Reaction- Reflection-Challenge

It is a matter of luck that I did not plan to leave Haiti one week later than I actually left for the summer.  As you may be aware, during the past few days there have been protests and violence in Haiti, especially in Port-au-Prince.  Normally I am not in Port-au-Prince although that is where I was exactly one week before the demonstrations began.  On the first of July, I flew out from Port-au-Prince and due to flight delays arrived in the New Orleans airport early Monday morning (one week ago.)  To the best of my knowledge, all of the people I know personally are safe and reality is that even if I were in Haiti when this occurred, I would in all likelihood be perfectly safe too.   

When I wanted to get an update on the current situation this morning, I googled the news in Haiti.  Many articles came up about American missionary groups who are/were stranded.  It seemed that there was more concern on many news outlets for American groups who are in Haiti than for the Haitian people themselves.  Upon further reflection, I realized that selfishly, my own initial reaction was about my own security and convenience; "I am so glad I didn't leave one week later."  In some ways I think this is natural, we have an innate desire to keep ourselves safe and that is not a bad thing.  It is a reality that in general and people tend to be more concerned about those they know, especially those who are closest to them rather than anonymous strangers in other places.   

Perhaps the very conditions that lead to the anger that fuels such protests which sometimes turn violent (I am not excusing violence) can change only when we all, myself included, move beyond our initial response of self-protection and self-concern to truly loving all of our neighbors on the entire planet, as we love ourselves.  What if we were all able to realize that each and every person in our world is equally deserving of having the ability to meet his/her basic needs and that of their family members?  Only when we can all truly agree to that and work for policies and create systems that make true equality possible will such protests and problems of this nature become preventable.   

Let us pray for the people of Haiti and reflect on how we can change ourselves and non-violently work for systemic change until each person on our planet has the equal access to all basic human rights including access to meeting all basic needs in a way that is dingified and empowering.   





During July and August instead of weekly updates, I will write when inspired to do so and will resume regular updates in September.  Enjoy the summer!  Take care.  Many blessings!           

Be Like Brit

 


Last February while scanning my Facebook feed one evening, out of curiosity I clicked on a  job post for a position at a children's home.  It caught my attention because they were looking for someone with knowledge of "child development" and "positive discipline"  The more I read the more I was intrigued.  It seemed they were looking for someone with my exact skill set and experience.  Although I had not been actively seeking a job at that time, I began to wonder if this could be a possibility.  A specific date in early April was given as the deadline for applying, which gave me time to learn more about the organization and discern before even telling anyone about the position.  Trying to determine if the organization had a sense of mission, values, and priorities consistent with my own, I checked out the website of the organization, which is called Be Like Brit.   There I found that a book, Heart Ache and Hope in Haiti  was written by the couple who had started the orphanage  (and fortunately it was available to purchase on Kindle. )  While discerning if I should pursue this possibility I read the book.   The more I learned about the organization, the more I liked.  It seemed like it could actually be an ideal position for me, a good use of my skills and experience and an organization that had a sense of mission and values congruent with my own.   

Brit's Home was started by a family whose college-age daughter, Brittney, was on a service trip in Haiti with other university students when the 2010 earthquake occurred.  That morning she had visited an orphanage and sent a text stating that she wants to move to Haiti and start her own orphanage.  That was one of the last texts she would write because she was one of the thousands who died in that tragic event.  Her family started Be Like Brit in her memory.  If you visit the website and read the book the story will likely move you, too. To me, it is inspiring and a profound living example of the paschal mystery, new life resulting from death.  A family who tragically lost their child, created a loving and nurturing home for children who lack parents. 

After much reflection, discernment, and thought I decided that I was feeling called to at least send in my resume, cover letter and letters of reference and inform those in leadership of my congregation of my desire to at least be considered for this position.  On the afternoon in March when I decided to start to contact my congregation and those I wanted to write reference letters, the job posting that I had visited several times during the previous weeks, had suddenly disappeared from the internet.  I was deeply disappointed and thought maybe even though they said they would be accepting resumes until a specific date in early April, they had already filled the position.  After a little reflection, I felt compelled to at least ask if it would still be possible to apply and soon received a response.  It was not too late; one of the reasons that it had been taken down was that they were not planning to fill the position until the first of September.  I was elated and thought that would actually work out perfectly for me, since I was committed to finishing the school year in Cap-Haitian, desiring to make a several days long directed retreat this summer and have been looking forward to going to Ireland during the summer with my parents. 

