Monday, April 16, 2012

Work and Rewards

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