Evergreen4kids Blog Spot

The Accident

2011-04-13T01:39:00.000-07:00

During our stay we went to Santa Elena a rual mountain village. We went there to share our abundance of school supplies and cool weather clothing which the team members had brought with them. Santa Elena is about 20 mins up a steep, winding gravel road. It is a an agricultural village growing crops like coffee, vegetables and beans. In the rainy season Santa Elena is isolated because the road is washed out. Even with our little truck we had to stop twice, get out and walk while the guys pushed the truck until it got traction again.

We happily delivered pencils, erasers, construction paper, vitamns, ribbon for the girls hair, marbels for the boys and cool weather clothing. Because of it's altitude Santa Elena is cool and in the evening it is actually cold. No need for a fan or air-conditioning there.

On our way down the mountain, we lost the brakes on the truck. I was sitting in the cab with the driver, Adrian. There were 8 others in the back of the pick-up, riding Dominican style. We came around a corner a bit too fast and I knew by Adrian's frantic look that we had no brakes. As we rounded the corner I saw the road ahead going straight down. Thankfully, Adrian knew immediately he had to try to stop the truck before we gained more speed. He turned the wheel into the mountain and I began to pray. I saw the rain washed "gutter" and as the driver's side tires went into the gutter I heard screams....then a flip....roll....slide.....and silence.......Then Adrian screaming for Yanet his cousin who had been riding in the back of the truck. As I continue to pray Adrian scrambles out the window. I was very calm, preparing myself for what I might find once I leave the cab. Suddenly I hear one of my friends say "we have to get the truck off of Scott....we have to get the truck off Scott!" Next I hear myself yelling "my husband, my husband, I have to help my husband!"

I scramble out the broken window and see the edge of the truck bed on my husbands head with his body still in the truck bed and lots and lots of blood. Instinct tells me I can't help with my arms, they are too weak.......But God gave me legs as strong as tree trunks. So I lay on my back and get my feet under the edge of the truck as Scott yells, "it's crushing my head - get it off quick, it's crushing my head!" I start pushing with both legs with all my might as we lift the truck enough for him to crawl out. I am afraid at what I might see once he is free. He is bleeding from the nose as he was face down on the ground with the truck on the back of his head. I look at his head, lots of blood, but a small wound. Scott is okay.

Everything seems in slow motion....Adrain checks his cell phone, sees he has no service and immediately starts walking down the mountain. In a moment a see a motorcycle and Adrian jumping on it. Thank God there is a police check station at the bottom of the mountain. Adrian will be able to call for help soon. Everyone seems in shock. Yanet is laying on the ground. She is not moving, I go to her, she can't talk, I ask where it hurts, she touches her chest, I fear internal damage. We pray together. The guys are now worried because the truck is leaking fluids, both propane and gasoline. We decide we have to take the risk and move Yanet away from the truck. As we lay her back down I see the injury. There's an entry wound on her upper hip, I see deep in the flesh. We pray again. She says, rapido, rapido. She also knows she is badly injured.

As scared as I am for Yanet I am calm, I am thankful we are all alive. There are road rashes, bumps and bruises, but there is not even one broken finger! In a few moments I see Pedro's brand new white Ford Explorer coming up the mountain. And he is moving! Pedro is Yanet's brother-in-law, our friend and the owner of the Texaco gas station in Barahona. We load Scott, Yanet and my friend Kelly all bleeding into the light beige interior. Yanet says "rapido" again.

The rest of us try to be useful by cleaning each other and comforting each other as we wait. The guys examine the truck, roll it back over and access the damage. It's toast, but they will save the engine and tires. It is already decided. Life goes on.................... I

t seems just a few minutes and I see Pedro's Explorer again. We are loaded in and taken to a small, private clinic. I call Franklin to translate for me. When we arrive the clinic is already full of family and friends from Habanero. In an accident like this, they would expect someone to die. In the 7 years since I've worked there I've known five people that have died in our little village. Family and friends are all praising God that we are all alive. Gloria Dios is the chant!

