Deacon Anita’s Visit June 28 to July 29, 2010

Final reflection from trip ending July 26, 2010

July 26, 2010

I’m writing from the American Airlines waiting area in the Port au Prince airport.  The mission trip is over.  Louise, Monique, and John from St. David’s in Wayne, PA have boarded their plane headed to Miami and then will connect to Philadelphia.  Pancy, Jean, and I have a four hour wait for our flight to Fort Lauderdale.  This morning the rooster crowed early and woke me at 4:00AM.  Soon the others were up getting ready for an early departure from Bondeau.  Faimy, Myna, and Caroline got up early to prepare our breakfast of delicious Haitian omelet and Haitian bread, and of course, rich Haitian coffee.  Other friends saw us off, Minuche, Ivnell, Silianne, and Djames.  Anne Bedwine, Pere Kesner’s wife, was a perfect hostess.  She has a gentle way about her that reminds me of Mary of Bethany in the gospels.  Yet, her management skills are the best.  I’ll miss all my friends in Bondeau and look forward to returning soon.

Looking back over the last few days from the time the mission team arrived to our departure, I share that we struggled with coming together as a team.  I’ll have to reflect more on the experience. 

The highlight and most life-changing experience was our visit to the island of Bidow.  We boarded hand made canoes, one person at a time with a local person rowing.  It was the most scenic and smooth water ride to our destination, a tiny island about 15 minutes off shore of Bondeau.  There we visited with the people living on the island.  Many of the people are members of Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish; the children attend our school and sing in the choir.  Women are members of the women’s association, attend sewing class, and participate in parish activities.  The people of Bidow live in the worst living conditions that you can imagine.  Their homes are made of stick frames that are covered with scraps of plastic, rags, metal, any kind of scrap material, all with a dirt floor.  The island floods from the tropical rains.  One young man, when asked what he does when it rains, said that he stands on his bed to be above the water that flows into his house.  I have seen many poor areas in and around Port au Prince but Bidow is the worst I have ever seen.  The people live with the constant fear that their tiny island will be washed away in a tropical storm or that a sea vessel heading into the nearby port of Miragoane will run into the island.

We also visited people living within walking distance of the parish.  With Junior as our guide, we hiked up the mountain to “Wapadi”.  There we stopped by to see the little girl, Gastina, who is being treated for malnutrition.  She and her mother were happy to see us and showed kind Haitian hospitality.  Florence, Gastina’s mother, is a young woman, 30 years old.  She moved to Bondeau to stay with relatives after her husband was killed in the earthquake in Port au Prince.  She is struggling to raise her three children alone.  She doesn’t have enough money for food.  Gastina, 8 years old is suffering from malnutrition.  Her younger brother is at risk.  I helped Florence with the doctor expense, antibiotic, and vitamin drink.  She will receive food from the school feeding program each day and hopefully, the children will be healthy.

We also walked along the main road, stopping in on Ste. Marie Madeleine parishioners.  At one house, a young woman lay on a blanket under at tree, her little girl sitting on the blanket beside her.  The woman has TB.  She has been to the hospital for treatment and released.  After asking her if she’d like me to pray in English, I laid hands on her and prayed for her recovery.  I know that TB patients receive free medicine in Haiti, but to see this woman suffering, lying on a blanket on the hard ground under a tree, is heart wrenching!  Some mission team people headed back to the parish after this visit.

And now for the good news…we had a wonderful joyful celebration for the feast day of Ste. Mary Magdalene.  People gathered from the surrounding parishes to celebrate with us.  On Saturday more than 30 babies were baptized.  God parents and family all gathered round as their little one received the sacrament.  It was especially thrilling for me because I had never baptized anyone.

Deacon Anita

baptises for first

time

The marriage ceremony followed Baptism.  The brides looked gorgeous, just like brides do here, all dressed in white beaded wedding gowns and veils.  It was hard to imagine that the brides and wedding party live in dirt floor huts.  They looked as pretty as any bride does in our country.  They couldn’t possibly afford a wedding gown, but I later found out that they rent them for the day.  I am “Marenn”, godmother to Naomi and Guy.  Guy is the goat keeper and Naomi works in the parish.  They are parents of Anna and Gibson.  Later that afternoon was the Trade School graduation.  All the graduates wore white shirts and dark pants or skirts.  They slowly processed in with accompanying music.  Each was called by name and received a diploma in a well designed folder that held the diploma and graduation picture.  I know many of the graduates personally and know how happy they are to be trained in a skill that could give them an opportunity for a job as Haiti rebuilds.

     

         Trade School Graduation                                           Wedding feast SMM

On Sunday we celebrated a High Mass Eucharist.  Choirs sang parts of the liturgy.  Five priests, including our own Fr. Smith Milien from Miami, were Co-Celebrants.  I was Deacon of the Mass and read the gospel in Kreyol.  It was a joyful, glorious Eucharist, followed by a big party.  People stayed all afternoon and had a wonderful time.

The people have Bondeau have captured my heart.  I will return and continue to minister, teach, and be a friend.  I am blessed that I have found my heart’s desire in serving the good people of Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish. July 21, 2010

This afternoon the mission trip arrived. It had poured rain just before their arrival. The van skidded in the mud in the school yard and couldn’t seem to get over a small incline. With help from Wilgens, Djames, and others, the van made it up the drive. After getting settled in and having something to eat, we went on a tour of the parish. We walked the trails visiting with local people. Just about the time we reached the “old school” and the road it began to rain, a really hard downpour. We jumped over the water that flowed at the side of the road and headed back to “Maison d’Amitie”. Just then we heard shouts from a house across the street. People were standing on their porch and beckoning us to come to them. We did and they welcomed us to wait on the porch of their shanty protected from the rain. A little boy, naked, immediately offered Pancy a chair. I was next to arrive at the porch and another little boy, naked, offered me a chair. We commented to one another about the hospitality of these very poor people. How did the little boys become so gracious as to offer chairs to strangers? Would our children do the same? Later in our reflection on Matthew 25:31-46, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” resonated with all of us who experienced being welcomed by people so poor that their children were naked.

July 20, 2010

Everybody is so excited about the approaching feast day of Ste. Mary Magdalene! Sam and the men of the parish worked together to erect a canopy to provide shade for the Eucharist service. Others built a wood platform. Sewing students practiced for their fashion show. Young women worked on a dance routine. Musicians arrived from Ste. Paul’s in Petit Trou de Nippes. Late in the afternoon the women’s association with the children’s choir began singing and praying. The musicians joined in and in just a few minutes an entire congregation of people were having an outdoor prayer service. It was quite beautiful, everyone joining together singing praise hymns. Soon people were dancing to the rhythmic beat of the music. The group prayed, “Mesi, Bondye”, thanking God for everything. It started to rain, it poured down, but the prayer party continued with everyone gathered on the covered walkway of the school. This is one of those unexpected blessings that happens in Bondeau and why I love being here.

July 17, 2010

Every day brings new insights, experiences, and challenges.  While visiting families in their homes, I have seen how the desperately poor manage to survive.  They live completely in the moment, trusting God to provide what they need for today.  Their faith is so strong!  As I wrote in previous reflections, many people here in Bondeau have serious health issues.  I have been able to help a few of them with  hospital visits and medicine.   It must be so difficult for a mother when her child is desperately sick and she doesn’t have the money to take the child for medical care.  A mother was here just a few minutes ago to report back after a doctor visit.  Her four year old daughter, Jully, is a student in our school.  I discovered Jully while on home visits.  There was no question in my mind that she was very sick.  Her belly was swollen, a sign of intestinal parasites.  I recognized Jully as one of our students and her mother, Mona, as an active member of the parish.  Mona didn’t ask for help for Jully but after talking with her about Jully’s health and learning that she has no money for a doctor visit, I offered to help.  I follow up with all the mothers that I have helped with doctor visits.  Gastina is doing well and has even shown a little weight gain.  Her mother comes every day for food to take to Gastina.  Gastina’s father was killed in the earthquake leaving the young mother to care for her children alone.

“I am only one, but still I am one;  I cannot do everything, but I can do something, and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”  Edward E. Hale

July 13, 2010

Being in relationship with the people of Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish is such a blessing! Living as we do, so removed from all the hurts and needs of the world, we are likely to not hear the gospel message of Jesus as it applies to us. Yet, when we see, hear, and read about the lives of our poorest family in Christ, we are more likely to connect with how Jesus tells us to live as a follower of Him. As Christians, we are His followers, not only in name, not only on Sundays, but most importantly in our actions every day, actions that we do to live the gospel message of love. It’s so difficult for us who have everything to give it all away, yet that’s what Jesus tells us to do. (Mark 10:21) It’s difficult to give just a little of what we have away. Are we afraid we might run out? Our family in Bondeau is helping us to live a Christian life more than we might ever realize. They help us to give a little of what we have away. We don’t run out, we still have enough. And the little we give makes a huge difference to our family in Bondeau and saves them from a life of destitute poverty. We realize a double blessing: we are blessed as we grow closer and closer to Christ, living the way he taught us to live. Our family in Bondeau is blessed seeing that, a little at a time, their hope is becoming a reality.

