Prayer before school starts

I spent 9 days in Santo Domingo and took 8 kids who rotated to the beach. Instead of a nice hotel on the beach, I chose a lesser hotel 6 blocks from the beach, fed and entertained those kids who could not be happier. It was the time of their life!
Thanks to all my friends who contributed ($600), those children had lunch on the beach and a fruit plate, an ice cream as we head back each night and a simple dinner made with their cooperation. They loved it and I got a lot of rewards from it. They wanted to be held, to kiss, to smile,  just to know that they were being loved!

  lucky 4    Change of the guard. The ones leaving  are pretty sad
 

I got a bicycle for Pena's 6th birthday. He was so proud.
Melissa happy  some orphans last summer

I taught three of them how to swim. What a winning smile.
  The kids are in charge of cooking.  The spaghettis were delicious!
 I also visited the land for the school.
Can you visualize the future school?  and its entrance? We just received $1,100, and need $10,000 more for the next phase..

A month later, the FIAT people (see earlier story) came back in Punta Cana. They were loaded with clothes, shoes, school material, a brand NEW COMPUTER AND a $10,000 check! What a treat...
The money went to cover a car accident (without insurance, so the hospital bills had to be paid), a few months behind in teachers salary and the building.

We now have the sceptic tank and running water!  Next step US$10,000 for the wall and a roof. Then 8 bathrooms - we plan to have 200 kids there!
    

Today is August 6th and school starts September 7th. Dominique and I sure would love to see some classes moved to the new building, but we need those $15,000 URGENTLY.
Would you help?

the twins (3) hold on to their presents

I have requests for dolls  and a car.

6 ORPHANS had US families to spend the summer, but their VISAS WERE DENIED!  I invited a brother and his sister, and 4 families in Miami invited 4 children, but the US Embassy officer refused their visas because a 6 year old said that he was not coming back!!! So there was a lot of sadness among us and missed opportunities. I only wish that one day all of our barriers/separations/frontiers disappear, like they did in Europe. The world is global now and we need each other.

So spread the word around and gather $10, $20 or $100 (the price of dinner) so we can start buying bricks and sand and build a permanent school for those 22 orphans and the 200 poor children of the neighborhood, so they get a chance to make it.

I have a friend going soon to the Dominican Republic. Please let me know if you hear of anyone. I have tons of clothes etc... to go.

Thank you

Tia Maria

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Should you wish to contact Dominica & Alexis directly --they speak perfect English-- the phone/fax No is (809) 335-6302. They have call waiting and an answering machine). I would say afternoon or evening is a better time during school year.

Dominica & her proteges