15 more minutes

Hello from the cold state of New Jersey,

It has been 5 days since we have left the warm weather in the Dominican Republic. As it is freezing rain here in New Jersey, I desperately miss the warm weather and sunshine that we witnessed in the Dominican Republic. Although I miss the warm weather, I miss the people and our service work the most. From the first step off the bus at Batey 50 I knew this experience would be one for the books and one that would never escape my mind. The people were so warm and welcoming and in a way it was shocking how easily the people trusted us as they were handing us babies right off the bus.

The work at Batey 50 was very tiring and demanding. From carrying concrete blocks to wheel barreling to shoveling I have never done such hard physical labor in my life. There was many times were I wanted to just take a break and sit on the bus but what kept me going was the Batey 50’s people, especially children. One of the first tasks that I went to master was wheel barreling sand and cinderblocks. This was tiring but I had 2 ten year old boys who were excited to be doing this hard work. There smiles and determination are what kept me going. Here I was with water on the bus and sneakers on my feet struggling to keep going while my two friends had no shoes nor clean water. I began to work harder and even made the shoveling into the game but counting “Uno, Dose, Tres!”.

Another notable mention of Batey 50 was mi amiga Daniella (#twins). I didn’t spend any time with Daniella until our very last day at Batey 50. Daniella grabbed my hand as I got off the bus and when we exchanged names a spark lit up in her eyes knowing that we had a connection. The whole day she stood by myself, even while I was working. She followed me to the river and the far walk to the garden. The laughter we exchanged and the fun we had is imprinted in my heart and mind. It was so challenging saying goodbye to Daniella, as she was such a smart, fun, loving, spirited 8 year old girl who had nothing but didn’t need anything.

One of the most memorable moments I had on this trip was in Batey 80. As we walked as a group to the main “road” in Batey 80 I found a ten year old girl, Marcel, who was very shy and didn’t say much at first. I tried to give her spongebob cards but she wouldn’t take them till much later. I also tried to get her to throw a tennis ball back and fourth or to play the group game of baseball my other classmates had going but nothing made her budge. Finally,  Marcel took the spongebob cards and showed me her house. After that Marcel began opening up and started to throw the ball and wanted to play in the baseball game we had going on. Shortly after she wanted to play monkey in the middle with our friend Miriam. This had to be the highlight of our trip because Marcel would say “I love you baby” in this western accent to try and steer us away from the ball. I have never laughed more in my life and I think Marcel enjoyed it just as much. One of the last things Marcel said to me as we were getting on the bus was “Quiero 15 minutos” (I wanted 15 more minutes). Those words broke my heart and it took me everything to keep walking and to get on the bus.

As you might have concluded from this extremely brief summary of this trip, it was a trip of a lifetime with lessons that are more valuable than any I will learn in a classroom. As a QU student, I feel as if trips like these should be mandatory as it feel gives you a whole new perspective on life. Giving back by donations is a great way to help but the people really just want your attention and to interact with you. Marcel didn’t ask for anything but 15 more minutes of my time and I wish more than anything I could give her that. Hopefully one day I will be able to return to give her those 15 more minutes!

-Danielle Scanlon