Republica Dominicana

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Service has always been a big part of my life and I am incredibly blessed to have been exposed to Here For Kids, a nonprofit that serves at-risk youth across the globe. This past week I returned to The Dominican Republic to serve once again. I could never truly captivate this beautiful experience given to me but I made it a point to jot down a few pivotal moments and thoughts throughout my 10 days. So here’s a very shorten glimpse of my trip :)

Saturday/Sunday

These days were filled with delays after delays but despite the many conflicts that lead up to my arrival to the DR, my spirits were never down because I knew that I’d be landing on the beautiful island soon enough. My team and I were welcomed by Fred, Miranda, and Yoel (by our surprise) and were then taken to the campsite where we’d be spending the next 4 days with all three sites: Constanza, Jarabacoa, and Monte Plata. In an instant, I was welcomed by familiar faces, open arms, and the incredible sense of love. This ultimately set the tone for the days to come.

Monday

I started my morning watching Yari and Samy taking care of all the little ones from Monte Plata. This site filled my heart with so much The day was filled with swimming, a beach excursion, and lots and lots of games. Because I am not the best athlete, during the bigger games I find children that are playing by themselves. This was when I met Edwin. I found him alone on the swings and decided to walk up to talk to him. Instantly I knew I had made a strong connection. I ended up playing volleyball with him for 2 hours. He did not speak english and my spanish is decent but it didn’t matter because our connection transcended beyond language. We became the best of buds for the remainder of the camp. That night I had dinner with Eduardo, Seven, and Yoel. They’re the older boys of the Constanza site. During this time I strengthened my friendship with Yoel. We talked about our interests, dreams, and aspirations. I was incredibly moved by his desire to work with children and make a difference in so many people’s lives because of the rough upbringing he had. I have faith that he will fulfill his dreams and become an incredible leader in his community.

Tuesday

I will do anything for these children and a great example of that is me jumping into the pool with the middle-aged kids, carrying them on my back, dunking them in, and just getting down and dirty with them despite being fully clothed in my leggings and t-shirt :) I remember one instance when I held baby Helen in one arm, pulling Estefani across the pool in the other, all while having Valentina on my back but I honestly wouldn’t have had it any other way. During midday I was already dreading saying my goodbye’s. What made it even more difficult was receiving a letter on a napkin from Mario’s entire house in Monte Plata that expressed how sad they were that I could not go back to Monte Plata with them but that they wish and pray that I will be able to serve their site in the future. Coming into this trip I was #TeamConstanza all the way, but little instances like this one made me realize how much love I had for all three sites. After lunch the Americano vs. Dominican baseball and basketball game took place. During the baseball I game, some of the girls on the team and I decided to have a volleyball tournament that consisted of boys vs. girls and Americano vs. Dominican games. In the baseball, basketball, and soccer games, girls are always discouraged to play so it was incredibly empowering to see the girls play AND shine throughout the series of games (Yoel wasn’t happy he kept losing tho lol). I sat down for the basketball game but my time was filled with enriching moments with Jef, Estefani, Mario & his wife, Yoel, Eduardo while cheering on the players. I spent dinner with Randy and Jorge Luis, which was followed by a mass with my best friend, Yari. The night ended with yet another encounter with the scary watchy-man lol. As I shared in my devotionals that night, it was a perfect day filled with so much love, pure happiness, and memories that I wish I could simply relive.

Wednesday

I woke up feeling very bittersweet. This marked the midpoint of my trip but I was already prepping myself for the difficult goodbyes that will soon take place today with the Monte Plata and Jarabacoa children and houseparents. I witnessed my last awkward encounter of Randy and his ex-novia during breakfast, which is always a fun scene to witness. We had our last mass at tiempofamilia and I spent it with Mario’s loving house, sitting beside Edwin and Estefani and the other children. There was a specific moment where I was taken back by Edwin singing a gospel song from the top of his lungs. To this day, I am still so moved by the incredible sense of faith that these children have in God and their religion. The camp had free time afterwards. I spent that time taking a walk with Luis, discussing his faith, and gigging to no music, which later lead to his attempt to create a music video, of course, without music. It was incredibly fun to get to know Luis and the rest of the older boys from Jarabacoa. Mostly because many of them did not go to the camp last year. Overall, it was a great afternoon before all 3 sites had to part ways. The swings were filled with smiling children and the campsite was filled with people playing games, making good conversations, and enjoying each other’s company. The goodbyes today were hard but I know I’ll see the Jarabacoa and Monte Plata children soon and I cherish the perfect moments spent with them the past few days.