We are all in the emergency room together, there are no HIPPA laws in the DR. Scott is ok just a few stitches, Kelly is okay, road rash and stitches in his head also. Lucia has a whiplash, Luis has a backlash. Miraculously Gary, Jake, Timo, Adrian and myself are almost untouched. I look at Yanet's x-ray.......another miracle........lots of trauma to the chest and even though a long piece of glass was injected into her, the glass has missed all her organs and her spine. The piece of glass broke into three pieces and I can see them clearly on the x-ray. I watch as the doctor begins to remove the glass. He tells me Yanet will be all right.

As each person is bandaged I put them in a car headed for Habanero so they can rest. I stay at the clinic with Yanet. She will be staying for a few days as will Lucia for observation. As the clinic quiets down I begin my prayers of thankfulness. Once the girls are settled in their rooms Germo says now it's time for me to rest and he will take me home.

In the privacy of the car I begin to cry. I've held it all together but now the tears flow. Germo asks why I'm crying and I say "I'm not going to Santa Elena again, it's too dangerous." His reply not only surprises me but uplifts me. Germo says "Don't say that Brenda. Your were doing God's work in Santa Elena and Satan wasn't too happy about it. If you don't go back to Santa Elena then Satan wins. But if you go back then God will be victorious!" And that is the moment I started planning my next trip to Santa Elena.

We survived for a reason, becasue God has a plan for us. Just one week before our accident a man was coming down that same mountain, he was alone in a pick up truck, he lost his brakes and he lost his life that day. It could have been us, but it wasn't........Life goes on..................I'm looking forward to what God has planned for us! We return to the Dominican in June.

Keni Family

2011-02-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Since the Jan. 2010 earthquake in Hait (about 100 miles from Habanero) there are many new Haitian families relocated to Habanero. One family was brought to our attention while the dental team was here. The fathers name is Keni and he has a wife named Adriana and two baby boys one is 1 year 8 months and the other is 8 months. Of course there is not work so he is barely scratching up enough to feed everyone. He is very timid and shy and doesnt ask for anything.

When I first went to the home Keni said I could have one of the children, I could pick either one of them. He said he could not feed them. So it would be good for me to take one. It broke my heart to hear those words and see the mother so sad and she was sick as well. Thank God she is able to nurse both the children or they probably would not have survived so far.

We have brought them vitamins, rice and on Saturday Ramon fixed the water which ran out of the ground continuously making a great breeding ground for misquitos. We can them a covered bucket and talked with them about boiling the water for the children. They were very humble and thankful.

Seeing these people and knowing I have so much back home in America makes me want do more. I know I cannot fix all the problems in this little village. But, I also know I can do something. Providing some simple basics like a pipe and shut off valve can make a difference in comfort (no muddy yard) and health (not as many misquitos which carry malaria and dungue fever).

I am so very thankful for family and friends back home that help us in so many ways - YOU are making a difference here.

Love to all,
Scott & Brenda

Fiesta Estudente

2011-02-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

February 18, 2011

Today was Friday and it was a fiesta day at school. The Dominicans celebrate “Student Day” with a fiesta of fun and food! The tradition calls for students to dress with their Sunday best for school and to bring a gift to share with the students. The gift is usually some sort of food or something to drink. Only a few students are able to bring something in Habanero, but the teachers add a little something and we add a little something and suddenly we have a full blown party!

Yanet brought her television and a neighbor brought their DVD player and we started the day watching a DVD, which is a real treat for the children. While the children watched the DVD the adults were busy making the food. One child brought bologna, another a pc of cheese, there was some potato salad, crackers, cola, 7up, suckers, the works! We ended the fiesta with presentations of a special gift to one child with the best attendance from the 4year old, kindergarten and 1st grade classes.

We are trying to reinforce the value of attending school regularly. A higher attendance rate is one of the long-term projects close to my heart. The project really requires someone to be here all the time helping the teachers with the program and leading by example. It seems a simple concept, and something we take for granted in the USA. Here it is more complicated. Many parents do not read or write. Even if you have an education the unemployment rate is hovering at 75% here so there is no work. The value of education is not clear in this village. It takes consistency, longevity and commitment to a generation of children for them to really understand the value of education. I see education leading to results of employment in the future and basic needs being met. But for the time being, for these children education is a self-esteem builder. I see them proudly walking to school with their uniforms – and happily repeating the abc’s and 1,2,3’s for me. Sometimes even in English!

