DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS

March/April 2010

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The Dominican Republic Education and Medical Support program (D.R.E.A.M.S.) began in 1999 at St. Mary Catholic Secondary School in west Hamilton, Ontario. Since then, 350 St. Mary’s students have journeyed to the Dominican Republic to build 60 homes, a school, and a teacher’s residence in remote mountain villages in San José de Ocoa, the parish that Scarboro missionary Fr. Lou Quinn served for 42 years.

Editor’s note: The students’ reflections presented in this feature have been adapted for Scarboro Missions magazine.

Over the years, D.R.E.A.M.S. has become a symbol of the desire and transformational power of youth to change the world, one family, one home at a time. Working alongside the Dominican people to build homes and schools has enabled our students to experience Catholic Christian community in its purest form. It’s an experience that stays with them long after they have returned and allows them, in the words of teacher John Labatte, to “focus on the stars, not on the mud.” I am so very proud of our students and all those who support them on their journey of discovery and faith.
Patricia Amos, Director of Education
Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board

Ever since I was in elementary school, I have had my heart set on D.R.E.A.M.S. I still remember the first presentation I saw about the program and I could not wait to experience it. I was ecstatic when I found out that I was finally chosen to go this year, in Grade 12. After years of waiting and watching the presentations, I felt prepared and thought I knew what to expect.

I was wrong! My experience was so much more than what I expected. I fell in love with every aspect of this trip, especially the children. No matter what we were doing, the children’s smiles surrounded us. At the work site they always tried to help and even the ones who were too little to help would sit and watch over our water bottles or just share an encouraging smile that would keep everyone motivated to work. When we had a break, we would take pictures with the kids or play games like London Bridge. When we left the work site, the children followed us. If I was carrying my work gloves and water bottle, they would take them from me and carry them so that I had a free hand to hold one of their hands.

It was incredible how happy the children were with nothing. They were so grateful for anything we gave them and just playing with us brought them joy. These children taught me more than I could have ever given them. I learned to appreciate everything I have and focus less on material things and more on the people I love.

One day, I was sitting with a little boy and he was attempting to teach me Spanish, and I was teaching him English. He would point to an object then say what it was in Spanish. I would repeat the Spanish word and then tell him what it was in English. After I said the correct word in English, he would get this huge smile on his face and exclaim “Si!” because it enforced that I knew what he was saying. The next second, I would forget the Spanish word and I felt so bad because I just could not catch on as quickly as he learned English. I think he gave up trying to teach me and just put his arm around me. Even though I was covered in cement, mosquito bites, and sweat, he looked at me and told me in Spanish that I was “bonita, more beautiful than a princesa.” I repeated it in English just to make sure I had heard correctly, and his face lit up and smiled just as it had when I understood the other words he was teaching me.

Coming into the trip, I did not realize how close I could get to people I couldn’t even communicate with, but when we left I felt as though I had left my home and my family. I think that everyone should go on a journey such as D.R.E.A.M.S. because no matter how many stories you hear; it is not the same as actually experiencing it for yourself.
Lindsay Helmers

As you prepare your hearts and minds for this journey, God is entrusting you, like Jeremiah, to be God’s Word, God’s Good News to the people of San José de Ocoa. You will be God’s Good News by going to live with the people in the mountains where they are, ready to work with them side by side, not only building houses but also building friendships. They in turn will be God’s Good News to you by sharing with you their warm Dominican hospitality, their homes, their food, their faith, and their love through friendship.

I have always appreciated a quote from our late Fr. Lou Quinn—words that he often used: “The Good News is not just a said word, it has to be a lived word.”

When we are those living words, we become Ambassadors of Christ in the world around us, guided by the Spirit of God. What better vocation can one have than that?
Scarboro missioner Fr. Mike Traher, celebrant at the mass for the St. Mary’s D.R.E.A.M.S. group of January 2010

DISCOVERY

Come and discover life!
Journey up the mountains
And embrace the jolt of the dirt road
Take witness.
Fresh papaya and pineapples hanging golden
See the lush shades of green
Flowering shades of purple
Both blending
Hiding the small colourful huts
We’ve never been exposed to a different life before
Welcome to life in a small village
They run towards us and we meet them
Embrace them.

Crayons and candy
Stickers and sticky hands
White palms and brown fingers.
Take my hand and I’ll hold yours.
Get lost in our twirling, skipping
We’ve never been trusted before.
Listen and discover life!
The gentle rustle of the palm trees
Echoes of
Laughter
Clapping
Singing
From the high peaks of the mountain’s trail
Memorize faces
Pronounce all names
We’ve never heard our names being called before
Imagine and do
We build with strong hands
White dust and breaking rocks
The ache of burning backs
Soothed by the warmth of the people
Fill buckets with our family
Build for our family
We’ve never changed the world before
Breathe in the night sky
Scattered in silver patterns across a black canvas
Proceed
In the darkness they walk with us
Inviting us into their homes
The smiles
The hugs
We’ve never felt so safe before
This love will never be forgotten
When we discovered Parra
We discovered life
By Diana Gresku, D.R.E.A.M.S. Participant 2010.

Our last day in Parra came sooner than expected and everyone started to become weepy. I cried for people who have so very little but deserve a better life. They have become my friends. It was hard for me to grasp the idea of leaving them behind. As I said my goodbyes and promised to one day return, I prayed that God would look over our friends and keep them safe and healthy. To this day and forever on, I will remember the people of Parra who taught me so much and took me into their homes. I will remember their glowing faces, their sparkling eyes, their laughs when I would say “no comprendo.” I will remember each child’s love for life and each other and their total gratitude for every small gesture. I will remember the mountains, the unforgettable sunrises, the smell of donkeys and the sound of dogs running in packs. But most of all, I will never be able to let go of the special connection I had with each and every person in Parra even if no words were spoken. God bless all my amigos para siempras of Parra.
Mary Frances

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