Rusty Tiles…

Currently, St. Aloysius Gonzaga is on a Hero Holiday in the Dominican Republic. We are building a brand new home for a family in need. Here is some thoughts from one of their students…Imagine this, a red tile, with no imperfections. Now picture millions of other indifferent perfect red tiles. This is North America. We are all the same, seemingly perfect, and red. Red is a colour of passion and love, but do we love the right things? Several indicators, show that we “love” and are passionate about stuff. We are just mass consumers and satisfied with things. Now picture a rusted chipped tile. Then imagine, several other chipped rusted tiles, but none are the same. On the exterior they may seem worthless, dirty, old, etc. Notice however that rust is a variation of shades of reds and oranges? These tiles represent the Dominican Republic and several other developing countries. They too are passionate and loving, but for more substantial things. They love to smile, and touch and hug and build as a community. They are passionate about the little things and have their priorities set straight. They put family and love and others first, they are satisfied with the littlest things and show affection for one another even though they don’t have the newest iPod or purse.This is exactly what I’ve learned while in Dominican. Others need to be put first, because while I am complaining about a split-end there are thousands of children starving, being abused and being un-educated. Should we feel guilty, no. We have been blessed to have all the things we do own. Sometimes, guilt is a good thing, its makes us strive to make change and give our all. It is through this sweat and hard labor that I feel accomplished and proud to say I helped that family, I helped that little boy or girl. I’m sure all the other students and teachers feel the same way. Why give the minimum when you can give past the maximum, every little gesture helps. Another thing I’ve learned is affection is infectious. One smile leads to a high-five which leads to a hug and so on. Only through a positive atmosphere can change happen.So, where is the real lesson being learned? Can we teach the Dominicans about our more “civilized” ways, and technologies. Or is it really more worth while to let them teach us the ways of sharing, loving and caring for our communities. Personally, from this experience so far I think the imperfect, rusted tiles are far more beautiful then the red tiles. When something is imperfect there is room for improvement and change. That is exactly why we are here, to make change in their lives and ours.We also challenge you to make a difference in someone’s life on a big or small scale. Every little tile represents each one of us and if we make a change these imperfect tiles can become a beautiful mosaic, which we know as the world.Lets keep up the work bulldogs!-SaraPS: Hey Mom and Dad and Adam and Cameron! Miss you lots!