Time Capsule Letter

We can’t believe it has already been so long since our trip to the Dominican Republic ended! We can still taste the fresh pineapple and watermelon prepared for us each morning, and the delicious typical Dominican dishes that we shared each evening (“Gracias Doña Marie, Carmen y Beva!”)

It feels like it was yesterday that we were running on the beach, celebrating our leaders of the day, and painting and building items for the school in las Canas. You’re probably back at your own school now (or starting college!) but we wanted you to know that we are still thinking of you and reflecting on the impact we made this summer together.

You all worked extremely hard at the service site, so much energy and commitment! Those gorgeous murals, the carefully made community garden, the brand new stove, benches and recycling station- we achieved a lot! Your dedication did make an impact. You brought with you a curiosity, courage and a desire to learn that made the whole experience so enriching for us all.

We are still so grateful for the many questions you asked, your enthusiasm and care at the service site and the bravery you displayed in stepping outside of your comfort zone and embracing Dominican life. We experienced Dominican culture in a variety of ways, from hiking up the local community of Brisón to getting to know Johnny and his bees at Cano Dulce!

We also got to sample city life in Santo Domingo, Santiago and Puerto Plata, where we learned more about the complex and important history of the Dominican Republic, from pre- colonial times until today. Going to the border market at Dajabón and visiting the Batey reminded us of the inequalities that pervade our world today and we heard first hand from Walner and Junior about Haitain experiences in the DR. We also shared so much laughter and joy, from white water rafting at Jarabacoa, to snorkeling in Sosua- it was a blast!

Our evenings were spent on a variety of lectures and mentor groups, discussing issues from poverty and borders to sustainability and mental health. We reflecting on our findings and you rose to the challenge with an immense maturity. Your passion and desire to see a better world, coupled with your immense respect for the community in which we were living made this group extra unique. It left us all a bit more hopeful for the future and gave us the confidence to work towards building a sustainable world. We hope you never stop debating, questioning and learning in this way!

Whether it was playing games with the local children at the school, picking up litter, cuddling Ernie or doing shout outs to your fellow BSW, there was always a reason to smile. we are so grateful for all that we shared with you- the 2019 GLA BSW GROUP (so many acronyms)! We became such a close knit group and these bonds have not faded! On our final evening together, you each shared how much you learned and your personal discoveries. We were delighted to hear these important realisations and goals for the future.

Remember our group’s OMG- One Meaningful Goal? Ours became Four Meaningful Goals as there were so many good ones:

Live more sustainably, with an awareness of our impact

Be more open minded and less judgemental

Find out where things come from and have an understanding of history

Use our devices less and be more present in the moment

Thank you all for helping to make this such an enjoyable, worthwhile and important trip for us all. We miss you!!

10 special moments from our trip:

Our nights away (in Santo Domingo, the oldest colonial city, and Jarabacoa in that breathtaking eco lodge)!

Celebrating Nick and Mallory’s birthdays (more cake anyone!?)

A magical afternoon playing at Jarabacoa Waterfall. We each enjoyed swimming, splashing, climbing on rocks and relaxing in this beautiful paradise.

Playing Marco Polo in the sea and the pool

A fascinating Q&A with Doña Maxima at the top of the Brisón hike, followed by some Bachata dancing!

Learning from local community entrepreneur, Johnny with his bees

Accomplishing all of our projects (and even doing a few more) at Las Canas school

The spectacular boat ride and swim at the peaceful La Boca lagoon by the ocean (mud mask time!)

Sampling delicious chocolate at Chojoba, the women’s led cooperative chocolate factory

Your final capstone projects where you wowed the panel with your powerful presentations on US immigration, the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Police Brutality, Sweatshops, Pacfic Island Trash and Human Trafficking.

And so much more… We hope that the memories we shared have stayed with you and continued to influence you in positive ways!

Abrazos,

Maria, Kath, Joselin, Cody & Alejandro

 

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Monday July 8, 2019

Students have landed safely and are enjoying their free time at the lodge after orientation seminar.

Awesome energy and friendships from everyone so far!. .. Excited to learn about the 7 Elements of Human Security, have lots of fun and create meaningful connections with the community. The start of our amazing 21 day program is now.

-Joselin Hernández – GLA Program Staff

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Hello everyone,

Today was our first day of service. We learned how we should work with the community and their needs. We are giving back to them in a sustainable way that will help them for years to come. The walk to the service site was eye opening, seeing the dogs, chickens and cows. We loved saying hello to all the friendly, open minded locals. We each learned something new whether it was at our service site building a garden, painting, and making a stove, or speaking in our mentor groups. An overall goal for us is to not only experience what we do here and be the change but to take those mindsets back home.

Sincerely,

Yazi and Kaylie

Wednesday July 10, 2019

At the site the students worked both excitedly and tirelessly with not only excitement, but also an unwavering sense of joy. So far the students have worked together with locals to strengthen the columns of the eating area, to paint with the intention of sparking enthusiasm, and to create a garden from which the youth of the Dominican Republic can obtain several delicious, healthy meals. After a long day of service some of the students decided to kick back, relax, and play a game with one of their mentors.

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today was the last of 3 consecutive service days. Many people from each team had become committed to the projects they chose to take on while an equal amount chose to mix it up and try out other activities. There were students who spent the last two days mixing concrete and try their hand at new things: we did the painting.

The gardeners worked hard, laying cinder blocks and mixing concrete using their one small break to pick up trash around the work sight. The builders continued their great work on the eco stove and nearly completed a new table for the children to eat lunch at.

The painters began to color their extremely detailed and well thought out world map mural with the help of some of the members of the other groups and a few of the local children. In addition, they worked on beautifying a mural done by the previous group, making the colors more vibrant and adding colorful details.

The GLA students were visited by many of the local children and battled language barriers while attempting to communicate. They learned to ask for help in the form of a fellow student when they needed something translated. It is safe to say that many of the students went back to home base with some new friends.

The day ended well with delicious Dominican dessert Habichuelas con dulce prepared for us by our fabulous chefs: Donya Mari, Tuta, and Beba. The students are extremely excited about there first excursion tomorrow to La Boca River where we will be taking a boat ride and swimming at the beach.

-by Zach and Mallory

Friday July 12, 2019

Today, the Building a Sustainable World program took a break from service and rode down the La Boca river to the beach. After 3 days of service, today was used for a break, just as necessary as hard work. We left our home base at 9:30am and started down the river at about 10:00am in two boats.

We rode through the mangroves surrounding La Boca, seeing lots of interesting wildlife, like needlefish, as well as many mangrove trees. After arriving at the beach, we swam in the warm waters of the estuary between La Boca and the ocean for long hours, despite some of the sunburns we got. After that, we ate at a seaside restaurant and drank (virgin) piña coladas from fresh pineapples.

Today was refreshing and a good break from the turbulent yet meaningful service. Students are excited to return to each of their projects in Escuela Las Canas and are properly recharged with a day of fun. I can confidently say that today we truly lived our best day.

-James and Sam

Quote of the day and photos from Friday:

Saturday July 13, 2019

Day 6 by Gabby and Talia. Today the group had a beautiful breakfast of fruit and native food, with the treat of coco puffs for those missing home. The group loaded up on a bus and went to a small community called Cãno Dulce. There the students met with a local bee farmer named Johnny. Johnny showed the group around his bee farm and answered questions about the community, his business, and the local fruit trees. The group got to see first hand what it takes to care for thousands of bees, as well as taste the delicious honey!