During my interviews which took place via Skype, I asked many questions about various topics such as the treatment of children and staff training.  I was quite pleased with the responses, and extremely impressed with the program and even wondered if it was too good to be true. 

In May I visited for a long weekend and experienced Be Like Brit first hand.  From the minute I walked in the door I felt at home at Brit's Home.  I was able to spend some time with the children and talk with employees and others involved and just get a feel for the place, and it all felt amazingly positive.   

I was offered the job, and with the support of the leadership team of my religious congregation with much delight, I have accepted the position of Program Administrator of Brit's Home. 

Last week I packed up all of my belongings in Cap-Haitian.   During the past few weeks, I  have said many good-byes some of which were quite difficult.  The only disadvantage is that Grand Goave, where the program is located is quite a distance from Cap-Haitian and the people there who I have grown to love there during the past four years. 

On Sunday I traveled to Brit's Home where I am visiting for most of this week.  This visit is further confirming for me, that this where I am being called.  Since school is out the children are having more of a summer camp experience with a variety of fun, creative and educational activities and experiences.  Yesterday afternoon I went with a group of children and caretakers to the nearby beach for a swim.  It is a privilege to be able to spend time here as a visitor and observer, taking it all in.  I have had time to just chat with kids, employees, and volunteers and be with and play with the children.  I am looking forward to September when I will to the best of my ability, and hopefully with the prayerful support of all of you who are reading this assume this new role. 

There is even a mango tree just outside the front door! 

Final Moments: A Poem

Final Moments

Sitting with the final items that I've neither the desire to discard nor care to keep,
tiny decisions always abundantly sprout up in the wake of seemingly significant ones. 


Once I had every intention of eventually fixing every broken toy in the top desk drawer
now the time has gone,
and the super-glue within its protective container has hardened, stiff and useless. 


Sorting through the accumulated, no-longer necessary papers
each containing the memory of a moment, 
I take them and place them on the ashes of what others have previously destroyed,
no match is needed; they are ignited by older embers
soon smoke rises, conjuring up images of burnt offerings to ancient deities
the ordinary and necessary become ritual in the final moments
which is then interrupted by the awareness that this is likely a contribution to air pollution.


Is it possible to do good without the unintended unwanted side-effect of doing at least a little harm?   

I sweep the sand away. 
I find a child's missing marble that we'd fruitlessly searched for weeks before
If I would want to shake the dust from my feet it would simply stick to my skin
I close the doors much more mindfully than the many times I've locked them before. 

A  metaphor from a few years before smiles compassionately back at me,
it stands there just outside the door in the form of a fruit-filled mango tree.   

 



 

Endings and Four Years

When we say goodbye to people we never know if our paths will cross again.  I was thinking of that last week as the last regular week of school came to a close, wondering if I will ever again encounter some of the children I have worked closely with this year.  As I was leaving a school on Friday possibly for the last time, I heard my name and was approached by a familiar looking face.  A young man who had worked at Kay Saint Ann in Tabarre when I was there(7 years ago), was visiting Milot for a project.  I was glad that he recognized me and since he is in touch with many workers and children he updated me a bit.  Somehow encountering this young man put the good-byes that I had experienced that week in perspective. 

The World Cup starts tomorrow.  It was going on eight years ago when I was studying Haitian Creole in Miami.  It was also going on four years ago, the summer I was preparing to come to Cap-Haitian.  I just went back and read the update I wrote nearly four years ago.  In it, I wonder where I will be in four years.  Well, here I am four years later in Cap-Haitian, preparing to leave Haiti for the summer so that I can again prepare to return to Haiti but to something new (which I will write more about soon.)  Once again, four years later, I am preparing for something new in Haiti;  Is there something cyclical going on here?  Do I dare again wonder where life will have taken me four years from now?               


