Today we had a very productive day of work, and I would say lots of fun. The day started off at 7 AM where we all gathered and sang our morning prayer before breakfast. For breakfast, we ate oatmeal with cloves, fruit, bread, salami and cheese and some Dominican coffee. After our breakfast, our group was split into two for the workday; one group went to work on placing aqua ducts around various parts, while the other half completed the first aqua duct and began painting a house.

I got the chance to be part of the second group, and among all of us, we got quite a bit done. We finished the first aqueduct we were working on and began to paint the first house with yellow paint and white accents. While painting the first home, I began to realize the beauty in the simplicity of everything around me. The color of the home told the colorful story of the Dominican culture. After our workday, we came back all together and ate our lunch, which was white rice with white beans, salad, and fruit. A little later in the day, we all got ready to gather sea grapes by the beach to make juice.

The walk to the beach felt like such a trek due to how hot the sun felt. I began to feel the cool breeze of the ocean and suddenly was reminded of this simple beauty. The locals who came with us bore the heat and seemed to pick the perfect sea grapes so easily. As I followed, I saw the ocean in the distance. All different shades of blue surrounded by palm trees and the wind orchestrating a symphony from the trees. This simple beauty all came back to me like the one I saw painting the house. Everyone came together, drinking fresh coconut water, enjoying the view and relaxing after a long day.

All in all, this day was filled with definitely tiring moments but was also accompanied by moments of joy, togetherness, and beauty.