Literacy and Gratitude

Today's update is dedicated to all those who are unable to read it.

It happened again!  Suddenly I was made aware of how fortunate I am, of how I had come to take great gifts for granted, and of how some people through no fault of their own have been unjustly denied opportunities that should be available to everyone.  A few hard working adults that  I encountered recently were unable to sign their names, though they are not at all lacking in intelligence, ability, or motivation.  They simply were never given the possibility to learn even basic functional literacy skills.  They were never even given an opportunity to attend even a poor, overcrowded school.  As I write this, I thank God that I am able to write and pray for those who can not.   Let us find ways to share our gifts and to advocate for change until everyone is given the opportunity of a decent education.

Sunday was Mother's Day here in Haiti.  We had a wonderful celebration for the "mothers" who care for the children at the orphanage.  Everyone ate together.  A few children performed songs and dances or read poems to show their gratitude.  It was good that we took the time to show our appreciation for these wonderful women since their jobs are difficult.  At the celebration, much to my surprise, I was given a gift for my three years of service at the orphanage and the children thanked me.  It was very touching.  

Thank you, for taking the time to read this, and thank God that you can!          

Mèsi Madanm

I was really touched when a stranger, a woman riding a tap-tap into the city, spoke up for me a complete stranger and a foreigner.  The man collecting the money did not want to give me my change at all and then attempted to give me less than he was supposed to.  At first I simply held out my hand waiting for the change. I had watched as others paid and knew that he held enough change for what he owed me.  Once the first woman spoke, other women told him the same thing.   He seemed quite surprised when I told him in Creole that I know how much change I am supposed to get and that this was not my first time on a tap-tap. The kindness of the woman was so much more inspiring than was the guy trying to cheat me out of a very small amount of money bothersome.  The woman could have remained silent, she could have decided that it was not her business.  She had courage and then others agreed with her who may have otherwise been silent too.  I hope I can learn from her example.

Have a good week.  Many blessings!

Pilat, Premye Kominyon, Panèl Solè

Sunset in Pilat

Pilat
The remainder of the week in Pilat went well.  It was a pleasure to work with the preschool children and their teachers. On Friday there was a special program for the youngest children, in which they were given a chance to play freely. They pretended to be merchants selling their wares, doctors and nurses, and mothers.  They also painted and played with playdough.

One day when I went for a walk after school, some older children who had stayed late walked along and chatted with me.  After a while, when we arrived at a bend in the river they took off their shoes and I watched them cross the flowing river; the water was nearly to their knees. They still had a distance to walk on the other side of the river too.

Very early in the morning on Sunday, I left Pilat; there was no driver available on Saturday as I had hoped.    

Premye Kominyon
On Sunday three girls who reside at the orphanage received the sacrament of First Holy Communion.  Since the mass had already started by the time I arrived in Okap, and I had attended liturgy on Saturday evening in Pilat, I went to the orphanage in the morning to help prepare for the party.  We had a joyful celebration! Relatives of the first communicants came for othe meal.  There was a lot of great food and delicious cake which the children all enjoyed.

Panèl Solè

While I was away, solar panels were installed on the roof of Leocaide Convent, where I live.  This will save on fuel costs. We are fortunate enough to be living in a place where there is electricity from the electric company, (many places in Haiti are not on the grid; many people do not have electricity.) The electricity from the company inconsistent and unpredictable and we may get a few hours of electricity a day.  We also use a generator which charges batteries on the inverter so that we have electricity whenever we need it.  We will not need to run the generator nearly as often with the solar panels.  We will continue to have times when the electricity is off such as during the night.   The major advantages include saving on fuel costs and of course the environmental benefits.

That is all my news for this week.  I hope you are doing well.  Thank you for taking the time to read my weekly update.  Have a good week. Many blessings!  

          

The Voice, Little Turtle, and Baby Egrets

Three Haitian Sisters of Holy Cross are celebrating jubilees this year.  They are celebrating 25, 50 and 60 years in religious life.  On Saturday evening there was a special mass of thanksgiving for their lives and commitment.  Liturgy was followed by a tasty dinner which was followed by the sister's rendition of the television show, "The Voice."  There are many talented singers in the congregation and the sisters who served as the judges really got into character making for a very entertaining evening.

On Sunday evening I arrived in Pilate, where I am working at the school this week mostly with the preschool children and their teachers.  Some of the children ask for the turtle puppet that I use for psycho-educational lessons as soon as they seem me.  If I don't happen to have the puppet on hand (literally) I tell them Little Turtle is sleeping, which seems to satisfy some of them.  It has been great to connect with the teachers and students again and to see how much the children have grown since my previous visit.  I had planned to visit several times since but for various reasons it had not worked out. We were lucky that the rain was not too heavy on Sunday, that the rivers were not too deep, that we were able to make the journey.  I am grateful that I am here this week.


There is a beautiful large old tree in the middle of the school yard where egrets nest and herons sleep.  This tree and the nesting birds fascinated me last year. This year I have actually seen a couple of babies in the egrets' nests and even got a a few photos!

Have a great week!  Many blessings!