Goodbye Dominican Republic

So this is my last week here in the Dominican Republic. It has been an incredible journey so far, and I'm very sad to leave this place, but I am very ready to be home.
This past week was a very good week for me. We did two different camps, one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Also, on Tuesday this week, I was able to go out with Nathan, one of the leaders here and do some translating for him while he picked up supplies for the work projects we will be doing this week. It was great to get out and see more of the country. This place is absolutely gorgeous, I already know that the beaches are gorgeous, but people don't really know about the green that is here. Green everywhere with mountains everywhere as well. It is breath taking. Something else I noticed while I was out was that there are a whole bunch of men and people that were just sitting around doing absolutely nothing outside stores and restaurants. It wasn't because they were bored either, it was because these people simply do not have jobs.
This week was great though. Camp was a whole lot of fun, and I got to hang out with the boys here a whole lot. Monday night they were all being typical teenage boys, and one of them farted fairly loudly. That made it for an entertaining night because they all just ran with that joke, and of course, included me in it. It's been absolutely great getting to know these boys better. They all love to bother me, fight me, do whatever they can to get my attention, and though it can be draining, I love it. These kids are all very bright, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for them in the future. Most of them are extremely eager to learn English and to go to school. Some of them are dying to go to the United States and do something with their lives. It's incredible to see the initiative they have here. With poverty and everything else all around them, and to be abandonded by family members it's incredible to see all the initiative they have and their drive. Incredible young men. This week we were supposed to go to the beach again on Thursday, but as you may have guessed where I am going with this, it rained Wednesday night and we were unable to go again. So we had another great day with the boys, and it was a blast. We played all sorts of games with them and just had a blast.
I also got to go back to Monte Cristi and visit the orphanage over there for the first time since I've been in Jaibon. It was an incredible experience. When I got off the bus and walked over to the basketball court, my buddy Domingo came running from the other side of the court and jumped into my arms. Right behind him was my other best buddy Moncho. It was great to see them and all the little kids there. They all wanted to hang all over me, and it was as if I had never left. It's incredible to see the impact that we all had over there.
Well, I don't have a whole lot of time left, but be expecting a much longer and much more in depth blog next week when I have more time to think of it and everything else. Can't wait to see all of you, and thank you so much for the support you have provided.