What a day! We got an early start and arrived at the work site about 8am. It was cooler which helped with the digging. We finished several more holes, and when we left at noon, about 10 of the 12 we were working were completed. Bob struck up a baseball game on the upper part of the lot using the bat and ball the Rec Ministry team provided. The kids (Bob and Dave) had a great time. The Dominican youngsters enjoyed it too. When we left the site for the last time, we got a great picture of the Calvary team standing in the bottom of one of the holes with the Dominicans standing around us. A load of rebar (steel reinforcing rods for the concrete) arrived and several Dominicans worked during the afternoon starting to cut and bend them for the concrete work that will begin right after we leave.
After lunch we had a little time off and Bob and Dave went with Nardo and Nieves to buy some rice. We bought 30 bags each 7 lbs. Then Jenn, Bob, Dave, Sarah, Ed, Katie, and Terri loaded up the rice in a pickup truck and rode out to the Bateys with Nardo, Salvador, and Flor. The Bateys are migrant worker camps outside of town, mostly populated by Haitian workers who cut sugar cane. The poverty is extreme in the Bateys. We passed out two bags of rice to each of the 15 families living there and at each house we heard a heartfelt "Bendiga", which means God Bless You. We were all fighting back tears. Dave however, was fighting just to stay in the back of the truck. While crossing the stream that cut through the dirt road leading to the camp, he nearly fell out of the truck trying to video tape the journey. No doubt since we were doing God´s work, He heard your prayers for our safety and gave Dave a gentle push on the tush back into the truck. Dave was then sternly ordered to sit in the bed of the truck for the rest of the trip.
On the ride back we stopped at Flor´s church in Calejone which we helped start in 2005. It was a very moving time for those of us who worked on it to see it now complete. We look forward to coming back some day and seeing the huge church Nieves is starting finally complete. We will know it is resting on foundations we helped dig, but the real foundation is the strong faith of the people in this community.
Meanwhile, while the rest of us were at the Bateys, Rachel and Anna were bonding with Nieves daughters who braided and beaded their hair. It was a 4 hour process. Jessy stayed behind to offer encouragement. The girls look beautiful, but they will need to refrain from sudden head motion. You´ll see.
After another great dinner, we went to the special church celebration the community had planned on our behalf. It was a joyous time that began with a high tempo set of praise songs that went on for over 25 minutes. Nonstop dancing, jumping, clapping and singing. The program was highlighted by several songs and dances that the young girls did for us. During one of the dances the CD player quit, but the congregation immediately started singing the song and the girls never missed a beat. It was a perfect metaphor for the way this community supports each other.
When it came to our turn to provide some music, Dave attempted to match their tempo and enthusiasm with "Joy" and "I´ll Fly Away-Will the Circle be Unbroken". The Circle was Unbroken, but one of his guitar strings was not. Injury to teammates from flying guitar strings was narrowly averted. Fortunately there was a spare guitar which he grabbed to close the set with the ever popular Open the Eyes of My Heart. This was also one of the songs the girls danced to for us!
The service ended a bit abruptly when the Lord decided it was a good time to begin a thunderstorm. Huge umbrellas appeared immediately (standard equipment when you hold church in the street) and the service continued as the rain alternated between light drizzle and some moderate rain. At the conclusion, blessings and gifts were exchanged, followed by hugs all around and ice cream was served. Then the skys opened up and it poured. We huddled in the small shed they use to store their equipment and chairs. We know the Dominicans were a little disappointed that the rain spoiled their party plans, but our spirits were not dampened a bit. It was sad to say goodbye to so many people who have become such good friends over this week.
We finally got back to the house after 11pm and when we opened the door to the stairway upstairs, a small lizard jumped down on Rachels head. There were screams and panic, but we finally calmed Ed down. (Insert smiley face here since Dave still can´t get the punctuation to work on this keyboard.) Turns out the lizard was only trying to save us 15% or more on our car insurance! (Dave has no email chaparone tonight and he is tired so you´ll have to deal with the cheap gags.)
Anyway, we leave tomorrow morning for the long trip back home. We are anxious to get back home, but leaving this wonderful community is hard. We heard a 100 times tonight "When will you come back!" We don´t know for sure when we´ll be back, but we all know a part of us will remain here forever. We could not have done this without the prayers and support from the Calvary community. Your presence was felt throughout this week and we look forward to sharing stories, photos, and video we took while down here. See you Sunday! We´ll be easy to spot with farmer´s tans and braided hair.
Bendiga!
Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ in Yaguate, DR
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