Cristo Rey students found a home in the community, people and their hearts in Buen Hombre, Dominican Republic

August 2019

"I learned that the community is full of good hearts. They care deeply for those they love. Also, I learned that the community are passionate about their religion and traditions." - Ailani

The time spent helping build a basketballcourt, for the people of Buen Hombre was nothing short of an amazing time. Fromthe endless acts of selflessness, hospitality and friendliness the peoplereally left a mark on our lives. The trip started off with an introduction toour hostess as well as the community. This allowed us to formally meet thepeople in charge of everyday making sure we had food. This time for relaxationdidn’t last long as we prepared for the hardest four days of our life.

"Something that I learned from the community was that everyone is family oriented.  I realized that everyone in the community cares about one another even if it’s not their blood family member. I also noticed the community cares a lot about new comers as well.  The people we were introduced to showed us the upmost respect."- Nanakaku

            Coming into this project, we didn’t expect the major role the community would play in the building of the court. Everyday we spent building the court we were greeted by people who wanted to help take action. Ranging in different ages everyone that saw us was very eager to help. This helped make the process fast and fun. After we built the court the community continued to make us feel at home. We were invited to a countless amount of church services where the people would continue to express their gratitude and appreciation for our work. Ultimately this trip allowed us to create friendships and bonds that will last forever.

This trip to Dominican Republic was an experience I’d neverforget. Traveling all the way to the D.R with some students from my school anda couple of teachers allowed me to form a closer bond with the students andteachers. While we were in Buen Hombre, we took four days to construct thecourt. Over the course of those four days, each day some people from thecommunity would come and help us out. Everyday we worked extremely hard in the90 degree weather and because we were working so diligently, it came to thepoint where didn’t even want to take breaks because we were so determined tocomplete this project.

"I learn something new about myself on this trip. I feel like my selflessness energy grew. I became more loving. I wanted to give more instead of taking less."-Anderson

Being able to venture out to a different country other than the U.S for a change enabled me to be dearly appreciative of the little things that I have access.The little things I appreciate includes having running water, being able to shower morning and night, and even having electricity all hours of the day. It was as an honor to build the court along with the community and I am extremely grateful that I was picked to be involved in such an authentic project. I want to thank the people of Buen Hombre for kindly welcoming us into their community and giving a helpful hand on the court.

Nana, student 

"From this trip I learned that if I put my mind to anything I can do anything, I can work really hard with others as well as for a bigger purpose."-Keona

"What I learned from the community was to be grateful, kind and welcoming to any and every one. No matter their race, sexual orientation and gender."-Jhail