A few main thoughts before I begin. First, this trip didn't completely change my worldview; rather, it broadened it. Before I went on this trip, I thought that I was going to come in and provide all sorts of cool and interesting experiences for the people of the DR. Instead, I came away humbled and edified. God is already using these people to do great things. All I did was give them a little (very little) help.
Second, my money can be used to change someone's life. I know hundreds of TV preachers have told you this, but a relatively small sum of money can radically improve a family's life. The example I keep coming back to is the cement floor we poured for a family that cost a total of $300. That $300 floor means that family's belongings won't be ruined when it rains. That $300 floor means that family doesn't have to live in mud when it rains. I could go on, but I'll get to the actual story now.
PART ONE: ARRIVAL
After about 3 hours of tossing various items into overpacked suitcases in a process sometimes called “packing”, I left my house at 3 AM Monday morning to begin a ten day trip to the Dominican Republic. Our team was made up of seven members, thankfully including two who were fluent in Spanish. I was running on about six hours of sleep and was feeling generally good, despite a slight stomach pang I tend to get before big trips. Once at the airport, we waited until 4:00, when the bag checking area opened. Several of our bags were over the 50 pound limit, as we were carrying several supplies with us to give as donations. After some rearranging, though, our bags were tagged and we were on our way.
The flights were uneventful. Time was passed looking through the absurd magazines… And, of course, sleeping. The flights proceeded smoothly, and after a connection in Atlanta, we reached the Santo Domingo airport with no trouble. We had been warned we would have to pay an exit tax upon leaving the country, but it turned out we needed to pay it as we entered. We approached a window where we had to pay $10 to receive a card, similar almost to a Metro ticket card – Printed on thin paper with a pretty design on the front and a code of some sort on the back. We then walked about 25 feet to another station, where a man scanned the card, then placed it in a shredder. One of the ads on the wall from some beer brand read, “Welcome to Paradise”. I made the comment that Paradise shouldn’t cost $10 to get into.
We picked up our bags from the carousel. I was burdened with my rolly suitcase and a nearly fifty pound green duffel bag. The carrying experience was not pleasant. We rolled through customs with unsettling ease – with a glance at our form, they waved us through. We emerged through a set of doors to see at least a hundred Dominican faces, standing, waiting. For what, I’m not sure; perhaps some were waiting for friends, and perhaps some simply enjoyed watching the tourists roll in. Our contact, Juanchi, was holding a signed that read “COTN” (which stands for Children of the Nations, the organization we worked with). He led us to a bus, loaded our bags and we began our trek to Barahona.
During the ride, Juanchi was explaining things, but I could barely hear him, so I eventually tuned him out and watched the scenery. One side of the bus had a beautiful view of the ocean. The other showed poverty in the midst of industry. I recognized a few logos – Shell gas, Pepsi, several baseball teams (Baseball is HUGE in the DR) – But most of it was unfamiliar to me, especially the language.
After waiting about 30 minutes to pick someone up (We were officially on Dominican time at this point), we drove a bit more before stopping for some food at Pollo Rey (Chicken King). We all were given a standard fast food container that contained about 5 pieces of fried chicken and French fries and a soda. Being hungry, I began eating the food, and was rather unimpressed, but finished it anyway. Word got to me about 5 minutes in that we should remove the ice from our drinks, since the drink itself was good to drink, but the ice was probably made with local water. I played it safe and abstained altogether.
After a few more hours of driving (and entering progressively poorer areas), we reached Casa Betesda, our home base for the trip. The Casa included a swimming pool, a main house where the more permanent residents stayed and the meals where prepared, and our rooms, which were filled with bunk beds and, thankfully, included an air conditioning unit. The men slept in one room while the women stayed in the other. Each room also had its own bathroom, including a shower, but water was both limited and, while clear in appearance, contaminated. We used bottled water for brushing our teeth, kept our mouths closed in the shower, and flushed the toilets only when necessary. All things considered, however, the accommodations were fantastic.
Three random thoughts:
1. If you're seeing this thought, that means I haven't been able to get online since leaving for Texas to begin my sophomore year of college. So, hi! How's it going?
2. Five Iron Frenzy never ceases to amaze me. For all sorts of reasons.
3. I disdain cynicism, and avoid it as much as possible. So there you go.
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