We also learned about the significant impact that Johnny’s company has on the overall community as well as how important bees are to the environment. After that, the students walked through Cãno Dulce for a short trip to see the community and all that it offers. We observed the bottle building that one of the other GLA groups are building, much like the one we are going to create in the school! Additionally, we got to see what used to be the largest bottle building project ever, created by 7 elements.

Once back to the service site of the school, the group talked about how the 7 elements of human security is incorporated into Cãno Dulce and Johnny Bee and ate lunch. The students got right to work after lunch to continue working on various projects such as the World Map mural, the community garden in which the students will be able to help grow the food that they will then eat, the sustainable stove, and they finished a brand new set of a table and benches! Then they were able to come back to the lodge for a relaxing swim in the pool.

Following dinner, the group received a presentation from a few of the local GLA directors all about the relationship between Haiti and the Dominican Republic and their experiences. We learned about the upsetting cultural divide that stems from the history of segregation on the island, and the discrimination that people face based on the color of their skin and their country of birth. To end off the night, the students had an hour of free time in which many played cards, learned line dances to country music or went for a night walk on the beach.

Sunday July 14, 2019

Today the students had only a half day of service at las Canas school and then bussed to plalla beach and spent the rest of the day swimming in the ocean.

They then bussed back to home base for dinner and a lector from a mentor Maria. On ethical dilemmas and learned more about the economy not only in the Dominican but more globally.

-by Ryan & Aidan

Tuesday July 16, 2019

Today Conor and I were leader of the day. It wasn’t the best day to be the leaders of the day because we were in buses for the majority of the day. At breakfast we announced the agenda for the day and we woke other cabins up for breakfast. Before we boarded the buses we did a headcount. While we were on the bus for 5 hours we conversed with other kids and made new friends. When we got to Dajabon we ate at a local restaurant and prepared for a intense walk in the border market between the D.R and Haiti.

While we walked around we learnt about the border river and the way of life for many Haitians. Many Haitians rely on the market for their main source of income, and use the money they make from selling their goods to support their families. As we walked through the market we had to stay in groups because there were many people in the market and we needed to make sure no one got lost. The market was extremely busy and it was interesting to see a market that was that full of people.

On the ride back everyone was tired from the long day and towards the end of the trip we played music in the bus to entertain them for the remaining two hours we had left in the bus. When we got back it was around 7:30 and we had dinner and announced mentor groups. During the mentor groups we discussed about what we had seen at the market, we also discussed our lows and highs of the days. After that everyone was tired and went to sleep.

-by Alex and Conor

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Today the GLA students hiked Mt. Brison, a long, steep, rocky road that students in the community take daily to get to and from school. We visited a K-4 elementary school that only had two separate rooms for all of the students to learn in.

After learning about the school, we hiked up to the house of a woman in the community named Juanita. Here, students had the opportunity to purchase handcrafted goods like bracelets and rugs, as well as homemade coconut cake.

Afterwards we got to see Juanita’s garden where she grows all sorts of tropical and unique fruits and vegetables; she also has a pigpen and a chicken coop. We then got back on our way up the mountain, and after several water breaks and lots of perseverance, the group finally made it to our destination—the house of another woman in the community named Doña Maxima.

Here we had a delicious lunch waiting for us and we got the opportunity to ask Doña Maxima about her lifestyle along with questions related to the other members of the community. It was really interesting to learn about her life up on the mountain, and we also enjoyed listening to music and learning a dance that her daughter taught us.

Once we made our way back to the bottom of the mountain, students relaxed with some cold drinks like Cola Real and Gatorade before hopping back on the buses to head home. Overall, getting to see the community on and around Mt. Brison and spending a day in the students of the community’s shoes was an informative and eye-opening experience.

Thursday July 18, 2019

Hi GLA families! Hope you are doing well and are enjoying these great blog posts! Today was day 11 and with that came a great excursion out to the city of Santiago. It is about 1.5 hrs from the lodge and is the second biggest city in the Dominican Republic!

After arriving around 10:30am to the city we got a terrific tour of the Centro Leon museum that educated us on the history of the DR. We were able to see local art from the country as well as artifacts from civilizations that were around in the DR before colonization in 1400-1500s.
We learned so much and are able to learn a little more into the rich culture and history of the country.

After our tour we had lunch at a Dominican fast food restaurant that is similar to a KFC in the US. It was super fun and everyone had a great morning! After lunch we went to the monument Santiago de Los Caballeros, learned all about the history of the city and finished our time eating frozen yogurt from Sweet Frog. Overall it was a super interesting day where we were able to learn and understand more of the history of the Dominican Republic, but tomorrow it is back to service to continue our awesome projects!

by leader of the day: Katie Craig

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Today was another great day of service! Everybody worked very hard today to finish building the recycling shed and the sustainable stove, as well as painting many beautiful and educational murals, and refreshing the school building with a fresh coat of paint. Language barriers were broken as local children were befriended through a game of basketball and Cops and Robbers (with an exciting addition of “dodge the paint can”).

After this very productive day some of us enjoyed a splash in the pool while others took the opportunity to chat or read in the sunny weather. A small expedition was also led a couple minutes down the road to the beautiful beach lined with palm trees. This evening, after dinner, we listened to an interesting lecture on mental health both at home and abroad before heading back to our cabins to pack for our exciting trip tomorrow to Santo Domingo tomorrow!

Thursday July 25, 2019

We started the morning with a nice breakfast and headed on our walk to our service site. Today was are last full day of service. Today the main goals at service were finishing the stove and painting. We also had a lecture about the projects we were Finishing. After service we cleaned trash off the side of the road for a small project. Even got a few cold sodas at the local store.

During free time we used the pool and took a walk at the beach. For dinner we had some great fish. Then we began our presentation of our capstone projects. We even had some special guests join us to judge our presentation. The group that talked about police brutality won. Congrats they get to eat first all day tomorrow. Overall it was a great day of work and fun.

-Ryan and Sheehan

Time Capsule Letter

I’m sure you all miss waking up to the odd howling of Ernie & Oscar, our home-base mascots, as they MOOed like cows outside of our cabins bright and early each morning! Or waking up to the sweet melody of your top bunk roomie’s alarm clock going off for 10 minutes straight. How about our delicious breakfast of eggs, pancakes, cereal and toast every morning? Or the smell of bug spray and sunscreen blowing into our cabins by a rare but much needed breeze? Ohh, I know we all miss when the water pressure would go weak mid-shower because everyone else is also showering off the cement from their legs. Then, theres always the good old shower companion that startles you when you catch a glimpse of the lizard or frog on the wall!

Ahh, yes…do you remember seeing the giant Land Crabs being boiled after having their claws surgically removed one by one by our friend Mongo during our special Escabeche workshop? Who could forget the day we navigated the chaotic sidewalks and streets of Gaspar Hernandez in order to enjoy a local ice cream treat? Every moment of every day we were exposed to new experiences and micro challenges that no one can ever take from us! We came we saw and we conquered!