July 12

It’s cool and rainy this Sunday evening, a pleasant break from the relentless heat.  I have been down sick for last couple of days but I’m feeling well now.  This morning Pere Kesner celebrated a wonderfully joyful Eucharist service.  The church was packed full with people sitting almost one on top of the other.  Late comers stood in the back.  Pere’s sermon on the Good Samaritan was animated and full of vocal expression.  Sweat poured off his face as he preached.  I watched closely as his black calloused hands gently lifted the bread and the chalice at the consecration.  These hands, I thought, are also the hands that fix the generator, change a flat tire, lovingly touch the head of a school student, hammer nails into a 2x4 length of wood to build a platform, connect and disconnect bottled gas to the canteen stove, baptize babies, hold on tight to a motor cycle, and perform all the duties of a Haitian priest.  

Announcement time after the service was as lively as Fr. Andrew’s St. Gregory’s CROSS Dinner auctions.  Pere wants to involve the entire parish in the preparation of the feast of Ste. Mary Magdalene.  He asked for donations from everyone to be used for the party.  The response was phenomenal!  Everything from a sack of charcoal, spices, bananas, melons, potatoes, chickens, money, even a goat were offered.  I was just amazed at the generosity of these very poor people!  Just  about everybody donated something.

Later in the day Pere, Fedner, and Jackson went to visit people who live on an island that is considered part of Bondeau.  They are mostly parishioners of Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish.  The children attend our school, older girls and women are part of our sewing program, boys come here to play soccer.   This is part of our family in Christ.  The three men were so visibly shaken when they returned.  They couldn’t stop talking about the horrible living conditions on the island.  Houses are build with scraps of anything and everything, metal, plastic, sticks, wood scraps.  The children were all naked.  The island floods whenever there is a heavy rain meaning that the water flows into the houses of the 101 residents here.  Their industry is fishing.  They walk every day to Miragoane for water.  Hand made canoes are their transportation to and from the mainland.  They’re afraid that their island will wash away in a storm or a big freighter headed for Miragoane will run into them.  Can you imagine living in those conditions!

(Below are photos taken July 12, 2010, with overnight notice allowing people to be dressed in their best, of the island Bidow mentioned by Deacon Anita above.)

Photos above of people and houses on island of Bidow one to two feet above sea level

Just off coast of Bondea

July 10, 2010

Yesterday morning Junior and I returned to the families on the mountain.  The area or zone, as they call it, is Wapadi.  These are the families with malnourished children and the little girl, Francesse who has had diarrhea for three months.  I brought pamphlets on malnutrition and diarrhea written in Kreyol.  At first, I read them the information on the pamphlet.  Many peasants are illiterate and cannot read.  I asked if they understood.  Yes, they did and continued discussing among themselves.  These folks were so engaged in the information they were hearing as I read.  I wondered if they had ever heard this before.  I also brought the kids two boxes of Rice Krispies.  There are about 15 boxes in the kitchen, which have been donated.  I’ll give it all away to children.

The Women’s Association meets every week.  This week I met with them and we had a mediation on Psalm 37.  I read the first eleven verses.  Women with bibles followed along.  I was amazed at the discussion that followed.  The Psalm touched everyone.  They were so joyful when the discussion ended.  I didn’t understand everything was said but I gathered that they know there is hope, and continue to wait on the Lord.  

Work continues here.  Men work hard in the hot sun repairing the walkway in front of the school.  First, with a pick axe they chopped and removed the surface of the walk.  They then built a wood frame to hold the cement for the new walkway.  Other men mixed the cement by hand, others carried it one bucket at a time and poured it into the frame, others smoothed the surface.  Without equipment everything is done the hard way.  Another group is painting the school.  It has a fresh new look, a reddish brown color on the bottom half of the walls inside and out, and white on the top half.  The roof is being painted now, reddish brown.  The entire community is involved in getting ready for the feast day of Ste. Mary Magdalene.

July 8, 2010

As I continue my home visits I see more and more the dire need for a parish nurse.  Today I walked with Junior on the mountain.  There I met a young mother, 26 year old Edith Baptien and her 2 year old daughter Francesse.  Francesse is the youngest of three children and Edith is pregnant.  This mother is the poorest that there are.  I talked to her about having no more children, but at this point, she needs more than me talking to her.  Francesse is tiny for a two year old and her eyes are “sick eyes”.  I could always tell when my children were sick by looking at their eyes.  Edith told me that Francesse has diarrhea.  My first thoughts were, “So take her to a doctor” but later found out that just like so many here, there is no money for a doctor.  They scrape together all they have just to feed the children.  

Deacon Anita, Edith

Baptien and Francesse,

Bondeau, July 8, 2010

Talking to Haitian people must be relaxed and interspersed with moments of laughter as everyone gathers around to contribute to the conversation.  We were gathered under a shade tree.  A boy brought me the best chair, a white plastic one, so I’d be comfortable for the long haul.  Members of the family from grandmother and grandfather to the babies were all present, about 15 in all.  Some women were sitting on the ground washing clothes in a large wash basin.  A few words at a time, I learned that Francesse has had diarrhea for three months.  No wonder her eyes look sick!  She sat quietly in her mother’s lap for the entire time I was there, about an hour and a half.  Any healthy two year old would be up running around playing.  If you would like to help this child with a doctor visit please email me at deaconanita312@gmail.com.  A parish nurse can treat a problem like diarrhea and teach mothers how to prevent diarrhea.  Ideally, she would hold new mother classes and teach mothers how to properly care for their children.  I simply told the mother that all water must be clean and boiled for 10 minutes before giving it to children to drink.  

I go out into the community everyday with the intention of meeting parish families and giving pastoral care.  This is what a deacon does.  This is what I do at St. Gregory’s, except under much more comfortable conditions and with much fewer frustrations.  Our sick people can get all the medical help they need.  Our elderly receive Medicare.  A sick child is immediately brought to a pediatrician.  I don’t know of anyone who goes without food.  There are programs all over Boca Raton that provide food for poor people.  

While I am out doing pastoral visits, work continues here.  A whole team of people, mostly parish men, are painting the school and repairing the floor of the school.  Trade school students are tiling the entrance to Maison d’Amitie, building houses for earthquake relief.  In the afternoon students attend trade school.  Business women have shop set up under a tree, selling patties, soft drinks, coffee, and bonbon.  Even the goats are busy.  Two more babies were born yesterday.

July 7, 2010

In my last reflection I wrote about an 8 year old girl who has malnutrition.  Her name is Gastina.  Today her mother came to me with the doctor’s report.  She saw a doctor at St. Theresa’s Hospital in Miragoane.  He said Gastina has anemia and prescribed a vitamin drink and a medicine which I will research on the Internet.  I talked a while with the mother and explained that Gastina must eat three times a day.  She said that’s impossible because she doesn’t have money to buy food for three meals a day.  I gave her a little money for food for today and invited her to bring Gastina to the school each day for a nourishing meal.  I don’t know why she hadn’t been bringing her.  I don’t know if Gastina is a student in our school.  I’ll continue to work with the mother and find out more details of why Gastina is so malnourished.  A good parish nurse would be able to counsel this mother much better than I.

The first person I saw on my pastoral visits this morning was 54 year old Lisse.  She is a widow with eight children ranging in age from preteens to adults.  She is a quiet gentle woman who always looks sad.  I see her almost every morning when I take a walk and I see her at all the church services but I had never visited her at her home.  We stood under a shade tree in front of her house.  During my visits I’ve been asking people if they have health problems.  She said she has vision problems but has not seen an eye doctor.  She has no money for a doctor visit.  It’s difficult for us to understand that a person here cannot see a doctor unless they have the cash to pay.  There is no government insurance for poor people.  In fact, there is nothing for poor people!  

Jeannine with Deacon

Anita and children

Another woman I visited, 33 year old Jeannine is very thin and has a sickly appearance.  She has 8 children, who attend Ste. Marie Madeleine School.  She is sick with anemia and severe stomach problems that cause her to vomit blood.  She has seen a doctor but can’t continue with treatment because she doesn’t have the money.  She is the mother of the little boy that I bathed and treated infected cuts and scrapes on his arms and legs.  With her own health problems, I can understand how she neglected to take proper care of her son.

There are many health issues here that go unattended because the people cannot get the money together for a doctor visit.  If you are moved by the stories please help with a donation of money.  You may send a check to my discretionary fund.  Write your check to Anita Thorstad Discretionary Fund.  Mail to me c/o South Florida Haiti Project, PO Box 1503, Boca Raton, FL  33429  Any amount will help.  I have given money for doctor visits but I just can’t give to everyone even though I would like to.  With your help, we can ease a lot of suffering.  Email me at deaconanita312@gmail.com and let me know.  Thank you.

