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October
2010 Adult Mission Experience
Aug
19th- Main Pages
St. Joseph Church - Grafton, WI
Adult Mission Experience 2010
Study and Preparations
Aug
19, 2010
Part I: Prayer and Reflection
Luke 5:12-14 - Cure of a Leper
“Now Jesus was in one of the towns
when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his
face and implored him, “Sir,’ he said “if you want to, you can
cure me.’
Jesus
stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I want to! Be
cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no
one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for
your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them’.”
First of all, before we get into a
serious discussion of this passage and after our discussion of the Papal
Encyclical, Caritas In Veritate, you do not need to be concerned that
this Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic is going to be boring and
super religious! Dominicans are fun loving people with a great sense of
humor, they also love to sing and dance! Once you get to know them they
will laugh and tease and have fun with you! And let me warn you, do not
play cards with them - they will kill you!
One might wonder if Jesus played cards
or whatever with the disciples; certainly they had some jokes and
laughed as all humans do.
There is a woman in Los Toros, Maribel,
who has Epilepsy, her arms are covered with scars, ask Terrie Gallo,
from cuts she got during her seizers. Many times she has stopped me in
the street asking me for help in curing her seizers, almost to the point
of begging and at least once with tears in her eyes. She reminds me of
the leper that approached Jesus. Her life is lived with fear of the next
seizure; she was not able to go to school so she has limited resources,
she is rejected because of her condition, her life is difficult!
The story of the Leper is followed by
other healings by Jesus which demonstrates the healing and enabling
“service” that Jesus exemplified to his disciples. Healing service
that enables others is an important part of the philosophy of our Los
Toros Mission. We cannot heal lepers like Jesus did, but we can help
Maribel get anti seizer meds and work to improve her living conditions
to make her life at least a little bit better. A water filter in her
home would be a great improvement in her quality of life, as would a
cement floor!
We could go on and on about the story
of the leper, but why not take the moment to do our own healing; let’s
help people like Maribel. Let’s equip ourselves to work together with
the people of Los Toros and get Water Filters and do Cement Floors and
help SVDP distribute medicine and other things that the people need.
This is not difficult; you will be doing it - when we get to Santo
Domingo on the morning of October 22nd we will go to Casa San
Jose, the student residence; inside their apartment will be about
twenty-five Water Filters, we will take them down three flights of
stairs and load them into our bus and then squeeze together on the bus
and take them to Los Toros, unload them and prepare them for
distribution by the Water Filter Co-operative. By the way, some of your
sons and daughters helped the people of Los Toros to form this
cooperative, so in a way your kids beat you to the punch!
So our work is inspired by the gospel,
supported by our community and a collaborative and cooperative effort on
the part of the community of Los Toros. “Charity cannot be separated
from other aspects of our lives; our families, our work, our
relationships with others”. Caritas
In Veritate
Finance:
There is a finance link on the web
page - preparation for July 22nd http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010finance.htm
. In the Dominican Republic they
use pesos; the usual exchange is about thirty-six pesos per US
dollar. Because the US dollar is such a strong currency in some
businesses, like our hotel, they will accept US dollars as payment, but
in most stores you need to use pesos. We will help you convert your
money, however, if the exchange is thirty-six pesos for your dollar, be
aware that if you want to re-exchange your pesos for US dollars they
will require that you give them thirty-seven pesos for every dollar they
give back to you! The point is, do not exchange more dollars than you
need to!
If I buy your airline ticket you will
be charged the amount that I paid for the ticket; I do not mind buying
your ticket because when I buy a lot of tickets for a flight if there
are changes or delays on flights it gives me negotiating power with
American Airlines.
Your hotel fee includes gratuity and
you will pay for the room directly to the hotel; they prefer American
dollars or you can use your credit card at the Hotel San Marco.
The budget for this trip is very
tight, we do not rent vans, buy expensive food, pay extra for baggage,
etc. The reason we do this is to demonstrate accountability; we use our
money very carefully and we want the people of Los Toros to use the
money we give them very carefully and not waste any of the resources we
share with them. We also share our material resources with them; that
includes the house we recently built where we will cook a meal to share
with them and invite them to come and stay with us in the house.
Finally, try not to use a credit card
(outside of the Hotel San Marco); they do not have the same protections
we have in the USA. Also, do not carry more money than you will need, we
will not be stopping at any casinos!
Travel,
Health and Security:
We want you to have a good experience
on this trip, so we want you to stay healthy and safe. Here are some
health suggestions:
1.
Keep yourself hydrated - drink a lot of water! It is very
hot in the DR and the sun just sucks the water out of your body, so
drink a lot of water. Carry a water bottle with you at all times. And
drink only purified water or beverages. Do not drink tap water; do not
brush your teeth with tap water. Fill up your water bottle in the
airport in Miami; if we are delayed it may not be easy to get bottled
water. If there is bottled water in your hotel it is good to drink, if
you ask for a drink in Los Toros they will only give you good water or
good juice or soda.
