominican Republic. We could all speak
Spanish (for the most part) and a little English as well, so it was nice to be
able to rely on a second language when the first doesn’t always work. Together, we were able to go to a beautiful
mass to celebrate 3 priests who’ve been serving for 50 years and the reception
afterwards. Following the reception, we
took a hike in the mountains to visit a Trappist monastery that looked like it
was from a movie. Besides the gorgeous
view of the surrounding mountains, a waterfall was hidden behind the monastery in
the dense forest that offered time for reflection and meditation. At night, we all got pizza at a small restaurant
and I was even able to catch highlights from the UofL game.
After the
weekend was over and I said my farewells to my new companions and made the long
trek back to Barahona, feeling refreshed and restored to take on a busy Holy
Week. Sor Elizabeth told me at the
beginning of Holy Week, that it would be a week of work. She was right, of course.
Holy Week
is a bit different here in the Dominican Republic than the US, since about 70%
of the country is Catholic. The school
here was closed during the week, as were many other schools – but this is
similar to US spring break.
However,
there were activities for the kids during the day that we helped with. During Easter Mass 25 kids were baptized, all
around 6-10 years old, so we spent a few days teaching and having fun with the
kids. The program was held at another
location run by a group of dedicated volunteers from Cuba and Spain. The school center, or “Centro” for short,
also houses 7 orphans who are cared for by the volunteers. Having the opportunity to meet and work
alongside these volunteers was a blessing as they were energetic, enthusiastic,
and really looked after the kids as if they were their own.
Also during
Holy Week, more volunteers came to stay at the house from Santiago, who worked
with the teenagers. Together, we were
able to share our experiences and teach the teens in the community. They organized food baskets to deliver to
different families in need in the area and re-enacted the Stations of the Cross
on Good Friday, walking through the neighborhood with about 200 other
people.
 |
| Equipo Verde! |
 |
| Working with the kids |
 |
| Lourdes, Veronica, and Reynaldo |
|
Photos from the activities during Holy Week.
The Masses
for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday were both beautifully done and packed the
church with many members of the community.
They each lasted three hours, but with the energetic singing and
baptisms, they didn’t feel dull.
Following
Holy Week, the sisters and I took a mini-vacation to la Bahia de Las Aguilas
(Bay of Eagles) – a secluded beach that takes some work to get there, but was
absolutely worth the effort. Like a
scene from a movie, the water was crystal clear with conchs, starfish, and marine
life wherever you looked. The miles of white
sand and emerald surf was shared by about 12 of us: a couple and child from
Guadalupe, another couple from Hawaii, a couple from Germany, and our
group. There I let the waves and scenery
carry away my worries as I relaxed in the sun.
It had been a busy few weeks and I could think of no better way to relax
than this.
 |
| Bahia de Las Aguilas |
Jarabacoa
is a beautiful green town known as, “The city of everlasting spring” and is
quite a bit different from the rest of the country. Fruits and vegetables grown in abundance and
the population shares its heritage not only with the Spaniards, but a small
population of Japanese immigrants as well.
Clouds roll through the mountains in the morning and the sky clears up
by mid day, giving the air a crisp and cool feel. Of course, Sor Elizabeth was right: I did
need my jacket at night as the temperatures dropped well below 50 degrees.
However,
there were activities for the kids during the day that we helped with. During Easter Mass 25 kids were baptized, all
around 6-10 years old, so we spent a few days teaching and having fun with the
kids. The program was held at another
location run by a group of dedicated volunteers from Cuba and Spain. The school center, or “Centro” for short,
also houses 7 orphans who are cared for by the volunteers. Having the opportunity to meet and work
alongside these volunteers was a blessing as they were energetic, enthusiastic,
and really looked after the kids as if they were their own. 
Also during
Holy Week, more volunteers came to stay at the house from Santiago, who worked
with the teenagers. Together, we were
able to share our experiences and teach the teens in the community. They organized food baskets to deliver to
different families in need in the area and re-enacted the Stations of the Cross
on Good Friday, walking through the neighborhood with about 200 other
people. 
The Masses
for Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday were both beautifully done and packed the
church with many members of the community.
They each lasted three hours, but with the energetic singing and
baptisms, they didn’t feel dull. 
Following
Holy Week, the sisters and I took a mini-vacation to la Bahia de Las Aguilas
(Bay of Eagles) – a secluded beach that takes some work to get there, but was
absolutely worth the effort. Like a
scene from a movie, the water was crystal clear with conchs, starfish, and marine
life wherever you looked. The miles of white
sand and emerald surf was shared by about 12 of us: a couple and child from
Guadalupe, another couple from Hawaii, a couple from Germany, and our
group. There I let the waves and scenery
carry away my worries as I relaxed in the sun.
It had been a busy few weeks and I could think of no better way to relax
than this.