When we weren’t running around screaming our heads off from harmless bugs, we were swimming in the refreshing pool, cooling off from a hard days work at service. Or sitting pool-side chatting away with all of our new friends, especially the Danimals aka the Dan-ettes! Whether it was seeing the finishing touches be applied to the bottle house or arguing with William about the definition of a sitcom from a Breaking Bad perspective, we enjoyed ourselves and our time together and shared our experiences wholeheartedly! Our session was very fortunate to be the only session that did a Karaoke night, a visit to the caves with stalactites, and get to oversee the final stages of the bottle house: Where we met our greatest challenge, laying the floor of the bottle house in 87 degree sweltering heat and humidity!

Like many who visit the Dominican Republic, we enjoyed delicious beverages while relaxing in the sun, with our toes in the sand. But our experience was much more than that, our experience will live on in our hearts, our experience was unique and empowering. We traveled here to learn about WHO the Dominican Republic is. We witnessed a different way of living as local families in rural and small communities welcomed us into their homes and shared their stories with us. We saw the struggles and strides that people in the DR face daily.

We get to leave the DR with so much more then a sun tan. Our local Director and friends Walner, Junior and Loubens, shared with us the difficulties that Haitian people in the Dominican Republic face everyday. Our hearts and minds feel full and inspired to continue to learn about global issues and take action. We learned about how we allow inequality into our everyday lives and how people from all over the world are given different opportunities based on the color of their skin or the place in which they were born.

We hope you all feel empowered to make changes in these systems. Although you are home now, surrounded by all of your comforts, we hope you continue to travel and gain a worldly view. Continue to educate and inspire those around you. We hope you always carry an open mind and an open heart. Remember your goals of learning more about your identity through community service and also having 2-4 conversations with community members and classmates about the environment and world issues!

We all went to the airport as 1 because over the course of our program we had become a community of individuals who cared and esteemed each other; there was no way we were going to go our separate ways

as individuals, we left the Dominican Republic together forever!

Thank you for making this experience everything that it was! You have inspired and taught us along the way and we hope that you continue to BE THE CHANGE that you want to see in this world!

We wish you the very best and are always here for you!

P.S Dont forget to learn more about the Mirabal sisters and read, “In the time of Butterflies”! (William talking)

Your Team,

William, Walner, and Jackie!

 

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Wednesday July 31, 2019

Everyone has arrived and we are so excited for the next 10 days here in the DR! Stay tuned for more blog posts about our adventures 🙂

Thursday August 1, 2019

Today we woke up by the sound of a rooster, which is the best alarm clock out there. A wonderful morning of toast and fruit, accompanied by a mocha was a great start of the day. A quick drive of around 15 minutes to Las Canas, we arrived to a little road filled with colorful abodes and friendly locals. We did a little teambuilding activity before we arrived to Johnny’s house.

There we hauled nearly 100 lb. bags of cement down a beautiful walkway to an unfinished house on top of a hill. We met the eventual owner of the house, Elizabeth, and her son. After that we got to work, mixing, shoveling and sifting dirt, after that we mixed in the cement. Then by making craters with our shovels, filled them with water to create wet concrete.

We then began to plaster the chicken wire / plastic bottle walls. What we called “slathing”, was an effective way of plastering the walls. Then we had lunch at Johnny’s lunch, in which a delicious meal of pork, rice, fresh fruit and amazing fried plantains filled our bellies before we continued with our service. Even though Dan spilled a bag of cement over him, and Lucas got his clothes unrepairingly dirty, this was an extremely effective, rewarding and exhausting day of work.

We came back to a cold shower, a pool, a light thunderstorm, and new friends aplenty. Here we met another student on this trip, Maya, who sadly had to go through the worst of Newark airport and flight delays. Even though she was tired, she came in with a smile, and so everyone was sure to make sure she was welcomed. After a wonderful dinner cooked by our chefs of fried fish, spaghetti, and fruit, we learned of what 7e really is about.

The eye-opening expierence taught us the 7 elements of human security. We better understood these topics through our mentors and peers, and ended the day in our mentor groups, in which we serenly opened up to each other about our values, excitement and expectations of our trip. Lucas turned 17 today of which we celebrated through song, laughter, and cake. Honestly one of the better days I have ever experienced.

Friday August 2, 2019

Everyones day started with some french toast this morning. And it was a great way to start the day.
We then returned to the same community we were in yesterday. after we got right into the work and
had a crazy productive morning.

We had a group that mixed cement in the morning and a group that pasted cement on the walls in the morning.
After lunch we switched. For lunch we hit some chicken and rice and pineapple and we hit it hard. After out work day

we took a short tour of the community and got to learn about the local culture by checking out the local school and church.

When we got back to home base we got in the pool immediately. For dinner we ate a typical dominican meal-sancocho which is a stew type dish. Afterwards, we had some ethical decision making discussions.

Until next time,
Dan

P.S. Apologies for no photos from today-we had technical difficulties!

Saturday August 3, 2019

Today, we started out the morning with a pretty great breakfast. Then we headed out to DuDu Lagoon. Once there, we toured the area, which included a soccer field, numerous swings and hammocks, a large cave, and a volleyball field. The lagoon was beautiful; everyone jumped into the water from an elevated platform. Near the lagoon was a large lake with numerous fish. The cave overlooked the lagoon and was filled with stalactites. Once everyone was done with exploring, we sat down for a very enjoyable lunch and headed off to the Preciosa Beach.

The beach offered (virgin) Pina Coladas, immense waves, and numerous street vendors. As a result, the time that was spent there focused on jumping over waves, negotiating with the vendors, relaxing and sipping our Pina Coladas. After that, we returned to the lodge to jump in the pool and eat dinner. The day was concluded with an insightful forum about the divide in the Hispanola island but also the hope for what may come for the two countries and all their people.

-by Nick

Sunday August 4, 2019

After a delicious brekky we headed out to the service site and started mixing cement. It was very hot, but soon the gods gifted us with rain for a few minutes. Although it was refreshing, we did not take it as a break and instead mixed cement even faster than before. After lunch we played Simon Says and basketball with some of the local children. Following even more cement mixing we had our mentor groups where we talked about people who inspired us; William’s mentor group was also greeted with copious amounts of mosquitos.

When arriving back at the logde we spent time reflecting on our own and then chilled in the pool where we had some interesting conversation with our neighboring program group (a.k.a. Dan made FRIENDS…and so did Lucas). Dinner we delicious as usual, and then we played a fun game that was similar to charades.
That was the extent of our day, and we are excited for what is to come on the hike tomorrow.

Monday August 5, 2019

We woke up at 7 today to have breakfast. We had eggs, bread, and fruit. We got on the bus around 740. The bus ride was about an hour and a half. We began the hike around 930. We stopped along the way for bread and juice. Their were also small things for sale that we were able to buy. We reached the top at around 12.

Overall the hike was challenging on the legs because it was partly uphill and the terrain was loose rocks. But in the end the view from the top of the hill was worth the pain of hiking to the top. We started our decent at 130 and got back to home base at 430. We had free time till dinner which was at 6. After dinner we had a very informative talk about our identities. Then we had free time till bed.

Tuesday August 6, 2019

This morning started with a later brekky (yay for sleeping in!) and then a van ride to the Cabarete Caves. After arrival, we spent about an hour cleaning up trash from the community where a few locals joined us.

