Dominican Republic Mission Journal

good morning from Esteve,
this is our last day of going into the batays to work with the peoples. actually, its just a bball tourny today so there will be different interaction. i havent been doing much basketball but playing with the younger boys (6-12) while the ladies and girls play with the girls, tate has been doing bball in the morning then coming with me in the afternoon. We did learn that once we opened up to one shoulder ride to expect twenty others close behind and many all at the same time. I seriously doubt that the sweat-dirt stains will ever come out of my tshirts. Austin may have the record of carrying six boys on his back at once, but my record of five was plenty.

yesterday after playing some mean 3 on 3 whiffleball for 1.5 h, I asked some of the boys to walk me around the village. Erin graciously went along, as we´re not allowed to be alone anyway, but it was comforting to know that her Espanol is excellente, while mine is nearly nonexistant. it was a great opportunity to see the extreme poverty that exists behind the seens. i´ll try to explain. first, several, more than 3, young children with some kind of growth or tumor coming from their belly or genitals. no running water, some electricity,, very small conrete shacks with tin roofs that all needed repair, dirt floors. but that doesn´t explain the feeling of poverty that was present.. Many men and women just sitting around or playing cards or dominos, there actually was a bank, but no one was in it that i saw. the children further in the batay were more reserved than those who came to play with us. they wore minimal clothes, many of the younger ones in well worn underwear only. the yards were often defined by barbed wire strung between wooden tree branches pounded into the ground. but this still doesn´t describe the heaviness of poverty. maybe it was the eyes of the adults as we walked by. I totally felt like an intruder, or less harsh because they didn´t really react to us walking by. Erin did stop and talk to some ladies and younger men playing poker, and they were very nice and willing to interact. the boys i was playiung with were reluctant to show me around, but i don´t know whether its because they were embarrassed to show us or afraid for our safety. Anyway, a wonderful experience, although i did´nt feel comfrortable whippìng out the camera during our walk, so the memory will have to live on in the vast recesses of my head. See you all very soon.