Summer 2012 brings a Teen Intercambio and Kids Camp to the Pancho Mateo

Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve written on this blog, and so much has happened in the past five months, from June to November, here in the Dominican Republic, then I’m not sure how to summarize it all. This will teach me not to forget to do my blog posts every month in future! :-) But let me share a few of the wonderful highlights.

 The biggest highlight of the summer for me was the week that I took off from work, (though I still love my job at HHI,) and welcomed six teenaged young women and my friend Amy from Raleigh Mennonite church, my home church in Raleigh North Carolina, into my home here in the DR. They came on a missions trip, to learn what I call my one of their prior use leaders, was doing and seeing and learning here in the DR, and to get involved themselves. We did a wonderful friendship with five Dominican teen young women from two local churches in Poncho Mateo one of the communities where I work. We learned about each other’s cultures, interests, families, and dreams and plans for after high school. Most importantly the girls from Raleigh and the girls from Poncho Mateo planned together a kids camp for what ended up being 100 children ages 2 to 11 in the community of Poncho Mateo. With so many children of so many different ages, in a tiny Haitian church in Poncho Mateo, the first day was a challenge, until we got into the swing of things. But it was a wonderful week, in which the teens from both countries, led singing, Bible stories, and did education on dental hygiene than tooth-brushing for all those enthusiastic kids. 

 Washing Hands every day before snack time. Ritz Crackers and Water were a huge hit in this community where clean water for drinking is difficult to come by in many households.  Here little kids love water, and actually ask for refills upon refills.  We gave out lots of water on those hot summer days of playing.

                                                    Singing and Bible Story

 Coloring pictures of toothbrushing, friends hanging out, families hugging, and God's love.

                                                             Bonding

This is my little friend Alexandre, one of the kids from one of the families from Pancho Mateo that I've had the opportunity to build a special friendship with since I've lived here. He's a sweety, as is his older brother and his sisters -- all in Elementary School.

 Part of our planning group of teen girls at the Basketball court in Pancho Mateo, where we played games with the kids each day.

             Co-leader Amy playing "hair salon." : )  The girls always took this game very seriously.

                                                     Handwashing before snack again.

 The boys playing basketball while the girls jumped rope, played tag, did hair, and the younger kids colored and played with a puppy and Erin's camera.

                                                               Coloring!


Coloring pictures was a big hit, and we noticed that our crayons tended to go home one by one in the pockets of small children each day – a little prize to take home and play with with their siblings. We actually had to go buy new Crayons halfway through the week! So, if you ever want to come to the DR and give a gift to children, crayons and coloring pages are huge hit.

The kids taught us games they love: we played tag, hair salon, basketball, and at the end of the day we walked each child home so that the young women from the US and the local Pancho Mateo churches could get to know their families, and so the kids would get home safely. My favorite part of it all was how the teens from the U.S. and teens from the D.R. were able to work together and build friendships, while hugging little kids and playing ball!

Our Theme of the week was Matthew 6:33

"Seek First God's Kingdom"

It was a great week!  Thanks God! Thanks Ladies! Come back soon!