A Week of Blessings (from Nancy)

I feel so blessed to have been part of this year’s LaRomana trip. As already expressed by others, I’m
not sure I will ever be able to enjoy a typical ‘tourist’ vacation again. I am so thankful to Jonathan and
Shantia for encouraging me to go, in a year where I felt I had no emotional reserves left to undertake
such a “out of my comfort zone” trip. I came back rejuvenated and hope to be able to retain some of
the sense of peace and wonder I found in the D.R., in my daily life.

Kristy impressed upon us the first night that going to LaRomana is all about relationships – a week
later I was a confirmed believer in her message. Who would have thought that I, introvert that I am,
could have survived a week crammed into a yellow school bus and a small dorm room, with non-stop
conversation and noise. But survive I did and even flourished in many ways.

It was a joy to see the young members of our group work with the older adults, a joy to share bountiful
meals and morning devotions together, a joy to watch the mother/daughter teams and to see that
those relationships can thrive into adulthood. A joy to feel the warm sun and tropical breezes and to
swim in the “myriad of blues” Caribbean ocean. It was a blessing to be immersed into the Dominican
culture and despite the poverty in the bateys, to see the beauty there in the landscape and the joy in
the children as they received just a little bit of extra attention. And of course, selfishly, it was a gift to be
temporarily removed from my everyday life; especially the multi-tasking and list making that I fill my life
with.

Every single day, in this week of being back; the words of “Let Us Break Bread Together”, which we
sang on the beach Friday night, have run almost continuously through my head. Coupled with a photo
of oxen pulling loads of sugarcane across the road against the backdrop of a vibrant blue and green
Dominican landscape, on the desktop of my PC at work; they bring comfort and a reminder of a week
full of blessings …..

Thank you to all of you who helped make the week, the gift that it was.