These weeks have been very busy.  This evening, I finished my grades for my high school  English conversation classes.  I have been spending extra time at the orphanage giving the children a final chance to come to the playroom or (for the older children) the possibility of a  creative activity.  This week I am observing during exams at the high school, which is not especially exciting. While most of my busyness has been related to my work, there has been some fun too.  On Monday I had the opportunity to go with several of the sisters and the eight postulants I live with to a beach.  We participated in an outing planned for many of the postulants and novices from several congregations as well as some diocesan seminarians.  It was a wonderful day spent by and in the sea.  It was very energizing to be around so many young enthusiastic people.    The Holy Cross men's novices who were my English students until last Thursday were also on the beach trip; I am glad it did not take too long to cross paths with them after class ended.   

Many blessings!     

Random Information and Observations

When I first started going to the sisters' school in Milot by tap-tap in September, I would almost always be asked by tour guides seeking a day's work, if I were going to the Citadelle.  I would tell them that I was not; I was going to the sisters' school.  After a while, when they realized that this was my weekly routine, they stopped asking but would often greet me kindly.  Then around Madi Gra, my dad came to visit and we actually went to the Citadelle.  Now, when I am on my way to the sisters' school in Milot I am often asked, by tour guides, "How is your dad?"  Two of them sometimes tell me to greet my dad for them.  This brings a smile to my face.  There is something beautiful about Haitian hospitality!

Our parish priest knows some basic English and likes to practice with me occasionally.  Recently, he began sometimes saying, "the Body of Christ," in English when offering me communion.  When he does, I respond, "Amen", with a long "A;"  instead of"Amen," with a short "A," which is how I respond if it is said in Creole or French.



Sometimes things have a way of working out wonderfully.

This past weekend I was very fortunate that things fell into place in terms of scheduling and I was able to participate in an online continuing education program through the Family & Play Therapy Center in Philadelphia.  I was very grateful and learned a lot about caring for children who are struggling because of their traumatic pasts.  If everyone better understood trauma I think we would all be a bit more compassionate and patient with one another and towards the children we encounter.       

There is only one morning a week, given our schedule, in which it is practical for me to go for a run to exercise.  I got lucky last week because during the night before my run we had just the right amount of rain to diminish the dust without creating much mud.  Sometimes, I recognize, appreciate and celebrate such simple things.  Hopefully, you do too.   


 

Once again, it is that time of year when mangoes are in season! 

Have a good week.  Many blessings! 

Animal Updates

Last week was not a very good week for the animals that live in our lakou (yard) here at Leocadie Convent.

Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning, our dogs which are more like security guards than pets somehow got into the pen where our goat was kept.  They killed the goat but did not eat her.  If it had not been for the female goat's growing belly and assumed pregnancy she probably would have been part our Easter dinner.  Since she had not died of an illness and was found soon enough after death, she was butchered and her meat is currently in our freezer.  It turns out she had not been pregnant at all, just started gaining weight as soon as she got here, which prolonged her life.

This was taken on Easter day.  The goat was happy to be in the yard and not on our plates.  

On Friday a sister took her beloved cat to the veterinarian.  The cat was diagnosed with parasites and given medication and expected to heal fully.  Apparently, there was quite a traffic jam on the way home from the vet and the cat was very scared and did not to well during the prolonged transport.  Although the cats are normally left outside the sister took the ill feline to her room to care for him.  He died that evening while we were praying or eating possibly of the combination of stress and parasites.


On a couple of occasions recently, I got a glimpse of a small zandolit(a lizard) who seems to have moved into my bedroom.  When it sees me it hides behind my bureau.  I have no intention of evicting the little creature since it will not hurt me and will hopefully help control the mosquito population. 


On a happy note regarding animals, someone gave the orphanage a dog.  This new dog is of a pet rather than a guard dog.  It is gentle and playful and most of the children seem to enjoy their new friend.  It was a pleasure to see some of the children joyfully playing with the puppy, while I was there on Saturday.  The dog is named "Kado," which means gift.

