Reflections from Brian Walsh

As I sit here and reflect back on our amazing trip to the Dominican Republic, I can only think about the amazing experiences that I have had, and the life changing opportunity that I was presented with. This program has allowed me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, see new things, and make a difference in our world. This program has taught me so much about myself and the world around me and has given me a new perspective on life.

Coming into this program I had three goals; meet new people, see new things, and make a difference in a country that desperately needs it. Through this trip I have accomplished those goals and have learned and achieved more than I ever thought possible. Although this was my second year going on this trip, I was still able to see and learn many new things. From the service projects that we did, to meeting and hanging out with the Dominican teens, the experiences that I had over this trip will remain with me for the rest of my life.

One of my favorite parts about this trip was knowing that we made a difference in a community that needed our help. It was also very good to know that we didn't just help one school or one family, but that we made an impact on many different children and two different schools. Cleaning up the one school was a lot of fun because we knew that what we were doing was helping many different kids. The time and effort that we put in to picking weeds, cleaning up trash, and painting classrooms was well worth it because of how good it looked at the end of the day. Visiting Colegio Elizabeth and delivering school supplies also gave me a great feeling. The poverty that was around this school was very sad to see, and knowing that we helped this community was amazing. Finally, I really liked spending time with the campers at the day camp. This was a great opportunity for children from the area to come together and have fun, and I think they all enjoyed their time with us.

The biggest thing that I have learned from this program, is to be thankful for everything that you have in life. Everybody has bad days and things that they don't like about their lives, but no matter how bad you think your life is, there is always someone who has it worse. Whether it was walking through the streets of Higuey or visiting Colegio Elizabeth, it was very noticeable that poverty filled much of the community. However, the most noticeable thing was that these people didn't complain and feel bad about themselves. Instead they took what they did have (family, friends, culture, etc.) and made the best out of it. This is the biggest thing that I have learned from this trip, and this has changed the way I look at life.

Another thing that I thought was very cool about the people of the Dominican Republic was the caring and generous attitudes that they displayed towards us the whole week. Whether it was the workers at the resort or people on the street, they were always very nice and always greeted us with an "Hola". This generosity was also seen in the Guidicelli family who invited over 20 people over to their house to have dinner. This was a great opportunity for all of us because of the fun that we had dancing and hanging out with the family and friends.

This program is extremely important, because of everything that it offers to us. Whether it is helping us to practice Spanish, making a difference in the world, or establishing new friendships that will last a life-time, this trip offers so much to the youth. I am extremely thankful to have been a part of such an extraordinary opportunity, and I hope to visit the Dominican Republic in the future.

Contributed by Brian Walsh, Shenandoah County