Conversations on the Street

 When I walk or ride a bike between the convent where I live and the orphanage or when I go for a run as I try to do a couple of mornings a week, I am often greeted by friendly neighbors.  Often I am called "blan" (pronounced like "blah", which means white person or foreigner.  Occasionally people call me, "blanko, "grinko" (Spanish), or "ti blan," which means "little white person or foreigner."  People who call me these are not being rude;  on the contrary most of the time people who greet me this way are being friendly and kind. This is simply the ordinary means people use in this culture to greet or get the attention of a foreigner.  The kindness, curiosity, and friendliness of so many people is something that I really enjoy about the Haitian people.      

Since I ride the convent bicycle more often than I walk to the orphanage, now when I do walk, I am typically asked by people accustomed to seeing me on the bike, "Blan, where is the bicycle?"

While running, I have conversations almost every time that go something like this:
 "Blan you are exercising?"
Me: "Yes, I am running."
a few minutes later someone else may say,
"Blan, you are running?"
and I'll respond, "Yes, I am exercising."  

There is a little girl who is about 7 years old who lives in the neighborhood, who when she sees me running comes along side of me, takes my hand and runs with me for a about two minutes smiling broadly the whole time.  When she gets too tired she lets go of my hand.  Grateful for her joyful yet brief company, smiling, I wish her a good day.  

Often young children call out to me, "blan, blan."  There was one time, about a year ago, while running I really thought I heard the voice of a very young child, calling to me in a prolonged fashion. When I turned my head ready to say, "bon jou," I saw not a child, but a bleating sheep!  "Blahhhh, Blahhhhh!"

Photos
My new hobby on my day off is to take pictures in the lakou.  Last week, I thought there may not be anything new or different to photograph.  I have been amazed that each time I wander around the yard with my camera in hand that I find new photographs to take, grateful that I can encounter the wonder of God's beautiful creation right here.  

Have a great week!  Many blessings!


    
       

Pwovèb and Updates

Proverb

(please excuse the redundancy if you already saw my similar entry on facebook, after posting it there, I decided to share it here as well.)
There are many proverbs in Haitian Creole.  Last week I took these pictures, which reminded me of a particular Haitian proverb.
     
Piti piti zwazo fè nich li.  -Pwovèb Ayisyen
Little by little a bird makes its nest. -Haitian Proverb 

So often activities take longer than I expect.  Sometimes I want change, within myself, in systems, and even in others to happen quickly and typically it does not.  Even uploading these above photos took quite a while given the speed of the internet.  The proverb reminds me to be patient, with myself, others and the in the midst of everyday challenges that life presents.

Updates  

The children returned to school yesterday after being off for over a week.  Usually they would celebrate Carnival at school on the Friday before Mardi Grad, but they did not this year; I was told this was because of the political situation int the country (although I did not fully understand that explanation since there had not been any demonstrations in the neighborhood where the school and orphanage are located.)  Schools were closed on Monday and Tuesday for Mardi Gras and then for Ash Wednesday as well.  Rain (which was very much needed, but created a lot of mud and big puddles in the roads, and flooding in some places) led to schools being closed on Thursday and Friday of last week.    

There is now an interim president of Haiti, who is supposed to organize elections and step down from the post in a few months.

Apparently there is Zika in Haiti.  Now, whenever I see a woman who appears to be pregnant I think to myself, I hope she does not get bitten by a Zika carrying mosquito and pray for her baby.  It is hard enough for people to care for children with significant disabilities in the best of circumstances, I believe that such challenges are even greater in places where there are so few resources, no social security disability, a lack of special education and early intervention services that children with disabilities are entitled to in the United States.  Let us pray that few will get Zika and that it will not cause the problems here that it is believed to have caused in other places.

According the American news I read on the internet many of you in the US have been experiencing some very cold weather.  Take care of yourselves and stay warm.  If it gets too cold for you, consider coming to visit me.  I might put you to work, but you would be most welcome.  Byenvini!