We then headed to the caves and looked inside. William made an oopsie and stepped in one of the water holes. Also we lot about stalagmites and stalactites! Some of the local children helped us carry our things and showed us around their community. Mayah and I (Martina) had a lot of fun speaking and singing with the kids in spanish as well as teaching them some English (hello, water, and avacado were their favorite words).

We jumped into a water hole in one of the caves and swam around in the refreshing water. For lunch we picked up pizza on our way to Playa Alicia and ate it by the beach. The water was super salty but really nice and we swam for a while. To end our excursion we went to a super market and got some snackies for the rest of the trip.

We couldn’t use the pool because it was being cleaned but we still had fun talking and playing cards until dinner. For dinner we had tacos and it lived up to the hype of taco night. Instead of a lecture we did a debate about whether or not a sports stadium would benefit the people of the DR.

It was very interactive and everyone participated and shared their thoughts. Many of us agreed that today was one of the best days we’ve had as it incorporated all of the best parts of the trip. We are all super excited for our last 2 full days here so we can keep learning more about this amazing country!

Hasta luego,
Martina

Wednesday August 7, 2019

Today we woke up at at 7:45 to eat breakfeast before embarking on our final service day in Cano Dulce. We mixed cement to finish the floor which was one of the only remaining aspects of the house that still needed work. We quickly finished the floor before lunch, which we ate at the worksite today.

After some time to rest after lunch we mixed more cement. Before going home we made a pit stop in Gaspar Hernandez, a local town where we crammed into a small ice cream shop for a much needed refreshment!

We then went back to the lodge and swam. After swimming we had a local come to the home base to help us cook crabs and prepare a local dish called encabeche, which we ate with our dinner that featured mac and cheese and french fries. Lastly, we had mentor groups and free time before going to bed. Hasta Manana! Our last full day!

By Kenny

Time Capsule Letter

I’m sure you all miss waking up to the odd howling of Ernie & Oscar, our home-base mascots, as they MOOed like cows outside of our cabins bright and early each morning! Or waking up to the sweet melody of your top bunk roomie’s alarm clock going off for 10 minutes straight. How about our delicious breakfast of eggs, pancakes, cereal and toast every morning? Or the smell of bug spray and sunscreen blowing into our cabins by a rare but much needed breeze?

Ohh, I know we all miss when the water pressure would go weak mid-shower because everyone else is also showering off the cement from their legs. Then, there’s always the good old shower companion that startles you when you catch a glimpse of the lizard or frog on the wall! Ahh, yes… the many nights spent trapping giant flying beetles in a handy-dandy Pringles can. Oh the joys of cabin life! But it’s these little quirks that allowed us all to bond so quickly in just 10 days!

When we weren’t running around screaming our heads off from harmless bugs, we were swimming in the refreshing pool, cooling off from a hard days work at service. Or sitting pool-side chatting away with all of our new friends. We made so many beautiful friendship bracelets over hours of casual conversation. We went to so many beautiful beaches, swam in crystal clear ocean water, lagoons and caves!

We ran like our lives depended on it across miles and miles (or so it felt..) of burning hot sand. We haggled prices with local vendors and had our hair braided and beaded by local women at the beach.We embarked on a catamaran boat ride to our beautiful snorkeling destination and saw vibrant colored fish swimming below us.

Like many who visit the Dominican Republic, we enjoyed delicious beverages while relaxing in the sun, with our toes in the sand. But our experience was much more than that, our experience will live on in our hearts, our experience was unique and empowering. We traveled here to learn about WHO the Domincan Republic is.

We witnessed a different way of living as local families in rural and small communities welcomed us into their homes and shared their stories with us. We saw the struggles and strides that people in the DR face daily. We get to leave the DR with so much more then a sun tan. Our hearts and minds feel full and inspired to continue to learn about global issues and take action.

We learned about how we allow inequality into our everyday lives and how people from all over the world are given different opportunities based on the color of their skin or the place in which they were born. We hope you all feel empowered to make changes in these systems. Although you are home now, surrounded by all of your comforts, we hope you continue to travel and gain a worldly view. Continue to educate and inspire those around you. We hope you always carry an open mind and an open heart.

Let’s not forget about our goals that we made in mentor groups! William’s group to do 20 hours of service each semester, Carlos’ group was to also do 20 hours of community service as well as go vegan for a week (which will be held accountable via a groupchat). Jackie’s group was to continue to educate ourselves as well as others about issues not only occurring in the DR, but also worldwide and to strive to be global citizens.

Thank you for making this experience everything that it was! You have inspired and taught us along the way and we hope that you continue to BE THE CHANGE that you want to see in this world!

Your Team,

Walner, William, Carlos, and Jackie

 

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Saturday July 20, 2019

When we woke up everyone was a little hot but everyone was excited nervous for their first official day in the Dominican Republic! Breakfast consisted of eggs, toast, cereal, oatmeal and hot cocoa. No one was sure what to think of having a hot drink while it was so hot but once they tasted it people flocked. At the service site everyone, despite the heat, worked tirelessly to build the platic bottle house while taking short breaks to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Some people mixed the concrete while others pasted the walls once they were insulated with plastic bottles. We met some of the family who we were building the house for and heard a powerful speech from them. After the lunch buffet at site and an invigorating team-building activity led by the student leaders we finished the house and began touring the town. We got the opportunity to interact with some of the locals and got to meet many of the town dogs (One of which we named Papaya).

After a fun filled day, we all took cold showers when we got back to homelodge and hopped in the pool to cool off before meeting again to discuss shared expectations then enjoyed fried fish and plaintains. once we were all stuffed and well rested, we learned about human securities and insecurities and had an open discussion. We ended the night with mentor groups and all went to bed ready for another fantastic day…

XOXO sun burnt and livin life (Seth R)

Sunday July 21, 2019

Today we woke up brighteyed and ready for the new day in the beautiful Dominican Republic. We woke up to a more traditional breakfast of French Toast, cereal, eggs, and a delectable banana smoothie. We then hopped in the van and went to service site passing some strolling cows along the way. We continued working on the plastic bottle house and it is amazing (!!) to watch it come into fruition. I (The writer/editor have begun training my writing pupils to continue my new legacy.

XOXO Sethy – I’ll stay in touch

Let us continue with our service adventure. The day was filled with joyful children and a taste into traditional dominican food. IT SLAPPED AND HIT DIFFERENT. We grew friendships with not only our fellow student campers but also with the local children. We shared interests, played games, and worked on the house together. Thats all for now….bye baddies mwah!

After a great day at the bottle house, we ventured off onto a stunning beach that was close by to our lodge (2 minute walk)! We stayed for a while; some people even went knee deep in the water! After walking back from the beach, many people enjoyed pool time. Then we had another amazing dinner with a rainbow spectrum of different lasgnas, amongst other nutrients and beverages. Immediately following dinner, we had great and informative lesson on the topic of the divide between and Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Then, we split into deep and reflective mentor groups. Now we are here long past our bedtime (#savages) writing this blog to our loving parents.

T-H-E E-N-D. THE END.
MADISON AND CAROLINE

Monday July 22, 2019

We woke up to the sweet sound of birds realizing it was our first day without service!
Our breakfast consisted of eggs (with plenty of spices) and cereal. We all piled into the whip (the van) and headed off to the lagoon. After an intense volleyball match and a lot of swimming in the stunning swimming holes we got to eat a scrumptous combo of spaghetti and chicken. On our way home from the lagoons, we stopped at a beach for a couple of hours. We then headed to the dazzling beach where the shore just kept going and the water glistened. We headed over to where many different men peddled their wares to us and many campers picked up necklaces made of assorted beautiful metals and gemstones.

