Dedication of the five new classrooms in Don Juan

August 22nd saw the blessing and dedication of the five new classrooms at the school in Don Juan. The classrooms were a gift from the government.

 Sr Ana Maria Pezola is the new principal of the school. She is very capable as well as efficient.

As you all can see, August has been a very busy month for me!

First Mass of the new school year in Don Juan

August 19th saw the opening of the school year in Don Juan at the school Santa Maria Josefa Rossello. The catholic students of the public school with their teachers were also invited to attend.

Project in Los Lanos

Alicia Manteiga and Jeff Anderson were here for most of August, working on getting land promised by the government to the people of the village, Los Lanos. The people of Los Lanos will use the land to grow their own food and maybe sell some. We are working to help organize the people to form a cooperative, which is a work is progress. Alicia and Jeff also bought three manual sewing machines and materials so the women and young girls could make products to sell. The machines must be manual as there is no electricity most of the time. I am waiting for Jeff to send me some photos of their work together, and will post those additional photos when I receive them.

Latrine Building

We are in the process right now of completing six new latrines. We received financial support for this project from Rotary, in memory of my first cousin, Steve Gascon. We hope to build 15 more in an area called Buenas Aires, where previously all 64 homes had no latrines or bathrooms. Due to our recent efforts 21 of the homes will now have latrines.

 We have learned from prior experiences and have cut costs on this project. Previously, if the families receiving latrines wanted larger facilities we forgave the difference in cost. During this wave of the project, each family is asked to come up with the money for additional construction costs.

 The rim of the holes are lined with rocks cemented in to form the foundation support.

Platforms are built so they can be moved to new holes when the other is full.

I have hired a man named Bolivar to complete this project. Bolivar is very poor but savvy. I had hoped to have volunteer help, but I guess this type of work is not glamorous enough.

 Bolivar

The huts are built to be moved also and laid on their side in the event of a hurricane.

School Sports

The Don Juan school sports teams completed in our versions of the state competitions on June 10. As we say here we "burned," (we did not win).

 Boys' Volleyball

 Girls' Soccer

Ladies' Volleyball

Boys' Baseball

Kinder Grads

 We celebrated the graduation of the kindergartners at Don Juan in early June.

Farming instruction on Don Juan

This photo shows our teacher, Xavier, who is instructing our students in farming.

Our hen house is home to 40 chickens. The produce and chickens will be used to feed the children in the school in Don Juan.

New classrooms in Don Juan

 The ministry of Education here is the DR is building five new classrooms for our school in Don Juan.

Sister Arileida Basarte

Sister Arileida Basarte renewed her simple vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty in a parish in Santo Domingo on April 19^th. 

 Her superior, Sr. Maria Rosa Galan was there to receive them, and I celebrated the Mass.

Ari is from the parish of San Juan Bautista, Don Juan.

Don Juan Garden Update

The school garden at Don Juan is maturing well. 

As you can see if these recent photos, the garden is a success! 

 Now the work of the student gardeners is feeding the rest of the students in the school.

School Garden in Don Juan

One of our new programs at the school in Don Juan is teaching the students the art of gardening and raising vegetables.

 Close up of corn and beans

The Chapel in Bosque Arriba

We recently completed the chapel in Bosque Arriba, a gift this past year from the Cornell Hockey Team.

This is our fifth new chapel and my favorite so far. I think that my construction ability is improving with age.

Christmas and Catching Up

You have not heard much of anything from me because of a wedding and two deaths of family members. As a result, this fall and early winter I traveled back and forth from the Dominican Republic several times. I am just now able to play catch-up here on my blog.

Below are some of the Christmas pictures from the Portal de Belen, Hato Nuevo, and Don Juan Christmas children's celebrations.

The Census and angel at El Portal de Belen

The stable at Hato Nuevo

Children receive gifts at Don Juan