Thursday

Today was our first day in Constanza and although it was odd to not wake up to 100+ children running around the campsite, it was nice to focus on a smaller group of children and at the same location as my first service trip. I remember driving up to The Arc and being welcomed by children opening the tall blue gates for us. And the site we drove up to — absolutely breathtaking. At one point during the Americano vs. Dominican kickball game, I took a step back and admired the beautiful scenary. The Arc perfectly tucked in the Constanza mountains under a bright, blue sky. And Maria’s gospel music blasting from the purple house was a perfect touch to this beautiful moment.

But despite how precious today was, it also brought a realization that the Constanza Arc had lost most of its older children. A lot of them have aged out or simply left — Yoel, Angel, Ezequiel, Leandro, Starling, & so many others. Despite how great of a day it was, the realization of Constanza was saddening. Nonetheless, I’m so happy that the children still have Eduardo and Estevin two amazing young men to look up to.

Friday

Today our team was able to spend lunch with the houses of The Arc. We split ourselves evenly. I initially wanted to have lunch in the yellow house because I was already so close to Diane and her family but I ended up going to the blue house, which turned out to be a pleasant experience. The blue house had new houseparents so it was nice to get to know them and be able to ask why they chose to be houseparents in the first place, along with what their passions and interests are. These lunches always gives me the opportunity to get to know the houseparents more and this instance was no exception. Afterwards, I peeped into the yellow house to catch up with Diane while she worked on her infamous corn dessert. I have so much love for her and her devotion to serve so many children with her husband. They are truly beautiful souls.

Saturday

We took the children to Aguas Blancas and the Divino Nino statue for the first half of the day and although the day was filled with a lot of fun, the most memorable part of Saturday was the bonfire/pizza party we hosted for The Arc.

I was especially fond of my girl talk with the young ladies of The Arc. We talked about what any group of girls would talk about — hair, makeup, boys even but just the whole idea of these ladies having a safe space to express themselves, without the interruption of the boys is so empowering. It was clear that they don’t get these moments that often with the adults serving them, which is so unfortunate. And these ladies deserve, no — need to know that they should feel empowered. I hope to continue to be that role model and reminder for them.

I also spent my time with Angelica and her brother, two siblings who I have been close to since I began my service in the DR. Knowing that they will soon be leaving The Arc and returning to their family is an amazing feeling but I’m going to miss them so much. Same with Valentina, who graced this community with her presence this past week…And that’s the thing, you’ll never know if your goodbye’s with a child will be the last. A lot can happen within the time you say goodbye to the time you return — the child can age out, return back to their parents, or simply leave. That’s why it’s so crucial to make these memories when you can and in doing so, strengthen your relationships with the child…

As I said goodbye to the beautiful children of Constanza, I found myself feeling very hopeful. Yes, I had Alan and Eduardo requesting that I not cry and I had the young ladies crying in my arms, but despite how difficult it was to say my goodbyes, I know that the goodbye’s are not permanent and that I will be back soon. My biggest take away from this trip is that The Dominican is my home and the community of The Arc (from all 3 sites) is my family and this will stay true forever.

Sunday/Monday

• group reflections in Sosua

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Like I said, this “journal” of my service trip can never truly express the entirety of my experience but I hope this gives you a glimpse of how special this place and the people mean to me. I can honestly say that I am the best possible version of myself when I’m abroad, especially while I’m in The Dominican Republic and these service trips are just a testimony of that.