XOXO Sethy – tired and living lavishly

We enjoyed our time at the beach by drinking gorgeous (virgin) pina coladas (in pineapples!), shopping, taking pictures, and most importantly playing in the waves in the crystal clear water. Once we came back to the home base, we enjoyed a minimal amount of free time, in which some people played in the pool, while others rinsed off from the beach. Once our free time came to a close, we consumed a beautiful array of tacos, amongst other side dishes that warmed our empty stomachs.

Following dinner, we played a fun new game, called “electricity,” in which we got to know each other better through various movements. After this activity, we had an eye opening experience about ourselves regarding specific characteristics and differences between our identities that we may possess. We now have extra free time before returning to our bedrooms at 9:30, which is nice because it is more time than we usually get to spend with each other before bed.

CATCH YA ON THE FLIP SIDE,
CAROLINE AND MADISON

Tuesday July 23, 2019

Good night!!

We woke up to our normal traditional breakfast and then headed to the service site for a long rewarding day. The house was coming together as we started to plaster and we were beginning to see the fruit of our labor. We also visited a bee farm with one of the leaders of the “caño dulce” community.

When we got back to the camp we had half an hour of meditation or “selfie time” and then we met with our mentors. My group went down to the beach at sunset and basked in the dying light admiring it’s natural untouched beauty. We then went night swimming in the pool, tiring ourselves out for bed.

Xoxo Sethy who’s chakras are all lined up

Wednesday July 24, 2019

Hey bloggy-pops!!

Today’s adventure woke us up at 7 o’clock to a delicious fulfilling breakfast before the tiresome excursion; brison. This vibrant community lives along a steep mountain, and we had the privilege of hiking a mile and a half up it. The journey was sweaty and intense, we all thought we were dying, and needed multiple water breaks to sustain ourselves.

However, in the end it was extremely rewarding because we got to meet Doña Máxima and eat the amazing beans, chicken, and rice she cooked for us. We also met her mother, who is 87 years old. Their resilience and energy was astounding; they hike up the hill almost everyday! also the view was stunning, even after we learned it was corrupted by deforestation.

The way down was easier, but took more concentration because there was less grip on the rocks. Quickly we were back on the bus, exhausted and ready to take cold showers at home base. After a refreshing dip in the pool and a few card games, we ate dinner!

It was some of the best food so far, Zancocho, which is a kind of stew with potatoes and chicken.

After dinner, Loubens, one of the local directors, talked about his life story. He had to cross the border between Haiti and the DR to end up working for GLA and 7 element.

We finished the day with a role play debate about the difficult situation between the DR and Haiti.

– by Ariana, Belle, Seth

Thursday July 25, 2019

We woke up to a delicious buffet of different breakfast foods and coffee. After breakfast we headed to a local community to pick up trash and freshen up the neighborhood. We went around to local businesses while picking up trash to not only clean the neighborhood but also get to the root of the problem of pollution and educate them on why littering affects the community.

After working up a sweat we got to cool off and (safely) cliff jump into an open cave. We went to the beach after and got a picture perfect view of the sparkling water and scrawling coastline. When we got back to the lodge, after resting of course, we participated in an engaging discussion about our personal morals and ethics and then applied those morals and ethics to theoretical situations and discussed the outcomes. After a long mentally and physically draining day we were thrilled to hit the hay and call it a day.

XoXo Sethy – Sipping (virgin) strawberry daiquiris in heaven `

Friday July 26, 2019

Hola!!

This morning, we woke up to a typical GLA gourmet breakfast under the palms; which consisted of various
cereals, eggs, rolls, fruit, and a refreshing passionfruit beverage. Following breakfast, we prepared to
depart to our new work site. In terms of service, our goal was to finish flooring a house using cement.
Many of us mixed cement, while others transported it to the house.

We enjoyed a classic spread of rice and gandules, fruit, fish, plantains, and salad for lunch. Working tirelessly all day, we were able to get the job done early, meaning we had the opportunity to get ice cream at a local creamery afterwards. With a variety of different ice cream selections, it was difficult to choose only three scoops to fill our bowls (#hungryworkers)!

After arriving back to the lodge after service, covered in cement and dirt, some refreshed themselves in the pool, while others cleaned off in a nice cold shower. Once our hour of free time came to a close, we enjoyed a cultural dance lesson from the locals. During this time, we had the opportunity to learn an array of classic Dominican dance styles. With many laughs, we found our true inner dancers. Immediately after this tiring yet energetic dance lesson, we devoured an American style dinner; one that we have been looking forward to all trip. T

his dream meal was made up of classic Kraft mac and cheese, penne pasta with marinara sauce, plantains, fruit (ofcourse), salad, bruscetta, french fries, and some freshly squeezed pineapple juice for a drink. After we filled our bellies, we enjoyed a short amount of free time before embarking on a cultural adventure where we learned about life in the Dominican Republic directly from two local sources.

Now we are enjoying one last bit of free time before hunkering down in our bug nets for quiet time at 9:30. After a long and tiring day at service, many of us are eager to get to bed so we can wake up refreshed for our last full day here in the beautiful Dominican Republic.

It was a pleasure chattin’ with ya! See you lovelies tomorrow,
CAROLINE AND MADISON

Photo Credits: Rylie Fryberger & Sophie Koziol

Time Capsule Letter

I’m sure you all miss waking up to the odd howling of Ernie & Oscar, our home-base mascots, as they MOOed like cows outside of our cabins bright and early each morning! Or waking up to the sweet melody of your top bunk roomie’s alarm clock going off for 10 minutes straight. How about our delicious breakfast of eggs, pancakes, cereal and toast every morning?

Or the smell of bug spray and sunscreen blowing into our cabins by a rare but much needed breeze? Ohh, I know we all miss when the water pressure would go weak mid-shower because everyone else is also showering off the cement from their legs. Then, there is always the good old shower companion that startles you when you catch a glimpse of the lizard or frog on the wall! Ahh, yes… the many nights spent trapping giant spiders in a plate and a bowl. Oh the joys of cabin life! But it’s these little quirks that allowed us all to bond so quickly in just 10 days!

When we weren’t running around screaming our heads off from harmless bugs, we were swimming in the refreshing pool, cooling off from a hard days work at service. Or sitting pool-side chatting away with all of our new friends. We ate the best big rice in the world, celebrated Jackie’s birthday dancing the wobble flashmob while William was finishing his chicken, and even adopted a coconut named Wilson who accompanied us in our last days of adventure ! We played so many funny games like electricity you got so good at, that you were unbeatable at the end.

We went to so many beautiful beaches, swam in crystal clear ocean water, lagoons and caves! We ran like our lives depended on it across miles and miles (or so it felt..) of burning hot sand. We haggled prices with local vendors to get carlos’ shirt and had our backs massaged by local women at the beach.We embarked on a catamaran boat ride to our beautiful snorkeling destination and saw vibrant colored fish swimming below us. And don’t forget the memorable hike to Brison, that the rest of the world feared but we climbed with a smile on our faces and a little bit of sweat on our t-shirts. We learnt how mountain communities live in the DR, and how Dona Maxima loves to live there and she wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Like many who visit the Dominican Republic, we enjoyed delicious beverages while relaxing in the sun, with our toes in the sand. But our experience was much more than that, our experience will live on in our hearts, our experience was unique and empowering. We traveled here to learn about WHO the Domincan Republic is.