And so we work day by day, minute by minute, one child at a time which brings hope for the future!

For the Children,
Scott & Brenda

No photos!

2011-02-21T12:23:00.000-08:00

For some reason I lost the photos of Esmeralda and Brendita. Imagine that! In this country anything can happen!

Hola From The DR

2011-02-19T06:21:00.000-08:00

I can’t believe we have been here for almost a month already. The time has flown by. I can see progress in Habanero and am in hopes of having internet there one day. But for now, it is a trip into Barahona to get on the internet and it is SLOW! Remember dial-up? Yeah, you know what I mean…..

It rained tonight and that means the misquitos will be out tomorrow night. I love that the rained cooled things off and sent all the children running for home. Sometimes the house is surrounded by little ones hungry or just plain curious.

We spent half the day at the school tpday – beginning at 8am. I am there a few minutes early so I can applaud the ones that are on time and encourage the ones that are late to be one time. Attendance is up and down. We have 81 children enrolled, but most days have only 50 attending. Some are sick and some didn’t get enough sleep and they are just plain too tired to attend. It’s a struggle, but we’re happy for the parents that are “getting it”! They are faithful and get their children up, washed and ready for the day.

We spent the other half of the day taking Brendita and Esmeralda to the doctors and filling prescriptions. Brendita is set for lab tests on Feb 1, those results seen by a Dominican doctor on the 2nd and 8am appoint on Feb., 8th with an American doctor that hopefully will be able to do surgery on both her eyes before he goes back home. I’m posting a picture of her smiling face!

Esmeralda (an orphan we help support) has an ear infection from bathing in the water and a cold. The prescriptions cost $20 US Dollars. Thank goodness we still have some money left to pay for the drugs. Her foster father makes $81.00 a month as a security guard for a Texaco gas station. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s steady work and Victor is happy to have it. I’m posting a photo of her sleeping in her new crib. (our suitcase!)

We are thankful for our friends at the clinic who see our children for free when I am here and can personally take them in. The free clinic in the next village LaHoy has been closed for three months now. The government hasn’t paid the doctors for five months and so they decided to walk out. Daily life here………………Simple and complicated at the same time.

Love from Habanero,
Scott & Brenda

Annual Silent Auction

2010-12-08T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today I had a call from Yaneth our Head Teacher in the Dominican. It was nice to hear her voice. Although I speak very little Spanish and Yaneth very little English we always manage to communicate our love for one another and when I hear her voice it reminds me of all the reasons I do what I do. I find I need that reminder when I am home in the USA - life here is lived at such a fast pace with us cramming in so many details in every minute of our lives that it is easy to loose track of how wonderful it is to hear an old friends voice.

Our silent auction was held at the Heathman Hotel in Vancouver, WA this year and what a great sucess it was! Our board members and friends were busily rousting up donations to fill the tables. They brought in 88 auction items and 12 raffle prizes! There was a full house with the attendance at 107! How exciting it was to see the growth of our little non-profit. Proof in my mind that when you are following your heart with love and integirty - good things will come.

We were blessed with designated donations from individuals who wanted to provided electrical power to the school and our mission house. It was an unexpected gift - Thank you Randy & Teresa and Dave & Pam - You made my heart soar! Having electricity on demand will be a real blessing to Habanero. It means we'll have lights to see, fans to cool, we will be able to pump water to our gravity flow system when needed, we can show a movie to the kids without interruption, we can have full time refrigeration, we can have evening Adult English classes, we can recharge our phones, laptops when the mission teams are there and so much more!

There is no doubt what a small group of committed people can do! In addition to providing electrical power our donors funded the school for nine months. We are in the best financial position we've ever been in and it is due to caring people that step up and do what needs to be done when they see a need. Thank you all so very much.

