Today began visiting the proposed site for the design to be proposed for COTN. The piece of land we visited was approx. 38 acres. It was huge! We spent 2 ½ hours walking around the site in the blistering heat! I got a little sun burnt! L It was very interesting to look at the piece of land that the COTN staff has informed me of the day I arrived. If COTN were to purchase the land then they would choose a section of the entire parcel, as it is very big and we do not need the entire parcel to complete the design. I am still in disbelief of the price of the land. It is $100 per sq. meter. Which if calculated for the amount we need, is very expensive. After visiting the land we returned to the casa for lunch and ice cream!! It was so hot today, so this was a nice treat. I had to prepare for the big meeting in the afternoon, so I returned to the office at 2pm. This meeting was with the board of directors to talk about the plans for a camp. A camp, as they explained is something that COTN needs. It would operate as a way to bring in revenue to COTN, a place to teach classes, play baseball for the baseball program through COTN, and to house many other things. We talked about the needs for a large communal space that would hold up to 600 people, two swimming pools, a library, classrooms, basketball court, volleyball court, baseball field, and dormitories to house 600 people. This is going to be a large thesis project, but I am confident in what I can produce over the next year. It has become clear to me that my next trip here needs to be the day after school ends for Christmas break! Lol! I plan to return to teach, research my thesis, and to help the board of directors figure out some construction and design problems at the casa and the clinic. It seems as though I may have found my place for quite a while! So I am returning to the USA, with my thesis project changed, but for the better I believe. I have been researching modular design and I believe this is very important for the people here in Barahona and also COTN. They need to be able to learn from this project and the design outcome, and everything decision I make needs to be a realistic design choice in order to begin construction next June. I was also asked to return next year when building begins, which I have absolutely no problem doing!! Lol! In fact I told Kathy she may have to force me on the airplane on Sunday. I feel quite at home here, I do not want to leave as I feel there is so much I can do here to help.
Tonight we had the most amazing meal, thanks to Manuela!! It was the best lasagna I have ever had!! After dinner I had my hair braided by Yohana, which I love! J Then we had the first church service here at the house! Here in church they play the drums and other musical instruments, along with their amazing singing voices! I loved it; it was inspiring to see how others praise God. Me and the children here at the house tried to watch Harry Potter, but were only successful for about 45 minutes! Lol! Now they have gone to bed. I am practicing my Spanish and Alberto teaches me how to spell out and pronounce the words correctly! Apparently last night I was talking in my sleep! And in Spanish! I find this hilarious and would love to know if I speak better Spanish whilst asleep than awake. Interesting!
Sorry but today’s journal is kind of short, I am very tired and ready for my bed! And also excited for the amazing day tomorrow!! We are traveling to all the Bateys for the entire day, and not only do I get to spend my time with the amazing children, but I get to go collect my cameras and drawings from the children and teens I interviewed earlier this week. I am very excited. Thank you to Melissa and Cayla for handing out my surveys to teachers today in their classroom, I believe this will be an excellent resource for information I need. My surveys have proved to be very beneficial, as everything the board told me they wanted in the camp, the children and I had already discussed previously. I believe everyone is extremely excited and I just hope God will lead us in the right direction and send us all the help we need in order to make this project successful. I know I will be doing everything in my power to raise the money and get an amazing design completed for next summer. And I know I have the support of many people behind me. Until tomorrow!!! I can’t believe this week has gone by so fast! I do not want to leave. L
Adios!!!
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