Monday

Monday
Today was our first day helping at El Arca. First, we had to make breakfast (Deena and I have been assigned that for each day) and then everyone helped to load our bus with all the bags of donations…at 8:00 am it was already 70 + so by the time we were done we had already felt like a day’s work was done! The drive to El Arca gave us our first glimpse of Jarabacoa in daylight. The hussle and bussle of the morning had already begun with motorcycles darting in and out everywhere. We passed many little stores, maybe 10 x 10 and the highlight; the roadside butcher shack with a full skinned pig hung up to greet customers.
We arrived at “The Arc” to a warm welcome from everyone there. The kids came from all directions to greet us. Some are very shy and others, like Indiana, come right up with a big welcoming smile. After a team meeting and some waiting (we are getting used to waiting here because things have a habit of not going according to plan…) and then we all got to work. Deena and I were assigned to sort the donations…we divided the shoes into rows of cleats, school shoes, sneakers and casual. We sorted the uniform shirts, pants and skirts into respective sizes. Then the children came in small groups to be fitted. They were so happy to get new school shoes, so much so, that if we didn’t have a pair to fit them, like little Darwin who kept saying “bien, bien” even though we didn’t have his size because he desperately wanted to leave knowing he had a new pair of shoes. It didn’t matter to him that another pair would come before school started. I am struggling to learn the language and failed miserably when I tried to console Darwin so once again Deena came to my rescue! TO those of you who donated, we experienced their immense gratitude and, most importantly, we saw first hand how much they needed supplies. The supplies are organized by size in a large room called La Plaza. The children can earn 450 pesos every 3 months and with that, they must purchase all that they need, including shampoo and underwear. Before we arrived most of the shoe and uniform shelves in La Plaza were empty and the donations our team brought filled them to capacity! So, THANK YOU to everyone who contributed. I will post pictures of La Plaza later.
Eric and Tighe were assigned to run the soccer camp this morning and therefore spent much time running which in this heat, was challenging. The boys love soccer and are super good. Eric is doing an awesome job and the kids, especially the boys really seem to enjoy their time with him. Tighe is making friends with the younger ones and today was filled with many spray water bottle fights.
Aoife was assigned to the bench staining team and jumped right in and got to work. She is also trying to make friends and forcing herself to speak Spanish.
After lunch we were assigned into other groups. Eric, Aoife and Tighe were assigned to the children’s activities and I went to the book group for the house mothers. THese women are amazing. THey and their husbands, and their own children, live at The Arc, with anywhere from 8-12 children in one house!! The houses are approx 1200 sq feet. THese women shared their wisdom on how they gain strength from God in the knowledge that they are following his wish for them, and, much like our book group, they gain strength and wisdom from each other. Their sense of humor, their comraderie, the love and affection they have for the children, (children who come with tons of issues and many with zero social skills or even knowing how to use a bathroom) and, their true joy in their journey in life is inspriring.

We each have attracted a little pal or two...Tighe is followed by Willy..everywhere and poor Tighe carries him most of the time. Aoife's new BFF is Indiana a spirited 10 year old, Eric is frequently surprised by Steven's "sneak attack" when he runs and jumps up on his back, over and over again and we can also see that he is fast becoming Diego's pal. Little Gabriel has adopted me!

Our one treat each day is the dinner a little local lady comes in to cook for us. So far the food has been delicious. The power went out for a little while which apaprently happens frequently, not sure how often so fingers crossed.