Embassy Emails, Table Quiz, Thanksgiving, Garden Grown

Embassy Emails
Today I received seven emails from the US embassy in Haiti; I received the same number yesterday and at least a few each day this week.  On Sunday I only received two, which is interesting since that was the day the protesting began.  The emails have not said anything specific about Grand Goave, not even the emails with lists of multiple places experiencing protests of one kind or another (burning tires, barricaded roads, gunshots)  One of the schools the children here attend has been closed all week probably because of its close proximity to the main road; the other school has been open all week as has our own BLB Academy.  Fortunately for us, things have been relatively quiet in Grand Goave although the little town has not been completely immune.   A little girl came directly to my office after school yesterday to tell me that she saw a burning tire in the street that morning.  While we have not had the violence or extreme situations of some larger cities and towns,  there have been some difficulties.  An important staff person who spent her weekend off in the capital, only returned to Grand Goave today, and that was not easy.  Twice this week I planned to visit an orphanage in a nearby town; both times we postponed the visit out of an abundance of caution because of the possibility of protests between here and there.  Hopefully, the situation will be resolved soon, as peacefully as possible and in a way that is truly just for all the people of Haiti. 
     Here is a link to a news article about the situation, in case you are interested.


Table Quiz
Today my cousins in Ireland, held a fundraiser for Be Like Brit, the organization I am working for.  They held a quiz night at a pub and raised 2,100 Euros for our educational programs.  Based on the pictures that they sent to me, it seems they had a good time in the process.  Thanks to everyone who was involved!  I appreciate you.

Thanksgiving
I hope that all of my family, community members and friends in the US, who celebrated Thanksgiving today had a great Thanksgiving.  While I did not celebrate today in any traditional way, I certainly have a lot to be thankful for everyday!   

Garden Grown 
Fresh fruits and vegetables are one of the many wonderful things that I am grateful for in Haiti.  Here are a few that grow in the garden right in our yard. 

Congo Beans

Papaya

Pomegranate

Cabbage

Okra

 
Thank you for taking the time to read my update.  Many blessings! 

  

How to Self-Care Here?

A few weeks ago I was invited to write my story for the Be Like Brit blog.  For most people who read my personal blog regularly there is no new information in the BLB blog post, but here is the link in case you are interested. 

BLB blog post 

As I sat down to write this, I heard a knock on my office door; my office is adjacent to my bedroom and connected by an internal door.  I debated for a second if I should answer it since today is my day off.  I could not see who was there and because the children have singing practice there is no way I could have asked through the door who is there and what the person wants and be heard or hear the response over the boisterous voices.  As I opened the door, I greeted the child and asked if it is an emergency, politely explaining that it is my day off.  Because of the volume of the music, it was hard for me to hear what the child was saying.  The child said, "yes," and then explains that he is having difficulty descending the Haitian flag that hangs in the courtyard and wants me to go on the roof to fix the problem.  I have done that before, but not on my day off  (it is a flat roof, and there is a perfectly safe staircase to get to it; just in case you are imagining otherwise.)  I suggested he ask the night supervisor to help with that and so I continue writing.  

 

In general, it is very convenient living where I work.  There is no commute time to account for; I never get caught in traffic.  The accommodations are wonderful here in many ways.  We even have electricity 24 hours a day and the tap water is treated and perfectly drinkable; it is rare for any home to have both of those things all of the time in Haiti.  My delicious meals are provided by very thoughtful kind kitchen staff, who even daily cut mangoes and melons for me, without my asking (actually, I would never ask or expect anyone to do that for me, but I appreciate because I don't get mango juice all over my clothes anymore.)  Even my laundry is done for me here, and it comes back the very same day!  (If I had to cut my own mangoes it probably wouldn't because it takes time to scrub out mango juice.)  The grounds here are quite safe; there are always multiple security guards working.  I am very grateful for all of this.  There is just one challenge that comes with it.      

