 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
I woke up on my own (no roosters) - Alleluia! Surprisingly, I’m actually hungry (not like I haven’t been eating like a pig all week!). Kathy and I got dressed and headed off to breakfast about 7:30, which is clearly a good time to go – not many people. We queued up for omelets, since there was only one person ahead of us. I ordered one “con queso y con un poquito de hamon y cebolla” (with cheese and with a little bit of ham and onion). Apparently, I hesitated too long between the “queso” & “y” and ended up with two omelets. OK – I’m hungry enough to eat two. We were about to leave when some of the others appeared. By now I was hungry again, and went and got more juice and a plate of fruit. The hot chocolate here is very creamy – much better than what I usually make at work in my little coffee pot. Karen and Yvonne have already headed out to attend the Sunday morning church service in Boca Chica. Karen’s 14-year old goddaughter is being baptized today. The rest of us piled into the van and headed out to Boca Chica.
When we arrived, Andi pointed out the church and the Hogar (Editor’s note: This is the Bishop Isaac Home for the Elderly described in Bob Stevens article in Connections.) across the street. Apparently, this part of the block is owned by the church. The Hogar looks like it is close to being completed – the sign out front just went up last week. I noticed that the painter is on-site and smiled a bit as I thought of the painter, William, at La Anunciacion, who will probably be telling all his painter friends stories about these eight American women who showed up and tried to help him paint…
Anyway, the service was already in progress and we were
hesitant to go in and disrupt it. The church appeared to be quite crowded, with
people spilling out onto the sidewalk. It wasn’t long before Karen came out of
the church and waved us in. As we entered the back of the church, I noticed
several people who looked just like us. It
took
me a couple of minutes to figure out who they were – another mission group had
just arrived this morning from the Carolinas. There was no mistaking their
thick Southern accents as they greeted us during the peace. We weren’t able to
stay for the entire service, since we are on our way to the airport.
Karen ducked out to give us a quick tour of the Hogar. It
is good to see it so near completion, after hearing about it for the last couple
of years. It is a multi-story building, constructed specifically as an
elder-care facility. When we entered through the front door, we were greeted by
a tiny, nearly-hairless puppy. Apparently, he had appeared on the doorstep of
the Hogar a couple of weeks ago, no doubt suffering from mange. Karen took pity
on him and brought him to the vet. He is by far the most pathetic-looking puppy
that I have ever seen. Karen says that he looks a lot better now (can you
imagine!), after being treated by the vet. He is clearly oblivious to his
condition, as he playfully runs under Karen’s long skirt and nips at her
hemline. He is the cutest, ugly thing that I have ever seen! In the excitement
of all of these visitors, “Happy” creates a small
puddle on the floor. Karen thinks that he will make an excellent guard
dog/mascot for the residents of the Hogar. I just hope that his hair grows
back!
Karen leads us through the Hogar – showing us the residents’ rooms, eating areas, exam room, etc., with “Happy” underfoot the whole time. It is very close to being finished and I can just picture it with the furniture that she describes. The top floor has a deck – with a great view of the church across the street and the surrounding area. Karen points out a green dilapidated building to the right of the Hogar and explains that the priest suggested that she make this her residence, as the administrator of the Hogar. We all gaze at the building in disbelief – clearly it will need considerable renovation before it is “livable.” I’m not sure what the building was previously, but it looks like it hasn’t been whatever it was for quite a while. Karen nods in agreement. She reminds us that she is planning on being here for a total of five years. Her goal is to complete construction and open the Hogar to residents in the next month or so. I marvel at her commitment to do all of these things with very little personal financial compensation. She is indeed “on a mission from God …”
Someone checks their watch and announces that we must head
to the airport. We all give Karen a hug and then pile back into the van. As we
are driving away, I glance back over my shoulder at Karen, who is standing in
front of the Hogar, visibly sobbing. I imagine that it must be quite difficult
to see the group from the Cathedral leave –
knowing
that we are all returning to our “regular” lives, a life that she had too,
before coming to the DR. I take a quick glance at Andi, who is also sobbing.
On the drive to the airport, I reflect on how out-of-the-ordinary this week has
been for me, but for Karen, it has really been a blending of her new life in the
DR with friends from her “previous” life in St. Petersburg. A week I will not
soon forget.