The Caribbean, where the living is easy...

Life, my life has been crazy, my life has been fun, my life has been way way way too stressful. Whoever said life in the Caribbean was stress free was lying. Someone should have told me, working with kids, in the fall, in the schools is very stressful. It is like a constant waiting game with marathon days thrown in the middle. We FINALLY got one of my Sala de Tareas opened up this week, thank you God. We are crossing our fingers that two more start next week and the final 4 can open in the first weeks of October.

Making beautiful music!

Unfortunately we have been trying to figure out all the locations, teachers, and schedules because we only have 2 returning teachers and had to move locations for several salas and are opening 2 new salas in new communities. Many of the spaces also need(ed) fresh paint, major cleaning, and/or new desks and chairs. On top of all of that, our Sala de Tareas are funded by two organizations: Global Ministries and EPC (Space for Growth)... so we have to decide which will follow which curriculum and/or receive funding from which program.

Alongside my "old" duties with the Sala de Tarea, I am taking on a new project with Denisse and Jesica. We are working with UNICEF to create a contract and code of conduct to reduce the number of minors entering hotels. The project and subsequent training come from two other internation organizations: ECPAT International and The Code. Commercial sexual exploration of children and adolescents is a world wide issue, but Boca Chica has the highest rate of sexual trafficking and exploitation of minors in the Dominican Republic. A majority of the time sexually trafficked minors or minor prostitution is difficult to identify because the children and adolescents use fake identification or are assisted/allowed into hotels by hotel staff. In Boca Chica, many tourists also take children or adolescents to "the island" which takes them away from any protection of police or Caminante.

In addition to signing the code of conduct, Caminante will provide training for all hotel staff and employees of the tourist industry. Hypothetically/hopefully training for employees in the cash sector (ex. taxi drivers), restaurants, tour companies will be mandated by the ministry of tourism. Currently we are meeting with the Boca Chica Directors (a representation of city and community leaders which Denisse is a part of), the 3 major hotels of Boca Chica, Ministry of Tourism, and the city government to begin educating the top leadership about the program and why it is necessary in Boca Chica. If you have not checked out ABC's special on Boca Chica and sexual tourism, you should... find it here: Nightline Investigates: Boca Chica.

While getting started, I have had the blessing/challenge of coordinating 5 university students from Oslo, Norway. Breaking the most important missionary rule ever, I have made some very special friends who I can already say I will be incredibly sad to say goodbye to at the end of the semester. I am having a blast being a tourist with these girls and it has been so fun to have some girls to hang out with (girl friends are sorely lacking in the DR... who knew). Coordinating daily schedules for 5 very active and interested girls has proven to be quite the task, leaving me more office bound than I am used to and in need of some major stress relievers. I now feel incredibly grateful for everyone who helped me in my first months here... late night emergencies, doctors visits (I think we are up to 5), endless trips to the grocery store and capital, and lots and lot and lot of meetings/phonecalls/planning sessions. Putting the work aside, having these girls here has been a blast: the laughs, dinners, dancing, boy chats, and shopping have filled a large hole in my heart, at least for a few weeks (coming soon, my sad sad blog when they leave me)...