Okap to Okay

Every year Leocadie Convent takes a community trip together to visit a different part of Hait.  This year we went to Okay which is located in the south, even further away than Jacmel where we went last year.  On Friday morning, the 15 of us who live here and our driver filled the convent mini-bus and departed just before 9:00 am; for that many people to be ready to go several minutes before schedule seemed to me to be a small miracle.  We stopped at the sister's beach house to eat food which the postulants had prepared on Thursday evening.  We arrived in Port-au-Prince late in the evening where we ate, visited with other sisters who were living or staying there and went to bed.

We departed well before the sun came out on Saturday morning.  The national road to Okay was impressively wide and well paved. It rained lightly much of the way.  When we arrived at the Botanical Garden which we had planned to visit, it appeared to be closed.  We called the number on the wall.  Although at that time it was only sprinkling lightly they were not sure if they were going to open due to the rain and mud. The sister explained that we had come all of the way from Cap-Haitian (really the other side of the country) to visit the garden.  They agreed to call us and let us know when they would open later in the day.

Next, we went to a convent to visit the Godmother of one of the sisters.  While we were there the rains increased.  The sister said that schools had been closed the day before because of all of the rain. We ate some snacks we had brought with us and drank some fresh fruit juice that the sister provided, and we were grateful for the bathroom.

Next, we went to a beach, where we walked around a bit.  I had hoped to swim but the rainy damp weather dissuaded me.  I took a few pictures instead.  Then we found an affordable restaurant that could accommodate our large group in downtown Okay.  We generally don't eat out, so this was a special treat indeed. It was raining quite heavily while we were at the restaurant, I was beginning to give up on the idea of visiting the garden when one of the sisters got a phone call saying that they were ready for us to come.



After our lunch, we headed back to the Botanical Garden, where we got a great tour even though it was raining.  We had to cross a swollen stream and of water and climb up a muddy hill to get to the actual garden; it was an adventure!   Because I wanted to hear what the tour guide was telling us, did not want my camera to get wet, and felt that it was important to stay with the group, I did not take as many pictures as I would have otherwise.  Our guide showed us trees, and a garden of medicinal plants pointed out various flowers and even explained why hibiscus is called "choublak" in Haitian Creole.  (Because a long time ago foreigners who must have spoken English used to use it to shine their black shoes.)  It was all very interesting and well worth the trip.  In addition to giving tours, they educate people about plants in Haiti, and preserve and study plants. They sell plants too; the sister who is the coordinator of our house bought one to plant in our yard. The stream of water separating the parking lot and garden had become wider and deeper during our tour; our tour guide literally carried our oldest community member across the water so that she would not fall.

 
      The postulants and sisters sang hymns most of the way back to PortauPrince.  Once we arrived in the capital we stopped to see a very nice school that is named after Fr. Moreau, the founder of the Holy Cross congregations; the school is sponsored by the men's congregation.  We chatted with a priest briefly.  It was late in the evening when we returned to the convent in the capital.  On Sunday morning after mass and breakfast, we made the journey back to Leocaide Convent in Cap-Haitian.  There was a traffic jam caused by a truck that was stuck in the mud on a windy mountainous road; they are working on the road hopefully one day it will be wide and well paved like the street to Okay.  It was a great community experience as well as a wonderful opportunity to see so much of the country, a truly beautiful place.

Yesterday, I learned that there is a lot of flooding in several areas of Haiti, especially in the south, the area that we visited; that is the same area that received a lot of damage last Fall as a result of Hurricane Mattew.  Let us be mindful of and pray for all those affected by the flooding.  As I write this it is starting to rain heavily here, probably just a passing thunderstorm.

Take care.  Many blessings!