Kado

Your presence and support is a gift to me.  Thank you for taking the time to read this. 

Have a good week.  Many blessings!   

Celebrations!

On Thursday there was a lively liturgy in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the sisters' school in the city.  Alumni had come from various locations in Haiti, the US, Canada, and Europe for the occasion.  Tents were set up in the yard to cover former and current students, teachers, sisters and others connected to the school in some way who were present. 

What I will remember most from the day was something I just happened to capture out of the corner of my eyes.  Towards the end of the mass, different groups of people were called forward at different times.  As the group of former students who reside locally walked towards the front, I happened to be looking in the direction of the former students who had traveled a great distance mostly from the US and Canada for the occasion.  I saw two women's eyes meet, one living locally and one who had traveled.  Their facial expressions went from recognition to pure joy as they spontaneously affectionately embraced.  Although I know neither of the women and can only infer the basic story because of the context, as an unknown onlooker I was overcome with a sense of momentary joy as I blinked away a happy tear.   

Friday was Flag Day here in Haiti.  I was at the orphanage when the children got out their little red and blue flags and paraded through the yard beating a drum and the wheelbarrow that contained the drum. They sang and marched through the orphanage and schoolyard. It did not matter that there was no one in the schoolyard to observe their festive parade.  In Haiti, Fèt Drapo, is an important day.   

Saturday night the 60th anniversary of College Regina Assumpta continued with a grand fèt.  There was a meal with many courses and live entertainment, in a celebratory atmosphere.  The high school students served as waitresses, bartenders, entertainers, hostesses and a probably a variety of other behind the scene roles.  I had to smile when one of my English students, who was supposed to be working at another table, came to my table to ask me specifically in English if I wanted something to drink.   
       
On Sunday the church celebrated the Feast of Pentecost.  May we all be guided by the Holy Spirit during times of celebration and in the more challenging moments of our lives as well. 

Many blessings!

     

Solèy Leve (Sunrise)

The mountains of Haiti and the sea can make magnificent sunrises especially spectacular.  These were taken in the town of Grand Goave, where I spent a few wonderful days recently.    

It is amazing to me how the sunlight gradually comes in to replace the darkness in the sky.   

 Things are going very well for me. I hope that you are well too. A more detailed update will be coming soon.  Take care. 

Many blessings! 

Daily Diversity

Each week in my work I encounter many children of varied ages and of diverse backgrounds. If you have never spent time in Haiti (arriving and leaving via cruise ship does not count) you may be surprised that I am claiming to encounter such diversity; after all, the children are all Haitian.

While the schools where I work are all ministries of the sisters and do have many commonalities they are also quite different from each other as are the children that they serve.  Even within any one school, there are a variety of personalities and children who have had different life experiences. 

One of the schools, though only about a half an hour away is located in the mountains of a rural community.  This large school has a special classroom for children of different ages who are coming to school for their first school year; their parents may have had very little or no education at all. 

This is only one of several buildings at this school; the top picture was taken at the same school.  

Another school is located on the grounds of a historical park right in the heart of what I would consider a medium-sized Haitian town.

The third is located right in downtown Cap-Haitian, not far from the tourist market and only a short walk from the city's Catholic cathedral.  Cap-Haitian, although much smaller than Port-au-Prince is one of the larger cities in the country. 

This is the primary school building; on the same campus, there is everything from preschool through university level educaiton.  

 One day I might check in on a very young preschool child, who was born in the Dominican Republic where a parent is still working, doing whatever is possible to send enough money to the extended family to support the child.  On another day I may be teaching high school seniors conversational English, at least a few of whom are hoping to and have means to attend universities in the United States.  Every grade and circumstance in between I encounter during a typical week.                      