There are numerous supporters that donated their time, talent and energy to help support the children. One of our board members fills suitcases with shoes for every dental trip, a co-worker and her husband provide the music for the auction, a couple mans the raffle table another the registration table..................Many hands were working together helping to make this a fun and successful event. And really, at the end of the day, isn't that what it's all about? Working together for the good of all...................

* * SAVE THE DATE FOR NEXT YEAR'S AUCTION * * SAT NOV 5, 2011 * *

Our Adopted Children

2010-08-30T23:36:00.000-07:00

Hola again! Working late to get the 2nd blog in of the month! My teacher's from way back when were right............... Brenda is CAPABLE of doing the work, but she'd just rather socialize!

I've posted four photos of children Evergreen4kids helps to support. We provide extra food, vitamins, medical and dental care to these vulnerable children.

Brendita will be five years old in October. She has one crossed eye and one with a cataract. School is difficult because she can only see with the crossed eye. We are trying to arrange surgery for both eyes.

Benita is also five years old and from Haiti. She and her Father showed up in Habanero sleeping on the ground by the river while her Father was trying to find work. After about four months the Father decided to move on and he "gave" Benita to a Dominican family in the village. Her life was destined to be sub-servent to the other family members - at five she already swept their house and slept on the cement floor with no blanket or pillow. Our head teacher Yaneth now has custody of Benita and she is thriving in her new home.

Samuel is 1 year old and weighs just 12 lbs. We have been providing liquid vitamins and prescription formula for him since last February. He is growing but he is still fragile. Yaneth continues to check on him and Evergreen4kids continues to meet his physical needs.

Esmeralda was born to a prostitute on June 19th. At one week old the police found her hungry and naked as her Mother was stoned and panhandling in a public park. The authorities took Esmeralda into custody and the doctor at the hospital named her Esmeralda Carolina. Evergreen4kids helped a relative gain custody from the authorities by bringing the house up to standard, providing a crib and agreeing to provide for Esmeralda's basic needs.

What a blessing to be able to reach out and help these children. They are a gift from God and precious in His sight!

Has it been a month since I blogged?

2010-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Is it Is it possible? Could it be that long ago? Every visit to the DR I make a promise that I am going to blog at least once a week......... Well, it never happens.... While there I become so absorbed in the day to day life of Habanero that blogs just seem to be too "advanced" - Anyone that has been there understands what I mean, life is at a different pace there and "technology" isn't always within reach. Which is not a bad thing people!

Some days are just about playing marbles with children that don't have a bucket full of animated electronic toys or a pink plastic Corvette full of wild haired Barbies. Some days are just about taking photos of smiling faces and turning the camera around so the children can see their own images perhaps for the first time!

Experiencing the joy of sharing precious moments face to face and building relationships is top priority during our visits to the Dominican. It's refreshing to our souls and inspiring to the children. We arrive feeling like rock stars surrounded by adoring fans. We leave with tears in our eyes and parts of hearts left behind.

First Team Members Arrive

2010-07-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

Our first five team members arrived safely at Las Americas airport in Santo Domingo yesterday. Even after the long flights everyone was in good spirits. After a few hugs and welcomes the bags were loaded on the bus and off they went on the last leg of the trip to Habanero. They arrived safely in Habanero for a good nights sleep. Today will be a day of rest and playing with the children. Work begins tomorrow. Please pray for all!!!

Santo Domingo Life

2010-07-01T08:59:00.000-07:00

Life is different here that is for sure. We have a meeting today with a Dominican friend that might be able to help us with some of the supplies needed for our fencing project. In the meantime I've added some photos which were taken by my very talented husband. It is Scott's first time here and he loves to take photos and he loves the people.

GRINGO HITS SANTO DOMINGO

2010-06-30T22:17:00.000-07:00

Arrived Santo Domingo and met with mucho mucho aqua. Rain pouring lard and fast. Some streets are not set up for so much at one time and so there is a lot of water all over the roads. A bit dangerous, but not as dangerous a some of the drivers around here!

As you can see my wonderful husband Scott makes friends where ever he goes! First thing out of the gate he asked a guy for a ride on a chonco. The man is fearless!

