On Wednesday this week I embarked on a journey, an experience that is taking to a part of the world where I have never been. On the 3rd of April I arrived to Aeropuerto Internacional de las Americas in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. And, to be honest it was not what I was expecting. I thought that it was going to be a bit less humid. As soon as I got of the plain the 90 degree weather and the high humidity hit my Guatemalan higher-altitude-blood and I was immediately in a lethargic stage. Thankfully, after a few days in the DR now, I am more used to the heat, and with a clearer mind. It has been a wonderful experience so far. The warmth of the Dominican people and their relaxed lifestyle have welcomed me with open arms.
Maria Laura, from CONANI
As some of you might now. My work is to develop conversations that challenge the perspective of leaders who work in high-risk communities. The conversations are designed to help leaders reflect in the “why” and “how” of “what” they do. On the day after my arrival to the DR I got the opportunity to visit a preschool (no picture available for respect to the kids and teachers). This place is run by an organization called CONANI by its initials in Spanish. Maria Laura is the psychologist of this school and works tirelessly with kids from 1 to 4 years old. Maria Laura has been a part of the conversations that we, the Center for Transforming Mission (CTM), have developed in the Dominican Republic for the last five years. Maria Laura shared with me that these conversations have changed the way she works with little children. Now she understands that she works not only with the Children, but with their families and the community as a whole. She works not only for the children, but with the children’s families for the welfare of the community.
On my second day I got to record four radio programs with Mario, my CTM colleague. we recorded at the Transworld Radio, which has quite a broad audience from what I know. We shared our perspectives on family and how the idea of an ideal family system has been one of the biggest tragedies of our societies in the Caribbean and Central America. I say a tragedy, because in thinking that there is a perfection to achieve we put an unfair burden on our families. It is a tragedy that we focus more on what we look like outside our houses that in raising families with values.
To finish my second day, We started a new conversation with leaders who work in marginalized communities in the Dominican Republic. The conversation is called “the image is everything” and we are trying to explore what it means to be human. We will try to explore what it means to bear God’s image and likeness in the midst of the fall, because the way we see the creation of humanity affects the way we see the event of the cross. I am very excited about this conversation. I really want tomorrow to start so I can see where this dialogue will take us. I hope and pray, that God shows up in our midst and blesses us with a better understanding of our humanity.
theurbanwonderer 