July 5, 2010

When I was here on the June mission trip I took many pictures, close up faces of those who attended the Eucharist celebration.  I had the pictures printed and framed them in 4x6 frames with the intention of giving them to the people in the picture.  Yesterday afternoon I walked with Wozlo along the road, visited families, and gave them a photo of themselves and their families.  They were so thrilled!  It is such a small gift.  I was thankful to have Wozlo along because I didn’t recognize the people in their home surroundings.  They were all dressed up in their Sunday best when I took the picture, looking very different to me than the people I was visiting.  This morning I walked the mountain trails with Junior and Jackson, the seminarian now staying here.  We had the same objective in mind.  Our first stop was about a mile up the mountain at Murielle’s family.  We visited there for about a half hour.  Jackson wants to know the parishioners at Ste. Marie Madeleine and what better way to get to know them than a home visit.  Our next stop was with a family that is active in the parish.  It looks to me that three generations all live in a group of three houses, the nicest homes I’ve seen in Bondeau. They were roasting freshly picked corn over an open fire.  The children all looked clean and healthy and well cared for.  We stayed there under a shade tree as the men excitedly discussed the World Cup.

I had two pictures left to distribute so we continued our walk to the family who would receive the pictures.  The little girl whose photo I had is a beautiful child who captured the attention of all the mission team.  She is not only beautiful but has a special gentleness that is captivating. In the photo she wore a beautiful dress and a hat, all dressed up for church.  Today she wore only shorts, no top.  She is extremely thin.  All her ribs were clearly visible.  Her clavicle bones were prominent and tiny arms looked like they had no muscle. This child is another clear example of why we need a parish nurse.  A nurse would have seen this problem long before it got so bad.  She clearly has malnutrition.  The hat she wore to church covered her orange tint hair, a sign of malnutrition.  I talked to her mother the best I could and said she is too thin.  “Does she eat?“ I asked.  “Yes, but she is sick.”  I asked how she got so sick and her mother replied that she ate stones and picked up a small dirt covered stone from the ground.  I wondered to myself if she ate the dirt “cookies” that quench hunger but cause severe digestive problems.  I told the mother that the little girl must see a doctor.  She said she would take her as soon as she has some money.  Before we left, the mother agreed to bring the child to the church at 7:00AM.  I have extra money with me that I’ll give to her for a doctor visit.  She is to bring me back a report from the doctor. 

Jackson and I made a pastoral call to the elderly couple that I see on a regular basis.  Jackson had not met them.  The man now is also bedridden.  They both still eat and drink and don’t show signs of pain.  We’ll keep visiting and praying.

Good news on the positive side: the school yard is bustling with activity.  The trade school students are putting finishing touches on the second floor addition to the school kitchen.  Local men are painting the school building inside and out, giving it a fresh clean look.  Another group of workers are building two housing units for earthquake relief.  Jackson and I will leave shortly for another round of pastoral visits.  All is well!

July 2, 2010

Following up on the little boy…today I bathed him with the help of Wozlo. We washed him over and over to clean his skin and hair. He has a bad fungus infection on his head. After his bath, I cleaned all his infected scrapes and cuts with peroxide, then applied Neosporin, and covered with band aids. I was grateful that there was anti fungal cream in the first aid supplies, which I applied to the infected areas on his head. I dressed him in a clean extra long tee shirt and sent him on his way. This morning I saw him helping Guy the goat keeper gather the goats.

There was a lot of discussion on the last mission trip about the need for a parish nurse. Some members of the mission team met with women of the parish and talked about the diseases and sickness that they suffer. They talked about the challenges of raising children. After seeing this little boy who has a very treatable ailment, it’s clearer to me than ever before that the need for a parish nurse is great. I talked with Pere Kesner about health issues of the community, the need for health education, the need for someone who can properly administer medication, and the need for immediate care before small problems grow into major problems. He agrees that a nurse on site is a dire necessity and actually has a nurse in mind who can fill the position.

I’m taking this opportunity to challenge the mission team to take on the “Parish Nurse Project”. The need is immediate meaning that immediate funding is necessary. A small fundraiser event should take care of start up. I’d also suggest promoting the project with your friends, family, women’s club, personal physician, and dentist, in hope of receiving individual donations. Ideally, funds from outside your parish brings in a whole new group of supporters to South Florida Haiti Project.

July 1, 2010

I’m sitting in my favorite place at Maison d’Amitie. A gentle breeze provides relief to the sweltering heat. A group of students from the Trade School are tiling the patio landing and steps. They have been working for the past three hours, measuring, cutting, mixing cement and leveling the tiles. Another group of workmen are building a four unit house made of cement block. Every block is hand made using a block mold. It’s amazing that they work as they do in the scorching hot sun. The land next to the house is marked off for yet another house. South Florida Haiti Project is making remarkable progress in earthquake relief. As I mentioned in an earlier reflection, I didn’t see any signs of rebuilding in Port au Prince or in Leogane. People are still living in tents and have no water and inadequate sanitation. They don’t know when or where they will have their next meal. Bondeau appears to be prosperous in comparison, yet we know the people here are extremely poor. The difference is that they have hope. They have hope that they will have jobs when they graduate from Trade School. They have hope that their children will have a good education. The elderly and the sick will have a healthful meal every day. Most of all, they know that they are loved by their friends in America. When I met today with the Women’s Association, they expressed gratitude that they have the opportunity to improve their lives.

Today while I was taking a walk a young girl came up to me holding the hand of her little brother. She brought him to me because his legs and arms were covered with cuts and scrapes that had gotten infected. Their mother was in Miragoane, probably trying to earn a few dollars. The only clothes on the boy was a rag sleeveless shirt, more holes than shirt. He needed a bath but I didn’t bathe him. I cleaned the areas around the scrapes and cuts, poured peroxide trying to clean them well, yet not hurt him. I covered the wounds with band aids.

June 30, 2010  Wednesday

This morning after breakfast Junior and I walked along the road toward Miragoane.  I was intentional about what I wanted to see and information I wanted to gather during this walk.  If I’m lucky, I thought, I might even get some photos of families in front of their homes.

One of the first families we visited was Lina’s family.  Lina is a mother of children in our school.  She is a student in the sewing class.  Lina has complained to me time and time again about her poor eyesight.  I bought her reading glasses several months ago and I noticed that she always wore them for her sewing work.  She talked to the mission team that was here about her need to see an eye doctor, but, of course, she has no money for an eye doctor and glasses.  One of our mission team consulted with Wildaine and through him, donated $100.00 for a doctor visit and new glasses for Lina.  I wasn’t here in Bondeau 10 minutes when Lina came to me sporting her new bifocal glasses.  She was so happy and asked me to thank the person who opened her heart and her wallet to help Lina.  When I visited her this morning she was sewing a new dress, using hand stitches, that was part of her class assignment.  She was smiling and thanked me again for her glasses.  

The people in this area look to be the poorest in Bondeau, worse off than the people living on the mountain.  One elderly lady showed me several damaged areas of her house.  This house is comparable to homes in Port au Prince slums.  It needs repairs to the front door frame, cracks in the construction, roof, porch and many other problems.  This would be a great project for a working mission team.  So many people want to “do something” physical to help when they are on mission.  The elderly woman couldn’t possibly afford to repair her house and yet, to me, it looks like a mission team could handle it with no problem and give the woman a decent home in which to live her final years.  I think I’ll propose to have this as a project for the November trip over the Thanksgiving holidays.

Walks in Bondeau are always full of grace and surprises.  A four month old baby whose name is “Dave” provided that moment of grace.  I sat with the parents of the porch of their tiny house, held the baby and tried to have conversation, given my limited Kreyol skills.  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing when the parents said the baby’s name is “Dave”.  The baby is named after Dave Gury!  They said he would be baptized at the feast day celebration of Ste. Marie Madeleine on July 25.

Deacon Anita with

baby Dave June 30,        

2010 to be baptized

July 25 at Ste. Marie

Madeleine

Tuesday June 29

This morning I joined the missionaries at the patio café as they had their morning prayer service.  They are a group of 11 Evangelicals from Michigan here to see how they can help in Port au Prince.  Pere Kesner sent Fedner to pick me up and drive to the Cathedral site for the Ordination.  It was so sad to see the once beautiful and historic Trinity Cathedral all broken down.  The service was held under a structure made of wood frame with a metal and straw roof.  Folding chairs were set up for the huge crowd.  I arrived late and was sure I wouldn’t have a place to sit.  But, in true Haitian hospitality, a man saw me standing on the side, got up, and offered me his seat.  I was now sitting next to a man who shared his service bulletin with me, spoke perfect English, and welcomed me to Trinity Cathedral.  The Ordination was beautiful! Twenty to thirty priests in their red vestments surrounded the altar.  The Holy Trinity Choir sang beautifully with only the accompaniment of a piano and electric keyboard.  Seven deacons were ordained priests.  They have all been assigned to parishes.

