The value of patience is hard not to appreciate after this trip. The men, women and children of the Bateyes will be the first to tell you that the group of Americans who dedicate their time to better their community are all Godsends… God’s answers to their prayers. To hear this level of appreciation, and to relate the coming of Americans to an act of God clearly defines the level of patience and appreciation they hold for the help they have received. Imagine being able to be surrounded by an enthusiastic group of hard-working Americans for three to four days, and then having to wait a long six months for another group to come down for the same type of entertainment and relief? With that group of Americans comes energy, enthusiasm, hope, iPhones (lol), and materials to better the conditions of your village. This lull of time takes a lot of optimism and patience to wait for better days.
-GGagliardi
QU301 DR Fall 2014 