La Republica Dominicana

To explain our love for the Dominican Republic, you must know that we both did internships in the beautiful country. Here is a brief summary of our experiences:

Mrs. Bluth spent the summer of '09 with a small group of students from BYU and they worked with the DREAM Project which is a nonprofit organization.

DREAM's mission: We believe that quality, early and continuing education is the most effective way to break the cycle of poverty and change destinies. Our mission is to run inclusive, sustainable education programs for children and youth in the Dominican Republic that can be replicated throughout impoverished global communities.

The organization works year round which includes a summer camp where students improve their reading, writing, and math skills. The students also get gym and pool time and field trips. Mrs. Bluth was a counselor with one other volunteer and together they were in charge of about 20 children between the ages of 9-12. Just a little side note-Mrs. Bluth did not know Spanish at this time.

Those six weeks gave Mrs. Bluth an indescribable experience that truly changed her life. She learned countless things about herself and about life. Looking back at her old blog there is one quote that barely touches the depth of her experience:
This week at camp has been one of the hardest things I have ever done and words cannot describe my emotions or the struggles. I am completely exhausted and I have found that all I can do is love. There are times during the day when I have to sit back and remember the love I have for these kids.

Mrs. Bluth made wonderful friends, got the greatest tan, and had a memorable moment when the spirit spoke so strongly and impressed upon her mind to serve a mission.

There are 10 million other things Mrs. Bluth would like to share about her experience, but at least know that it was INCREDIBLE.

Mr. Bluth also had an incredible experience working with the LDS Employment Resource Services. This internship allowed Mr. Bluth to teach career workshops in many different wards and branches throughout the DR. The career workshops consisted of many objectives such as money management, basic accounting sills, interviewing skills, and promoting your product. This experience increased his knowledge on the principles of small business and gave him the opportunity to serve, teach, and lead.

Mr. Bluth saw the self esteem of those he was teaching grow and that they began to truly believe in themselves. He was allowed the opportunity to see people really get excited about their business ideas and see these ideas flourish into small entrepreneurial start-ups.

Working closely with the Employment Center put him in the same building as institute which enabled him to make many friends with young single adults and missionaries. The three months spent in the DR created many memories and an experience that will always bless Mr. Bluth. Especially because he became so familiar with so many beaches. Nice.