While the kids may be too tired to post... I can´t resist posting to share a bit more with you. These students are great; they get up every morning without complaint at 6:30 am, they pitch in the first time asked, and they are so kind to one another. It has been a while since I have laughed as much as I have laughed with these students and adults. From watching Liam do his victory dance, to Sushil teaching me how to "really" throw a football, to Katey singing cheesy music at the top of her lungs, or Melissa and Marcela playing some of the most intense basketball I´ve seen in a long time, or Lizzie naming her cockroaches and mine, with Dominican names of course, they keep us smiling. They are a great group who have been so inclusive to everyone.
This joy is of course in contrast to the sadness we all feel at seeing the need and poverty in the bateys. We had a powerful reflection session last night and I listened to them mature so much in a short hour. They each shared a memory or realization from the first two days. Stories arose of the AIDS baby whom we knew would most likely die, the 18 year old who is suffering from stress headaches due to the realities of his life, or the malnourished mother and two children who had only three months ago journeyed alone from Haiti, or the realization that we have so many toys to give out and we don´t give them all out for fear of chaos. Questions arose such as how does my every day stress compare to those of people in the batey? How is our culture different from others? How necessary are my material possessions like ipods, tv etc? They are beginning to process the many inequities of the world, and the blessing of our own lives in big and small ways. You will have much to talk with them about when they come home!
Time for the evening room check. See you soon. -Galen
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2 comments:
As much as one may comprehend the social differences in the world (or think they do), the things you guys are experiencing first hand must be something else, not to mention the proximity of the resort and the poor. I've said it before but I think it's really something else to spend part of your spring break helping people when you could be doing any number of other things (sleeping for one haha).
I've been enjoying reading the various updates. Everyone take care.
galen,
thank you for providing this opportunity for our children. your shared reflections will definitely be a spring board for conversation at the dinner table. i was telling my husband that i plan on keeping this site as a favorite to remember all the things that have been written. please bring home a contact or contacts for us to support the good works that are done for those who volunteer their time at the bateys and the means of how to send our support.
thank you
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