Leaders of the 2004 Summer SST unit in the Dominican Republic are Jim and Lisa Caskey, pictured here with their children, Lewis (13) and Emma (10). Prior to this assignment, Jim has served Goshen College for 6 years as a Regional Director of Development. Lisa is a music teacher at Parkside Elementary in the Goshen Community Schools.

Jim and Lisa met at Goshen College where they both participated in SST, Jim in Honduras and Lisa in Haiti. They led the spring, 2004 unit in the Dominican Republic. "Leading SST now takes us back to wonderful memories and a time of life-changing growth. Never did we imagine we would share the opportunity to gain another world perspective and this time along with our own children and 13 Goshen College students. What a privilege this is."

Preparations are complete for the summer SSTers’ arrival Wednesday night. Patricia Zwier, GC grad and long-time friend of the SST program in the DR, guided the important work of matching students with just the right host families. Monday night, families stopped by Casa Goshen for an Open House where they picked up information about each coming student and the schedule of events for the next three months. New families were further introduced to the SST program and returning families were an excellent source of information. They are all excited to receive these new residents into their homes.

A new group of 19 students arrived safely and on time at the Las Americas International Airport tonight. They were all greeted by the Caskey family, SST program assistant, Williams Velez and GC’s favorite chofer (bus driver), Jose Miguel. Their hunger was satisfied at a Dominican favorite fast food restaurant, Pollos Victorina, with fried chicken and tostones (fried platanos chips). Then we made the 30 minute ride to their hotel for the first night in the old colonial zone of the first city in the Americas. A full day of orientation begins in the morning followed by introduction to their new host families who will take them home in time for dinner tomorrow night.

Students actively participated in a full day of orientation at Hotel Plaza Colonial led by unit leaders Jim and Lisa Caskey. Joining us for individual sessions were representatives of ENTRENA, the language school and Patricia Zwier, family therapist, whose 20 years of living in the DR was a wealth of information for easing the transition into the Dominican culture. Patty’s exercise in naming our fears and making a plan to deal with them, as well as the specific family information she gave each student, served to diminish fears in meeting new host families in the afternoon. As families arrived one by one, we all enjoyed the first introductions and bidding them farewell to their newly adopted homes for the first 6 weeks, our time together in the capital city, Santo Domingo.

The students have several “homes away from home” while they are in the capital city of Santo Domingo. After the initial evening with host families, the morning brought us back together at ENTRENA where students met teachers and took placement exams to divide into language groupings. Three mornings a week they will meet at ENTRENA for 4 hours of language study before breaking for lunch on their own. After lunch today, students learned to use public transportation and practiced their new skills by riding in público cars to Colegio Cristiano Mi-El. Mi-El is a small private school where students will attend afternoon lectures. It is a short 10 minute walk to leaders, Jim and Lisa Caskey’s house, also known as Casa Goshen, where students ended their visit with a glass of freshly squeezed limonada. Everyone caught on quickly how to rest and relax at Casa Goshen and recognized why it is a favorite of many past SSTers through the years. After a return trip to ENTRENA students were picked up by their host families for the first weekend of getting to know new places, foods and friends.

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday were our “normal” days. In the mornings, students met with language instructors at the ENTRENA language school to begin their classes. In the afternoons at Mi-El Colegio Cristiano, we heard from Puro Blanco about "The Dominican Soul" and "Social Problems in the DR." He always does a great job getting at the essence of Dominican people and culture. Other lecturers for the week were Asier Cabrera on Dominican History and Doctor Scheraldi, our group doctor, who talked to us about healthcare in the DR and ways to keep healthy during our time here.

The students at this point are still getting comfortable using public transportation and are enjoying finding new places for lunch each day.

On Friday, we took a walking tour of the Zona Colonial; Santo Domingo's significant colonial district, displaying impressive structures dating back to the early 1500’s.

The morning began with Greg Koop singing for the “right” to receive the group’s first letter from home, a note from Greg’s sister Jennifer. Students then began taking a turn as "tour guide" for each stop along the way. The Colonial Zone claims many of the "first" structures in the Americas -- the first Cathedral, the first commercial center, the first street, and standing in front of the Hospital de San Nicolas de Bari, built in 1503, are our three nursing students DeeDee, Keri and Ashley.

Row 1: Marilyn’s daughter helps Donna’s daughter with her swimsuit; the children of Irene, Lois, Susan and Jane play dominoes while Judi’s daughter and Sue and Patty’s sons observe; Irene’s son shows some local Dominicans the particulars of a curve ball; Sandy and Sandra’s daughters give a creative tribute.

Row 2: Jane’s son and Karen’s daughter horse around in the water with Lisa’s daughter; Elizabeth and Audrey’s daughters take a moment from their siesta to smile at their moms; the children of Donna, Kathleen, Peggy and Lisa display their proclivity for the water; Loretta’s daughter smiles for her mom while posing with Lisa’s children.

Row 3: Jane’s son uses small seashells to say hello to mom; the daughters of Sherri, Keri and Susie show-off their matching earrings; the daughters of Donna, Lynn and Patty model their colorful pareos; Susan’s daughter makes sure Lois’ son isn’t going to burn under the hot Caribbean sun.

All of us here in the DR wish our Mother’s a Happy Mother’s Day! We want to let you know we are safe, healthy, happy and “remembering who we are.”

Saturday morning we toured Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes), a set of large caves dotted with freshwater lagoons. These caves were re-discovered in the 1950's, but are known to have been used for religious ceremonies by Tainos, native inhabitants of the island of Hispaniola.

We then continued east out of the city 60 kilometers to a tranquil beach called Playa Guayacanes. Time at the beach was exactly what we needed, both as a group and individually, after a rigorous week in our new surroundings. Students sunbathed under the intense Caribbean sun and enjoyed dominoes, soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, snorkeling, and generally getting to know each other better.

