D.R. Trip 2018 – Day 1

Written by student, Emma Cenac-Mehedinti

Pulling up to the Manny Mota Foundation in the DR this morning we were greeted by a love that we didn’t expect. First, our parents were ushered away to begin unpacking boxes of donations, bottles of medication, school supplies, and piles of uniforms. Excited boys challenged Foothill students to a game of baseball, while a mellow, but inquisitive group of girls sat us down to begin braiding hair and painting nails. We certainly weren’t prepared for the love everyone had to offer.

The girls painted nails for a good half hour, and held simple conversations with our limited knowledge of the language. They were interested and talked about anything. From playing with hair, painting anywhere but the center of our nails, how old we were, to our favorite color. They had just taught us how to dance to Despacito, when we were called away to lunch.

The girls looked up at us with wide eyes as people began trickling in with their plates of food, and it struck most of us that they probably hadn’t had anything to eat that day.

Painfully, we said our goodbyes and watched them run off of the foundation grounds just as another wave of heavy rain blew through, another gust in the past hour. The strangely timed precipitation would come and go, eventually leading all of eighth grade underneath the large tarp hanging over the stands of a giant baseball field.

As we huddled together, cracking jokes and drinking tiny cups of coffee, the topic of helping others or ourselves was brought up into our conversation. We weren’t here to help ourselves by playing around with each other; we’re here to make a difference in other people’s lives through Christ.