The hardships of life in Nuevo Renacer

On our first morning we were so excited to be able to spend it in the home of one of the families in the village. Natalie and her husband have 3 children, unfortunately we did not get to meet him He is a motoconcho driver but is currently away in another province attending the funeral of his mother and visiting with family.

A day in the life is exactly what this is. We spent the morning going through the family’s daily routines. As she was excited to have special guests she wanted to hang new curtains and place her fancy lace table runner along the counter in her kitchen making us feel very welcomed into her home.

As we do in our homes she had her way of doing things and was a great teacher and willing to show us how Natalie liked things done. From the wringing of the mop to how the floors were washed Natalie assisted us in learning her techniques. Washing clothes was definitely a difficult task and something that took a while and a few lessons and practices to catch on, something we take for granted. A family of 5 washes their clothes by hand in a plastic basin by moving it back and forth between the wash and rinse and then into clean water before placing it on the line to dry.

On this particular day Natalie and her family did not have electricity which is a daily thing for them. We on the other hand were quite worried about this given we had brought fresh chicken to cook. Natalie seemed to take this in stride and confidently instructed us to help her make a Dominican rice and chicken dish. Using the one knife in the kitchen and the counter top we cut in half the chicken we had brought, one half to be cooked and the other half to be kept for another meal in the non running fridge. Natalie proceeded to take over in showing us her own recipe which smelt amazing as it began to cook.

The morning went way too fast, although we came to help them we realized very quickly how much we were being taken care of. One of the children was sent to get ice to ensure we had cold water to drink and Natalie brought out a towel for us to wipe the sweat from our bodies as it was cooler outside than inside the house. This morning is one that we will never forget and this family will always remain in our thoughts and prayers but we feel confident that Natalie’s strength, love and beliefs will guide her family through life.

A day in the life for us but memories we will have forever.   

Cheryl and Melissa ~ Hero Holiday Volunteers 2013