Over time, each group reveals its own personality, and already this collection of students is showing theirs. They recognize there is a time and place for everything. During classes and lectures they are courteous and attentive. They fully participate in group activities and discussions. But in between times when we are “alone” together, the fun factor runs very high! After threatening to stop taking Malaria pills, to disregard warnings against the water and certain foods, and to boycott the use of sunscreen and the English language, they dubbed themselves to be on “X-ST” (Xtreme Study Service Term).

On Sunday May 9th, the traditional family picnic was well attended despite a rainy forecast. We gathered in a popular linear park near Casa Goshen, called Parque Mirador Sur. The picnic is always a highlight for many families and a good opportunity for everyone to meet and greet the families of others. It also serves as a valuable opportunity to thank each family on behalf of Goshen College and the SST program. Each family brings a favorite dish to share and Goshen College provides roasted chicken, drinks and table service. After introductions of everyone and some four part singing by the students, we ate, played, sang some more and visited until rain clouds moved in and shortened our afternoon together.

Matthew Bauman with the Lorenzo family, Jordan Buller with the Ventura family, Katrina Dyck with the Abreau family and Rachel Friesen with Oleidy Calcagno and family.

Amanda Hooley with the Almonte family, Lane Kaufmann with the Jerez family, Hillary Knox with the Carvajal family, Jennifer Gingrich with the Mesa family

Bethany Lehman with the Gonzalez family, Greg Koop with the Sosa family, DeeDee Martin with her brothers in the Yeara family, Allison with mother Dignora Fortuna

Ashley Nate with the Velez family, Kendra Ramseyer with the Xiomara Perez family, Adam Roth with the Colon family, Jennifer Rupp with the Vinicio family

Beth Steider with the Paulino family, Heidi Swartzendruber with the Ortiz family, Keri Swartzendruber with the Mateo Arias family

On Tuesdays, the students are divided into four groups for exploration activities around the city during the morning. Heidi, Keri, Ashley and Greg were the first group assigned to planning and preparing lunch for everyone. After deciding the menu, they made their way to the Feria Ganaderia, a fruit/vegetable/meat market, where they negotiated to get the most they could on a set budget. Jim picked them up from there to stop by a supermercado (supermarket) for a few missing supplies.

After lunch, we discussed different feelings of guilt that emerged in journal entries, when facing the extreme poverty through the beggars on the street, as well as the stereotypical expectations we receive as rich Americans. After some time to relax, play dominoes, write in journals or check email, the students went their separate ways into the Santo Domingo rush hour traffic back to the safety of their Dominican families.

On Wednesday we traveled east from Santo Domingo to the other side of San Pedro, where we visited the Cueva de las Maravillas ( Marvelous Cave). We were impressed by these award-winning caves which are said to be the best display of Taino artwork in the country! The stalagmites growing over the Taino drawings validate their authenticity. These caves are well preserved, displayed and protected by the Dominican government. As a result, no pictures are permitted inside the caves where the drawings are. Although disappointing for us, we applaud these efforts to preserve the historical treasures of the island, because it is not apparent everywhere we travel.

We continued east to La Romana, where, after lunch on our own, we regrouped to enter a zona franca (Free Trade Zone). Here we witnessed first-hand the complicated issues surrounding cheap international labor on the American economy. We toured a pants factory that has replaced its American workforce in Alabama (5 manufacturing sites) with Dominican laborers. After purchasing the cloth, they complete every aspect of production from cutting, assembling, pressing, labeling and packaging. Pants leave the plant ready to hang on the store shelves already priced for retail sale, including markdowns and sale prices in some cases. The labor cost for each pair of pants at this location is US $3.00. The 1,700 workers average US $19.00 a week. Students had good questions for our tour guides who explained that the work is demanding, but there is no difficulty in finding workers. When back on the bus, no one could say definitively whether this is a good or bad arrangement for the Dominican worker and his/her family.

After Entrena classes on Monday, Ana Rivera gave a Dominican resident’s perspective on the current political environment. She outlined a brief overview of political history since the dictator Trujillo was assassinated in 1963, and explained key differences between the electoral processes of our two countries. This was especially apropos in the final week of the Dominican Republic’s national election to be held on May 16.

Thursday was “arts” day in Santo Domingo. We toured the Teatro Nacional(National Theater), home to the 3rd largest stage in the world. Only the Bolshoy Theatre in Russia and La Scala in Italy are larger. Afterwards, we toured the Museum of Contemporary Art. And finally, after lunch we met at Kendra’s house, where her host mother, dance instructor Xiomara Perez, shared her knowledge of Folklore and Dance, and gave us instruction on the local dances of the Bachata and Merengue.

Friday’s lecturer was 1984 GC grad, Elias Acosta, who gave two presentations to the group, Mennonites in the DR and Media and Business in the DR.

Shortly after midnight early Monday morning, former president Leonel Fernandez was elected president, ousting current President Hipólito Mejia. The 51% for Leonel reported at that hour, eliminated the need for a second round of voting by garnering at least 50% plus one vote. President Hipólito’s gracious acceptance of defeat and early congratulations to President-elect Fernandez was considered another important step in the Dominican Republic’s development toward fair and clean democratic elections. Students were prepped for the possibility of civil unrest on Monday, but most found the tranquilo day to be even slightly boring!

