Tag Archives: Memories

Campamento Memories

6 Jul

Monday, July 8th – if the world was normal, today would be Day 1. It’s usually an overwhelming day. We’re still a little tired from travel. The heat goes from novelty to oppressive. The girls are primed for camp! Most of them have been there before, so they know the ropes.

Usually on day 1, our “Woman of Faith” is from the Old Testament, like Eve, Hagar, Rachel, Jochebed, Miriam, Naomi, and Ruth. Hardly anyone is named in the Old Testament, even fewer women, so each of these women are quite substantial and have a lot to teach us. One joy of camp for me personally has been learning insight on these women from Heidi Busse, a Biblical scholar. Thank you Heidi for helping me understand how these women speak to us thousands of year later after they lived on Earth.

Day 1 is often the time to cram Spanish. “They speak so fast.” “Their pronunciation is not what we heard in Jefferson High School Spanish class.” And occasionally “Wow, my college Spanish is coming back to me!” Between Duolingo, the Spanish Learning Club and my dorky attempts at practicing on patient Spanish speakers, I am getting better each year!

The most frequent observation from first-time travelers is that everyone – even the first-time travelers – are welcomed with open arms. It’s like visiting distant family. And it’s appropriate; we are Sister Communities. Our communities, not just the people who travel, are all connected over faith, time, and common values.

On joys and blessings… one for me is getting to know travelers in a way I don’t think I’d ever without sharing a trip like this. The Konkoly family is very special in so many ways. I met Jane and two of her daughters while rafting through the Grand Canyon. You know I can’t go very long without bring up Campamento. On that trip, I think I held back until about day 5. After telling Jane about it, she decided to join along with her daughters. She sees the potential in these girls and gives what she has to help them reach their dreams. Check out this video Jane and daughter Michelle made about last year’s camp. “Try Everything” by Shakira was the theme song in 2017.

Throw back to 2009

Some Girls at Campamento 2009

Travelers and volunteers – if you have a memory and/or a picture you’d like me to post, please send it to me over the next two weeks.

Please consider donating over these next two weeks as well. We are raising money for shoes and back-to-school supplies. Shoes are about $30 at Dominican Republic stores. PM me for details on how to do that.

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100+ Memories from Campamento 2015

20 Jul

We have a tradition of quickly recalling 100+ memories from camp on the layover on our return flight. This blog entry is a result of that list, which is now edited and has relevant pictures and links. I hope it gives everyone a good idea of our fabulous week. For the names, I’m going to use first initials for privacy. This is a “thank you” note to travelers, past travelers, St. Ed’s, families, and all other supporters! Not quite an overall report – that’ll be next.
Peace, Ann

100+ Memories of Camp

First Impressions

1. Meeting H. F. for the first time – so loving to the girls and to us
2.Seeing how much the girls grow and mature each year.
3. Traveler J. and son J. joining camp! Now we know why the Sisters don’t take 2 year olds!20150715_175013
4.  Digo Si Señor song
5. “Women in the Bible” Decor


6. I’m Good by the Mogli’s camp theme song
7. All Hermanas joined us in circle at night DSCF2202

8. Girl C.’s and other girls sharing in circleDSCF2203

9. H. Es., noviate from Puerto Rico we met last year. She came for camp and helped out.

Monday Memories

10. Girl M. taking such good care of boy J.
11. Water games on Monday – big hit! drip drip drop and relay races


12. Dice Self Esteem game – roll dice and land on an emotion “I am excited when…”
13. Mayores’ vision boards

Tuesday Memories

14. Party thrown by the local Bon store 20150714_172151
15. Señora G. from Bon shared with Mayores
16. The littlest girls are getting so much better at math! Nice work H. E. ! 20150713_114736
17. At the beach, the mountains on the other side of the bay – can’t get that in pictures

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18. Affirmation bags 20150713_115115

 

Wednesday Excursion to San José de Ocoa

19. How fun and well behaved the girls were “traveler comment – best time I’ve ever had a pool!” DSCF2046
20. Meeting Girls S and R’s father and Aunt in Ocoa20150715_142457
21. Man napping at S and R’s.
22. S and R’s toothbrushes hanging neatly, and camp frames and photos
23. Travelers M and A cannon balled into Ocoa pool together
24. Traveler M went down slide 3 times!
25. Playing tiburon (shark) in pool, beach, and kiosko
26. Conga line in Ocoa pool – others joined usDSCF2099
27. Dancing at Pool
28. Girl N. learned to float in pool

29. The slides

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Thursday Memories

30. Self Esteem poster – “I am special and important because…”


27. Mayores excursion to hospital
28. Jocelyn hosted trip to Hospital
29. Coincidently, for the first time, we had a girl sick enough for a hospital stay. A. L. was hospitalized overnight and got better by Friday.
30. The Mayores made a big card for A.L. when they visited her and explored career opportunities at the hospital
31. They met a Gastroenteralogist, Ob/Gyn, and Pediatrician Doctors at Hospital – “your wombs are not ready to have a baby” – several reminders about dangers to a teen mother and her baby.

32. Azua has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the DR
33. Meeting the Azuan alum at the delicious snack they brought
34. New Computers from the Azuan alum club in Spain and New York
35. Azuan alum with cancer in her jaw, dental technician, who spoke with girls during snack

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36. Walking through town to church and seeing Azua. Getting all the girls Bon at the hottest ice cream place before Mass.