2.
Eat only safe foods. We will only buy safe foods for you
and only take you to safe places to eat. If something is cooked well it
is ok to eat. If something is pealed it is ok to eat. The people in Los
Toros know what to give you and they will only give you safe food to
eat.
3.
Do not pet or touch dogs or cats in Los Toros - they all
have fleas and other stuff! Take along some hand sanitizer.
4.
There may be mosquitoes in Los Toros, take along some
repellant (with Deet) and use the mosquito net at night.
5.
Take your meds. When traveling always keep your meds in
one of your carry-on items - never in checked bags. On the wavier you
sign we will ask you for some health information, this is to protect you
in case something might happen - do not be alarmed - it is only a normal
traveling precaution. We will have at least two nurses traveling with us
and one Medical Practioner - you will be safer with this group than you
are at home! More Health info (some redundant) is on our web page along
with information about Health Insurance - which you probably do not
need. Also, please note, we recommend you do not need to take
anti-malaria meds, there currently is no Malaria in Los Toros and there
has not been any for about ten years! The ill effects of the malaria
drugs are not worth it - if there is any Malaria we will advise you and
you can take the drugs but there has not been any in ten years and if an
outbreak occurred the Dominican Health department would stop it
immediately.
6.
Concerning Travel - we have chosen the safest ways to
travel, no need to worry. But in Santo Domingo you need to be careful -
the sidewalks and streets and curbs have holes in them - watch out for
the holes. The Dominican definition of a “One Way” street is this -
“You can only go one way at a time! Look both ways. Many cars and
motor bikes do not have lights - in front or in back - watch out for
cars and motor bikes! Buses and cars are crowded, someone may almost be
sitting in your lap - that’s life in the third world and that’s how
we extend solidarity with the people of Los Toros - we accept their life
conditions.
7.
Security - Dominicans are very nice people, they are also
very needy people; if you set something down on the ground it means you
do not really need that particular item and if someone takes it you will
not mind - and they will - take it - because they probably need it more
than you do! We prefer to make our donations more direct and with an
offer of care and love! So keep you possessions close to you and keep
track of them. Tourists in every city of the world are targets; do not
walk alone in New York - do not walk alone in Santo Domingo! You can
keep your passport in the hotel, but not your money! Our hotels are very
secure and safe but just as you would not leave your money in a hotel in
New York - don’t do it in Santo Domingo. Los Toros is very safe;
Grafton has a population of about ten thousand people and has about 20
policemen, Los Toros has about five thousand people and zero policemen.
Yes, that is right, they have no policemen and they don’t need any.
There are few cars but a number of motores - motor bikes, be careful,
they do not understand the rights of a pedestrian and they will not stop
for you. Many do not have lights so be especially careful at night, you
will know when they are around - not one of them has a muffler - they
make Harley’s sound like a Segway - if you remember what that was!
Also, do not let your personal possessions lie around in Los Toros - the
same “put it on the ground” rule applies in Los Toros. We will list
you with the US Consulate - Department of State as a missionary visiting
Los Toros and this gives you some rights and protection - I think we
said this before some place…..Also, we will give you a list of
emergency contact numbers to give to your family in case of emergency;
with Internet and Cell Phones we are no longer isolated when we are in
Los Toros.
What
You Need To Take:
Take as little as you can. We will
only be there for four days, you do not need a lot of clothes it will be
warm. Take a small gift for your hosts, a personal item, candy,
something for their home. Take along photos of your family and share
them, you could even leave a personal photo with them. Check the “What
To Take” list carefully! As we mentioned before, bring good walking
shoes. As a group we will be taking about twenty checked bags of Mission
Supplies; supplies for the Haiti Project, School Supplies, some
computers and supplies for the Los Toros Mission Center/ Guest House.
The
Culture:
The island of Hispanola is about two
thirds Dominican Republic and about one third Haiti; now that Haitians
are living in greater numbers in Los Toros we are starting to need to
know a little bit about Haitian Culture. We will update The Culture
information on our web page and ask that you check it out at http://www.lostorosmission.com/Travel.htm
.
Protocol:
This is going to be a little blunt and
perhaps appear a little crude to some people. However we might save you
some inconvenience and embarrassment with our comments on manners and
procedures. First of all this is a Latino culture and people value human
contact. So they will hug you and kiss you, even if you have never been
to Los Toros before they see you as an important person associated with
the community of St. Joseph Grafton and they feel the need to express
their respect, love and gratitude. You do not have to hug them or kiss
them back; but, be warned that they may think you to be a bit stand -off
-ish. Folks, we need to be a little flexible here. “Charity goes
beyond justice, because to love is to give” (intro # 6). They take the
words of the Pope’s encyclical literally and express it both through
words and actions. Words? Yes, through words - many a Dominican, male
and female has told me that they love me - mucho times! At the same time
don’t worry about it, the people in Los Toros understand that you come
from a different culture and it takes time; I have been going there for
over twenty-three years so it’s a bit different with me.