Tuesday morning, students scattered around the city in their “exploration” groups, gathering at Casa Goshen for lunch. Jennifer Rupp, Rachel Friesen, Jordi Buller and Katrina Dyck prepared an “American” picnic of hamburgers on the grill and pasta salad. We celebrated Greg Koop’s birthday a day early by demanding an encore presentation of the song he performed to receive the unit’s first letter, The Outcasts “Hey Ya” which is dangerously close to becoming this group’s theme song. During the afternoon session students placed themselves along a “culture shock continuum” which led to candid discussion about continuing struggles with acculturation. We also worked in small groups to illustrate our interpretation of excerpts from Henri Nouwen's Gracias! A Latin American Journal, regarding the different roles we play and personality traits we find accentuated in ourselves in these different surroundings.

Wednesday, lecturer Jaime Moreno, co-owner of Helados Bon, the DR’s own ice cream producer spoke to us about business and economics in the DR. His passion for the environment and his country came through loud and clear. From the start he had the students’ attention by treating them to Café Organico, one of his company’s premier flavors.

The second hour lecturer, Haitian-born Pierre Filipe, focused on his amazing story of struggle leaving Haiti for life in a Haitian batey in the DR. He worked cutting sugar cane in the repressive system of the bateys until being recognized as educated by church workers, a privilege inaccessible to those born and raised in the bateys. He has risen to positions of leadership within the Christian Reformed Church and is highly respected by Dominicans and Haitians for his work. Pierre Filipe shared his perspective on the current state of life in Haiti.

On a “rainy season” Thursday, Dr. Giselle Scanlon, medical doctor and former Secretary of Women’s Affairs, spoke to the group about women, children and domestic violence. With our usual meeting place under water we gathered in a second story classroom at Mi-El. Given limited resources and political clout Latin American experts agree the most effective work is done with victims and not in educating or reforming batterers. She outlined a frustrating system with little alternatives for victims of such abuse.

Friday, May 21st we headed west, observing the change in terrain as we went. We saw mountains and desert and eventually the lowest point in the Carribean as we drove around Lago Enriquillo, at 150 feet below sea level. Our first stop was Las Caritas, a series of rocks where Tainos carved faces into the coral rock. We then walked down to Lago Enriquillo, to check out this lake which is three times saltier than the ocean. While we didn't see any crocodiles that reportedly live there, we did see flamingos, and plenty of rhinoceros iguanas. La Descubierta was our lunch stop, where many tried chivo (goat meat) for the first time. We then passed through Jimaní, the last town before the border with Haiti. Two days after our visit the tragic flood that is making international news swept through ruining homes and lives as thousands were killed or displaced. The effect has been huge on the entire island.

Many of us walked across the border into Haiti where we observed a market place closing down for the day and visited with Canadian soldiers about daily life in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, where they are stationed for peace keeping duties.

After a brief stop at the traditional "Magnetic Pole" (where objects appear to roll up hill), we ended the evening in Barahona for pizza together before students ventured out to participate in the local social scene or back to the hotel to prepare for Saturday's river hike.

Saturday morning began with a visit to the "Larimar Beach." Larimar is a semi-precious turquoise blue stone found only in the Dominican Republic. This particular beach is known for its Larimar stones and, while we enjoyed the challenge of finding the stones ourselves, some supported local children by paying them for their finds. Then came the highlight of the whole experience to date for some students, a hike up a mountain river and back where we worked together to get everyone over many rapids and natural obstacles and back down to the ocean-side beach. Waiting for us at the bottom was a feast of freshly prepared fish, moro, tostones and refrescos. Just as the rain was beginning we headed back to Santo Domingo where it rained for the next 48 hours causing the terrible floods.

For “Exploration” on Tuesday, DeeDee, Beth, and Lane visited a local open market and prepared a meal of fajitas and fresh fruit for the group meal at Casa Goshen. Keri opened the afternoon session with hymn singing. We then celebrated the life of Katrina’s grandmother, Lois Short, who passed away the Sunday before, and we gathered around Katrina in support. The hymns and scripture we used would be at her funeral service the next day in Ohio. Rachel led a discussion about what is “home” followed by other individual sharing. We processed the troubling news about our fellow SSTers who would move from Cuba to Costa Rica in two days, as well as the devastating floods in Jimani. Jim then demonstrated the different "hats" we must wear as leaders, speaking on the same subject from three different perspectives as "leader," "buddy" and "dad." Pictured here he speaks with the "dad" hat on.

Our lectures Wednesday included the return of professor of history, Asier Cabrera who spoke about the cruel dictator, Trujillo, who ruled the country for 30 years until his assassination in 1961. Patty Zwier returned to highlight the different cultural emphases between Dominican and American society. She also illustrated the different Dominican family systems that many of us are involved in here.

Our first stop was lunch in the city of Salcedo. Here Adam and company show their proclivity for the camera, while relaxing in the town square.

Next we visited two homes of the famous Mirabal family. Three Mirabal sisters were killed by orders of the dictator Trujillo on November 25th, 1960, because of their involvement in an underground movement seeking to overthrow Trujillo's vicious regime (1930-1961).

The killing of the Mirabal sisters was the final "straw" which finally brought down the dictator. Trujillo was killed in May of 1961 backed by some of his own generals. The Mirabal story is told in the captivating book In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez.

Our disappointment in not meeting Doña Dede, the surviving Mirabal sister, was diminished somewhat by an invitation to tour her home by a security guard living on the grounds. She was visiting the capital city for a funeral the afternoon we came through.

The cacao beans (cocoa) shown here are on her property, amidst the beautiful grounds filled with exotic tropical plants. Her home was simple but lovely, filled with memorabilia and plaques honoring the important contributions of these martyred sisters.

The museum was a sobering experience for some with so much tangible evidence of the lives and tragic deaths of these 3 sisters.

Friday evening we checked into the Hotel 2000 in San Francisco de Macoris. We enjoyed dinner together at El Dorado Chinese restaurant, which, to our delight, offers a unique variety of Chinese, Dominican and Italian cuisine.

