Heading
The time here in the Dominican Republic has just flown by and the team can’t believe today is the last day in Vasca. There were some quiet moments during the drive to Vasca this morning as we were all processing the last four days we have spent in this village. The willingness and openness to see change in their community has filled our hearts with hope.
This morning, we had the pleasure to engage with 48 children ranging in age from 3 to 12! Due to an unplanned school closure, we met with the children in the community centre. The children were very excited and the energy in the room was through the roof. The team is very thankful to the translators for assisting us in managing that energy!
We stated off with a couple of songs that the children were familiar with – shout out to our translator Wascar for leading the sing-along. The group then talked about: what is a friend, what is a good friend, do you have a friend, and can you talk to your friend about a problem? We also talked about trust and trusting your friend and being trustworthy.
We asked them about people in their community they can trust like parents, teachers, and the pastor. The team encouraged the children to set goals and take little steps to achieve them. We asked them about their hopes and dreams for the future. Words have power and positive words can make you feel good and negative words can make you feel bad. The group talked to the children about good people vs harmful people, that people can hurt them, by calling names, hitting and touching that does not feel good. The team did a little role play to emphasize how to say NO when someone is mistreating you. All together the children and the team shouted NO!!
After the children had their snack, they were split into two groups. The younger children completed a duck critter craft. The older children completed a Flower Power activity, which is an activity to help them identify their strengths and encourage self-esteem. After the children completed their crafts, they were thrilled to take them home. They were all very proud of what they created. The team enjoyed the excitement of the children as they took their projects home.
After saying our good-byes to Vasca and Pastor David and his wife Ana, the team, translators, and partners enjoyed a farewell lunch. We have enjoyed our time here in the Dominican Republic. Each of our team members have made different connections with the people here and we will hold these moments close to our hearts.
Sydney