At the last job I had in the states before I came back to Haiti, I was on the staff training committee and I did the training on self-care for my co-workers.  Self-care is something social workers and other helping/healing professionals need to be mindful of and are trained to consider, in order to do our best work and prevent burn-out.  I am finding that some of the strategies that I have come to rely on to prevent burn-out are more challenging to implement here.  How can I leave my work at work, when I don't leave work?  While I generally avoid working on my day off, I can't leave my bedroom without being at work; automatically boundaries are blurred and separation scarce.  My minuscule social life outside of work, is completely dependent on (sometimes very unstable) internet connections.  I have gotten accustomed to working six days a week, as that has been my norm during most of my time in Haiti.  Now, I feel like there is a bit of a learning curve for me when it comes to living and working in the same building, trying to do my best work and be available to the program staff and children, while meeting the expectations of those responsible, and doing so in a way that will be sustainable and healthy for me and everyone involved for the long run.            

It is not that I am not attempting to practice self-care.  I have been making sure I exercise which for me is essential to coping with stress and increasing my chances of sleeping well.  I am taking time for centering prayer, a form of silent meditation; sometimes during a 20 minute prayer period needing to discern multiple times if I should stop to answer a knock on my office door.  When the internet signal was consistently strong enough, I was doing very short yoga videos early in the morning and before bed regularly.  When I have a day off, I usually leave the building and head to the beach; for me to be at my best time spent in nature is a necessity and that is something that is available all year round in Haiti (yes, there are clearly some self-care advantages to being here.)  Despite these strategies, at least at the moment, I feel like I am struggling slightly to do self-care well here.       

  Thanks for letting me ramble a bit; I feel better already. Writing this has been a helpful self-care strategy over the years.  Sorry no pictures, this week; come to think of it, getting my camera out would probably help, too.  If anyone reading this wants to share strategies for self-care that have worked for you in for situations like mine please leave a comment below.  Thank you for taking the time to read this.    

No matter where you are and what you are doing be sure to take care of yourself.    Many blessings!  

          

               

A Brief Update and a Video

Sometimes I am surprised at how faithful I was to writing weekly blog updates during my first and second experiences in Haiti.  The objective has always been to keep my religious community, family, friends, and anyone else who was interested informed about what is going on here.  It was a way of keeping in touch.   Writing them has sometimes been a therapeutic activity for me, helping me to make sense of my experiences here in Haiti.  It is something that I have often enjoyed doing. 

Here I am two months into my third experience in Haiti and I have not been writing consistently every week.  In general, things have been going well.  I am enjoying the children and staff and find the work rewarding and appropriately challenging.  In some ways, I am still getting used to how things work here and have yet to put writing my blog into my weekly routine as I did when I was in Cap-Haitian and in Tabarre eight years ago.  There is always plenty to write about, and I have every intention of getting back on track.  For this week I will simply share with you a beautiful YouTube video that the organization I am working for created for a fundraiser they held in the states over the weekend.    Enjoy!

Have a good week!  Many blessings!

Shaking

Last Saturday night, (exactly one week ago) I sat down to watch a documentary about Irish history. I had downloaded it onto my cell phone from a Lousiaiana library.  I had the sound playing through a blue tooth speaker.   My phone was on the small metal table in my room.  I sat on a metal folding chair.  On the other side of my bedroom door, the children were playing.    At some point, something weird happened.  I felt like the room moved.  I thought to myself, "was that an earthquake?"  There was no discernable difference in the sounds coming from the other side of the door, and surely if it were an earthquake I assumed there would have been a change in sounds coming from the children. I came up with what seemed like logical explanations. Maybe a mouse ran into the chair and that caused the chair to vibrate.  Or maybe it was just the sound waves and the metal table and since this was the first time I watched a video on my phone with my phone on the metal table at the time that seemed at least as likely an earthquake. 

When the video was finished, I browsed through my facebook feed to see posts from people in groups for foreigners living in Haiti asking each other if they had felt tremors.  Oh, so I had not imagined anything, and a mouse did not run into my chair and it had nothing to do with sound waves and metal tables after all.  There had been an earthquake.  I went to talk to the staff.  The ones I spoke with first, had not felt it.  Then I went into the programming room, where two of the older boys were sitting with a weekend supervisor; of the 66 children, only two had felt it.  By the time I went to bed, there was a little information available on the internet stating that there had been an Earthquake in Port de Paix, which is in the north.  When I went to bed, there was not yet any news of injury or specific destruction.  I asked Google about news in Haiti, and nothing came up.  I concluded that it must not have been bad, and thought maybe the lack of details was an indication that there had been no real damage. 