On Friday, we visited Loma Quita Espuela, a scientific reserve created to protect one of the rarest ecosystems in the world, the mist rain forest. Fifty-eight different bird species have been identified in the reserve. The name of the reserve Quita Espuela literally means "Take off your spurs." It was so named because the locals say that you can't take your horse up the mountain so you might as well "take off your spurs."

The hike up the 3,090 foot mountain was difficult. Some in the group opted to stop at the halfway point. Those who made it to the top celebrated their achievement by painting their faces with the mud from the path. Along the way, there were 42 markers denoting different varieties of trees, plants and wild life habitats along with conservation of land/erosion issues. Martin, our guide was very familiar with the trail and knowledgeable about the mountain. We returned and after a refreshing splash in the river, gathered together for a meal of rice, beans and chicken prepared by our gracious hosts, before leaving for Jarabacoa.

Jarabacoa is a popular resort town that flowers in the summer where locals go to beat the summer heat. We enjoyed the awesome drive to our beautiful hotel, the Gran Jimenoa, built beside a rushing river in a tropical forest nestled between the mountains. A late night pizza supper beside the pool while we played dominoes, billiards and ping pong capped off a full day on Friday. This evening provided the first hot shower for a number of students since arriving in the DR.

Saturday morning, after a breakfast buffet which included pancakes (!), most of the group went across town to hike down to the upper Rio Jimenoa Falls. We hiked down to the beautiful natural setting of the 75 meter falls used as the backdrop for the movie Jurassic Park.

After a couple hours by the pool, we left for lunch on our own in Jarabacoa and made the 3 hour drive back to the capital city.

Monday, May 31, we began a one-day field trip by driving an hour east to Boca Chica, a tourist town known for its white sand beaches and coral reef protected swimming area. Our destination however, was a new baseball complex of fields, dorms, workout facilities and classrooms. Every major league team is represented in the Dominican Republic because of its unusually high rate of developing major league quality players. This facility is home to 4 teams, the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, and the team we were there to visit, the Chicago Cubs. Entrance into the school is by invitation only and players soon find out that the school offers much more than a chance to develop baseball skills. Students are taught respect, discipline, how to transition into American society, all aspects of the game and English classes. They workout, eat, sleep, play and study together 7 days a week. A highlight for us was hearing the stories of 8 different players. All understand that one in 100 will make it to a career (more than 5 years) in the major leagues, but all agree it is worth the sacrifice, the greatest being the separation from friends and family.

After a quick lunch we continued on to Playa Caribe, a beautiful beach with delightful waves. Students enjoyed the opportunity to ride the waves on Boogie Boards, some for the first time. We also used the afternoon to divide into “Village Study” groups and played games emphasizing the different skills needed to work together on this popular SST outing. Perhaps most impressive was Beth Steider’s record setting 56 second consumption of a full package of Dino cookies. This feat helped lead her team (Beth, Matt and Ashley) to victory allowing them the privilege of picking their “Village Study” destination first, as well as a much coveted package of real Oreo cookies! (“Village Study” entry to come)

After morning explorations everyone returned to Casa Goshen for a lunch of haystacks prepared by Mandi, Kendra, Beth L. and Adam. After some hymn singing, DeeDee shared devotions focusing on our need to extend our tolerance for everything new and different in the Dominican Republic to our differences within the group and on campus at home. We began to process the meaning of “service” and our hopes and fears for our upcoming assignments.

We ended our time together with a rousing game of Encore, the game that tests your ability to recall songs from memory on demand.

In celebration of the Dominican Mother's Day holiday the previous Sunday, the students surprised Lisa with a silver necklace and an orchid.

Wednesday, June 2, after morning language classes and lunch on their own, students found their way to the Peace Corps. headquarters. Our first lecturer was Angela Kerwin, from the United States Embassy. Students found her presentation to be very interesting and informative. Her extensive knowledge of immigration law and international relations answered our many questions of how the system works between the United States and all other countries of the world. Her specific area of expertise in Dominican politics was interesting amidst the transition from Hipolito’s presidency to Leonel’s return to office.

For the second hour, representatives from the Peace Corps offices provided students with information about the Peace Corps and what it’s like working in “the campo.” Some remarked that they would like to return later to work with this effective organization. Two of our students will be working with Peace Corps volunteers during their service assignment, the second half of their time her in the DR.

Dominican Republic SST program assistant, Williams Vélez, and his family invited the whole group to their home for dinner and games after today’s lectures. Host family to Ashley Nate, and parents of current GC student, Will Vélez, this family is intimately involved in Goshen College and their care and concern for each of us here is evident in their warm hospitality. We enjoyed a relaxing evening together including a delicious meal prepared by Ashley and her host mother and sisters.

After Entrena classes on Thursday, June 3, the group took a trip to San Cristóbal, former dictator Trujillo’s hometown. During Trujillo’s rule the city was in its heyday, the beneficiary of an enormous cathedral and two palatial presidential residences, all courtesy of the government. Our first stop was Casa Caoba (Mahogany House). This summer home of Trujillo was built in 1938 and was exceptional for the mahogany trim throughout the house. We shared the experience with a group of elementary children that had also come from Santo Domingo for the day to study history of their country.

Afterwards, we toured the Castillo del Cerro (Castle of the Hill), a once luxurious 6-story mansion that Trujillo built in the 1940s but never lived in. Perched atop a hill, the home has a stunning view overlooking San Cristóbal. We saw mountains to the north, the ocean to the south and the skyline of Santo Domingo to the east. One can only imagine how locals felt seeing this lavish icon towering above them while so many lived below in poverty.