 

  

      

 

Paschal Mystery

This flowering tree, which is in the convent yard where I am currently living has fascinated me since it began blooming a few weeks ago.

Initially I was attracted to it because of the unique vibrant flower.  As I observed the tree the life cycle of the flower began to intrigue me. Each flower transforms from little stub, to lengthy bud, opening to a full bloom and then falls to the ground.  

I assume that somehow it is in dying that the flower allows the tree to reseed itself.  The dead flower on the ground is then broken down into the soil providing nourishment for the tree itself and other plants around it.  

It is not too difficult for me to see how the death of the flower can lead to new life.  In nature it is often easy to recognize the paschal mystery.  What is sometimes harder to trust is how the tragic accidental seemingly senseless death of a young child can lead to new life.  One of the children who I remember well from the first time I was missioned in Haiti died last week.  He was one of the youngest children at Kay St. Ann when I left there in October of 2011. When I visited the program a few times last year, I saw him.  He and had been transformed from the toddler I knew to a bright eyed boy.  Last summer  he had been moved to the larger orphanage in the mountains, where he died.  Please pray with me for the children in that program, the workers, and all who loved that little boy and mourn his loss.  Let us trust that while it may be difficult to understand that God will somehow use this terrible loss to bring about new life, trusting that death leads to resurrection.

When I look around at the children I currently work with, I am reminded not to take them or anyone for granted.  Remembering that life is fragile and that each day that anyone is in our lives is a gift, can help me to be a bit more patient and compassionate during the more challenging moments.    
   
I appreciate the many people I have in my life.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.

May you experience many graces during the Lenten season.
   

 

Beauty and Ugliness

A reflection 

Beauty and Ugliness

Everyday, I encounter beauty.
Beauty that is worth celebrating, and sharing.
Beauty that inspires, energizes, amazes.

Everyday I encounter ugliness.  

Ugliness that I am tempted to deny and downplay.  

Ugliness that drains, disappoints, depresses.  

Both are reality.  

This is true not only here in Haiti.  

Beauty and Ugliness co-exist in every situation, society, system; 

every country, culture, community;  

even our churches and charities 

each organization and each individual.  

What is out there is always also in here

co-existing within my own heart.  

Let us see, celebrate and share the beauty 

without denying or downplaying the ugly.

Let us nurture encourage and grow the beauty 

that it may take over and transform that which is ugly everywhere

may I have the courage to begin within.      

Updates 

The political situation has yet to be resolved.  Most days I receive emails from the US embassy telling me where there are demonstrations taking place mostly, in Portauprince.  There have been some locally, although I personally have not encountered them.  I had agreed to attend a conference for religious that was supposed to have taken place last weekend, but due to the unrest especially in the capital where the gathering was planned,  the event was cancelled.  Please continue to pray for a just and peaceful solution to the current political situation.

Yesterday was World Day for Consecrated Life.  Religious women and men residing in the diocese of Cap Haitian gathered at a school yesterday afternoon.  Carrying red and white candles while singing we marched  to the nearby cathedral for a lovely, lively (and lengthy) liturgy.  During masses for special celebrations the music is often exceptional and there are typically liturgical dancers, who bring an additional dimension to the prayers.  

It was well after 8 pm when we returned from mass to find a few inches of water on the first floor of the convent due to a leak from a toilet.  Fortunately the water was not soiled.  Using cups and containers we repeatedly filled and emptied buckets and basins attempting to remove the water from the floor.  We seemed to pour a lot of water out into the yard, but when looking at the floor it was hard to notice any significant decrease in the water level.  After a while the local coordinator of the house decided that the employees could finish in the morning so that we could eat and go to bed. 

Lately I have been pretty good about posting an update on Tuesdays.  The long liturgy and flood are the reasons I did not post the blog yesterday; I had started writing and figured I would finish after mass, I am always underestimating the length of liturgies here and none of us anticipated the necessary bucket brigade that followed.     

  

 Have a good week!  Take care!  Many blessings!