The next morning, I checked online again before going to the early mass.  The earthquake had occurred in Port de Paix.   At least 11 people had died and many others were injured.  There was mention of fallen or damaged buildings including a church and a hospital.  I was saddened to hear that there was loss of life and at the same time grateful that it had not been worse. 

At the end of mass during the announcements, which since there is no church bulletin sometimes take a long time, the priest said that there had been an earthquake.  He said that there was havoc in Cap-Haitian in the north.  Then he proceeded to say that a Catholic church had fallen down; in either Plaisance or Pilate; he was not sure where.  While the actual tremor itself had not shaken me the night before, the priest's words certainly did.  I asked the women sitting near me if she knew which church had fallen, and she replied kindly, yet, dismissively "one in the north," possibly she assumed I was asking because I had not understood, but I was asking because I did understand the difference between Pilate and Plaisance.  The church in Plaisance is where you turn to get on the road that leads to Pilate.  I know someone whose family lives very near that church.   Anyone who has been following my blog knows of my experiences in Pilate. 

When I got back to BLB, I tried to get information.  Cap-Haitian was not really damaged, although certainly, people there would have really felt it since they were much closer; it would have been too strong there to blame a mouse.  The church that had fallen, (one online news station said that the facade of it had fallen), was in Plaisance, which is actually in the diocese of Cap-Haitian, though a distance from the city.  My thinking is that the priest may not know the northern part of Haiti very well and for that reason said Cap-Haitian instead of Port de Paix. I can understand him confusing Plaisance with Pilate since they both start with "P," and are close together.     I was relieved and grateful to learn that all of the sisters and people I know in Cap-Haitian were fine during the earthquake.  Apparently, the sisters there had a meeting last weekend and the shaking ground did not even deter their meetings. 

Thank you, to everyone who checked in on me; I appreciate your support.   

Let us all pray for all of those who lost loved ones and homes due to the earthquake last week. 

Fèt Sen Franswa (Feast of St. Francis)

Today is the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  The Catholic Church here in Grand Goave is named for him making him the patron saint of Grand Goave and today a local feast day, or holiday.  Actually, the Catholic school children here have three days off from school, the day before, the day of and day after the fèt.  Even our children who attend the Protestant school did not have classes today, except certain grades had a physical education or exercise program at school this morning. 

Since Thursday is my day off I decided to attend the feast day liturgy at the parish.  It seemed like it would be a good experience of the local culture, would get me out of the building on my day off and I like St. Francis. I guessed it could be about three hours long, and I was correct; for years I consistently underestimated when predicting the length of Haitian masses. 

Parish feast days are a big deal for many parishes in Haiti and often for the towns (or neighborhoods in larger cities) that those parishes are in.  My first year in Cap-Haitian, I attended such a mass on the Feast of the  Immaculate Conception. Being in a different part of Haiti, helps me to get a sense of what aspects of culture are likely very common for the entire country as opposed to simply local traditions. Priests sometimes go to feast days of other parishes to celebrate.  Before the mass I wondered if  I would see any of the Holy Cross men; if any were there I did not recognize them.  There was, however, one familiar face on the altar, the presider actually.  I knew that several months ago the bishop responsible for the Archdiocese of Cap-Haitian had been transferred to Port-au-Prince and I knew that Grand Goave is in the diocese of Port-Au-Prince. Still, I was surprised to see him.  Just about a year ago the same bishop had presided over the perpetual profession liturgy of one of the Sisters of Holy Cross.  Although I don't know him, I had seen him at occasional events in Okap and some of the Holy Cross convents had his picture on the wall.  I was glad that at least this time he did some parts of the mass including some of the homily in Haitian Creole  While surrounded by a sea of new faces, it was kind of nice to see a somewhat familiar one. 

During the homily, the bishop spoke of St. Francis' love of the poor and the environment.  He discussed the importance of these issues in Haiti, where there are so many people in poverty and so many environmental problems. 

Of course, these problems do not exist just here in Haiti and nor are they only to be reflected upon on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  Let us all consider how our actions affect the poor and the earth and pray for and support one another as together we strive to create a sustainable world where everyone's basic needs are adequately met. 

