Hello, Friends!!  We are so appreciative of your support for Sisters Village especially in this strange year.  Our 2020 team (pictured above) was the only team which was able to serve in the DR this year.  Summer and Fall teams are hopefully rescheduling for 2021. Here in Indiana, we are sponsoring three Zoom events for our Back to School initiative, to provide required black tennis shoes for kids to return to school in Sosua. A local vendor has these shoes available for $8/pair and our goal is $6000 which would provide for every child hoping to return to school with New Missions in about 5 weeks.  Keep reading for more details!!

First up, a fun collaboration between Sisters Village and my friend/colleague Kim Freeman for a Pampered Chef (virtual) party. Very excited to include a Zoom "Happy Hour" next Wed 7/29 at 7:00, so we can connect while Kim demonstrates the Pampered Chef Air Fryer and shows us how to make Frozen Pineapple Whip...so fitting with our connection to the Dominican Republic. SVI has the potential to make up to 15% of sales, so you will be contributing to "Shoes for Sosua" while you watch, learn, and laugh. Please us the link below to RSVP for 7/29 and to start shopping! I am really excited to see all of you and to get some new cooking inspiration. (I KNOW I am not alone.....). Let me know if you have any questions.

Have a great evening, mi amigos!! Dios te bendiga!

https://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/kfreeman50/show-orders/9314428861595

Barb Settles Huge, PT
President and Founder

https://www.facebook.com/sistersvillageinc/

Instagram @sistersvillageinc

​Reflecting back to March 2 in Sosua…….one month ago that seems incredibly distant. There’s always a “re-entry” phase after a mission trip; this time the extra layers of quarantine and global health anxiety have delayed that process. I know we are all dealing with anxiety in some way, just wanted to share a snapshot of our trip for now, along with heartfelt prayers for anyone reading this.
 
March 2 was our 2nd day in a row of rain, and our first day for scheduled projects in the schools. We were full of anticipation to see the students in Bombita in the morning; in spite of the rain, a good number of students came to school. We applied fluoride treatments for all the students, then the younger classes enjoyed our art/anatomy lesson while the older students participated in puberty health discussions.
 
As the rain continued, we realized classes in Los Castillos would be cancelled for the afternoon. Many of these students live in an area where flooding is a regular threat and as a result, the children are kept home for obvious safety reasons. The team was able to visit the Los Castillos school and church, which allowed us to brainstorm about our clinic to be held there the following day.  It was disappointing to realize we would miss the opportunity to spend time with those students, yet also sobering to realize the challenges of everyday life for these families. We have experienced rain during most of our trips, however this week had more total downfall than in all our previous trips combined. There was a day (later in the week) where the homes directly across from our hotel were flooded, along with the entrance to the hotel.
 
Please scroll through the pictures below from March 2, 2020.  Stay tuned for more detail about our trip from team member, Mark Seifert!

It was an incredible privilege to host my dear friend for the first time since we met in 2008.  After so many visits to her home country, this was a great opportunity to share new experiences. If you met Angelica during her visit, please share any reflections. 

​Thanks to our guest blogger--Demarise Abbett!  Dios te bendiga!

During November 2019, a friend of Sisters Village from Sosua came to visit Indiana. She stayed for a week and shared with many people here, the work being done in her home country, the Domincan Republic. We sat in the kitchen of the Huge household, sipping tea. It was enlightening to sit across from Barb and Angelica. Barb is a family friend and mentor of mine and founder of Sisters Village. Angelica is a leader in her community as a physical therapist and director of a free health center. The two connected in 2008 on Barb’s first trip to Sosua.
 
As we sat and talked she shared with us bits and pieces of her journey. As a physical therapy student, upon meeting Barb, she sought out mentorship in the field. She described wanting a mentor because she knew there was more to learn outside of the classroom. She discussed what it is like in a third world country where not only is access to medical treatment limited for the people, but resources are also limited for the medical professionals there. When Barb visits, the two collaborate on workshops for the professional development of the native physical therapists there. The topics they have focused on so far are pregnancy, pelvic floor dysfunction, postural back pain, and bone health.
 
We talked about what motivates her as a physical therapist and a director of the health center. She said, “it works and it’s worth it”. She feels it is important to teach people about how to take care of their bodies because one’s body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit”. In her work she has the opportunity to help many families, specifically mothers and children. She said that when she is able to help, it “goes farther than the life of a child and it changes the family”.
 
We also discussed the role of education in her life. She talked about how for many Dominican women, the expectation is to possibly finish high school and get married. But she feels that it is okay to want more education in addition to getting married and having a family. She emphasized the importance of women learning together. This seems fitting because that is a core value for Sisters Village, the process of being able to learn together, “aprendemos juntos”. We strive to learn together across cultures and languages, from medical education and what our bodies need, to our faith and what our souls need.
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Demarise J. Abbett
BA Marian University 2015
Demarisewrites@gmail.com