The man I was sitting with pointed out to me the group from Partners in Health and later introduced me.  (Paul Farmer was not in the group.)  I had already met Marie Flore Lafontant at Raynold Auguste’s wedding.  Later, Pere Kesner introduced me to Pere Fritz Lafontant.  The Partners in Health group left together packed into an SUV headed for Cange.  It was quite an honor to meet Father Lafontant.  He has a presence about him, a kind and gentle man.   

After a short and friendly chat with Bishop Duracin, I was off with a driver and Myna to Bondeau.  Pere Kesner stayed in Port au Prince.  As we drove through the city I saw the Catholic Cathedral and the surrounding buildings all crushed and broken, a giant pile of rubble.  It’s amazing that in the middle of all the devastation a tall white cross boldly stands.  Work crews looked busy clearing up many destruction sites but there is a lot yet to be cleared.  As we drove toward Miragoane, we drove the road where tents had been set up on the median strip.  I see now that the people living there are now claiming a little space as their own.  They had set tires in the road just next to the tents so that traffic will have to stay a short distance away from their “homes”.  Small children were actually playing among the tires as traffic moved along on the crowded road.

We drove by many more tent communities on our way to Bondeau, many with signs, “We need help!  Please help us.”  Leogane looks as if nothing has been done there in terms of rebuilding or repair.  The road that was badly damaged is still the same, a real danger to drivers.

After stopping for a few items in Miragoane, we finally were on the road to Bondeau.  Friends along the way waved

June 28, 2010

I’m writing at 5:30 PM, 6:30 our time from a patio cafe overlooking an empty swimming pool at the Atlantic Hotel in Port au Prince.  I am the only customer at the moment.  The patio has several small tile top tables that are quite attractive.  I giggled to myself when I looked for a chair and saw that the “chairs” are not chairs at all but folding luggage caddies, the type usually in a hotel room.  

My flight arrived on time at 3:15.  After struggling with the crowd pushing and shoving at the luggage carousel, I finally retrieved my two 50 lb. bags, placed them on a cart and headed out.  A gentle young man, a deaf mute, approached me and motioned that he would take my bags.  That act of kindness was such a blessing!  Once outside of the airport, I saw that the usual chaos was in full swing.  The young man accompanying me moved along slowly until I spotted Pere Kesner.  I was home!  We boarded a taxi, a dark blue jeep with  battle scars of the many miles traveled on the streets of Port au Prince.   Driving through the streets of the city I saw that very little had been done in terms of rebuilding.  Although I had read that clean-up is happening, I saw little improvement since the last time I drove through the city.  Building rubble is still piled high.  I didn’t see any rebuilding.  People are still living in tent city slums. 

The people here never cease to amaze me.  They are resilient and hard working, doing what they can to earn the next meal, in spite of all that has happened. Street vendors are back in business.  Artists have their paintings displayed on walls along sidewalks as if in a tourist town where visitors buy souvenirs as memories of a happy vacation.  On one side street we drove slowly by a tent village where I saw naked children walking through the paths between the tents.  I saw many tent cities from the plane but this one was only a few feet from me.  

Pere had reserved a room for me at this hotel where I now sit writing as I dine on Haitian chicken, rice and peas, fried plantains, and French fried potatoes with a salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, and grated carrots.  Pere emphasized to me that this hotel is safe and secure.  I see that it is with a wall about 12 feet high surrounding the facility.  The wall is topped by circles of barbed wire.  The entrance is a huge iron gate that is guarded by a tall brawny man with two big guns hanging from his waist.  This is one of the hotels in the city that remained standing after the earthquake.  I see by the prices that they are using the shortage to their advantage.  I tried to haggle the price down but was not successful.  Later the owner came to me on the patio and offered a 10% discount.  My room is comfortable and clean with a modern bath room, fully tiled.  Next to the shower is a red bath mat with “Holiday Greetings” surrounded by white snow flakes.  

There is a group of missionaries staying here.  Shortly after I checked in and claimed my place on the patio, a tap tap entered the gate.  The missionaries boarded the back of the truck, filling the benches, and then drove away.

I’m staying overnight in Port au Prince because tomorrow is an Ordination ceremony at the site of the Trinity Cathedral. 

Mission Trip May 27 to June 1, 2010 One of the travelers from St. Paul’s Delray Beach Florida.

I was surprised by the beauty of Bondeau:  the people, the community, the countryside.  There is a palpably joyful spirit in the eyes and warm smiles of our new friends--everyone met our eyes directly and engaged warmly with us.  There was none of the "woe is me" spirit we see so often in the faces here in the US.  And this joyful spirit rang through the people and community in spite of the lack of pure water, food, jobs, and the many modern conveniences we consider "basic" necessities.  There is, instead, joy in one another, creation, life!  I observed this joy especially when the Bondeauans cared for one another and when they were sharing their lives with us.  I took two great walks with small groups, in the hills surrounding Bondeau, on Friday and Saturday.  Both days a different Haitian friend took my hand when climbing rocks and when walking in rain and through mud.  I felt very genuine consideration, an innate courtesy and generosity, flowing from all members of the community.  

 

Homes are generally quite simple and small, walls of sticks and roofs of palm fronds very often suffice.  Food (delicious) is cooked in great pots over smoking wood charcoal.  Clothes are washed by hand.  Somehow, on Sunday, when most of the community attends church, all turn out in immaculate and, seemingly, pressed clothes.  (I never look as pulled together with all my acoutrements!)  The people have glowing skin and lean limbs and most love to have their photos taken. (We always ask permission first.  Many proactively ask us to take their picture, especially when it is a special event, like Mother's Day.)

 

The countryside is very green now.  It often rains in the afternoon.  The sunrises and sunsets in Bondeau seem especially beautiful to me...it becomes hazy, once the sun is up. (It is skin drenchingly warm!)  There is a great view of the community from Friendship House: the church and school, the new buildings, the "driveway" that leads to the "main road" and, finally, the brilliant aquamarine sea.  I did not want to leave Bondeau. 

 

Ellen Kentner McKeehan

Deacon Anita Thorstad’s visit February 19 to April 6

2010 and David Gury’s visit March 18 to 21

Home in Boca Raton

April 8, 2010

I’ve been blessed in so many ways to have been able to spend nearly seven weeks at Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish in Bondeau, Haiti.  The relationships I formed with the people were my greatest blessing.  These people may be the poorest of the poor, the most poverty stricken in the world, but they are a most joyful, devout people who attend church services three and four times a week, who sing God’s praise while they work, who depend on God for everything.  These are hard working peasants who live in one room homes, cook outside over wood fires, scrub their clothes by hand, walk everywhere wearing plastic flip flops or worn out sneakers.  They cultivate the land by hand, working  for several days to prepare a small plot for planting.  These are people who care for their elderly, keeping them at home where the entire family and neighbors share in their care.  These are people who care for their sick neighbors, making healing teas, sitting with the sick person, praying and singing for their recovery.  These people all share in the care of babies.  Preteens and teens, both girls and boys care for infants with love and gentleness.

The children are remarkable.  They chip in with family chores.  Even the youngest child walks to the pump and carries water home in plastic jugs.  Boys often care for the family goats, take cattle to the pump for a drink of water, and help with the planting.  Girls help with laundry and cooking.  When chores are done, children gather in the school yard to play soccer and jump rope.  There is always fun and laughter when the children are together.  They are devout and prayerful, like their parents.  Children pour into church for services, sitting in the front rows.  They actively join in the service, singing and praying.  It’s not unusual to see the closest adult reprimand children who talk to one another or act in a way that is not appropriate for church service.  These children have no toys.  Boys “invent” toys with discarded wheel frames and sticks.  Any discarded wheel eventually becomes a toy.  All the children use their God given creativity in imaginative play.  Parents in Bondeau allow the children freedom to go anywhere in the community, knowing that older children look after the younger ones.  These are the poorest of the poor children, some wearing only a tee shirt.  They play barefoot or with flip flops, saving their shoes for school and church.  They bathe behind bushes near the water pump.

Reflecting on my time in Bondeau, I wonder about our partnership with Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish.  A partnership isn’t all one-sided.  We give and we receive.  How we are helping our family in Bondeau?   How are the people of Bondeau helping us?  I do believe that we have brought new light to Bondeau, and I don’t mean only the light that shines from the new street and school lights.  I see new Light of hope, the Light of Christ.  This became clear to me in many ways during my visit.  The first sign was seeing the light of Ste. Marie Madeleine on that first night when the area was completely dark.  I could see the light of Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish shining from a distance.  I knew I was home.  The following day, the sound of singing filling the air allowed me to hear the joy that fills the people.  Then, when I walked on the mountain trail, the butterflies that surrounded me, a “new life in Christ” symbol from Cursillo, affirmed the new life in Christ in Bondeau.  And on Easter morning, I saw that God is pleased when He gave us new life in the form of a beautiful baby goat.