Our final stop was Iglesia San Cristóbal, the 19th century cathedral that contains Trujillo’s mausoleum. His remains however, were not welcomed in his home country that he ruled with terror for 3 decades. They were sent to France where they remain today.

On Friday and Saturday, June 4th and 5th, the group took part in “Village Study,” an important part of the SST experience and consistently, through the years, one of the highest rated activities. This year was no exception. Early in the week, 6 different groups each drew the name of a small village somewhere in the country. After figuring out how to get to “their” village by asking family, friends and teachers at Entrena, each group met Friday morning to put their plans into action. The 24 hours that follow leave an indelible impression on most students, as they are exposed to hospitality from strangers that few have experienced before. Along the way, they talk with village residents about all aspects of their lives in the village. Groups are given gifts, food and even homes to sleep in. Students learned that sometimes “receiving” is the best gift you can give. Village study is an excellent preparation for service. It gives the students the confidence needed to step out of the city, rely on themselves and their language skills with an insight into the great hospitality present in almost every small Dominican village.

DeeDee Martin and Mandi Hooley work with CEBSE (Center for the Conservation and Ecodevelopment of Samana Bay and its Environs) in Samaná and El Limon, Jennifer Rupp is working with children’s groups and helping with Asociacion Aguas Vivientes in El Ramón, Jordi Buller and Greg Koop are in El Rosario working for the Rose in the Desert Orphanage teaching basketball and baseball and doing construction work, Kendra Ramseyer works with Peace Corps Volunteer, Jessi Hanson in La Joya de Guerra, Hillary Knox works at the BoMana Foundation in La Romana with a children's theater group, Allison Miller and Jen Gingrich are in Monte Llano doing community development work, Bethany Lehman and Rachel Friesen are working for Habitat for Humanity in Tamayo, Matthew Bauman is in Rancho Arriba working with the community, Lane Kaufmann and Adam Roth are working in Rio Limpio with artist Rivera Mora, Ashley Nate is working in a clinic in San Juan, while Beth Steider is also in San Juan working for the Centro Cristiano de Educacion para Desarrollo, Heidi Swartzendruber is in a Batey outside Tamayo working with Peace Corps Volunteer, Ann Smyntek, and Keri Swartzendruber is in Vallejuelo working at a clinic.

On Monday, June 7th, we met at Mi-El, our lecture location, for the last time. Each group gave a brief and entertaining report of their Village Study experience. As in the past, this exercise proved to be just what each one needed as he/she makes the final mental preparations for the second half of SST. Every group reported gained confidence as they look back over the last 6 weeks.

On Tuesday, after morning explorations we enjoyed a delicious lunch of sub sandwiches, pasta salad, fresh mangos and chips prepared by Allison, Hillary, Jen G. and Matt. This group loves to sing, and today we began with more time than usual singing a broad range of requests including Easter and Christmas hymns. Our sharing and input time focused on a broader definition of “service” as experienced by the groups during Village Study. In many cases, our ability to “receive well” was the greatest gift we could offer our gracious hosts in the campo (countryside). With the uncertainty of exactly what each service location will bring, this is a comforting lesson to learn even if a little foreign for many at first.

Each Tuesday morning five groups of students met at a different exploration site across the city, rotating each week until all locations had been visited.

At the Plaza de la Cultura, students visit the museum of the Dominican Man, home to an extraordinary collection of Taino artifacts and a good anthropological exhibit on Dominican fiestas patronales (local festivals).

At the Jardin Botanico, students can see flora from every part of the island, a pavilion with three hundred types of orchid, and greenhouses for bromeliads and aquatic plants. Less indigenous but always a favorite for the students is the manicured Japanese garden with a maze of shrubs and a pagoda with shaded benches beside a babbling brook. A guided train ride takes the students through the length of the park with a stop-off at some of the highlights.

The Columbus Lighthouse known locally as El Faro, is a controversial monument that took over 60 years to build from its inception. Within the monument is the mausoleum of Christopher Columbus as well as a series of galleries from every country in the Americas.

The Acuario Nacional centers around a large Plexiglas tunnel surrounded by a tank full of sharks, manta rays, moray eels and other sea creatures. Also on display are sample underwater ecosystems from around the world. Perhaps most impressive is the view from behind the acuario – the Caribbean sea crashing against the rocks.

The Mercado Modelo, is a maze of stalls targeting tourists offering Dominican souvenirs of all sorts including leatherwork, jewelry, ceramics and dulces (sweets) to name a few. Students enjoy surprising shopkeepers with their ability to speak Spanish and barter like the locals. Behind the Mercado Modelo is “Little Haiti,” a completely different marketplace designated for Haitians who come over the border to sell their produce and wares. A separation of the classes is most evident in this block of the historic colonial zone.

At Entrena on Wednesday, June 9th, the students took their final evaluations, received certificates, and enjoyed cake to celebrate their last day. In the afternoon at Casa Goshen, the group took their lecture exam then raised a “Dino” cookie to honor new Uncle Adam. After final instructions and supplies (mosquito nets, motorcycle helmets and life jackets) were offered, we gathered for a service of sending.

We focused on the theme that God is always with us. There is no service location that we are going that God is not already there. (Psalm 121, Joshua 1, Phillipians 4:4-9) We sang hymns, Teach Me Thy Truth, In Christ There is no East or West and Will You Let Me Be Your Servant. Students read from their journals, including poetry written and one poem that a dad had sent along. Together we read a benediction prayer with a PowerPoint montage of images from our first 6 weeks together. A general feeling of “readiness” for this next stage of SST was evident combined with a mix of enthusiasm, anxiety and gratitude.

