Hands and Hearts at Work

Today we began three of our jobs: building two latrines and painting a home. We split into three groups. Two groups dug trenches for the foundation of the latrines and built parts of the structure. Today’s painting group completed painting a house a vibrant pink color chosen by the home owner. We were slow to start as we learned what was needed and what our roles were, but once we understood our jobs we worked hard!

The youth worked alongside Dominican work crews. Some of the workers have been apprenticing in construction like this since they were six-years-old. We learned from them how to dig and build effectively.

We ate lunch, drank plenty of water and Gatorade, and played games at the Fondo Negro Community Center before heading to baseball practice. Our lunch today and for the rest of the week was made for us by Miguel’s sister. Today she made us fried chicken, rice, salad, and tostones (fried plantains). Yum! One of our translators, Germy, taught us how to play dominoes the Dominican way. It got competitive quickly! And Ryder (St. Luke youth) taught Germy and Francis how to play the card game Skip-Bo.

Germy teaching us dominoes

Then we went to baseball practice, which is run by Dominican coaches hired by Joshua 1:Nine. We were amazed at the number of kids there were at practice. All the boys went to join the baseball practice. They participated in catching, throwing, and hitting. Our group even got our own turn at bat, to practice hitting while the rest of the team stood in the outfield catching. Ben, being the camp counselor that he is, ended up running a practice for a group of about 30 little boys, all on his own! (His years of high school Spanish was put to the test!)

Chaperones and a youth who sat in the stands made friends and chatted with adults and kids who came to watch practice and hang out. Little kids got big laughs out of playing with Paul’s hat and sunglasses, taking them off of Paul, placing them on themselves, then someone else, then Paul again, and on and on and on.

When we got back to the hotel and reflected on our day, we shared so many good moments of laughing and communicating with our new Dominican friends. Everyone could name a unique experience they had with a different person, whether on a worksite, on the baseball field, or in the stands. God is present in the joy, in the hospitality of the Dominican people, in the relational way of communicating and engaging with new friends. We are thankful!

Jacque

Fondo Negro sign

Caught sleeping!