So I've posted some shots of my stunt man and some shots of the rain.

2010-06-30T19:55:00.001-07:00

A couple pictures of the children!!!! Tammi a friend from church made a zillion dresses for the girls and a zillion pants for the boys. I wish she was here to see the joy in the faces and they received their new clothes. They loved them! For days we have seen them running around town with their new clothes. Thank you Tammi

We need a fence!!

2010-06-30T16:48:00.001-07:00

Hola From Santa Domingo!

2010-06-30T16:18:00.000-07:00

We just arrived in Santo Domingo we have a meeting tomorrow with Febeka. She is a Dominican friend and business woman that has a heart for children and wants to help us with our fence. She is a wonderful woman and has built a business school in Santo Domingo. We will visit her tomorrow at her school. We are so very thankful to have her help us - she is also going to take us to look at a vehicle. Currently we rent a car, but buying one could work out better for us.

In the meantime our concentration is organizing and funding our fence. It is so very import at this time to fence the school. As we have more and more children per teacher is in critical we maintain the safety of the children. The children are 3 - 8 years old and they are used to running around the village. It is not unusual to find a child very far from home as they chase and play with other children. The same happens at school. Sometimes one wonders away sight unseen! There are many reasons we need to have this fence built for the children.

The area is very danderous especially because there is an irrigation canal which runs behind the school. The children play in it. Most of the time the canal is dry, but when the water is turned onto water the crops the water comes unecxpectedly and rushing very quickly through the canal. There is a great potential for a child to be hurt there.

Also the children's play area is overran with animals, goats, cows, horses, turkeys and pigs. What they leave behind is not good for our health and wellness program.

Once the fence is complete and our area is secure we will build a small kitchen to feed the children. Currently we cook at the mission house and walk the food over, the children eat in shifts in our little "clinic" room. Once we build the kitchen we will build an outside covered eating area where all the children can eat together. The area will double as an gathering area for parent/teacher meetings, adult education classes and our continuing health and wellness classes taught by our mission teams.

We plan also to plant fruit trees once the area is secure. We can have bananas and melons for the children to eat. Plus teach them how to grow their own food.

The final bonus of having a fence is simply to define our area and keep it clean. Teach the children to take care of their space and setting an example for the entire community.

June 25, 2009

2010-06-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hola from Habanero!

So much work to do here. Benita is very sick, so she is first priority. Scott is enjoying the country and the people and is learning much. My email is not working. So only blogs and facebook to keep everything up to date. I think scott is loading pictures to share. Please pray for us and the children! Love.....For the children, Scott and Brenda

The Headless Dolly

2010-05-09T22:31:00.001-07:00

The Headless Dolly!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh my goodness! One day little 4 year old Brendita came over the my house with a dolly. I'd never seen her with a toy so I looked closely at what she was carrying. Lovingly held in her arms was a nekkid and headless little doll. She carried her baby doll with her where ever she went. No one knew whathappened to the head, but it didnt seem to bother Brendita at all. Later in the week down a long dusty road we saw a little girl playing with the head of Brendita's doll...........Both seem content with the piece of the toy the lovingly carried. Makes you stop and appreciate all God has placed in our hands.

Color Their World!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

During the mission trip Dana, Liz and Eileen turned two cement slabs into happy play grounds. Amazing what a couple of gallons of paint can do. These children love and appreciate the simple things! Thank God for willing hearts and helping hands!

Finally Blogging The Last Mission Trip!

2010-05-04T22:14:00.000-07:00

Good grief! Where did the time go? I've been home over a month now and this is the first change to blog. We are living life at the speed of light right now. After I returned home I moved into a bit larger home because I am getting married in June. When we finally get married and live together we'll need more space that is for sure. Combining two households has reminded me of how many "things" we have in our lives. "Things" we don't always need, we just collect. And so on that note I'm going to introduce to a little five year old girl named Benita.

The village of Habanero is located 65 miles from the Haitian border. Our village is comprised of Dominicans and Haitians. Benita and her father came to the Dominican looking for work, they were found sleeping by the river. They speak Creole and only a little Spanish so we don't know a lot about their background. This much we know, the came alone barefoot and with just the clothes on their backs. After a couple of weeks of living on handouts, Benita's father gave her to a Dominican family and he left.