An early visit to Mandi and DeeDee in Samaná was requested by their supervisor prompted by last minute changes in family arrangements. On June 12th and 13th we took advantage of the opportunity to act as tourists and experience the hospitality of DeeDee's new host family. Their business offers a package of horseback riding to the impressive El Limón waterfalls returning to a delicious typical Dominican meal of rice, red beans and chicken. DeeDee is participating in every aspect of this family business and volunteering for CEBSE, the organization that helps an association of 15 such businesses, known as paradas, that all make their living from tourists and trips to the falls.

Mandi is living with a young couple in Samaná and volunteering her time at the main CEBSE office. In the beginning she is working at organizing a collection of Spanish/German/English books into a library. We’ll know more after our official visit in July.

Together on Sunday, we all went to a beautiful secluded beach called "Playa Rincon" before safely delivering them to their new homes for the next 5 1/2 weeks.

On Friday, June 18th, we drove up a mountain just north of San Cristóbal to visit with Jennifer. Recognizing El Ramón by the small church and community center, we merely had to ask a young girl playing outside if she knew Jennifer, and her face lit up and she happily guided us to Jennifer's house around the corner.

After meeting her lovely family and touring her home, we returned with Jennifer to San Cristóbal for lunch and a stop at Helados Bon. Jennifer's "service" opportunities have centered around children in the community and finding ways to interact with them with very limited resources. She also finds that her brothers, especially, are interested in learning all the English words she can teach them.

After lunch, Jennifer's host father showed us his many fruit trees, and roasted cashews for us to try. Anyone entering the house over the new cement threshold can see how happy the family is to have Jennifer there.

Jennifer and Allison rode Guaguas to nearby Puerto Plata to meet us for breakfast on Monday, June 21. While sharing initial impressions and experiences the two took turns using the offer of free internet access at the restaurant Polanco.

Together we toured an Amber Museum before riding the Teleférico – a cable car ride to the top of Mount Isabela de Torres (2565 ft above sea level). The views of the city on this 25 minute trip are stupendous. At the summit a statue of Christ the Redeemer, a slightly downsized version of the Rio de Janeiro landmark with its arms spread out over the city, crowns a manicured lawn. Also on the grounds is a tropical garden. The mountain is now a protected national park, covered by a rainforest on its far side and inhabited by 32 species of indigenous birds.

We returned to sea level for lunch at the ocean front restaurant, Barco's, and ice cream at Helados Bon. After further catching up through their journals, we drove back to Allison's home along the highway to Monte Llano. Before her host parents arrived home, we were treated to Limonada and a tour of the house by her 3 caballero (gentlemen) brothers.

Jen's family was not home, but we toured her house and met them through her complimentary description and were happy to meet her host brother shortly before leaving for our evening destination.

Jen began "service" by visiting a clinic in town to visit with patients, but is hoping to settle in to work at a maternidad, a clinic for new and expectant mothers where she can learn to know these women and their unique stories personally. Allison teaches English classes to various level students at an English Institute in Monte Llano.

On Tuesday, June 22nd, we drove to Rio Limpio, the end of the road in a beautiful valley where Adam and Lane live. This service assignment is different from all others because no prearrangements were made for their arrival. They simply came to town, found homes to live in and ways to be helpful and fit into the community. After meeting their families and touring their homes we settled in for coffee with Lane's family. They gave us a tour of the community including the things they have done, installing water filters, hiking, yard work at CREAR (Center for Education, Training, and Investigation in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development), and mostly, working with wood in a local workshop. The workshop is the enterprise of a talented young artist named Rivera Mora. While he is gone for several weeks promoting his wares, Adam and Lane are being trained in the trade of carving and sanding these handmade decorative wooden spoons by his assistants.

A highlight for both is the river where they bathe at the end of each day.

We picked up lunch items at a local colmado and set off for a favorite swimming hole in the river a couple kilometers back. After spending the afternoon together and reading their journals we are convinced these two are maximizing opportunities in this remote and picturesque valley to build new relationships and discover more about themselves.

From one end of the spectrum in Rio Limpio to the other, our visits took us east to La Romana on Friday June 25th. We met Hillary in the city’s central park, directly across from Fundación BoMana, an arts organization where she is donating her service.

Founded by Hillary’s supervisor, Luisa Ortiz, BoMana is dedicated to the cultural preservation of the arts through exposure and training of elementary-age children in music, art and drama. After visiting with Luisa and touring the facility, we enjoyed lunch at Don Quijote’s next door, a fine restaurant owned by Luisa’s family where Hillary often has lunch.

By the time of our visit, Hillary was living in her 3rd home as family matters necessitated her displacement. Comfortable in each home, she is now pleased to be with a loving host family that includes her mother and brother as pictured, plus a father and active grandmother. (As an aside, Hillary enjoyed an afternoon visit with her grandmother from the states who was passing through on a Carnival cruise ship!)

At BoMana, Hillary works directly with the children during art class, has done bookkeeping, organization in the office and spends her time preparing materials for classes. She hopes to introduce some theater into her short time here. In addition to her work at BoMana, Hillary will also be helping Luisa teach English at Altos de Chavon, a combination university and artists’ colony set in the world-class resort called Casa de Campo.

On Sunday, June 27, we traveled west to meet Keri in the town of San Juan. Together we found a fantastic Italian restaurant where we ate and visited for a couple hours. After the traditional stop at Helados Bon we drove southwest to the small village of Vallejuelo where Keri lives.

Our first stop was the Buen Samaritano Orphanage where Keri volunteers some of her time. We toured the facility and visited with the directors and their friendly staff. It is a clean and uplifting environment.

