Month: August 2019

Hello from our last day in the Dominican Republic! After breakfast this morning we got straight to work again. Some of us carried on with more work in the farm after getting to hold some of the piglets. Another group went to spend the morning helping in San Marco which is the special needs house. After spending time together inside, the group helped to take the children into the park where we played together.   The children loved playing with beanbags and musical toys and enjoyed physical contact and individual attention. The Tias were wonderful with these children and everyone

There were storms throughout the night last night and we woke up to rain and clouds which finally cleared in the afternoon. Today was the first day of school for the children here. They have a large building called the multiuso and started with an assembly in that space followed by lessons in the morning. While the children were in their classes we briefly visited the special needs house and the farm and then went to various workstations to help with jobs in the kitchen and on the farm. The special needs house looks after around 20 children who have

Happy Sunday to you all! We woke up to a beautiful morning as the rainstorm yesterday had cleared the air and there was no humidity. From the roof of the visitor house you could see for a long way across the fields of sugar cane and the surrounding countryside. After breakfast, which is always cooked for us in the visitor house by some of the pequeños who work here at the home, we got into our church clothes and walked to the chapel which is at the entrance to the home. Mass is for the whole of the community and

After breakfast today we had a trip to the beach and eight lucky pequeños got to come with us. The little ones were so excited and literally jumped into our arms before getting on the bus for the ride to the ocean. As we left the home the children prayed the prayer that they say every time they leave the home asking God to look after them. They then sang all the way to the ocean. We got to swim and play on the beach with the pequeños …           and to share some delicious unsweetened

We woke up after a great  night’s sleep and gathered for breakfast. We are staying in the visitor’s house in the grounds of NPH and are on the second floor where we catch a little welcome breeze. The grounds of the NPH property are about 50 acres and around 150 children live here with their “Tias” (house mothers) and many volunteers and staff members. Today was a very special day at NPH Dominican Republic as NPH  is celebrating its 65th birthday and today is “Father Wasson ” day.  Fr. Wasson began the whole organization which is now in 9 countries

Hello from the DR.  This is going to be a quick post to let you know that we all arrived safely and are just going to bed after a long day of traveling and excitement. Everyone is doing well and are happy to be here. We were greeted so warmly by NPH staff and the children who were excited to meet us. We have had Mass and a great meal and are getting some sleep before an exciting day which we will share with you tomorrow. Check back in with us tomorrow evening.

Welcome to our blog. We are excited to be traveling to the Dominican Republic next week to begin our service and immersion trip with NPH and we hope you will enjoy traveling with us via this blog. We are hoping to be able to update every day once we are in the Dominican Republic, as long as we have good internet access. We are so grateful for the support of the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative for this trip. Thank you for all the donations which you so generously left in the suitcases at the back of the Churches over the