37. H. F. and girls singing at Mass on Thursday 20150716_18085138. The Parish in Azua is over 500 years old DSCF1994

 

40. Delicious “salted” fish for dinner
41. Video of the Hogar by the American woman (we’ll share it once it’s online)


42. B’s graduation pictures

Friday Memories

43. Girl N’s mean step mother
44. Girls N and N’s blind step dad showed us his diploma, graduated with honors, but can’t work because he’s blind
45. Girls N and N’s blind mom so intelligent, able, and loving
46. Girl N singing for her step mother
47. Fighting Cocks in cages at girl N’s step mother’s


48. Checkers with bottle caps and hand painted squares


49. The kids we met on visits like the gift of bubbles

50. Girl M’s family20150717_183212
51. Girl M’s brother in a wheelchair

52. M’s mom “Dominican L” – very friendly and bubbly, keeps 2 burros, pigs and piglets 20150717_183817

53. Kids when they came back from Casa Anna excursion to the capital

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54. Going to girl G’s grandmother, 73 years old, we all cried remembering her good son who just died last month 20150717_180301

55. She harvested tamarind to get some spending money
56. Girl G used a broomstick to whack the tamarinds off the tree, needed 3 pesos for a lousy plastic bag
57. Getting to meet G’s Madrina – godmother. Such a relief to know people are looking our for her!!
58. All travelers and girls whose home we visited got to go to Induban coffee plant to buy coffee 

Yes, even these girls got an afternoon cup (good idea?)

Saturday Memories

59. Time to pick up the trash! So much trash so fast!


60. Two Dominican treats (corn pudding and a chocolate/bean pudding, I’d call it) from the second Azua alum group
61. Pizza night

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62. Grocery shopping at La Sirena
63. Seeing H S on her 25th Anniversary. She looked so well rested! Was it because she didn’t come to camp for the first time in 14 years??? 
64. On the pizza party night, the last night, girl M used the pink pill for checking your brushing technique as lipstick. Her, lips, perfect hair and skin “looks like a movie star”

At the ‘Camp Store’ (Tienda) during downtimes

65. “Gomitas” the little elastics for making bracelets
66. Puzzles called “Rampocabezas” literally “head breakers”
67. Making bracelets using forks
68. Card games
69. Hand clapping games
70.  Eckert Tolle book “Milton’s Secret”
71. Cheerios bilingual books
72. Traveler A and girl Y finished very difficult symbol puzzle

Littlest ones

73. Little girl S killed a cockroach with her chancletta (flip flop) 20150714_182621
74. Girl G was only fed sugar until she came to home
75. G and S ate two hot dogs and two pizzas each on last night

Songs we can’t get out of our heads now

76. Chi Chi Chi Gua Gua Sardina Gatto song
77. Ah Chi Chi Cha Song
78. Uptown Funk = “Hallelujah Son” Uptown Funk video
79. “This time for Africa” by Shakira This Time’s for Africa by Shakira

Throughout the week – other little memories – no order

80. Kids weighed cups and other things with Traveler M P scale
81. American’s Spanglish (“mas o mesa”)
82. Loaves and fishes – always enough food! Even Nutella and jam lasted
83. Upside down goat on moto
84. Drove through Zona Colonial (maybe future excursion?)


85. Always behind by 15 minutes (better than usual!!)
86. Journaling station – learned that they talk more while coloring 20150713_115211
87. Girl A braided  Traveler A’s hair


88. Having the Mayores at Camp
89. Girls J and E not there anymore
90. 2 TV’s – the girls got to watch tv and movies
91. Girls helping with water bottles and long dresses
92. Eating all together in the dining rooms DSCF1976
93. Girls paying attention -noticing everything about us
94. Girls S, M, E and everyone else dancing
95. Zumba!20150713_122115
96. Teaching the cup song
97. Spending time with the Mayores at night after camp


98. Queen of Hearts – Traveler L in girl P’s Quinceañera dress
99. Pedicures
100. Habicuela – A’s nickname “beans”
101. Traveler M and Girl D – best friends!
102. Girl B crying for missing her dad
103. “Chair Rash”
104. New dishes and cups and Amplifier w/ iPhone 4 dock
105. Done with shopping at Modelo on time (Freddy’s open on Sunday’s except Father’s day 8:30 AM-1 PM)
106. Hearing the Titanic Song (theme song for first campamento in 2002) at La Sirena
107. Teaching them to float and swim at beach and pool
108. Puppies
109. Traveler M saved fat from her pork and gave them to the mother dog.
110. Yoga with Traveler H (girl J says she wants to be a yoga instructor)
111. Girl N – singer had the song sheets from last year, wanted a copy of this years’
112. Always enough room in Guagua
113. First time – a boy at camp!! Boy A, nephew of a Sister playing with the girls 20150714_182830
114. Seeing cook Chula laugh
115. Not getting sunburned (maybe we can be test subjects for Vanicream products on our next trip)
116. Our Spanish improved!!
117. Younger travelers A, H, C, and A worked well together and with “adults” (note from Ann, “yes!!!”)


118. Donation room is so organized
119. H F doing the Waka Waka dance (Shakira, This time for Africa)
120. Traveler M P and H. Fifi singing “La Espiritu de Dios esta en este Lugar”
121. Girls knew/wanted “selfies”
122. SDQ = “Si Dios Quiere”

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