Day 8

This morning our cabin leader Joel woke us up at exactly 7:00 this morning (the time devotions start) so me, Noah, and Cole were late for devotions, which Jacie lead this morning. After pouring concrete all week we're all beginning to feel exhausted. Today we were supposed to pour a concrete floor in the new chapel they had built a few months ago. The plan was to use the concrete mixer instead of mixing the concrete by hand (which we had been doing because we didn't have enough space to take it to the individual houses), so we were all expecting a relativity easy work day. I want to emphasize "expecting" because it didn't turn out easy at all. When we pulled the concrete mixer out from the shed into the road (you can literally do whatever in the roads here) we tried to start it up multiple times but with no success. So we had to mix the concrete by hand until they could fix it. About lunch time one of the Dominican leaders came back from the city with the parts we needed for the engine on the concrete mixer. We did a couple loads of concrete before it stopped working again and we stopped for lunch. After lunch Grace and I lead the VBS for the younger students along with the rest of the team. It went smoothly and the kids seemed to enjoy it. After lunch the Dominicans were back at pouring concrete while we did VBS (come to find out it stopped working the second time because it had no gas in it). After dinner both our team and the Dominicans working with us played card games (I narrated mafia) and Cole, Noah, and I helped Brooke find star formations. (If you haven't figured it out yet "I" is Brandon). 

It's crazy to think that it's almost time to leave. It's been such an amazing trip and such a true blessing to be apart of the team. Mom and Dad what I want for Christmas is to build a house on the beach down here so we can stay here in the winter (it's 80 and sunny during the day and yes it's winter down here too). 

I'm getting used to hearing mostly Spanish and even picking on a few Spanish words and phrases(for those of you that don't know I knew 0 Spanish before this trip). It's cool to be able to talk with some of the Dominicans that speak English and I've had them attempt to teach me Spanish things so I can talk with more people.

I really do miss American food. The food down here is good but it's nothing like some of the good American classics.  

I've been mad at myself since day one since I forgot all my baseball stuff at home and I was really looking forward to playing baseball down here all week. (They absolutely love baseball) The team has played a lot of basketball with the Dominicans  this week and it gets pretty rough. (There's more arguing that playing lol) so we essentially make two baskets and laugh while they argue about who fouled who. It's been a great week and I can say that I have made friends for a lifetime. 

Buenos Noches,

Brandon