Most homes in Los Toros are simple,
you will probably have your own room and bed and they will respect your
privacy and only enter your room to clean it, likewise we respect their
rooms and also their kitchen, for some reason they do not like you
fooling around in their kitchen - if you feel the need to cook something
or wash dishes come over to the Mission Center/guest house and go to
work! Mop the floors.
If a door to a house is open it means
you are welcome to enter, if it is closed you need to knock. If a door
to a bathroom is open you may use it, if it is closed - knock. If the
door to the outhouse is latched shut on the “outside” it means it is
free to be used, if the block of wood is vertical it means someone is
inside. Now to the crude stuff, sorry but it needs to be said. Sometimes
there is “papel” paper in the bathroom or outhouse and I don’t
mean the Los Toros Sentinel-Journal, sometimes there is not, so have
some handy when you go in. If you are out in the campo men pee in the
bushes, boys pee in the river, hopefully downstream from where I am
taking my bath. In the capital you can flush your TP, in Los Toros there
is usually a container or bag for your TP - this saves the septic tanks
and outhouses from filling up too rapidly. At night many people use bed
pans, I will explain; if I don’t, please remind me.
In most bathrooms and exterior wash
houses there is a big container of water and a small bucket, this is
used for washing and taking “bucket showers”. If there is a shower
you may use it, but be careful of dirty water - for this reason I
personally prefer the bucket shower! At the same time, be aware that
Dominicans take a bath every afternoon; they are very concerned about
personal hygiene and appearance so if you look scrubby they may think
you to be a little crude. Another thing to be aware of if you have a
bathroom, most toilets do not flush, you need to fill a bucket with
water and dump it directly into the toilet bowl - do it fast.
And finally, many Dominicans take a
bath in the river, so if you see me down there with them - please do not
stare. (OK - crude time is now over - relax).
After their bath Dominicans dress up
in clean clothes and all the women look beautiful and the all the men
look handsome - you might want to do the same. It is amazing how neat
and pressed their clothes look! Just watch and see!
Eating in Los Toros is a different
experience, hosts do not eat with guests, you may end up sitting all
alone at the table, this is because of a number of reasons and we will
go over it in our meeting. Also, if you have something, even a drink, it
is polite to share it with someone. If you buy a beer, get two or more
plastic glasses and share it. Get ready to drink coffee, they will offer
it to you over and over again and it is a gracious compliment to them if
you accept it! You do not have to eat all that is given to you, but you
must try it. So be open to be adventurous at the table. We will sponsor
a meal for our hosts on October 24th and you may be asked to
help with it; be sure to invite your host to the dinner.
Trip
Agenda:
For the extended and somewhat
complicated Trip Agenda go here http://www.lostorosmission.com/AME2010timeline.htm
scroll down to get to the Agenda. This agenda is shared with the
people in Los Toros and it is used to make arrangements for meals,
meetings and transportation. We use it to account for our time. It is
also used to inform the community of what is going on and how they
interact with us.
We usually establish a key person in
Los Toros to coordinate our activities, this is a lot of work and we
greatly appreciate the time and effort they spend on our trips.
Packing:
If you can help with the packing of
our checked bags please contact Deacon Don. To save the back breaking
(I’m talking literal here) work of taking things up and down stairs we
will pack in my garage at 209 W Cedar St. We can start gathering
materials immediately and bring them over for sorting and packing. The
packing is not hard work but lifting suitcases on and off tables,
weighing them and taking out or adding things is what is hard on the
back. The advantage of helping to pack bags is this: I will be a lot
less crabby during the trip, and I might buy you a beer! So let’s set
some possible dates for packing: how about -
Sept 24 & 25th, October 1 & 2, October 8 &
9. My contact information is on the participant’s sheet you were sent;
note, for security purposes this will not be published on the web page.
English
Interpreters:
We have some people who can help us
and we will advise you about them before we leave. At the same time we
may not be with you twenty-four hours a day, so we suggest you try to
build a vocabulary of key words or at least print them out and have them
ready to use. This will also be posted in the web page. We will try to
have someone to be with you during meal times and there will always be
someone at meetings and gatherings. Using simple phrases will help you
with your hosts; family photos are excellent ways to start
communications. I have a Dominican Cell phone and you can have someone
call me any time to answer questions. Also each area of town will have
an assigned interpreter that you can contact.
By the way, there will be a quiz on
all of the above material.
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