Day #2 : Blog #2
Monday, July 18th
3:30 PM
Location: A village near San Pedro de Macoris, DR.
Well, things are great here. The people are amazing in so many ways. For instance, even though my Spanish is conversational but very rough, all the locals help me out and want to help me figure out what I want to say. I guess they see it as a white person actually being intentional about trying to learn the language of another country, which is sadly hard to come by. In addition to Spanish, baseball is the language of choice. Everyone loves it. I mean everyone. Just wearing a baseball hat gives you legitimacy and credibility with the young guys here. After lunch, we went to a sugarcane village about 30 minutes away, outside of San Pedro de Macoris. As the two buses rolled into the village, tens of hundreds of children, teens, and some adults were following and climbing onto the bus. In fact, two small children jumped onto the bumper as it cruised into the village at a ‘not so safe’ pace. Anyway, no instructions were given to us inside the bus, but the mission was obvious: to love on these people in whatever way possible, speaking whatever language possible (which in most cases didn’t involve any verbal language). I quickly realized that I would be learning from these people, and that any impact being made would be through the Holy Spirit.
Monday, July 18th
3:30 PM
Location: A village near San Pedro de Macoris, DR.
Well, things are great here. The people are amazing in so many ways. For instance, even though my Spanish is conversational but very rough, all the locals help me out and want to help me figure out what I want to say. I guess they see it as a white person actually being intentional about trying to learn the language of another country, which is sadly hard to come by. In addition to Spanish, baseball is the language of choice. Everyone loves it. I mean everyone. Just wearing a baseball hat gives you legitimacy and credibility with the young guys here. After lunch, we went to a sugarcane village about 30 minutes away, outside of San Pedro de Macoris. As the two buses rolled into the village, tens of hundreds of children, teens, and some adults were following and climbing onto the bus. In fact, two small children jumped onto the bumper as it cruised into the village at a ‘not so safe’ pace. Anyway, no instructions were given to us inside the bus, but the mission was obvious: to love on these people in whatever way possible, speaking whatever language possible (which in most cases didn’t involve any verbal language). I quickly realized that I would be learning from these people, and that any impact being made would be through the Holy Spirit.
I was immediately drawn to a little guy named Benjamin. He was three years old and didn’t really speak clearly at all. However, Benjamin loved me for some reason and wouldn’t let go, so I carried him around for an hour and a half. Someway or another, I met a17 year old Dominican boy named Elito. He appreciated my decent attempts at Spanish and more than helped me sound out the words that I could not formulate or translate. Elito asked me tons of questions such as “Do you play professional baseball?”, to which I firmly answered, “No…lol.” Then he asked me “Te gustas bailar o cantar?” which means “Do you like to dance or sing?”. I replied by telling him that I often try to dance and sing, but it doesn’t turn out too well. Elito laughed and smiled at me. I thought it was funny that Elito kept asking me about certain girls that came along with us from SCORE International. He seemed to think they were pretty, because he kept pointing at a certain girl and saying “Ella es muy bonita! Tu conoces ella?” Meaning, that girl is very pretty, do you know her? I replied by saying no, but I know she has a boyfriend, merely for the sake of the girl and for the sake of ministry….haha. We developed this little handshake very similar to the classic baseball pound handshake that ends in a predictable bro hug. Nonetheless, I could see the love and joy in Elito’s eyes with every topic we discussed and every moment we shared, whether it was a jab making fun of eachother in our own way or an honest question about the other person’s way of life.
Meanwhile, I am still carrying Benjamin on my hip, who turns out is Elito’s ‘primo’ or cousin. I quickly realized that nearly the whole village was related one way or another, just another cultural difference. Elito showed us his house and introduced us to his family. We saw some Dominican cowboys roping horses in nearby field, which was sweet. Many pictures were taken with the kids. Memories that will hopefully not be forgotten, but that easily can be unless they are written down or recorded by photo. Sooner than we realized, an hour and a half had gone by and the bus drivers began to honk their horns signaling us all to say our goodbyes. Elito and Benjamin understood that we had to go. We walked back to the busses, laughing and speaking rough Spanglish the entire way. I don’t know if I will ever see Benjamin and Elito ever again, but I was blown away at the joy in their lives coming from such little worldly possession. The people in this village are a living testament to the fact that God provides all that you need to live. No fancy cars, iPhones, or technology. Heck, not even running water or electricity! I asked Elito if he know who JesuCristo was. He pointed to his heart and said, “JesuCristo esta en mi Corazon.” Meaning, I have Jesus Christ in my heart. He then pointed up to the sky. I can’t wait to see Elito someday, whether here or all together in heaven.
Kevin and I with Elito, Benjamin, and another guy we met.
Needless to say, visiting the village was the highlight of the day and the trip thus far. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us. I am so thankful that we have been given this chance to visit and learn from these people. Because honestly, I am learning more than speaking, for sure.
Phil.
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