Afterwards, we stopped by Keri’s home and met her family. It was another heartening atmosphere. They are the extended family of Keri’s host family in Santo Domingo. Keri and her city host mother visited Vallejuelo during the first six weeks in the country. It resulted in Keri’s own initiative to move here for service and work in the local clinic.

We walked up the hill to tour the clinic and met some of the doctors and nurses with whom she serves. Keri is experiencing “hands on” training in this small clinic that sees a variety of cases. On the way home we stopped at grandmother’s colmado and saw where her family runs a fritura (fried chicken stand). Keri enjoys helping here in the evenings. While we read Keri’s journal, Lewis and Emma received an example of the hospitality Keri enjoys every day.

Sunday evening we saw each of the 4 students in and around San Juan and confirmed plans for a day together on Monday.

Monday morning we began by visiting each student in their respective work locations. We met together for lunch at the same Italian restaurant Keri selected the day before. Sharing mail, service stories, a delicious lunch, frustrations and many laughs, we remained the only patrons throughout our 3 hour lunch. Between Jordi and Greg, not a morsel was left on anyone’s plate. After a complimentary dessert from the chef, we continued on to Helados Bon for the traditional treat from the college!

With so many pages for us to read in their journals, we all returned to the Casa de Huespedes (guesthouse) for an afternoon of games and individual interviews. Director/caretakers of the guesthouse are GC friends, Rod and Sandy Nofziger from Pettisville, Ohio. Rod and Sandy generously offered their facility as a “home base” for the evening. After a long day together that went by so quickly, we wished them well as we returned each one to their home to begin the second half of their service experience.

Ashley lives with Eulalia, the lab director at the clinic where Ashley serves. Wauseon, Ohio based Solid Rock Missions has partnered with Clinic Christiana to help provide low cost healthcare by providing equipment, work teams and financial help. As a new student of nursing, Ashley has been exposed to many new and interesting procedures, the likes of which she may never see again.

Host and hostess of the guesthouse portion of the facility are GC friends, Rod and Sandy Nofziger from Pettisville, Ohio. Ashley eats her lunches at the guest house and occasionally volunteers her time in housekeeping.

Beth’s home is in a large barrio just north of the San Juan clinic/guesthouse. She lives with Geselle and her family. Geselle is the cook at the school where Beth volunteers. The school is another part of the “Solid Rock” ministry. As school ended she was helping teachers with paperwork. The week following our visit she prepared classrooms for a group of American visitors coming to paint.

Beth has more free time than ever before and though challenging at times has discovered the ability to “do nothing without being bored.” A ferocious reader, Beth has realized anew the importance of poetry in her life.

In the final pictures, Beth enjoys a refresco at the guesthouse with host Rod Nofziger and Jim, and takes a moment on the school grounds to share about her volunteer work with Lisa.

Both Greg and Jordi work at the Rose in the Desert Orphanage near the small town of El Rosario. Their assignment is to bring sports programming in baseball and basketball. They have spent time preparing both venues of play, painting lines, installing permanent bases (old tires) and clearing brush. They have spent a good deal of their time painting church benches when they are not playing with the boys.

One of the highlights for them so far was a trip to the north coast with a young resident who had never seen the beauty of his homeland. Coming to the orphanage when he was 6, he is now 24 and still there working, and appreciating that Greg and Jordi are there.

Greg lives in El Rosario with Angela, a local teacher and her family. He enjoys this family and connecting with other young people in the community.

Jordi lives with the director of the orphanage, Danilo and his family, in San Juan. Each day is an adventure as to how he’ll get to the orphanage.

Greg publicly apologizes for the facial hair he is sporting. Jordi makes no apologies for enjoying a 2 peso ride on “Dino.”

From San Juan we traveled to the small town of Tamayo to meet Bethany and Rachel. Together they live with the family of Alexandra, who works for the local Habitat for Humanity office. There are always many extended family members around the house.

Bethany and Rachel work in construction for Habitat for Humanity. They are working hard and finding sore muscles they didn’t know they had. They explained to us the way Habitat works in the DR and the two layout options available to families. It is interesting to note that the 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom options are the same total square footage. These homes are small, but very sturdy.

The family receiving the house is responsible for making lunch for the workers and to provide a family member to help with construction. Pictured, a woman makes soup over a fire at the site, explaining to us why it is important to feed them well so that the workers have the strength they need to work all day.

Together we drove to the small gathering of homes known as Mena Abajo to meet Heidi. We arrived in time to see the end of a youth camp Heidi and Peace Corps volunteer, Ann are leading for the week. The camps are designed to be leadership training for the local youth who plan and lead them for children. Heidi also assists Ann with a gardening project which is very difficult in a community that lacks water.

Heidi lives with Dominga and enjoys her extended family which includes grandparents and grandchildren. A highlight at Heidi’s house is the new latrine which was completed just in time for her arrival.

With Heidi, Rachel and Bethany we drove to Barahona, the nearest large town. They agreed on lunch at Pala Pizza where we swapped service stories and shared pictures and greetings from other students as well as letters and news from home.

Always a bittersweet highlight, the mail from home brings news of nieces and nephews, missed traditional end-of-year parties, and love and encouragement to finish their time here.

As always, no matter how much is eaten, there’s room for Helados Bon. We took advantage of the central park across from the Bon to meet individually before returning them to their homes.

Without a doubt the roughest road to meet an SSTer was our trip to Rancho Arriba to see Matt. Just northeast of Santo Domingo we turned off of the main highway and quickly found ourselves utilizing the 4-wheel drive capabilities of the DR unit’s Montero on the washed out mountain road.

In Rancho Arriba we only had to mention the name, Dr. Nono (the nickname for Dr. Ramon La Chapel), and we were directed to Matt’s service home. We toured the clinic and visited with his extended family in the neighboring houses where he eats his meals.