We witnessed a different way of living as local families in rural and small communities welcomed us into their homes and shared their stories with us. We saw the struggles and strides that people in the DR face daily. We get to leave the DR with so much more then a sun tan. Our local Director and friends, Walner, Loubens, shared with us the difficulties that Haitian people in the Dominican Republic face everyday. Tito and Maycon told us the different lives one can face in the DR. Our hearts and minds feel full and inspired to continue to learn about global issues and take action.

We learned about how we allow inequality into our everyday lives and how people from all over the world are given different opportunities based on the color of their skin or the place in which they were born. We learnt how to become Global Citizens of the world and how to contribute to global issues. We hope you all feel empowered to make changes in these systems. Although you are home now, surrounded by all of your comforts, we hope you continue to travel and gain a worldly view. Continue to educate and inspire those around you. We hope you always carry an open mind and an open heart.

Thank you for making this experience everything that it was! You have inspired and taught us along the way and we hope that you continue to BE THE CHANGE that you want to see in this world!

Your Team,

Jessica, Walner, Loubens, Jackie, William, Carlos

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Sunday July 7, 2019

Good night everybody!!

We are Jessica, Jackie, William, Walner and Carlos and we are reporting from the north shore of the Island of Hispaniola, here in our beautiful lodge in Las Canas community.

We are having our daily meeting and we are loving to write you as we enjoy the soft sound of the waves in the distance and look at the stars in this clear summer night.

The sun came back after two days of rains and with him our students join us after a long day of airports and planes. They all are in their rustic cabins ready for a night of sleep before heading to their first day of service work tomorrow morning.

We’ll be building a bottle house in the small village of Caño Dulce. We are all excited about it.

Buenas noches from the D.R!!

Tuesday July 9, 2019

Today’s day started off with a relaxing ab workout by the beach next to the waves. After breakfast, we all headed to our second day at Cano Dulce for service. We had teams of people working on shoveling sand, mixing cement, hammering nails, stacking bottles, and pasting cement. Everyone did an amazing job remaining positive in the heat and staying diligent to their work (go us!!).

After working for a few hours, we played a fun game of basketball with the locals (sadly but not surprisingly, they knocked our socks off), and it was really nice to get to interact with the locals on a more personal level. After lunch, we went back to working on our bottle house service project for a few more hours where we managed to complete an entire new portion of the house!!

Once we returned back to the home base, we had a lot of free time to hang out, and most of us decided to chill in the pool that’s conveniently located right outside of our rooms 🙂 After free time and dinner concluded, we watched an informative video on the divide between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This topic was very powerful because none of us were very knowledgeable about the divide as well as the inherent racism that exists between these people that share their home island.

We were also lucky enough to hear first hand accounts from two staff members here at the home base, Walner and Loubens, about their experiences in dealing with and living through this racism. It was a very eye-opening experience for all of us that allowed us to see the island of Hispaniola in a light we had never known existed. We’re super pumped for Dudu Lagoon tomorrow and to continue learning more about this beautiful and vibrant island!!

See you all soon 🙂

Emerson Cilley, Sydney Brister, and Cam Cilley

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Hello blog readers! Today we started off our day with a delicious breakfast of pancakes, eggs and fresh fruit. We got up extra early to get a head start on our beach/lagoon day. First we went to Dudu Lagoon, where we went cliff-jumping (don’t worry parents, it was only 6 feet), swam in the clear blue water and played a round of competitive volleyball after lunch.

To get everyone energized before our next bus ride we played a game of Red Rover and then we were off
to La Playa Preciosa. There we had piña coladas in fresh pineapples,took lots of beach photos and splashed around in the waves. Many of us also bought gorgeous hand-made jewelry from local vendors and some of us even got cornrows. We came home just in time for our Americanized dinner of fried chicken and fries before finishing the day off with a debate on ethical dilemmas.

Buenas noches from Las Canas, Sloan, Ffiona and Anna

More photos from Wednesday!

Thursday July 11, 2019

Good night from the DR!

This morning we had a hardy breakfast and headed out for our third service day. As we made the walk to the service site we were greeted by the familiar faces of the locals. We continued to work on the bottle house. Before heading to lunch we played a friendly game of basketball with kids in the community. After a delicious lunch we continued to work on the house. We came back and took a dip in the pool before heading to our first spanish lesson.

As leaders of the day we had the privilege to facilitate our peers in a debate on international development and how it may affect illegal immigrants and the low socioeconomic neighborhoods. It was really interesting to hear from all different perspectives; the government, human rights representatives, environment representatives, and Local community affected.

After this debate, speaking on behalf of our peers we all realized the difficulty on coming to a consensus on a such an impactful and controversial development. It was a unique and eye opening discussion that left us all pondering the reality of international development especially in the Dominican Republic.

-Hats off to a great day from Evie, Claire, and Maggie

Friday July 12, 2019

Today we started with a HIIT workout on the beach lead by Emerson. Students then departed to the Cabarete community to do a trash clean up before swimming in the caves. At the caves, there was an opportunity to jump a 15 foot drop into the refreshing water below.
Then we went to the beach and had great pizza for lunch followed by swimming and tanning. After we got back everyone had time to reflect and read during our time for self. Then everyone had some pool time and dinner.

After, we played a game of electricity, where people had unique dance moves that they had to ‘pass’ to other students. There was an activity after dinner in which we talked about our idenities based on different parts of our lives such as race, class, religion ,etc.

Then we had mentor groups and we went to bed. Excited for the hike tomorrow!

Love Tess Anderson, Julianna Lotti, and Jenna Wisler

Saturday July 13, 2019

Hello from the DR!

We started this morning with our usual breakfast to fuel us for our hike to Mt. Bríson. The hike was well worth it when we were able to buy bread and bracelets from a local woman named Juanita. After buying food and bracelets from her, we had a look into her abundant garden with chinolas (passion fruit), pigs and banana trees. We had stunning views of mountain sides, cows, palm trees, and plenty of chickens, turkeys, horses and donkeys carrying milk and people. About a 1/4th of a mile up we stopped to look at a local school that had 2 classrooms for 4 grades of students. At the top we stopped at another local named Doña Máxima’s house for lunch and a Q&A with her, where she talked about her life and how she acts as a leader for the community.

After our hike we took an adventure to the supermercado to load up on delicious sugary snacks. With full bellies and happy hearts, we got back to the lodge, and took a dance and cooking lesson! We all enjoyed peeling and smashing plantains and participating in the Bachata dance.
Today was our mentor Jackie’s birthday. We made her signs, had a “wobble dance” flashmob and ate cake to celebrate her special day!

After dinner, our 3 mentor groups met again, Carlos’s group headed to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. Then, at exactly 10 PM we all QUIETLY went to sleep! 🙂 Goodnight, and see you all very soon!!!