I never saw her while the Mission team was there. after all the Americans left I noticed her sitting alone on the porch, never interacting with others, always alone. She wasn't going to school and I learned she was sleeping on a concrete floor. A child in Benita's situation would be raised subservient to the Dominican family. Almost a slave to them. I could see this was happening to Benita already. I went to the house to see her one day and she was sick with fever. I asked the family if I could take her to my house for a few days. That night at my house I saw bite marks on her back from the older children.

The next day we went to Barahona, purchased medicine, a new school uniform, socks and shoes. Benita and I spent the next five days together while she recuperated. It was hard to take her back home, but I knew it was only for a short time. I'd already had a goal of moving her to our head teachers house. I just learned a couple days ago Benita is with Yaneth in a loving Christian home where she will be treated as a member of the family.

Thanks to our Board of Directors we are committed to help support Benita every month. Notice how very proud she is wearing her new uniform ready for her first day of school. Praise God we were there and are equipped to help this child. My part, well, I'm going through every box we moved her and preparing to have a garage sale. That garage sale money is going to be used for Benita's care. Along with another family's care, but that's another blog.

Here We Go Again

2010-02-08T00:53:00.000-08:00

I leave for the DR tomorrow again. Has it really been six months since I've seen the children? In 24 hours I will be somewhere over Texas................

Thanks to all who helped with prayers and encouragement as we planned this Dental Mission Trip - And thanks to our team members who have dedicated their skills, their time, their finances and most of all their hearts to the children!

It is my goal to update the blog while I am out of the country! Let's see how disciplined I am................ Tough choices we have to make............ Hug a kid? Go to town and blog? Hug a baby? Blog?? Let's see how I handle it. Keep praying for us!

Amazing People - Dana Layon

2009-11-24T00:47:00.000-08:00

You never know who is going to step up for the children…….. Dana Layon of Zen Flow Yoga hosted our first ever Yoga Day! The event was at Vancouver Yoga Center and it was a great success. All day long Dana and other instructor’s lead us onto better body/mind health via one hour Yoga sessions.

Dana also held a kids class and had over a dozen little ones bending and stretching for the children of the Dominican Republic. What a joy it was to see these children working for children less fortunate almost 4,000 miles away! Love really CAN build a bridge……….all across the world.

Thanks to Dana’s efforts – she raised almost $500 for the children. To learn more about Dana and her work with Yoga visit her website at: http://www.zenflowyoga.com/

Time Flies When Your're Having An Auction!

2009-11-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am just wondering wht happened to the month of October? And now most of November? Hopefully during this time I have been learning to live in the moment and enjoy every one of them since they quicky pass by.

Too long since my last blog update that's for sure. We were all busy preparing for our Annual Silent Auction Dinner which was held at Colwood Golf Club in Portland Oregon on November 7th.

The evening started out with music by Ted & Debi Mahoney of "Just Us" - they did a wonderful job of setting the mood for a fun evening. Thanks to everyone that donated auction items, bid on items, set up and showed up. My heartfelt thanks to everyone of you. I am always amazed how a small group of people can put such a wonderful evening together. Moreover, how a small group of people can make such an impact on the lives of children almost 4,000 miles away.

Eleanor Roosevelt once asked "When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?" Thank you to all those tender consciences! Love & Peace to all.

Does anybody read this stuff? Cutting deals and more.

2009-09-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Just curious. I know this blog works good for me because I'm able to write when it's convenient for me. But is it working for others? I guess I don't really need an answer to continue my pursuit of blogging. But let me know if you DO read it, please! Anyway, here goes...........

One of the projects this summer was to purchase the uniforms for the children, distribute the uniforms and photograph the children. I was able to do that in August with the help of our Dominican school director, Yaneth.

Yaneth knows everyone in the village by name. She is an incredibly dedicated woman with one child of her own, Luis Miguel. Yaneth is the daughter of Olivia the village's 68 year old Matriarch. At any time of the day you will see Olivia sitting in the shade under the big tree by her house surrounded by smiling playful children.