I believe that there is much for us to learn from the people of Bondeau.  Over the last seven weeks, I’ve shared my experience of Bondeau.  I’ve written about the life of the poorest people in the western hemisphere.  In our partnership, they receive much from us and we are changing lives.  In return, there is much that we can receive from them that will change our lives, if we are willing to accept what they have to offer.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

 

I’m writing from the Port au Prince airport at 10:30 AM while waiting at the gate for departure to Miami.  Pere Kesner, Wildaine, a young woman whose name I can’t recall, driver Junior, and I bid farewell to Bondeau at 5:00 AM.  We were crowded into a pick up truck for the three hour drive to the airport.  Bondeau was still sleepy, with only a few people beginning their day.  Miragoane was alive with activity when we drove through town at 5:30 AM.  There is little earthquake damage in Miragoane.  A few tent cities shelter those who have lost their homes.  Leogane, however, has severe destruction.  Sections of the road were split open.  Parts of the shoulder of the road are completely split off from the roadway.  What once were houses are still piles of rubble.  I didn’t see any indication of cleaning up the rubble or repairing the road.  Port au Prince is worse.  There is one section in the outskirts of the city where tent homes are on the median strip of the road.  The road is not paved, so road dust fills the air like a thick fog.  Add to the risk of respiration problems, the risk of a car or truck running off the road onto the median strip killing or injuring entire families.  I couldn’t imagine living under those conditions.  I’m sure, given a choice, the people living on the median would choose to live elsewhere.  The city still is a disaster area.  Although contractors have been removing rubble, piles are still in the streets.  Tent cities are on public land.  Portable latrines are there for the convenience of the residents.

 

Sections of the airport has been repaired and updated.  I’m sitting in a new modern American Airlines gate area.  Up the stairs from here are small fast food restaurants where I had a patty and coffee for breakfast.  Looking around the waiting area, I see many people who are returning from Mission trips.  Most have connecting flights from Miami to other parts of the U.S.

 

I was confirmed on an afternoon flight to Fort Lauderdale and had not received an email that the flight was cancelled.  My choices were to wait till tomorrow morning and fly to Fort Lauderdale or take a flight to Miami today.  I chose Miami.  My daughter, Marci, was there to pick me up when I arrived, having been called by Pere Kesner with the new flight info.  I was so happy to see her!  We drove directly to Guppy’s for an American burger!

 

 

Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010

Today we received a very special Easter gift.  One of our female goats gave birth to a beautiful caramel color baby.  Mommie looks like she will soon give her new baby a brother or sister.  Mommie and baby are doing well.

Easter services were well attended with 70 at the Easter Vigil service and about 200 this morning. The church was full.  Extra benches were brought in yet people still stood in the back and outside by the doors. The church and school area was bustling all day.  South Florida Haiti Project is hosting an Easter party tonight.  The women of the church have been preparing food and cooking all day.  The Young People’s association helped in the planning of the party. Men and boys moved benches from the school to the yard in front of Maison d’Amitie.  All have joined together to have a great party, something these people rarely experience.  We’ll have lots of food and drinks and a DJ playing popular music for dancing.  All in the community are invited. 

Monday, the morning after.  

Close to 500 people came for the party, all people from the community.  What a fun party it was, beginning at 6:00, ending at 10:00.  The Young People Association performed skits that must have been hilariously funny, judged by the reaction of the audience.  Djames, the director of the school, usually a serious and quiet man, was a hit as MC.  Food was served to the crowd by the church women.  I was happy to see that children who were sitting in the front rows of the audience, were served first. 

Djames called for me, with Pere Kesner as a translator, to say a few words.  I expressed my gratitude for being welcomed into the community and reintegrated that we are all one family in Christ.  A representative from the Young People Association presented me with a beautiful work of art done by one of the young people, a gift I will always treasure.  The people here, especially the young, have many talents.  People in Haiti aren’t given an opportunity to develop those talents.  They are too busy scraping enough together for the next meal.  We pray that with the Church and Young People Association the young people of the parish will grow and develop to their potential.  With God, all things are possible.

Today is my last day here.  Tomorrow morning Pere Kesner, Wildaine, and I will go to Port au Prince.  Wildaine and Pere are going to Cange for the Diocesan Convention.  Pere invited me to attend, but as much as I would like to visit Cange and Partners in Health Hospital in Cange, I’m ready to go home.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Yesterday afternoon after the Good Friday service I walked up the mountain trails behind Maison d’Amiti.  “Junior” was my guide.  Pere Kesner asked that I not go off the property alone.  He cautioned me that many criminals escaped the prison after the earthquake.  I wouldn’t want to be the victim of a kidnapping.  Six feet tall, pleasant mannered, and brawny, “Junior” is the perfect body guard.

We walked a trail to the dry river bed.  It is now covered with rocks that washed off the mountain during the hurricanes.  The land on each side of the bed is eroded from the rush of water.  It’s clear while walking through the area that all the large trees have been cut down.  The only large trees I saw were mango trees and a few smaller trees that bear fruit used for juice.  The ground is covered with small growth but I’m sad to say, not many trees.  The people continue to cut even the smallest trees for fire wood and charcoal, their only means of cooking food.

We were greeted by the people who live along the trails we walked.  Most are parishioners of Ste. Marie Madeleine.  Their children are so well groomed and clean when the come to church and school, yet they live in deplorable conditions.  Their homes are usually one or two small rooms where the family sleeps.  The kitchen is separate from the house, made of palm fronds or tree branches, a structure to shade the cook from the hot sun.  Daily routines such as washing clothes and washing dishes are done in the yard.  I was so taken aback the first time I saw a woman sweeping in front of her house.  She was sweeping the dirt ground that surrounds the house.  I have since seen this many times.  Our cooks sweep the ground around the kitchen where they prepare the daily meals for the school children.  It’s hard for us to imagine!

Yesterday’s Good Friday service was well attended with about 90 people, including 20 children.  It was a long service, three and a half hours, especially for children.  I was amazed that the kids were as well behaved as they were.  

Meditations on the Seven Last Words of Jesus were done by lay leaders.  Wildaine and I also shared a mediation.  Mine was on “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  As in every service, there was lots of singing. This evening at  6:00 we’ll have the Easter Vigil.  We have no Paschal candle but will use Hurricane Emergency candles that I bought in the dollar store before coming here.  We will have ten people holding lit candles.  I wish I could sing the Exsultet in French but I’ll do well this time to simply read it.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Today is Maundy Thursday.  I’m writing from my favorite place at Maison d’Amitie overlooking the school and the sea in the distance.  Children are in Holy Week camp. Their joyful singing fills the air.  I visited the camp classes each day this week.  I’m amazed that the kids sit at attention and absorb what is being taught.  Whenever their attention wanes the teacher breaks into a happy rhythmic song, where the kids clap, move to the tempo, sing loud, and burn off pent up energy.  They all attend a one hour Evening Prayer service at the end of the day.  Tomorrow, Good Friday, there will be no camp.  The children are asked to attend the three hour meditation on the Seven Last Words of Jesus.  I can’t imagine kids sitting through a service this long but these kids never cease to amaze me!

Father Kesner will soon begin the construction of the first house building and latrines.  The site is just off the school yard on church property and will be owned by the church.  Guy, Naomi, Anna, and Gibson will be the first family to receive a new home.  Remember, this is the family living in a house made of a blue plastic tarp.  See the link on St. Gregory’s website for the plan.  For only $2500 you can provide a poor family a safe house to live in.

Plans are also underway for a trade school.  The existing school building will be used for trade school in the afternoon.  Over 100 people have applied for admission.  David Gury will soon post the project on the website.  The trade school gives young men and women the opportunity to learn a trade, a giant step up in the life of a person in Bondeau.  Many of us believe strongly in “hand ups”, not “hand outs” and the old adage, “Teach a man to fish.”  This is your opportunity to support a project that teaches young people a skill so that they will become self sufficient.

Every day I take an early morning walk from Maison d’Amitie to the main road.  It’s usually between 6:00 and 6:30.  It’s very early for me but here the work day has begun.  Women are walking to and from the water pump carrying buckets of water on their heads.  Guy is taking the goats from the goat yard to a new pasture, the school cooks are preparing their day, cows are walked to the water pump for a drink of water, motor cycle taxies travel the main road with two, even three passengers.  Children are bathing by the well before their school day.  Entrepreneurs set up their businesses to catch early morning traffic.  Bondeau is a bustling center of activity!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

A slice of life from Bondeau…Faimy has been under a tree scrubbing clothes by hand since 6:00 this morning.  It’s now 2:00 PM.  Clothes are hung everywhere drying, on two clothes lines, draped over bushes, spread out on the white gravel in front of Maison d’Amitie.  What is so remarkable is that Faimy is singing!  She has been sitting on the ground with a large wash basin in front of her washing clothes by hand for eight hours!  Yet she finds the joy to sing!  There is something new to experience every day!  I continue to be amazed at these hardworking and joyful people.

