TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH

We are off to our third Clinic.  We spent the day in a second Haitian Village.    You learn quickly to love these people and the opportunity to serve.  Here is some of what we saw today.

No video games here!  The children have made sticks to push old bicycle tires down the dirt rode. They set up a rock for a finish line. They take turns racing.  Many of the children we saw didn't have shoes. This morning Susanna spoke robust about her success with Esperanza. She sells clothing, candy, food and gas. She can now afford to send her children to school and they all have shoes. She is very grateful and proud. She is saving money to buy her own land. Esperanza is one of the only organizations who give loans to Haitians immigrants with no documentation of citizenship. 

The diet (for them and for us while we are here) consists primarily of rice, beans, eggplant, chicken and plantains. Carrots are also seem to be plentiful.  And here is one more thing...it's very very good!

Lunch break - under the canopy, hot but happy

Each of us has one Rubber Ball (if you remember Kevin Carroll from the Annual Event).  Each of us chooses one child while we are here to give a ball to.  You can see  it's a hit!

The children love to pose for us when we take pictures

The women run businesses with the loans thru receive from Esperanza. The men in today's Batey work in the sugar cane fields

The Children of the Dominican!

On Tuesday morning Dr. Charlie shared with us what has kept him coming back for 5 years. He told us how he was inspired by the love he saw during his first trip and how every year he comes back to experience that love again. When you ask dr. Charlie why he comes he says "I wish I knew". Coming to serve in the Dominican republic and trying to explain the experience is like trying to explain to someone what happens during the Annual Event. Words cannot express this experience. We are receiving so much from the people and from each other. 

Yesterday was the hottest day yet and many of us were happy to cool off in the pool when we returned. We had a fun time with each other and the people.  We are looking forward to another great day.

Always happy for a cool ride home at the end of the day!