Day One ... from Paulina

Wow ... How can I even begin to describe our first day in the Dominican Republic. Nothing anyone said could have prepared me for the five minute walk that took us from our sea side hotel to the Barrio Blanco, a neighborhood that is the textbook picture of poverty. As we walked through the wide walled alley that took us into the barrio, the sides were littered with plastic and bottles, and people wandered smiling and waving through the uneven muddy streets. First in line was our tour to look at the neighborhood, the largest school building with the small room in the back that was the health clinic, while Angela explained to me how delighted they were to finally have access to basic medical care and a doctor two days a week. Our first task was to clean up the large walkway through which we had just entered, and I looked skeptically at the 50 or so yards waiting our small teams of volunteers. I walked a considerable distance up the road with my trash bag and gloves, to start on a large pile of torn up plastic bags, plants and bottles. To my surprise, one by one the people in the barrio, young and old came out to help us scoop and dig all the trash and litter, and we finished at an alarming rate compared to what I had originally thought. The enthusiasm of the town .... wow. I could not feel more blessed and amazed, after just one day.