best. day. EVER!

So today was fabulous!
Our morning started out by taking the Guagua and then a moto to Nazareth; a community that we worked in last year with Hero Holiday. Phil and Donna, who run Searvant's Heart, opened up a clinic there last year, and today was one of the days that they are open. It is also where our friend Krissie, is volunteering. So she showed us around, explained the routine, etc. We walked around Nazareth, which is mainly Dominican's. We also walked down to Redemption; the community at the bottom of the mountain, which is mainly a Haitian community. We had kids attached to us at all times! It was really great to see that the fence we built in Nazareth last year was in use, and we walked through the school that it surrounds. It was a really great morning!

This afternoon, we went down to Aguas Negras. It was Sam's and I sponsor kid, Yohan's actual birthday today. So today was the day that we told him we were his sponsors. We brought him balloons, and presents. We brought him a new soccar ball, and new belt and for his Mom we blew up a picture of the two of them and framed it. When we gave it to them, his Mom started crying. She LOVED it!



Then we asked Yohan if he wanted to go out for lunch with some of his friends. So we went around the village, rounded up a bunch of boys and got on a Guagua to head for the Provocone. The guagua is public transportation, and the Provocone is a place we take the boys to eat sometimes...we can get a lot of really good chicken, fries and fried plantanes for really cheap.





From there, we walked to get ice-cream. And then Jose had the idea to walk to the Melacon...which is the pathway along the ocean front. It's a beautiful spot in Puerta Plata, and the path goes a very long way. So basically we just hung out with the boys this afternoon, and had soooo much fun! We saw one of little boys, Jose Manuel, who is 9 years old, shoe shining, and just pulled him along with us, to keep him out of trouble. He had the most fun I think; This is the same little boy that I talk about in a lot of my blogs. He was so cute today; he laughed and laughed and laughed...and all of the other boys treated him like their younger brother. Since he did not get to eat with us, I bought him a cob of corn and a small bagof chips from a street vendor, and even though I could tell that he was so hungry, he still offered to share his chips.
The boys went down to the ocean and picked out crabs...and chased me around with them since they know I am a little scared of them! They were climbing in trees, and eventually our walk took us to the end...where the Fort is.




We just hung out there, and the boys had so much fun. They were wrestling,and laughing and acting as they should; like care free teenagers. We also figured out today what Jose Chichi's calling in life is; photography. He spent the entire afternoon with mine and Nikki's camera, taking videos of random things, and a lot of pictures. He loves taking photos; he gets right into different angles, taking shots from the ground or up high. He loved it!
Today was one of those days that I will remember; it is a day that will stick in my mind when I think about the Dominican. I love that we were able to take the boys out, and make Yohan's birthday memorable. I love that we were able to take Jose Manuel with us and keep him from shoe shining, and make him laugh so hard he was rolling on the ground.
I love the Dominican!