One day I was doing a psycho-social education lesson for some children at one of the schools. When they talked about activities that are very enjoyable they focused on things like caring for the goats (which are more like livestock than pets) and preparing the gardens for planting.  At another school, (this did not occur in a  therapeutic/ context and I am careful not to include any identifying information) a child playing with a puppet after school told the puppet about an imaginary party the child wanted to plan for the puppet which included a wide range of foods and various drinks and even  expressed a plan to pour champagne over the puppet's head at the elaborate imaginary celebration.

It is a gift to encounter children of such a wide range of ages, circumstances, situations and of different socio-economic classes each week.  It reminds me that so much diversity exists within each culture and country and not to unconsciously assume that cultures I have limited or no contact with are homogenous; no culture is. 

 I can say that each school I have felt privileged to get a glimpse into the lives of the children and to learn a bit about their hopes, dreams, experiences, and challenges.  Each individual that I have had the possibility to get to know more than purely superficially is in some way amazing.   


 It is amazing to me too, that people continue to take the time read my updates, thank you.  I hope you are having a blessed Ascension Thursday.  Take care. 

      

May Day

When I was in kindergarten for May Day we learned about the May Pole dances people do on the first of May in some cultures and we made baskets out of construction paper to fill with flowers for our families.  That is the only specific memory I have related to actually celebrating the first of May. That and an awareness that is also (not coincidentally) recognized by the Catholic Church as the feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

Yesterday at the school where I work on Mondays, the sister who directs the school spoke to the children after they raised the flag.  She reminded them that there would be no school today and encouraged them to do work in their gardens, yards, and houses. The years I worked at the orphanage, today was just another day that we were busier than usual because the children did not have school; honestly, this holiday just sort of slipped by me essentially unnoticed. 

In Haiti today is Agricultural and Labor Day.  It is a holiday; normally I would be teaching an English conversation class right now, but instead, since there is no school, I am writing this.  Last night I did a little research on the internet because I recognized my own lack of knowledge regarding the significance of the first of May.  It has a rich history including various themes, traditions, and spanning many cultures including traditional Celtic Spirituality(I will try to stay focused and simply offer this link that I found.) 

In church this morning, the parish priest spoke about this day, recognizing that so many people lack jobs in this country and the problems related to the agricultural situation here.  When I got home and opened my Facebook feed this morning I saw several posts about the first of May; one with similar sentiments to what the priest had shared.   

How do you celebrate labor and agriculture when there is a lack of available work and the country does not meet its agricultural potential? 

According to Index Mundi About 2/3 of people do not have formal employment in Haiti.  Many people who do work are not paid wages that are high enough to lift them out of poverty.  Teachers are not paid here even close to what would be considered minimum wage in the United States.  It is interesting to read articles about social justice issues in the US, such as this one I came across this morning by Network in honor of St. Joseph the Worker. The needs in the US are real; it is important that they bring attention to the plight of US teachers as this article does, and yet when I read such articles while I am here, I often think of how same general problem is so much worse in Haiti.       

The United States is at least partially to blame for some of the agricultural problems here.  The US continues to export to Haiti heavily subsidized American rice which is sold for less money than those who grow it locally are able to sell it for.  Many wonderful fruits, vegetables and grains are grown here.  Sometimes it seems that too many of the same things are available at the same time; at the height of mango season, you can see many merchants sitting side by side all trying to sell mangoes along the roadside. When I see that I wonder, do any of them actually sell enough to adequately meet the needs of their families?  Often it appears that there are many more sellers than buyers. 

So many people  here are working so very hard, simply to survive. People who are equally as deserving as any of us, to the possibilities, rights, and opportunities to thrive.     

Whether you are dancing around a  may pole,doing yard or housework, making construction paper baskets to fill with flowers, or working today, let us be aware of the justice issues related to work and agriculture and allow that awareness to move us to work for change until the last sentence in the Network article becomes a global reality.  Then, we will all really have something to celebrate!   

"All workers deserve dignity, fair compensation, and safe work environments that allow them to shape our shared future and contribute to the common good."   -Mary Cunningham April 30, 2108 (https://networklobby.org/201804302918work/)   

Happy May Day! Blessed Feast Day St. Joseph the Worker!  Bon Fèt Agrikilti ak Travay!  Happy International Workers' Day!