The Dominican Republic service trip is an opportunity offered every year here at Montrose. This year I had the opportunity to attend this experience. This trip happens during April break with Mustard Seed Communities, a non-profit that houses children and young adults with disabilities. I decided back in October that I wanted to attend, applied, and got in! Days leading up to this trip, I was filled with mixed emotions: scared, excited, but also nervous. I have never done something like this and was scared of not knowing what to do. But I was reassured by my teachers:

“This is an awesome thing you get to do and experience. Not everyone has the opportunity or chance to do this, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I’m proud of you.” – Mrs. Pajak, mentor

“It will be fun and this is a great thing you’re doing.” – Ms. Dooley

“This is a great opportunity to grow and learn as young women.” – Mrs. Baker

After people wishing us all luck and being triple blessed by our Chaplin, Fr. John, in three languages, I was ready. The moment I stepped off the airplane I was hit with the extreme humidity, unlike the cold Boston weather. It was a high of 84 degrees and low of 74 degrees in Puerto Plata. We were welcomed with loud drums and people shaking maracas when walking around the airport. We then headed on the bus to the site, Hogar Immanuel. 

When we arrived at Mustard Seed Communities, we immediately jumped in to start playing with the kids. The moment I walked down to the Pavellions, I started looking for kids that were not being taken care of. I saw a little girl in a wheelchair looking around, and I went to hold her hand. She was non-verbal and had cerebral palsy. She was squeezing my hand so tightly, and she would not let go. I stayed with her for twenty minutes, giving her head scratches, holding her hand, squeezing her finger, and even dancing. She would often hit her chin with her forearm, and I didn’t understand why she was doing it or if she was in pain. She even would bang her head on the wheelchair handles when she was excited. I would put my hand as a buffer as an attempt to stop this, and when I did she would stop. 

I was then asked to feed one of the kids. Some of them are able to feed themselves but the majority need some assistance. There were three kinds of meals distributed: bottles, purees, and solid meals, such as pasta or rice and beans. I noticed all of the meals would be fed with spoons, including spaghetti which was difficult to use. A Montrose favorite reflection activity is roses and thorns. We share a rose from our day, a highlight, and a thorn, something we wish could have gone better. My rose from the first day was meeting the kids, and my thorn was some of my liquids spilling in my bag during the flight there. 

The next morning we went to a cathedral to attend mass. We had a couple extra minutes before the doors opened, so we took pictures outside and even danced with some people that were playing music. We were able to look up the homily and prayers of the faithful online in English so we could understand what the priest was saying, and we even got a shoutout in the closing prayer! After mass ended, we got gelato which was very much needed and obviously took more pictures on a balcony. 

The living conditions there were quite different to what we experienced back at home. We slept in rooms of ten and shared communal bathrooms. We also had no air conditioning, and dealt with many mosquitoes. (I came back with the most mosquito bites, a grand total of… 67) Every night, it would rain which is typical for a tropical climate, but it would get very loud. Raining during the day would make the air extra moist because it was already humid from the extreme heat. Also, the food there was very flavorful. A fan favorite from this year’s trip was the fried potatoes and soupy beans. Often, there would be rice with corn or lentils, meat, typically either chicken, beef, or fish, and most nights we had fried plantains too. Breakfast mainly consisted of fruits, toast, and cereals. 

We were there for service too and did many activities to help the community. We made food bags for families who have limited access to food, we painted buildings, cut grass, and weeded certain areas. We also visited another Mustard Seed site, Hogar Niños de Dios, to help out there too. Seeing the joy on the faces of the children, even for the little things like bubbles, hugs, or even just saying their name, makes them all so happy. 

Overall, this was definitely a very impactful experience on all of us. Even months after this trip, I still think back on those kids a lot. To them, I am just another visitor. To me, they changed my life. Thanks to them, I have a new perspective on life: to be grateful for clean water, a house, food, and my family 🙂

By: Hannah Li ‘28, Podcast Editor

28hli@montroseschool.org