Another slice…this morning I stopped by to visit a family that lives close by.  This is the family with the baby who seems to always be crying, and he was again today.  The oldest boy was holding him.  The mother was washing clothes, kids were running around playing.  The little girl chanted “Ah nee tah” over and over again.  I took the crying baby from the boy, and he immediately stopped crying.  There was a man there who spoke a little English.  He told me that the baby’s father said that if I love the baby, I may have him.  He will give the baby to me!  This kind of thing happens so often in Haiti.  Poor parents cannot care for their children and give them away to people who they think will give them a better life.

The Holy Week camp is a great success!  Today there were seventy kids in the younger group.  Additional school benches were moved into the classroom in order to accommodate all the kids.  They had a fun time singing, drawing pictures of the passion, and listening to stories. They sang joyfully, almost dancing, as they clapped in rhythm.  At break they jumped rope and played soccer with a new soccer ball.  Everyone in the camp had a healthy lunch of corn meal and black beans, part of our feeding program.  At the end of the day I celebrated a Deacon’s Mass with Wildaine and Ivnell assisting.  The church was full.  I love to watch the kids worship.  They are so uninhibited as they sing and pray.  They all worship God in their individual way.  I am so blessed to be a part of life here!

Monday, March 29, 2010

Today is the first day of the Easter Week “camp”.  About forty students, mostly seven to twelve year olds, were here for opening day.  The program is coordinated by Wildaine, with teachers Minuche and Silianne leading the children.  This morning began with an opening hymn.  It touched my heart to see so many of the children singing with eyes closed in prayer.  A spontaneous prayer by Minuche was followed by The Lord’s Prayer.  Like their parents, the children pray with fervor and passion.

First on the agenda was learning a new hymn.  Without the use of a printer, copier, or musical instrument, everything, words and melody, has to be learned by rote.  Last week Wildaine met for three evenings with Minuche and Silianne to teach them the new hymns.   First he wrote the words of the hymn by hand, one copy for Minuche, one for Silianne.  Then he sang with them until they learned the new hymn.  This morning Silianne wrote the words of the hymn on the chalk board, while Minuche taught the children the melody.  The kids were so enthusiastic and eager to learn!  I am blessed that I am a part of this!

Later in the day the Young People Association gathered in a classroom for their “camp”.  There were thirty, ages about 14 to 19, attending.  What a great time it was for them!  They sang their hearts out.  A friend and fellow seminarian of Wildaine’s came here for the afternoon to teach the young people the story of the passion and death of Jesus.  I am amazed that they are so interested, asking questions, and joining in discussion.  I see an inborn spirituality in these young people that I believe will enable them to be honest, dedicated leaders of the Church and of Haiti. 

Everyone had a hot meal.  Rice and beans was featured today with the Young People having the added treat of a special sauce.  The cooks worked extra hard today to cook for the camp and the community beginning at 7:00 AM until 5:00 PM.  They are a wonderful dedicated group of women, working extremely hard under the worst conditions, washing all the aluminum bowls and huge pots by hand, not standing by a sink with running water, but sitting on the ground with a basin of water.  Today they cooked on wood fires, mostly discarded scrap wood.  

Evening Prayer service ended the day.  Wildaine’s seminarian friend, Jackson, delivered the homily, in my opinion a bit too long for young people after a long day, but most listened to his telling of the story of Holy Week.  It was dusk when the service ended.

The whole purpose of Holy Week Camp is Christian formation.  I am amazed at how the young people respond to the teaching.  Their session was four hours long, yet they never lost interested, were engaged, and participated in all the discussion.  They had a great day and so did I! 

Palm Sunday, March 28, 2010

Today’s Palm Sunday celebration began under a shade tree near the school yard.  The congregation gathered for the blessing and distribution of freshly cut palm.  “Jesus” mounted the donkey and we processed around the dirt trails that lead to the main road, a short distance on the road, then up the drive to the school, while singing “All Glory Praise and Honor.”  The congregation packed the church/classroom once again.

While Wildaine delivered the sermon in Kreyol, my eyes drifted around the congregation.  These people are innately creative so I don’t know why I was surprised and amused to see that most people created something with the palm.  Some tied the palm like a necktie around their necks.  Girls tied the palm into necklaces and head bands.  Others made bracelets.  Some sat braiding the palm while they listened.  At the end of the service, I saw that most people had used the palm in their own unique way.

Pere Kesner is off again to Port au Prince traveling on a motor cycle.  While he was here, we had a short meeting about the activities of this coming week.  School will be closed this week but Wildaine has prepared a program for the children.  The school and community feeding program will continue.

I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon reading on the verandah.  

Friday March 26, 2010

Father Kesner has been in Port au Prince all week.  We expected him back at Ste. Marie Madeleine in the early evening but at 9:30 he still hadn’t returned.  I went to bed.  This morning at 7:00 Father Kesner told me that he’d had a terrible and frightening night traveling from Port au Prince.  He bought a large supply of food with a donation from the Colorado Haiti Project that he was taking in two large trucks to Ste. Paul’s in Petit Trou.  He was traveling with a group of men including a security guard. A truck broke down on the mountain outside of Miragoane.  Soon a crowd gathered.  Father Kesner saw that their intention was to storm the trucks and take the food.  The one security guard said that he couldn’t handle the huge crowd by himself.  Father Kesner called the police.  The crowd scattered when the police arrived on the scene.  Father Kesner arrived here at 4:00AM with the trucks of food.  The food was unloaded and stored in an empty room until this afternoon when a truck from Petit Trou arrived.  The food was carefully loaded onto the Petit Trou truck, first the bags of rice piled high, then pinto beans.  Next, dried fish from Canada and last, Mazola Oil.  Every inch of the huge truck was filled with nourishing food for the people of Petit Trou, a wonderful and generous gift from the Colorado Haiti Project, partners of Ste. Paul’s. 

Our own feeding program is also a wonderful and generous gift to the people of Bondeau from St. Gregory’s, St. Paul’s and South Florida Haiti Project.  We received a delivery of food yesterday.  I see a remarkable difference in the health of the school students.  They look well nourished, and as we saw in the test scores, are attentive during class and eager to learn.  We are preparing Haiti’s leaders of tomorrow.  

Father Kesner spent the day here and will travel to Petit Trou tomorrow.  He’ll celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at Ste. Paul’s.  I will celebrate a 

Deacon’s Mass here after a procession around the “block”.  I know it will be a beautiful procession, complete with Jesus on a donkey.  I’ve been practicing reading the French liturgy for Palm Sunday…always a new challenge!

Today we had 35 attending the Friday Litany.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Yesterday I noticed Lumenn walking home after a day’s work.  People who have been here know who Lumenn is because she has one leg about 4” shorter than the other, a result of an accident.  She is a tireless worker, always there when work is to be done.  She was struggling along wearing worn plastic flip flops as she limped her way toward home.  Her “business” in a wood box was balanced on her head.  She carried a chair, as local entrepreneurs do, and also a large bag containing packages of cheese doodles.  I was on my way to the school to drop in on the sewing students but I approached Lumenn and offered to carry something for her.  She handed me the bag of cheese doodles.  I followed her on the dirt trail to her house.  There the whole family sat in the yard waiting for her return.  We made some friendly conversation with her husband, daughter, and kids.  As I was about to leave, Lumenn’s daughter came to me holding three freshly laid chicken eggs.  I was absolutely humbled to receive such a gift, another example of the people here who have nothing, giving what they have in appreciation for very small favors.  (Myna boiled the eggs and Wildaine and I enjoyed them for breakfast.)

This morning Wildaine and I visited the new baby and mother that we visited last week.  Mother and baby are both well.  Baby was sound asleep on the bed inside the house while mother and a toddler sat outside by the door doing the family laundry.  Washed clothes were hanging on a line and on bushes in the yard.  Everything is washed by hand and hung in the sun to dry.  While we talked I observed the toddler, wondering what a one and a half or two year old does while mom washes clothes.  She stayed close to mom playing with three stones, first trying to stack them, then lining them up side by side.  There was a mangled plastic water bottle with a hole in the side close by.  She made a game of dropping the stones into the hole of the water bottle, shaking the bottle with the stones in it, then dumping the stones out and beginning again.  Who need Fisher Price??

Update on Sabrina…she saw the dentist, is on meds to reduce swelling and infection and will return to the dentist.  She feels much better, isn’t having pain and took a short walk with me today.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A number of children in the area have chicken pox.  The little boy, Kiki, who lives here at Maison d’Amitie with his mother, Faimy, broke out about a week ago.  His body is covered with pox marks.  He tries to express to me how uncomfortable he is by scrunching his face and making scratching motions with his hands. Today Faimy gathered a variety of grass and weed type plants, filled a large basin with water, and rubbed the plants together in the water until they were broken up into tiny pieces.  The water appeared to be green. She then scrubbed Kiki with the grassy water.  After a good scrub down, she poured the water over him leaving the green particles covering him from head to toe.  I don’t know if this peasant remedy actually is effective but Kiki appeared to feel much better.  