Olivia and a couple of her friends approached me for a cash donation so they could buy fabric to have an outfit made for church. They needed 1,500 pesos for the three of them. That's about $42 in US dollars. Now $42 would not break me, but the problem is WHO do you give the money to? EVERYONE asks for some pesos for one thing or another. The last thing I want to do is corrupt in some way the very people we are trying to help. So it's always a struggle to figure out how to help meet thier needs without turning it into a welfare state. So I told them I'd think about it and we'd talk later in the week.

The next day I was watching Olivia making a broom under her big shade tree. Carefully wrapping the vegetation around the broom handle that had been used over and over again. I wondered how many brooms I've throw into the garbage in my lifetime. I didn't have a clue, but I figured my number was quite a bit larger than Olivia's would be. We can learn a lesson about recycling from these people. Nothing is thrown away in the DR until it absolutely cannot be used again. Anyway, seeing her there working reminded I had work to do on the girls uniform skirts and got me thinking.

A group from my church sewed 33 skirts but didn't have time to insert elastic in the waistband - so I made a deal with Olivia and her lady friends. They could earn the pesos for their fabric by finishing the girls uniform skirts. So we all sat together under Olivia's big shade tree and worked hand in hand. And guess what?? I learned something else from these ladies. You insert the elastic, leave it long and tie the ends together. By untying the ends you can adjust the waiste later as the child grows. So simple. Okay so we may not be fashionistas with these waistbands, but they sure work great! Another lesson we can learn from these people.

An Adventurous Day - Part 5 (this is the end, my friend, the end)

2009-09-09T16:10:00.001-07:00

So we’re still heading back to where we started and the next thing we run into is an outhouse. So, hey why not snap a picture, right? We want to see the real flavor of the country! These outhouses are usually shared by a couple of families. Again, thanking the Lord for the little things in life………….

The last thing we run into on our journey is an empty house with a room full of beer bottles. Sigh…… what can I say? Somethings run across all borders and cultures. Anyway, here it’s probably safer for them to drink the beer than the water.

An Adventurous Day - Part 4

2009-09-09T15:56:00.001-07:00

Next stop we find a couple of boys that just caught some fish for dinner. Gracie held one up for us to see. Again, kinda small for this chubby American girl. Besides, I’ve already had some not too fond memories of eating fish from this river. I had to stay close to the bathroom for days!

An Adventurous Day - Part 3

2009-09-09T15:29:00.000-07:00

We took a different route as we returned and went by this house with their fresh washed laundry hung out on the fence. I like the photo of the house tucked in safely surrounded the banana trees and the colorful clothing. Not far from this house the children found some more fruit. Gracie the older girl pokes and shakes the tree so the fruit will fall and the children scramble to get some. I don’t remember the name of it, but its very small and for me, a chubby American girl, it was hardly worth the effort – haha! But, the children sure loves these little things.

An Adventurous Day - Part 2

2009-09-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

As we continued on our journey we could see the men working in the Yucca fields. Wow! What a sight, there were probably a dozen men with hoes working in the hot sun. The farming is done the old fashioned way, by hand! What I saw was an area of about 20 acres. Only by determination and perserverence could these men overcome this land and produce food for their families. I thought about the times I’ve heard people say things like, poor people are just lazy, poor people want a hand out or you make your own luck, or how about I had it rough, but I’ve succeeded they can too. All this heard from people born in the USA. I wondered, if I would be able to consistently work this land inch by inch, day by day in the hot sun. I wondered if I would be up to the challenge had I been born in generational poverty in a third world country. I really didn’t know the answers, I just took a moment to thank God for all the gifts I have received. I have a USA passport and that’s a BIG DEAL to me! Anyway, today they were making rows in the hard ground to help the water flow through the fields, that is why the water was on for us. It was Yucca planting time!

