Is it really almost over?
Including today there are 4 more days here. Where did the time go? I remember applying for this, how could it possibly be over already? There are so many things that I'm going to miss about this trip; I'll just make a short list of a few.
- the weather (even though I did get sunburned)
- practicing Spanish (the time learning at the school was tough, but so worth it)
- Latin dancing with friends here and learning new dances (love it so much!)
- being able to help out 3 Mariposas more, there was so much more I would have loved to help with
To my surprise, even though this trip has been amazing I am excited to be at home. I do not want to go home because I'm going back to the start of school and work, but to see my family, be back at church, and be back with the youth programs I volunteer with will be great.
I have a free morning today because the DR has a holiday, so this extra time is allowing me to reflect on this trip. Typically this is done after the entirety of the trip (and it probably will be done again then), but I have the time today. It's amazing to have seen the Montessori school, a public school, and just the home life of some families here. Life is different here at home and at school compared to my experiences in Buffalo. These children have so little, but are so content with what they have. Even in the schools, the teachers manage to teach with little to no resources. We have been told that the reality is many students will not graduate high school and even fewer will attend college. With that future before the students the teachers style of teaching changes. A younger classrooms at the public school I observed in the teacher fought for the children because she knew she had to engage them at their young age before they my no longer be able to attend school. An older classroom in the public school was more concerned with the students who were interested in learning because they knew the realities and wanted to help the students who were continuing school after that year. It's all hard to hear and so different from what we as teachers were taught. We are geared to engage those students who are not interested and to not talk and teach over the students talking and making noise. Well, that was typical in the public schools.
What many people may see from the states observing at this public school I'm mentioning as tough and chaotic, I see as an opportunity. An opportunity to make a difference for that one student who was going to drop out, an opportunity to show a student that they are bright enough and a hard worker who is capable of attending college, an opportunity to love a child who has so little and very few people on their side supporting them. Struggles like these occur in the states as well, but it's just staring you in the face in places like the DR differently than at home...at least it is for me.
It makes me wonder, what can I do to help? What can I do to be a voice for change? Not a change of providing all the needs, because material possessions will only bandage the problem temporarily. I'm talking about changes in the love for students, hope and goals for the students to have in themselves, and a change of heart to help these children's where they are instead of trying to fit them into a mold that I, as an American, may think is best. At this point I know that I do not know enough about their culture, family dynamics, and life in general to offer my opinions but I do aspire to someday be apart of something to help. Maybe right now I can focus on the community around me in Buffalo and pour into that somehow. Like most of my blogs I end it with not really knowIng where all these thoughts are taking me. I will continue to pray and ask The Lord to lead me. I want to be used in mighty ways for His glory, and helping others is something He has placed on my heart that I cannot ignore. Who knows what this all means for me in the future, but wow, I am excited to see how The Lord continues to write my story.
Including today there are 4 more days here. Where did the time go? I remember applying for this, how could it possibly be over already? There are so many things that I'm going to miss about this trip; I'll just make a short list of a few.
- the weather (even though I did get sunburned)
- practicing Spanish (the time learning at the school was tough, but so worth it)
- Latin dancing with friends here and learning new dances (love it so much!)
- being able to help out 3 Mariposas more, there was so much more I would have loved to help with
To my surprise, even though this trip has been amazing I am excited to be at home. I do not want to go home because I'm going back to the start of school and work, but to see my family, be back at church, and be back with the youth programs I volunteer with will be great.
I have a free morning today because the DR has a holiday, so this extra time is allowing me to reflect on this trip. Typically this is done after the entirety of the trip (and it probably will be done again then), but I have the time today. It's amazing to have seen the Montessori school, a public school, and just the home life of some families here. Life is different here at home and at school compared to my experiences in Buffalo. These children have so little, but are so content with what they have. Even in the schools, the teachers manage to teach with little to no resources. We have been told that the reality is many students will not graduate high school and even fewer will attend college. With that future before the students the teachers style of teaching changes. A younger classrooms at the public school I observed in the teacher fought for the children because she knew she had to engage them at their young age before they my no longer be able to attend school. An older classroom in the public school was more concerned with the students who were interested in learning because they knew the realities and wanted to help the students who were continuing school after that year. It's all hard to hear and so different from what we as teachers were taught. We are geared to engage those students who are not interested and to not talk and teach over the students talking and making noise. Well, that was typical in the public schools.
What many people may see from the states observing at this public school I'm mentioning as tough and chaotic, I see as an opportunity. An opportunity to make a difference for that one student who was going to drop out, an opportunity to show a student that they are bright enough and a hard worker who is capable of attending college, an opportunity to love a child who has so little and very few people on their side supporting them. Struggles like these occur in the states as well, but it's just staring you in the face in places like the DR differently than at home...at least it is for me.
It makes me wonder, what can I do to help? What can I do to be a voice for change? Not a change of providing all the needs, because material possessions will only bandage the problem temporarily. I'm talking about changes in the love for students, hope and goals for the students to have in themselves, and a change of heart to help these children's where they are instead of trying to fit them into a mold that I, as an American, may think is best. At this point I know that I do not know enough about their culture, family dynamics, and life in general to offer my opinions but I do aspire to someday be apart of something to help. Maybe right now I can focus on the community around me in Buffalo and pour into that somehow. Like most of my blogs I end it with not really knowIng where all these thoughts are taking me. I will continue to pray and ask The Lord to lead me. I want to be used in mighty ways for His glory, and helping others is something He has placed on my heart that I cannot ignore. Who knows what this all means for me in the future, but wow, I am excited to see how The Lord continues to write my story.