The local people have natural remedies for almost every ailment.  There is a special tea for fever and “grippe” (a bad cold) that Lumenn brought to me last week when I had a cold.  What was so touching to me is that Lumenn gave me what she could in true Christian love.  When a neighbor is sick, everyone knows it.  They have compassion for one another and do whatever they can to comfort the sick person.  

Sabrina, a twelve year old, has a serious tooth problem, probably an abscess.  Yesterday morning her mother told me that she was home with a tooth ache.  I walked the dirt trail to Sabrina’s house and found her lying on a straw mat on the front porch, her friend Anna lying beside her.  How comforting for Sabrina to have her best friend next to her sharing in her suffering!  Today Sabrina’s tooth ache is much worse.  Her jaw is swollen to the size of a golf ball.  The home remedy is a cloth tied around Sabrina’s head, which holds a compress made of a green plant.  I’m sure that only a visit to the dentist will cure this problem.  A dental visit is a big issue because families here have just enough money to get by, no extra for doctor or dentist visits.  This evening Wildaine and I met with Sabrina’s mother and found that she has no money to take Sabrina to the dentist.  I always carry extra money with me for such emergencies, so Sabrina will see a dentist tomorrow.

Ste. Marie Madeleine parishioners are attentive to those who are sick, praying for them and visiting, bringing home remedies, and maybe some home grown melon. People who can’t get out to church are visited regularly by a special group from the Women’s Association.  Yesterday the group of four gathered  in front of Maison d’Amitie before making their trek through the dirt trails for home visits.  Their act of love brings the Church and the love of Christ to those who are homebound.

I continue to be blessed seeing and experiencing the love of these people who have nothing give whatever they can to those in need. 

Sunday, March 21, 2010 by Anita Thorstad

This morning was another joyful Eucharist Service at Ste. Marie Madeleine Church. The church again was full. Father Kesner was off to Port au Prince for more Haiti rebuilding meetings and dropping David Gury at the airport after his three day visit. I celebrated a Deacon’s Mass, still struggling with the language. The congregation learned a new hymn before service began. The choir master leads singing without the use of musical accompaniment, but this morning expressed his desire for an electric keyboard. I’ll soon put out a request for a used small keyboard in excellent condition. After Mass, I took Holy Communion to the elderly couple I’ve been seeing every week. A group of people accompanied me on the dirt trail to the house and joined together in prayer before the couple received Holy Communion.

It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon. It is truly a day of rest in Bondeau. People stay at home and relax, a respite after a hard week. Last night we, St. Gregory’s, hosted a party for over 200 members of the Young People’s Association. It was a great party with music, dinner, and soft drinks for everyone. Father Kesner, David, and I sat on the second floor landing of Maison d’Amitie. We were able to oversee everything that was happening from our vantage point. Many preteens came and were welcomed by the young adults. David will write about the party in his report. All had a wonderful time.

While watching the preteens dance, I took particular notice to the children that I met on my early trips to Bondeau. At that time, they were undernourished, very thin children. Most of them had no decent clothes. One boy, William, was a gaunt, skinny kid, and always wore an adult size tee shirt full of holes. Today he is a healthy looking 12 year old, growing tall and muscular, and a respectful, good boy. What made the difference in William’s life? First, William enrolled in our school. He had been attending a government school. Second, our feeding program where William receives a nutritious hot meal every day. Third, William’s mother is a cook in our school kitchen and now has an income with which she can buy William decent clothes. The entire family takes an active role in all church activities, including daily and weekly worship service. William is an example of the success of our mission in Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish. We improve the lives of the people we touch. We cannot change the country. We can and are changing the lives of many people. We bring to them and show them the love of Christ. We welcome them into our family in Christ.

Sunday March 21, 2010 by David Gury

The ending of last night’s party is a good example of how people in Bondeau show respect to each other and the community.  After the crowd was told that the music would end, the party is over, thank you and good night, there was a sigh from many who would like the music to continue.  However, within minutes the crowd began to disband, and in a short time, there was quite.

Today began early to reach the airport on time.  After a quick cup of coffee that the cook had made very early, we set off as the dawn was breaking.  The sky was not clear and the heavenly hosts were not visible.  By the time we reached Miragone, it was light.  People were out early to get water, take a bath and begin their day by five thirty.  A remarkable scene in Miragone was the number of ships in the harbor waiting to be unloaded.  In the past there might be one ship docked, but this morning there four freighters in the harbor waiting.  This port appears to be picking up volume which will provide income for the community.

Only a few miles from Miragone heading east, significant earthquake damage is visible.  Tent camps are every where, and it is normal to see a tent in front of most houses that did not suffer as people are still afraid to sleep inside.  Tents range from well constructed multi family tents to small tents to blue tarps distributed free by relief organizations or purchased in the market where many of the free tents and tarps end up.  Driving through Leogane, the devastation is near complete.  Small buildings, large buildings are all gone.  The people there are very active with their business spilleding into the street and functioning.

Today being Sunday, many people are dressed in their best and waiting for a tap tap or other transportation to go to church, to family to visit or for an outing.  Many ladies are dressed in crisp white complete with a white hat.  With devastation so vast, piles of broken buildings and useless contents, the people never the less are very proud as they go about celebrating a Sunday.  Dress is stylish and well coordinated.  Frequent sights were families dressed for Sunday all together, one family I saw, the husband was carefully holding a baby while waiting for a tap tap.  Haitian people are very caring and show their affection, and respect for each other.

Coming into Port au Prince, the tent cities are all over.  Yet again with so much loss (only material loss visible today), people are very busy selling, performing services of all kinds and cooking on the sidewalk or part of the street.  On the highway, there were several spots where the road had split apart causing a single lane of traffic and careful negotiation of the route.  Trash from destroyed buildings is piled every where.  A contractor appears to be leading the clean up with lines of large dump trucks all around.

Departures from the airport are from an end of the building that apparently survived.  It appeared to have been newly outfitted for the departure purposes.  While small, there still are only a limited number of commercial flights in and out of Port Au Prince airport.  There were many relief workers from several countries returning home.  My return to Ft. Lauderdale was not remarkable.  Trying to digest the last three days will take some time to complete.

Saturday March 20, 2010  by David Gury

Today is party day.  The Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish is having a party for the youth of the parish at the Maison d’Amitie.  It is now 10:45 pm and while I must depart at 5 am for Port au Prince and am ready for bed, the party goes on.  Pere Kesner is hopeful that it will be over now, and it appears to be winding down.

There were well over 200 youth of many ages here in front of the well lit Maison d’Amitie with lights going out to the main road.  While most walked here, there were at least 10 motorbikes.  The party was begun with prayer and song.  The party essential essential was a disc jockey with a sound table and six foot tall speakers that were heard for miles.  A meal was served after two hours of music and skits played by nearly 30 of the youth who sang, danced and did rap sessions.  The talent was excellent, and well prepared.  Wilden is the seminarian currently in residence at bondeau.  He has organized a youth group that in weeks has grown, and become very active.  It is funny to hear everyone call Wilden “Seminary”.  He gave an excellent talk to the group, at least as much as I could make out.  Pere Kesner greeted the party and thanked the South Florida Haiti Project for moving Bondeau from a small school and church to a focal point in the community for social, educational and religious occasions. He commented on the expanded feeding program, the generator and lights, the Maison d’Amitie, the new goat farm and a new latrine under construction.  Of special note is the rapid development of Bondeau in such a short period of time.  He was especially thankful for the presence of Anita for an extended time.

Earlier in the day we went to market in Miragone.  We purchased some supplies for the house, meat, plates, utensils and drink for the party.  After touring the central market, which is most active on a Saturday, and completing the purchases we returned to Bondeau.  After lunch, we drove to Jeannette and toured the campus sponsored by the Diocese of Milwaukee.  People there are still afraid to stay inside and many classes are held outside and people sleep outside.  Seminarian Jackson is spending an extended period there and stays on a porch outside the Rectory.  Seminarians are available at this time because the Seminary was destroyed.  We met several people that we had known on previous stays at Jeannette.  We met a teacher whose sister was a victim of the January 12 earthquake.

Near the end of the party, Pere had a special service to concentrate bread and wine for Anita to use while he is not at Bondeau.  This was done in a second story room with the front windows closed to keep out some of the sound.  With Pere, Wilden, Anita and I present, a brief communion service to consecrate the elements and for the four present to receive them, was celebrated.  It was a special holy time at what is becoming a holy place.

There is a lot of work to be done to continue the development of a sustainable Bondeau building on a wonderful base.