The children were still on their hunt for Mango and would not stop long enough for me to venture out and talk to the men. Little did I know I would later meet two of those men and they would help me on my hunt for water. But, that’s another blog. Unfortunately for the children when we did get to the Mango tree, there was only one Mango and one little boy had already ran ahead and snagged it. By the time we got there he was happily munching away on the fruit.. (you can see him eating the yellow fruit in the photo below in Part 1) Interestingly the children were not upset at him and no one yelled “that’s not fair” as I imagine might happen in myown household. The children just shrugged their shoulders and turned around to head home. There was no need to continue further this direction, the fruit was gone.

An adventurous day - Part 1

2009-09-07T10:56:00.000-07:00

One day in July while in Habanero, Dominican Republic some children came up to me and said “aqua, aqua, canal, canal”. My brain quickly translated their “English” into – “Come with us, the water is running in the canal today!” So we headed off to a cement water irrigation canal that runs from the river across the field behind our school and into the Yucca fields beyond. I had been invited to be a special guest as the children took off on their adventure!

As we walked I quickly realized this was also a hunt for food. Hunger is a part of the children's lives and so whatever you are doing includes keeping a keen eye out for food. Almonds, crab and fruit can been found if one is on the lookout. After walking about 1/4 mile we reached the canal and a dozen children started frolicking in the cool water. At first I tried to walk on the concrete side of the canal balancing as best I could with the help of the children. I wasn’t exactly dressed for this, plus the bottom of the canal looked pretty slimy and icky. I was regretting I had only worn my flip flops. The water looked cool and inviting, but sheesh, who knows what could be in it. Of course all the children were barefoot! In the sweltering afternoon heat I soon overcame my fears of the canal bottom and joined the children. How refreshing! Not only the water, but to be free of those adult fears that come with the knowledge of what might happen to us walking through a third world canal. The innocence of childhood allows those children a simple freedom I no longer enjoy. Although being with them certainly is an inspiration to be more childlike and enjoy the gifts that are right before our eyes!

2009-08-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

I just learned my dear friend, neighbor and E4K Board Member is having dizziness, headaches and vertigo. Susan was diagnosed with a brian tumor two years ago. She has already survived and thrived through two brain surgeries. She goes back to the doctor Monday morning.

It's hard not to be shaken by news like this. It is a reminder of how fragile and precious life is......................

Photomania! ! ! !

2009-08-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

I am organizing abut 800 photos we took on the last trip. The photos remind me of so many WONDERFUL memories from our trip. The digital age has allowed us Americans to go overborad with our photo taking. Especially in the Dominican where they love to have their photo taken. You often hear the children yelling "photo, photo" if they see you with camera in hand. Each time I return to the DR I try to take prints back and give them to the people. It's a small thing to us, but to them cherished as I now see the photos in frames displayed in their homes.

This photo of Ragitta is one of my favorites. She is from a poor Haitian family that has five chilren. She has been in our school for the pasat three years. She now goes to the government school for 2nd grade. On this day I visited their home and brought nail polish. We polished all the girls fingernails. Not wanting to leave the boys out I offered to paint their nails as well. No way! That was a girl thing.....but I explained that it is really cool for the boys to have just their right hand pinky painted. Soon all the boys were thrusting their hands at me as well as the girls.

It is very rewarding to spend time with the children doing simple things and interacting with them. Their smiling faces capture the real essence of life - joy and happiness!

Random Thoughts On Beginning a Blog

2009-08-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this blog will be a place where like minded people can get to know each other better and perhaps work together for a common good. Not quite sure where to start, so I'll just start.

I am going to blogging about our latest Mission Trip to the Dominican. Not only did we have a great time, but many projects were completed!

A big SHOUT OUT of thanks to our team members who gave of their time, their finances and their hearts!

Nice job - Doug, Tamra, Lori, Susie, Geary, Devin and Jessica! The children will never forget you.

2009-08-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's working. Now where to start........

If you want some history on the founding of Evergreen4kids and the building of the school in the Dominican Republic, visit: www.evergreen4kids.org

New Blog Spot

2009-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hola!

Okay, so here is the first post on the Evergreen4kids Blog Spot. I hope to be able to use this format to update you on events, thoughts, ramblings, etc.