I grew up in a small town where there was very little diversity and the importance of the exchange of ideas through culture was never placed in my head. I learned some about cultures through the classes I was in, but it never hit home about how everyone in the world can be so similar, yet so very different. Toward the middle of my junior year I met a man by the name of Bill Benson, who changed my perspective on the world in just a few hours. Mr. Benson runs a group by the name of Village Mountain Mission in which he takes several groups of people down to the Dominican Republic throughout the year to build homes for those in need. I was terrified to go at first because I would not be with my family nor would I have any way of being able to contact …show more content…
Homes were all little shacks that housed full families, people spent all day just to make sure their family had food for that night, and the feeling of love was spread among entire villages. The Dominican people did not feel the need to change who they were, or buy expensive items to feel important, they just loved each other and did anything they could to help another person out. Several homes would share one bathroom, one water hole, and often one meal. Women spent all day preparing one dish and then the communities would come together to share what they had made, as the fathers would work for money. Food often consisted of all parts of the chicken or cow, nuts and fruits from local trees, and rice or beans. The kids played together and often started working at young ages helping mothers with laundry or even going to work with their fathers to make money. Very few families had cars, some had motorcycles or scooters, and many used donkeys to get around. The Dominican way of life is very down to earth and useful of the resources they have around them. Learning their way of life and seeing what is important to them has inspired me in many