Friday March 19, 2010 by David Gury

Rain kept up all night.  The rooster did wake up at 5:30, however there were several blind roosters that did not realize it was not yet dawn, and spoke during the night.

Despite the rain, Guy, the goat keeper was out moving the goats, in the rain, to better pastures.  This man is short, thin and full of energy.  His stride is one of great confidence and pleasure in what he is doing.  He is the father of the family in the all blue house, yet despite the rain he was ready to go.  The rain also brought one of the girls living in at Maison d’Amitie out side in the rain to wash her stainless steel dish under the run off from the roof.  She too was having no problem with the rain.

At breakfast, Pere Kesner said that the rain was too much for the trip we planned for Les Cayes today.  Also, the school was observing a rain day and would not have classes because with the rain, walking the dirt paths was too dangerous for the students.  By ten, Pere Kesner spoke with Pere Ajax from Les Cayes and learned it was not raining on the South coast, and we would leave.

The trip over the hills was beautiful.  Seeing the South coast was a treat compared to much of Haiti I had seen.  The beaches are beautiful with many islands out in the Sea of the Antilies.  We drove beyond Les Cayes to Port Salute on the coast.  The country of Taiwan was a partner in building the infrastructure making the beach well equipped for visitors.  Many cooks offered lunch cooked to order.  We decided to that the 45 minutes it would take to cook sitting on the beach under large sea grape trees watching the sea and talking and enjoying each other’s company.  Fresh snapper and lobster provided lunch and were delicious.  This was served with good tasting fried plantain.  After lunch we drove to Les Cayes to visit the Business and Technical Institute or BTI.  This well known school of the Episcopal Church of Haiti trains students post high school in business, computer and and other trade skills.  Pere Kesner Ajax is the person responsible for this Institute.  He is also responsible for the Haiti Partner’s activity for the Haiti church.  Unfortunately, Pere Ajax was in Port au Prince today.

On the return to Bondeau, a large convoy headed by UN vehicles, was transporting food to Les Cayes.  There were approximately 30 large trucks in the convoy.  Shortly after seeing them, there were two tires in the road.  Pere Kesner said that people would put tires in the road before a convoy arrived in the hope they would stop them allowing the crowd to take over some of the trucks and take the contents.  This plot did not work today.  Fortunately Les Cayes had little damage, but there is a large migration of people from Port au Prince to there. 

In speaking with the Director of Ste. Marie Madeleine School this morning, I was presented with lists of students names by grade that totaled 201 students.  Among the students are 45 that have come from outside Bondeau.  The other additions are students from Bondeau that had not previously been attending.  Anita has been visiting families encouraging parents to enroll their children to attend school.  I also found out that the place of number 2 among 17 schools in the area was achieved by SMM school using a standard test.  This test is given in the 6th grade.  The Director is determined to be first the next time.

Thursday  March 18, 2010 Bondeau  David Gury

This is my first trip to Haiti since the January 12 earthquake.  More than two months have passed and clearly much of the early problems of death, lack of food and water have passed from the critical stage to the long term difficult survival that has been with Haiti for a long time.  At the airport there were contrasts that are seen every where.  For many of my trips to Haiti there have been new jet ways that were never used.  Planes landed far from the terminal, and passengers walked to the entrance for immigration and baggage claim.  Today we deplaned onto the jetway into a air conditioned hallway walking through it to an escalator and out the door, walking some more to a relatively unharmed old warehouse that had been converted to immigration, baggage claim, and customs.  All very orderly and relatively efficient compared to previous arrivals.  The terminal building has many structural issues, and most likely will be torn down and replaced, and is not used at all.

Outside the airport, there were signs for the many military corps that have been assigned to Haiti.  Peru, Guatemala, Italy some seen and large spaces for USA military operations.

With Pere Kesner and driver, we drove in a rental vehicle through central Port au Prince.  The damage is just horrible to see.  Almost every building is down, or a great part of it is.  Many two story buildings have the second story floor on top of the first.  The Episcopal Church complex is completely gone.  The buildings next to the Cathedral have been raised and cleared, and Trinity Cathedral has little remaining including one small piece of one of the many wonderful wall paintings that were lost.  I understand that there are plans to have a new museum in Port au Prince that will have recreations of the paintings undertaken by French artists.

Driving out into the country, toward Leogane, nearly every building was gone.  Tent cities are every where.  Many are very well organized with all tents alike.  Others contain every possible combination of paper, plastic and dried tree or shrub combined to provide some cover.  The blue plastic tarps are everywhere and give new meaning to “blue roof” from what we think about in Florida.  In Florida, the blue tarp is to cover a roof to keep out water from entering the building.  Here the blue tarp is the roof and walls.  For nearly a mile there is a small median in the highway.  This has become completely built with constructed small shelters.  The median is about six feet across.  With heavy traffic, the residents are in harms way twenty four hours a day.  In some places they have placed large rocks in the roadway to keep vehicles from hitting them.  There is no clear reason why some people have what appear to be much better shelters than others

Beyond Leogane, we drove off the main road to the church of the Annunciation.  This is a large very developed parish with one of the Arch Deacons of Haiti in charge.  There is a church, rectory, trade school, grade and high school, health care workers training school and a farm.  All but a part of the health care worker training facility were completely destroyed.  The Arch Deacon is living on the property in a tent, and several families also are in tents there.  One object of this stop was to search for a good stud goat.  Pere Kesner found one with good papers and he was purchased.  Next, he was bound by both front and rear legs and loaded into the SUV for the remainder of our trip to Bondeau.  He was quite on the trip except after going over some of the many long stretches of bad bumps.  Then he let us know he was not happy.  He ended up pleased to be free, at least to walk and eat.  He makes the 16th goat in the growing herd of

goats at Bondeau.

It was wonderful to be in Bondeau.  As we drove up, Anita was sitting on the front porch of the Maison d’Amitie with two ladies working on her hair.  Yes, she has gone native.   She has been such a hit with the people at Bondeau, helping them in so many ways and providing a great sense of encouragement to them at this most special time.  While Bondeau suffered no damage, they have been affected by the emotional side of the earthquake on everyone. 

The population and activity at Bondeau has been remarkable.  Demes, the head of the school, told me that the school this week has 201 students.  This is up from 125 in the fall.  Of theHistory increase 45 have come due to relocations from earthquake areas.  Others are children that are attending due to Anita’s work to get children into school.

Being inside the Maison d’Amitie is to be part of a very active place, with teachers, administrators, cook, a seminarian, Pere Kesner and Anita.

This evening it has been raining a constant light rain.  I wonder about the families huddled inside paper and plastic shelters tonight.  I question how they will fare when the real rains of summer come.  I am writing this in my bed, we lack a chair, and about ready for sleep.  Animals are making sounds all around, cows, goats, and dogs who seem to get started with a far off bark that is repeated by every dog from far to near, eventually stopping.  I know the roosters will be up early for a new day.

Father Kesner was there, right on time, to meet me as I exited and we quickly maneuvered way through the crowd.  I was surprised to see that our rented vehicle was a “tap tap”.  Fedner, our driver, and Pere loaded the luggage.  I slid into the center of the front seat.  Lumenn and Genli, women on the staff at Bondeau, rode in the back.

As we drove out of the airport and into the streets of Port au Prince, I saw that the destruction from the earthquake was everywhere!  In the downtown business area entire blocks where buildings had once stood are now piles and piles of construction debris.  Tent cities are set up on parcels of what once was vacant land.  Tents are so close they seem to touch one another.  I wonder how many thousands of people live in those temporary shelters.  People still swarm the streets.  Many street merchants are back in business.  These folks are so resilient!  They continue to eke out a living in the worst of conditions.

The roads are even worse than I remember.  We drove long stretches over unpaved routes filled with rocks and gullies.  Our rented “tap tap” couldn’t take the abuse.  About 45 minutes from Bondeau, Fedner and Pere discovered that we had two flat tires.  We pulled over under the one street light in an otherwise unlit area.  Pere and Fedner proceeded to change the front right tire.  The rear tire was still in need of repair.  We drove a short distance to where the road cuts off to Bondeau.  Fedner drove off the road, through an empty lot to an area were a group of men were gathered.  Some were playing cards while a group of spectators looked over their shoulders.  It was the other group of men that we needed.  They had a “tire shop” set up there in the vacant lot.  There was much discussion around our tire problem.  Finally it was removed from the truck and in a long arduous procedure, was repaired and reinstalled on the truck.  In the meantime, Lumenn offered me dinner, which at first I declined, but after her coaxing, I accepted a “take out” from Port au Prince of fish and rice.  Not to appear ungrateful, I ate a few spoons of rice.  Lumenn gave the leftovers to two hungry dogs.  After the tire repair, which took almost two hours, we were on our way again.

I saw the lights of our school and house from a distance.  What a welcome sight!  The light from Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish shines over all of Bondeau!  It’s so good to be here--my second home.