Bon Fèt Sen Franswa!  Happy Feast of St. Francis! 

 

First Month Reflection

Yesterday marks one month since I arrived at Be Like Brit, and tomorrow marks one month since I officially began working here.  First months in a new position at a new place, are both simultaneously challenging and easy. Challenging because there is so much to learn, and easy because people are patient since the new person has much to learn. 

It seems to me that nearly every experience I have had in my entire life is somehow helping me in this current situation.  Every day I recall concepts from my teaching experience and ideas I was exposed to when studying for my undergraduate degree in Elementary and Special Education.  This helps tremendously because I am responsible for overseeing the program for eight of our children who attend the Be Like Brit Academy because their educational needs were not being adequately addressed in local schools.  Recently I was recalling a memory from when I worked at an overnight camp one summer when I was in college, and thought about how living at an orphanage is a little like that, except that these kids are here for many years instead of a few weeks.  I am grateful that I participated in various volunteer experiences when I was young, and lived and worked with lay volunteers for many years, as I interact with volunteers in my position here (here someone who is volunteering for only one month is considered a long-term volunteer, that differs from my previous experience.)  We are planning a transitional program for some of the oldest children who will need to be preparing for adulthood outside the walls of BLB; my experience of working at Covenant House in New Orleans and at Drueding Center (transitional housing for women and children experiencing homelessness) in Philadelphia provides me with a few ideas that can be adapted to assist us with the planning and implementation of a transitional program here.  My clinical social work experience comes in handy as I supervise social workers and a psychologist.  General Social Work theory and values inform all aspects of my work.  Obviously, my previous experiences in Haiti help a great deal.  If I had not learned the language I don't think I could be effective in this position. 

It amazes me how our life experiences build upon each other and one experience may be preparing a person for a later experience in life that the person would not even be able to imagine until it arrives.  I am grateful for all of the experience in my life, the people who have taught, supported and challenged me and for my current experience and all of those  I encounter, learn from and collaborate with each day.   

On my day off, I get to enjoy the beach. Fortunately, I learned to enjoy the beach during my childhood in the Ocean State!

Have a good week.  Many blessings! 

Third week: Books, Video and a Hammock!

Thanks to my parents and grandmother, we now have a library of over 200 books for the children in their own language!  The teachers are already making good use of the books to encourage reading and teach Science topics to the children.  Last night a couple of the evening time staff members read with and to the children using the new books.  Some children have stopped by my office to read the books.  I'm not sure which I enjoy more, reading to the children or listening to them read to me; either way, I'm delighted.  We are going to organize a library space and create a system so that we can keep track of the books and allow the children to borrow them.  Thank you, Mom and Dad and Grandma!  Mèsi anpil! 
 

For the first time in the eight years that I have been blogging, I am uploading a video.  Last week, I was interviewed about my new position.  It speaks for itself.  Enjoy!       

When I was attending a therapy training conference several years ago, we were directed to imagine ourselves in a safe and peaceful place.  In my imagination, I was in a comfortable hammock by the sea, where the weather was warm and a gentle breeze blew.  I could hear the gentle waves on the sand and smell the salty air.  I thought about that on my day off this week, because I actually spent my day in a such a place!  Of course, I did not stay in the hammock the entire day, after all, there was a beach to walk and beautiful water for swimming.  It was a peaceful, restful and wonderful day for which I was very grateful.       



I am doing well and hope that you are well too.  Thank you for taking the time to read my update.  Many blessings! 

Reflections on Recent Events: From Serious and Sentimental to Somewhat Silly

A few months from now, it will be hard to remember that there was ever a time when I did not know the names of each of the children or their caregivers.  Eventually, in addition to names, children's individual personalities and preferences will be revealed and known to me.  Certainly, some of the faces I'm still struggling to recall names for will be etched in my memory and carried forever in my heart. While working with children will always have an element of unpredictability and adventure,  soon I will have a sense of daily and weekly rhythms and routines.   Some of what seemed so new and mysterious early last week will be normal and natural by the end of next week.  As I write these words, I realize that certain aspects of my experience of starting in this new position as the program administrator of Brit's Home are likely a shared September experience that may resonate with educators and others everywhere.  

