Did you sing it in your head? I’m hearing the Beatles tune…
I’ve lost count as to how many times I’ve been on this trip to the Rose of Sharon Orphanage in San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic. It’s close to 10, more or less. Each time has been good. Each time has been different. Each time has presented its own challenges. Each time has been a learning and growing experience for me.
I’ll spare you the mundane details about the food and the travel and the lodging and the warm Caribbean breezes, the difficulty of the work, the cultural differences…here’s the thing that I loved the most about the week:
We got to take a handful of young men on a scouting trip to the local university! These 6 young men have been at the orphanage for most of their lives. They’ve grown up as family with each other. They are nearing the end of their high school career and will be testing to enter the University in the near future. We’ve got a college fund started for any young men (and someday young women!) who take that next step.
To think that we actually get to play a role in this historic day is overwhelming. These young men found themselves in an undesirable position–either orphaned or with a parent who couldn’t take care of them. Even in the best of situations, I don’t think that the odds are in the favor of any child growing up in San Juan DR making it to college. Yet here these young men were, walking around the University, getting the official tour, accompanied by 24 gawking Americanos, pondering the possibility that they could be enrolled in classes in the near future, taking the next step toward their dreams.
It was a powerful moment, and I am grateful that I got to see it.
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