Ava, Sophie, and Bri

Sunday July 14, 2019

Today was our last day of service, instead of working on the bottle house we mixed cement for a family in Caño Dulce. The cement was used for the floor of the house and our goal was to finish it in one day so that the family of 6 could move their belongings back into their home as soon as possible.

It was really interesting to experience a new focus for our service and we all really felt the effects of manual labor. We were extremely proud of everyone today as we all persevered through a rainstorm and everyone worked really well together. We also talked to Johnny, who is a beekeeper in the community and he gave us a tour of his bee hives. His father handed down the job to him after occupying it for many years, and he is known to have the best honey in the community.

After our day of work, we rewarded ourselves with ice cream. 🙂 We also had a discussion called, GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT, with Kate, one of the 7 Elements Staff. We discussed what it means to be a global citizen and how we can remain involved in service, giving back, and making a change when we return home. We shared about how this trip has inspired us to be more aware of world around us and being aware of global issues and taking and creating opportunities to help the world around us in any way we can.

Time Capsule Letter

Hi Everyone!!

I’m sure you all miss waking up to the odd howling of Ernie & Oscar, our home-base mascots, as they MOOed like cows outside of our cabins bright and early each morning! Or waking up to the sweet melody of your top bunk roomie’s alarm clock going off for 10 minutes straight. How about our delicious breakfast of eggs, pancakes, cereal and toast every morning?

Or the smell of bug spray and sunscreen blowing into our cabins by a rare but much needed breeze? Ohh, I know we all miss when the water pressure would go weak mid-shower because everyone else is also showering off the cement from their legs.

Then, theres always the good old shower companion that startles you when you catch a glimpse of the lizard or frog on the wall! Ahh, yes… the many nights spent trapping giant flying beetles in a handy-dandy Pringles can. Oh the joys of cabin life! But it’s these little quirks that allowed us all to bond so quickly in just 10 days!

When we weren’t running around screaming our heads off from harmless bugs, we were swimming in the refreshing pool, cooling off from a hard days work at service. Or sitting pool-side chatting away with all of our new friends. We went to the grocery store and bought entire CAKES (oy vey) to celebrate “LOD day” as we sang “HAPPY LOD DAY TO YOU” prancing about in the Gazebo!

We went to so many beautiful beaches, swam in crystal clear ocean water, lagoons and caves! We ran like our lives depended on it across miles and miles (or so it felt..) of burning hot sand. We haggled prices with local vendors and had our hair braided and beaded by local women at the beach.We embarked on a catamaran boat ride to our beautiful snorkeling destination and saw vibrant colored fish swimming below us.

Like many who visit the Dominican Republic, we enjoyed delicious beverages while relaxing in the sun, with our toes in the sand. But our experience was much more than that, our experience will live on in our hearts, our experience was unique and empowering. We traveled here to learn about WHO the Domincan Republic is.

We witnessed a different way of living as local families in rural and small communities welcomed us into their homes and shared their stories with us. We saw the struggles and strides that people in the DR face daily. We get to leave the DR with so much more then a sun tan. Our local Director and friend, Loubens, shared with us the difficulties that Haitian people in the Dominican Republic face everyday.

Our hearts and minds feel full and inspired to continue to learn about global issues and take action. We learned about how we allow inequality into our everyday lives and how people from all over the world are given different opportunities based on the color of their skin or the place in which they were born.

We hope you all feel empowered to make changes in these systems. Although you are home now, surrounded by all of your comforts, we hope you continue to travel and gain a worldly view. Continue to educate and inspire those around you. We hope you always carry an open mind and an open heart.

Thank you for making this experience everything that it was! You have inspired and taught us along the way and we hope that you continue to BE THE CHANGE that you want to see in this world!

Your Team,

Jessica, Loubens, Jackie, Carlos, William

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Tuesday June 25, 2019

Buenos días!! Here the CSA mentors from the Dominican Republic.

Our students made it to the island of Hispaniola, safe and sound last night. After a long day of flights and delays, pool, sunset at the beach and orientation, they were all so tired than run away to bed and we had to wait for this morning to take a nice group photo.

We are now having breakfast looking forward to our first service day and the arrival of two more students today (Christopher and Francis)!!

Wednesday June 26, 2019

We began our 1st day of program with a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, oatmeal, toast, and coco puffs. After breakfast we took a short bus ride down to the Cano Dulce community to start work on a bottle house for a very kind family. The family we are helping had been trying for twelve years to get a house of their own and they were so thankful to GLA and 7 Elements for helping them.

We worked using chicken wire, metal, and bottles to make walls, and then put cement that we mixed ourselves to cover the aforementioned wall panels. The job was very laborious and definitely had everyone sweating under the hot caribbean sun. For lunch we had pork, rice w/gandules, fruit, and eggplant.

Throughout the day it was really cool to see the locals, who were so happy to share their community with us. The experience from today was eye-opening for a lot of us. We all came back and washed off in the pool and then ate a dinner consisting of fried-fish, spaghetti and potatoes. We were then given a lecture about the Seven Elements of human security, which is what the foundation here in the DR is named after. Seven elements works in partnership with GLA to do service learning projects for College and High School students. To finish off the day we got into our mentor groups and chatted with each other about our backgrounds and personal goals before going to bed. Hasta Luego Amigos!

Written by Genaba, Teddy, and James

Thursday June 27, 2019

Hi everyone,

After multiple alarm attempts, we all finally hopped out of bed at 8am. Threw on some clothes and talked to my cabin mates before breakfast. Everyday we have volunteers that make up the “Leaders of the day” I volunteered to be the time keeper. This task requires gathering the group, maintaining the daily schedule, and deciding table groups for breakfast and dinner, as well as transportation.

After breakfast we load onto the buses and head out for service. We returned to work on a bottle house for the second day. We sorted plastic bottles, put up chicken wire on the walls, then stuff plastic bottles between the chicken wire and “sweet” wire. Then we put concrete over top of the bottles contained by chicken wire. And that’s how we make the walls between the wall frame.

We played a few fun games of basketball with locals in the community. Then we ate our lunch with Jonny, a beekeeper in the community and his family. He lives right up the path from the bottle house that we worked on. Jonny is a very nice man, who lets us try the honey and honeycomb as a thanks for what we are doing in his community.

After service work, we went to the beach and played frisbee. We had a debate and learned about human rights and Dominican and Haiti global issues.

-by Parker

Friday June 28, 2019

Today was an excursion day in between our service days in caño dulce. We started off the day taking an hour and half bus ride to the DUDU lagoons. We were able to jump into the lagoon from a cliff and swim around. Afterwards, we ate lunch at the local restaurant and played volleyball. Then we departed for the beach.

We took a fifteen-minute bus ride to playa precision (beautiful beach) and had some free time. We had virgin piña coladas and were able to purchase souvenirs rom local merchants.

We then departed for home and ate dinner. We did a lecture/group discussion about morals and ethics, which everybody had lots of information to share about the topics. After that we did an unknown truths activity that everyone enjoyed and laughed. We wrapped up the night with fun activities that brought everybody closer to each other, and the day was looked after upon as a very fun part of the trip.

Written by Amelia, Azaria, Addie

Saturday June 29, 2019

Today we started our morning with a proper breakfast of eggs, oatmeal, toast and loads of other heart-healthy things! We began the day with a bus ride to Caño Dulces where we sang songs and listened to music to get in a happy mood for the day. Excited for the day, we started working on the bottle house by mixing cement and plastering it onto the walls, which gave the new walls a clean finish.

