I can't believe it's already Saturday and we are going home! I am so sad ): It has been such an amazing week and we have accomplished a lot. Between working at the hospital to help build the fourth floor and working to build latrines in two bateys, we have done a lot of hard work! I am sitting here in Trigo de Oro with Sarah, getting ready to order my last chocolate croissant before we head to the Santo Domingo airport, and I can't stop thinking about all of the wonderful experiences we have had this week. (Kayla)

The blog post from Monday, "Square Shovel > Circle Shovel" went through our first day working at the Good Samaritan Hospital. It feels it was so long ago now that we were first learning how to use the pulley systems to hoist sand, cement, and cinder blocks to the fourth floor of the Hospital. We have all had our fair share of soreness after that first day of physical labor, but now we are able to see how much was accomplished through our hard work. We also learned a lot about construction that first day, things like the proper technique to sift sand using a Square Shovel and/or a Circle Shovel, how to look good in a hard hat, and the easiest way to lift 94lbs of cement to the top floor of a building :) After a quick nap at lunch we resumed working, knowing that there was a nice cold pool just waiting for us to jump in once we got back to the Hotel.

Tuesday was another very successful day. We were all much more comfortable with our jobs and started to figure out more efficient ways to get the work done. We also were more comfortable with the workers and the translators; communicating with them in English and in Spanish made working much more enjoyable! We worked until 3:00 and then stopped to get a tour of the hospital. Sarah and I came last year so it was great to see the progress the hospital has made and continues to make each day. We are both so proud to be a part of it. After the tour, we went to the orphanage and got to spend time playing with the kids. Many of us made connections with some of them and are hoping to stay in touch by email or facebook. After we left the orphanage we headed back to the hotel and got dressed for basketball! I (Kayla) got completely decked out in my bball gear and was so excited to play! It got pretty intense and unfortunately I hit Sr. Wilson in the face by accident as I went up for a layup...and he now has a little bit of a black eye... and I feel really bad. It was a great time nonetheless. (:

Wednesday we only worked until noon because we got to go to the beach in the afternoon! It's a good thing too because we were starting to get a little lazy, building chairs out of the cinder blocks to sit on while we were hoisting sand :) The beach was one of my (Sarah) favorite parts of the trip last year because it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. This year it was even better! Although we were at a different beach without volleyball or soccer like last year, the water was even more clear blue and warmer than I remember. The group also got to bond a little while we were at the beach, trying to think of fun things to do :) I can hardly believe that was only three days ago, this week has gone by so quickly!

Thursday and Friday we went to the bateys, and I am so glad that we were able to go because I think it was extremely important for the group to see the harsh reality that many of these people are living in. On Thursday, it was difficult to find a job that we could help with because we were working in a small space and we didn't want to get in the workers way, but we tried to help with whatever we could. On Friday, we got to paint the roof the latrine and then distribute bags of shampoo, soap, and toothbrushes to each household in the bateys. My (Kayla) favorite part of the day was when I met an 11 year old girl named Ingra who loved my hair and wanted to braid it. She gave me the nicest braids I have ever seen and we were able to converse in Spanish a little bit, which was great practice! Jenny and Sarah also got their hair done, and we all agree that we are coming back to get our hair done before prom (:

Overall we think this trip was a great experience for everyone :) Although sometimes there were struggles, everyone always got back to the hotel with smiles on their faces and great stories about things they had done or people they had met that day. Seeing the progress made at the hospital was great, but seeing the smiles on the faces of the children in the bateys was even better :) We have met so many special, sincere people who have the biggest hearts and we appreciate all the time they have spent with us. We will never forget the life-changing experiences we have had this week and we will carry them in our hearts forever.

Until next time...
-Kayla and Sarah