Well here it goes – The first recording of our time together
in St Lucia. When Warren asked me to
serve as the ‘first volunteer’ to compile our journey in service, it made me
feel quite special. But then, after
giving it further thought, I decided we are all exceptional and indeed very
special people. Special in the sense of
the spirit and camaraderie I envision we will establish, cultivate &
treasure.
But enough of my lecture on specialty and on to the task at
hand. How can I begin with Sunday, when
Saturday was an extraordinary occasion in itself? So now, just a few sentences about Saturday
-after gathering in airport – most tired and weary – we, under Warren & Michelle,
our team leaders’ and Ian’s superior driving skills (on the wrong side of the
road), arrived at our new home for the next two weeks – JJ’s Paradise
Resort. Occasional periods of rain with
scattered sunshine accompanied us on our one hour trip through the beautifully
green and picturesque mountains, hills and valleys.
After finding our rooms, opening our suitcases and me
wondering when my head was finally going to ‘hit the pillow’, we were treating
to a delicious dinner of local cuisine – fish and/or chicken in a tasty sauce
with carrots and broccoli – at JD’s restaurant on Marigot Bay. Nothing could top Warren’s gracious welcome;
however, the beautiful Caribbean sunset did provide some healthy competition. Before dinner, we played the name game, in
which everyone did exceptionally well – oh and did I forget to mention there
are 25 of us? All hail from the US -
from east to west and north to south – and we appear to be knowledgeable,
bright and articulate. What more could
St Lucia want!
After a good night’s sleep, Sunday morning came quickly. I found out I needn’t set my alarm clock. Before it could ring, a tsunami-like sound woke me. It was frightening and sounded like the
Caribbean Sea was at my door step. Then
DAH! I figured it was rain, very heavy pounding rain. Being from AZ, I had forgotten how it
sounds.
We had a scrumptious breakfast of cereal, eggs and bacon, and then, we piled
into vans and headed to Anse La Raye for mass at the Nativity of
the Blessed Virgin Catholic
church. All of us had opted for the
church service, which lasted two hours. Compared to the mostly 59 minute mass
in the US, it was a refreshing change of pace and left many of us very
impressed with the people, their harmonious choir and musical accompaniment. It might have been a long service for some,
but, just think, we:
·
heard the 14 member mostly children’s’ choir
complete with piano, drum, violin and clarinet and the lovely music and hymns. We
met many of the parishioners, who made us feel
so special with their musical welcoming ‘love’ song
And for me it was extra special, because I met Maria, 96
years young, whose son Thomas was one of Father Amal Raj’s assistants. She is so very proud of him, one of her two
surviving children. She had seven
children and two died while they were very young. This grand lady wears no glasses and reads
better than I and more importantly, I think she thinks I need help. She, gently but firmly, guided me with her
firm hand on my elbow through the custom of standing, sitting and kneeling at
the appropriate times during mass. Even
though I know what to do when, it was comforting to have her at my side.
After mass, members of the community, teachers and Father
Amal Raj spent an hour answering our questions and sharing their community
information with us. Then we journeyed back
to JJ’s, lunch and our orientation program.
Warren, together with Michelle’s capable assistance shared Global
Volunteers philosophy of service; guided us through establishment of our goals;
and led a discussion to define the characteristics of our team. We then broke into small groups to discuss
our various work projects – yes, finally on the meat of the matter, the reason
we are here. I will work with three
others in preschool and we all agreed to take the lead from our teacher hosts.
Yes, we will do want they want us to do, to the best of our talents and
capabilities. We are also blessed with
reports from Team 2, the previous volunteers. This will assist us
immensely.
The final happening of the day was our dinner, a choice of
pasta Bolognese or mahi mahi,
followed by homemade chocolate cake, and especially prepared by Charlotte for
our first night’s dinner at JJ’s. We
look forward to tomorrow with anticipation and best wishes for a successful and
special day for all.
·
Are we lucky to be here?
·
Are we blessed with a talented group, who wants
to accomplish the work set forth for us
·
Are we special?
My answer is a resounding YES.
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