By around noon, we were finished with one room and about halfway done with a second. The boys had loads of fun using the pick axe to break up the dirt for the septic tank. The sun was very hot but that did not lower our moods. We were still able to have fun and get a lot of work done.

Next, we walked over to a different part of the community where we participated in a game of basketball with the locals. They kicked our butts! Afterwards, we ate a delicious lunch of rice & veggies, pork with a special sauce and loads of fruit. We had a rowdy game of freeze dance, where we all got out some of our energy. We began working for about 2 more hours before we left to go home.

Covered head to toe in dirt and cement, we were all antsy to get showered off and into the pool. The girls convinced the boys to get a little pampered by the pool. We ate a delicious dinner of chicken tenders, french fries and macaroni salad.. which we were all excited for. After stuffing ourselves till we were ready to burst, we got to enjoy some activities with William. Once the winner of the games were declared, we sat down for a group activity about self-acknowledgement called the Identity Walk.

After the interesting discussion we had time to sit with our mentor groups. We discussed the activity that had just happened and how we felt about it and then answered some feedback questions for the mentors to be able to have a better understating of how they could better our experience. Overall we had a fun but tiring day and we are all ready for sleep!

P.S. I love and miss you Mom and Dad and Kyle – Mireya<3

Sunday June 30, 2019

We began the day with picking up trash in the local community, in the villa of Cabarete. Kids were separated into groups of 2, one was assigned to pick up trash and the other had to pick up plastic.
The trash was to be thrown away in a secure place, while the plastic collected would be used later to bulid a boat for the community.

Everyone spent an hour collecting trash and made a huge impact on the cleanliness of the area. After collecting trash we took a short walk up to a cave by the city. Upon entering the cave students saw the beautiful pool of crystal clear water. Some students decided to take the daring jump and hop off the cliff while other decided to slip in through the deck on the bottom. Quick shout out to Teddy who took the jump after a hesitant twenty minutes, and Grace who jumped right in with no hesitation.

The cave’s water felt very refreshing after a scorching hot morning of volunteering.
After an amazing fun time in the cave we headed out and took a quick drive to pick up some pizza.
The amazing Carmella and Lakin decided pineapple on pizza would be a great choice and all the other students agreed.

Especially because all we’ve eaten so far has been rice and beans, and pineapple, but for some reason we decided to get pineapple on it even though we’ve had it for every single meal since the day we arrived!
At the beach we all took a really trippy panorama. It will blow your mind. The sand was so hot on the bottom of our feet but thank god we had our LODs to save us and that bottom layer of skin. In the ocean fish swam around. The water was so clear you could see underwater without goggles , it was crazy yo.

Loubens, which is one of our mentors/ friend/ best friend/ life adviser/ my favorite person/ father figure/ the person that can’t remember anyone’s name was so scared to go under water, which is crazy because he is in his twenties. After the beach we got to go to the supermarket to gather our nourishment for the next few years (we’ve decided to stay here for a little longer). Immediately entering the store, we bought only the essentials: cake, baguette, doritos, whipped cream. Lakin and Ethan ate the whole baguettein the twenty minute bus ride. The LODs shared the whole cake at the gazebo (#YOLO #carbsdon’tmatter bruh), but the non-LODs had to pay a small fee of $1 to have a slice so Ethan can gain some cash money flow.

Afterwards, we gladly jumped into the clean blue pool, however about 5 minutes later it was brown, let me tell you, it was #crazynastybruh but we persevered doe bro. And now… #NACHO MAMAS REGULAR NACHOS cuz they were soooo bomb.com. Best dinner yet, hands down. After dinner, we did not have a lecture doe, so that means more free time doe that we wasted our hour and a half writing this doe but it was fun doe #NOREGURTSDOE #OURLIFEISCRAZYDOE #LUVLYFEDOE… #BEDTIMENOWDOE #PEACEOUTDOE

PS dear future LOD: I hope you still believe in our #CARBSDONTMATTERDOEBRUH and life is still crazy yo.

LODs,

Lakin, Ethan, Carmella and Rebecca

Monday July 1, 2019

Today started with an early breakfast at home base at 7:00 a.m. and we departed at 7:30.
Everyone exited the buses and reached the base of the hike at 9:00 a.m.​ After a long trek up in sweltering heat and steep hiking everyone we pushed through and made it ​
to the top of the mountain at 12:00 p.m.

We treated ourselves to some delicious ice cream after the usual chicken, beans and rice after Donna Maxima made everyone lunch ​we had a Q/A session with her and we learned about the community, but beforehand we took a rest stop at ​Julieta’s and bought sweet chocolate bread and colorful bracelets.

The descent began at 1:15 and went by much quicker taking only an hour to an hour and a half with some slipping.​ Passing by the friendly community members and people on horses. Everyone did a good job looking out for each others​ safety calling out for motorcycles.​
​
The start of the hike was easy we all had lots of energy and we were eager to get to the top of the mountain. As the hike continued and the trail got steeper it was difficult to keep a positive attitude but thanks to Ethans awesome music​ we all kept going with high spirits. Half way through the hike we stopped and we were able to buy bracelets, fresh bread, and to​ use the restroom at Julieta’s lovely home. We also came across fresh juicy mangoes that were very mouthwatering. Ascending in the blazing heat powering through inclines and hills all the while we were Viewing baby chickens and watching the turkeys frolic and gobble. ​
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A student, Parker, gave a beautiful call of the turkey.​ The students were cautious avoiding motorcycles calling “Moto, moto!!!” letting everyone in the group motorcylces were on the rocky roads.​ We waved hello to the friendly locals as the road horse back and walked on foot on their steep mountain trek.​ Upon hoping the fence to Donna Maxima we took group photos of the beautiful view while taking some great selfies.​

We met her family and ate crispy chicken with rice and beans. After eating we began in depth conversation about human securities​ and asked her questions like where the nearest hospital was and many other questions in Spanish. She even asked the students some great questions​ like why we did this trip. After lots of chocolate and fruity ice cream we began our descent. We tried not to tumble down the loose and rocky path but Grace took an epic fall. We are off to bed now, cant wait to see what tomorrow brings!

-Written by Grace, Violet, Brandon, and Chris

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Today, Tuesday, July 2nd, everyone woke up very early for breakfast and the two hour bus ride to our service site, La Grua, a Hatian/Dominican Batey (community). We helped to cement a basketball court GLA / 7 elements are building for the community and we were given a tour of it where we could see how life is in this part of the island. Very different to what you see about the DR on the internet or the news.

We ate lunch in the local school, and then we went back to continue our service and continue cementing the basketball court. Zoe, Lexi, and Addy played dominoes with the local children and everyone started joining in for a huge game of dominoes near the end of our service time.

Afterwards, we took the bus back to home base and to enjoy our last day in the pool and a great traditional dominican dinner (we had plantain lasagna). Our lecture was presented to us by our GLA counselor, Loubens, who is a Hatian living and working in the Dominican Republic. He spoke about the whole history of the Hatian and Dominican tensions and how they affect him to this day. We ended the night with plenty of fun games in our mentor groups and we also have been practicing our talents for the talent show, which is tomorrow.

– Zach, Zoe, Eva, and Aurora