Matt volunteers some time to the clinic, but has also plugged into life in this small agricultural community in a variety of ways. We met a young math teacher who credits Matt for teaching him new things to better serve his students. Matt has also gotten involved at another school teaching some English. He helped a neighbor with new construction on a house, and enjoys spending spare time with the motoconcha drivers where they gather downtown between runs.

For lunch Matt chose the local hotel restaurant where we enjoyed a typical Dominican lunch of rice, beans and chicken with the best avocado and tomato salad we’ve eaten so far. Without an Helados Bon in town, Matt instead relished his mail from home and played pool with Lewis while Jim and Lisa caught up on his journal.

After a quick driving tour of the area with Dr. Nono we began the trek home impressed with the ease with which Matt has integrated into his service surroundings and the level of Spanish he has achieved.

Our return to Samana to visit with Mandi and DeeDee began in Las Terrenas where they were enjoying a weekend break with Allison and Jen who came over from Monte Llano. Together we shared supper outdoors at a beautiful beachside restaurant.

After our initial visit to Samana to finalize families in June, it was good to return and see the significant progress both have realized in developing family relationships.

On Tuesday morning we picked up DeeDee and met Mandi at the CEBSE offices and toured the facility, including the small library and museum. CEBSE is the Center for the Conservation and Ecodevelopment of Samana Bay and its Environs, which has a twofold aim: to provide visitors with an excellent product and to manage the natural resources in a wise and sustainable manner. In beginning the monumental task of organizing a collection of varied materials Mandi learned a lot about the science of library organization and has made a significant gift to the CEBSE organization.

After lunch at a local restaurant with Dominican fare, we continued on to Helados Bon and shared some individual time with Mandi. Back at Mandi’s house we met her extended family including the puppy her family asked her to name. They want an American name by which to remember her by. Mandi’s host "parents," Meri and Josias, are actually younger than she is. It has been a delight for her to witness their relationship from the inside. Meri especially, has appreciated Mandi’s listening ear and friendship while sharing cultural differences.

From Mandi’s house we drove back up the mountain to DeeDee’s home where we gathered a large number of her extended family for a photo on the steps of the family business. DeeDee is helping in all aspects of the parada where tourists come to ride horses to the famous El Limón falls and return to lunch “Dominican style.” She cooks, rides horses and carves bowls for sale from the gourd-like calabasa fruit. The whole neighborhood is glad for DeeDee’s presence and she is rarely alone. She has her own motoconcha driver, Joel who is always willing to take her places and show her around. DeeDee’s interest in exercise has both astounded and amused them. She was equally amused while teaching her sisters to do pull ups from the bottom of a table.

When we were leaving DeeDee’s host mother told us that DeeDee will always have a Dominican family here and is welcome to return anytime. In fact, it is expected.

Kendra did a great job of preparing for our visit. She met us outside a colmado on the dirt road back to La Joyita. We went directly to her house to meet her family and local Peace Corps worker, and there we enjoyed a delicious meal her host mother prepared for us. She also arranged for a water filter installation so that we could see an example of the work she has been doing.

Kendra works closely with a Peace Corps worker named Jessi who lives nearby. Together they have installed hundreds of water filters in homes both locally and in the flood ravaged area of Jimani. Kendra’s entire SST experience has been profoundly shaped by witnessing this tragic area firsthand. She has seen the devastation and worked beside locals to improve the water supply now available in the aftermath.

We drove into neighboring Guerra for ice cream at the local Helados Bon where Kendra caught up on 4 weeks worth of mail and news from the other SSTers.

We then went back to see Kendra in action installing and explaining how to maintain a water filter to a new and grateful recipient. It is not easy work, and she clearly knows what she is doing. This woman was excited to receive this new convenience for potable water in her home, and she was eager to learn from Kendra’s instruction in Spanish. We then left for Santo Domingo with a good idea of Kendra’s service experience to date, and impressed with the amount of work she is accomplishing.

Five of us took a break from our regular routines and met together to climb Pico Duarte, the highest point in the Caribbean (3087 meters). Our expedition included Jim, Lewis, Jordi, Matt and the program’s Dominican assistant, Williams (father of current GC student, Will) plus our two guides, Congrado and Eustaquio. Both had led a number of trips before, but never the route we were taking up one side and out the other. It felt very good to patronize the efforts of this group of Dominican guides, as our expedition meant better economic times for this small association of mule owners and guides.

It was a rewarding challenge. The views were spectacular and the mules amazing as we trekked the 50 kilometers up and down some very steep terrain. There was no finish line, the journey was the adventure, but we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise at the peak the morning we ascended to the top.

On Monday students returned from their service locations to their Santo Domingo homes and spent the afternoon at Casa Goshen turning in supplies, filling out paperwork and generally catching up with one another.

Tuesday’s schedule was open for each student. Students did last-minute souvenir shopping, visited with family and friends and/or opted for their personal interview session and oral Spanish exam at Casa Goshen.

Wednesday morning, after final farewells to host families, taxis filed past Casa Goshen dropping off students on the next step in their journey home. Two Spanish exams later, we boarded our familiar field trip bus (named Stephany) with GC’s favorite chofer, Jose Miguel, and drove 45 minutes east of Santo Domingo to Playa Esmeralda, the all-inclusive resort for our final two day retreat. After a buffet lunch, they had a free afternoon to play, snorkel, soak up the sun, begin our dominoes tournament and continue the excited visiting that erupts whenever we’re together. Wednesday evening in a more formal way we gathered to sing hymns and share service stories, which produced tears of laughter, pain and solidarity. Ending the evening was a special treat of chocolate mousse cake in honor of Heidi’s service birthday and Bethany and Rachel’s upcoming birthdays.