The first days here have been full.  Full of activity, but also of wonder, amazement, surprise, welcome and of love.  Among other activities, I have been meeting with each of the members of the program staff so that I can get to know them and understand what they do and how they view their work. I am feeling fortunate to be among so many professional people who truly care for and love the children.   

Today I took my first day off.  I was able to go to Tabarre for the goodbye celebration of a sister who is returning to the United States after serving in Haiti for 16 years.  She was very supportive of me especially during my first experience in Haiti.  I was grateful that I had to opportunity to attend today's gathering.  While there I stopped by  Kay St. Anne to visit some of the employees who knew well eight years ago when I worked at Kay St. Anne (if you have no idea what I am talking about because you started reading my blog in recent years, click see my blog entries written between late August of 2010 and October of 2011.)  Today, too, I was able to encounter two children who lived there when I worked there, both have beautiful smiles and great spirits, each happens to have a developmental disability and holds a very special place in my heart.        

 

Chapel at St. Damien's in Tabarre today

      

I had thought I had the bedroom here all to myself, but I was wrong.  There was actually a family of mice nesting underneath the bookcase in my room, where I suspect at least the momma mouse lived before I moved in.  When I first saw a mouse enter my room from under the door, and run and hide under the bookcase. I was not alarmed.   After all, (if you did read my old blog entries you know) eight years ago, at NPH where I  lived in a tent for the first month, a rat would regularly come into the tent at night and I would hear it under my cot. (here is the link to the entry with the rat story ) A mouse under a wooden shelf is nothing compared to rats under the bed.  I spotted the mouse several times and figured it would leave since I did not have any food out.  One night while trying to do a short bedtime yoga routine, I admit I got a bit skittish when I could hear mice noises and realized that while I could not see a mouse my head was close to the wooden shelf and imagined one running on me while I lay on the yoga mat with my eyes closed.  I did not finish the yoga video that night.  Soon after that, I saw a little mouse climbing over my shoe, fortunately, not the ones that were on my feet.  Yesterday three maintenance men worked very hard to evict the mice.  I had hoped that they would be able to do so without causing any mouse injuries or death, but I knew that my wish was not really realistic.  The men I believe had worked especially hard to trap the mother mouse and so they smiled with pride when showing me its remains.   To the best of my knowledge, I now have my own bedroom.      

     

Thanks for taking the time to read my update. Many blessings!  

  

HOME

Taken at the Knowth Monument, County Meath, Ireland earlier this month

Bridges of Ross, County Clare, Ireland

It is the reality that a missionary can come to have many homes and yet no one place that is fully 100% home.  During the past two months, I visited various places that I call home, grateful for each of those places and the people there.  I was fortunate to be able to visit Ireland, a place I have never lived but a place that is certainly home to me (in an ancestral/cultural way.)   I was happy to connect with so many family members, sisters, and friends during my summer travels and still I did not get to see everyone that I would have liked to; time has a way of going so quickly.

   

Now I am at Brit's Home. When I arrived on Wednesday afternoon, I was warmly welcomed by 66 singing and smiling children.  There was a pretty sign by my door to welcome me, thoughtfully written in English.  During the past couple of days, I have spent time arranging the large bedroom that is for my use.  To make it home, I brought with me a tea kettle and tea bags so that I can offer any visitors a cup of tea.

Various items that I have here with me, came from different places that I have called home.  All of my previous experiences come with me, they have shaped me and formed me and continue to influence me. This current experience will change and teach me as well.  My desire it use the gifts that I have been given and have gathered in my life, to be of service in this lovely and lively home while always recognizing, celebrating and encouraging the great gifts that are here in the hearts of each child and employee.

Please pray for me as I officially begin this new ministry tomorrow.  Thank you, everyone, who has been encouraging and supportive of me and this new endeavor. 
 
I wish all of you who are in the United States a Happy Labor Day weekend!  To all returning to school in the coming days, (or who recently have started a new school year) I wish you a good and blessed school year!   

 

Family, close friends, community members: let me know if you want to stop by for a cup of tea. I'll put the kettle on!  

                     
 

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!