Friday was a day of both goodbyes and new experiences, a very rich one. We saw two our final two schools which were very different from each other. We awoke early and skipped breakfast to be at the Colegio Piaget o Juan Bosch, a private school in the center of Cotui which served children from pre-K to grade 12. We arrived in time for the opening ceremony, held in the large outdoor courtyard. We were introduced by the Head of the school, who stood on a balcony overlooking the students, lined up by grade. They sang the national anthem as the flag was raised, and then a staff member read a verse from the Bible. We then joined a Montessori-style preschool class, taught by the Head of the preschool, a friend of Rita's. We sat on the floor for the morning opening rituals, which included passing a candle from one person to the next, saying "Paz" (Peace). I had the opportunity to pass the candle to a wide-eyed four-eyar old, who was not used to having a large, gregarious Americano sitting next to her. All good. We then visited several other classrooms. In a ninth-grade English class, Molly Ryan O'Flaherty had the chance to read the lesson from the blackboard. The view of Cotui from the fourth floor of the large, modern building was a wonderful vista.
We returned to the hotel, had a late breakfast, and then packed and moved out of our rooms. Many in the group then took a stroll through Cotui. Harris LaRock bought some sweet sunglasses for 12 pesos. Some of us stayed in the small dining room (open-air on several sides, with constant rooster noise from next door punctuating meals) and played cards. We had lunch, and left our wonderful Hostal Maria Yoban.
Our final school visit was to La Vid Verdadera (The True Vine, for those of you know the Book of John). It's a school for children from families at risk, a wonderful non-profit where yet another friend of Rita's is the teacher for the oldest students. We were ushered into a packed, sweltering assembly room where more than 200 elementary children were sitting in rows of chair. Balloons were adorning the low ceiling. They had obviously expected us. After introductions (at every school, each one of us gave our name and our town) a wonderfully poised 12th grader presented Rita with a gift basket. We then began the main purpose of our visit, and gave out toothbrushes and tooth paste to every child. We are so grateful for the support of the Upper Valley dentists who donated these, and also hundreds of flouride treatments, which our Nurse Mary Miner demonstrated for the staff members.
We finally left Cotui and headed south to Piedra Blanca, where we stopped by the side of a busy highway to look at (and purchase in several instances) colorful handmade rugs which are a well-known local specialty. Then it was onto the main highway (RD1) for a speedy trip to Santiago in time for supper at the now-familiar SANA B&B. We said goodbye to our wonderful driver Glenn and beloved guide Luis with a special gift of a rug in Dominican flag colors. After supper and a spectacular sunset, perhaps enhanced by smoke from nearly fires in the mountains (agricultural, we thought), we had a brief awards ceremony. Each student received a paper plate celebrating his/her gifts, with a few jokes thrown in. The students then surprised us with some well-prepared words of appreciation for each adult.
Saturday we are off to a local shopping center for a last chance to stimulate the economy, and then to the airport for our flight to New York. This has been an extraordinary experience, and we cannot fully process it now. We know that we have changed this little spot in some small ways for the better, and in turn have been changed. The students have been remarkable all week for their flexibility, maturity, courage and kindness. All of the adults have felt this, and so to have the many local folks with who they have been in contact. We're ready for our re-entry and looking forward to our reunion next month at the Strohbehn home Surprise, Kris and Judi! Thank you for your support and prayers. Adios!
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