Palm Sunday

On Sunday afternoon, the older children and the Haitian sisters and I participated in a prayer, procession and special mass for the youth.  We started at a parish church with some prayers.  The priest was enthusiastic, and I could see that he is probably very good with young people.  I think I was sprayed with holy water nearly half a dozen times during the opening prayers.  There were many people who participated in the long walk from that parish to the cathedral.  We sang and danced in the streets, as we marched and from time to time we were directed to, "bat bravo pou Jezi," (clap our hands for Jesus.)  It seems people joined us along the way, because the smaller church where we started was not full, but the much larger cathedral was full (although not overflowing this time.)  It was quite an experience and the young people including our older children at the orphanage who really seemed to find it meaningful.  So often I impressed by the deep faith so common and often so freely expressed in the Haitian culture.

I hope that you are experiencing many graces and blessings during this Holy Week and may you experience the joy of the resurrection and abundant new life as we celebrate Easter.          

Plaj la

The children are on school vacation this week and next.  On Tuesday we had a field trip to the beach for all of the children.  The children had a grand time, splashing in the water and playing in the sand.  Some of the youngest children had never been to the shore despite the fact that Haiti is on an island and has a large coast line.  I enjoyed watching the youngest ones who in the morning seemed uncertain and even intimidated by the large body of water,  overcome their fear by early afternoon.  It was also wonderful to be able help some of the older children learn to swim; it has been a long time since I taught swimming lessons, but I think I remembered the basics and quickly translated the sayings I used to use many years ago, into Creole.  A few of them were so eager to learn and improved rapidly.  I only wish applying sunscreen four times and wearing a hat would have been enough to prevent my Irish skin from a serious sunburn, but otherwise it was truly a wonderful day!

March and Mass

During the past few months some convents in various places in Haiti have been broken into, burglarized.  Last Wednesday the religious of the diocese of Cap-Haitian and many lay supporters gathered together to bring attention to the problem or crime in Haiti and to pray for those who have been victimized and for an end to the crime sprees.  Together, we marched from one down town church to the cathedral, Haitians and foreigners, elderly, middle age and young, religious, and lay, men and women.  When we arrived at the cathedral we, the sisters, were directed to sit in a section at the front of the church to the right of the altar.  At first I wondered why they were going to squeeze us into that section when the pews of the large cathedral were all empty.  What I had not realized, since we had arrived as the march was starting and joined towards the front where other Holy Cross sisters were, that so many people were behind us or at least would be joining us for the liturgy.  The entire cathedral was full to capacity; people were sitting on the steps that lead to the altar, and on the raised floor near the sides of the altar, while others stood filling the isles.  At communion the priest came to the pew and leaned over me to give communion to the others in the pew since there was not enough space in the nearby isle to form a line.  When I think a pew is full to absolute capacity, and would probably be considered so in most American churches, there is always room for at least one or two more people, if any space exists between any two people in the pew another person may and probably will squeeze in.  I was very touched that so many people would come to this mass to stand with the religious as we try to stand with those who have been victimized.  Many of the hymns we sang had justice and solidarity themes.  A higher percentage of the liturgy was in Haitian Creole when compared with the daily mass we sometimes attend in the early morning hours at the same cathedral.  I left the church with a sense of hope, peace and renewed energy, feeling connected with God and with all those who had gathered.  There may be a few people committing crimes against religious and others in this country but there were so many more willing to spend their Wednesday morning marching, praying and singing for an end to crime, people desiring peace, justice and people creating a sense of solidarity.                      

  The blog may look different in a week or two.  There are a lot of blog templates that just were not available when I started blogging that are much more attractive and have other advantages as well, so I'd like to give mine a face-lift one of these days.  

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Take care.  

Brief Random Updates and Thoughts

Relatives of one of the sisters, who is from Canada, are visiting with us for several weeks.  On Sunday they prepared a day of activities for the children. It was the Olympics of Hope!  The children really enjoyed the friendly athletic competitions, the awards ceremony and gifts that followed.  It was truly a great day for all.  I have enjoyed the presence of this lovely couple in our house.  The children love them and they are so good to the kids.  They each speak a little English, and even less Creole; the majority of meal time conversations are once again mostly in French, which I personally find quite challenging; their kindness makes it worth the challenge.

Since I am mostly doing clinical work, out of respect for the confidentiality of the children, I do not share many details about the children or they work I am doing with them, so sometimes there are interesting and good things happening that I am not comfortable mentioning most especially on a public blog. I know that other missionaries and volunteers who work in various places and who are not social workers are less concerned about this than I am, and their blogs are much more interesting because they post pictures of the children and share more details.  

The internet plan I have is supposedly unlimited, at least that is what it is called.  Last Wednesday when I was participating in an on-line play therapy training, and on other recent occasions when trying to Skype, I have found it to have many limitations and the connection can be unpredictably slow at seemingly random times and perfectly adequate at other moments.  So I alternate between feel frustrated by it and very grateful for it.  Maybe they should think of another name that captures that reality.  

Every Friday afternoon the children each get a 20 minute turn to ride a bicycle in our yard.  They enjoy and look forward to this activity of course.  A few months ago, one of the older boys asked me if I knew how to ride and I said, "yes."  He seemed skeptical and got off of the bike, sacrificing a few minutes of his precious time to see me ride, perhaps thinking I would give him a reason to laugh.  He seemed very impressed as I happily and effortlessly circled the house of the younger children.  Earlier that same day, when the girls had asked me if I knew how to wash clothes (by hand,) I reluctantly said that I "yes, but not as well as you do."  They too had wanted me to show them how I do it; in that case I knew they would not find my technique up to par but showed them anyway giving them something to laugh about.  So in the eyes of some of the children, my clothes washing skills may be lacking but others seem to find my bike riding skills impressive.  Like my "unlimited" internet key, I have limits and gifts.  One of the bicycles the older children use, is remarkably similar to a bicycle that I purchases with a tax refund check while I was in college which is currency sitting probably unused (although I did tell the sisters they are welcome to use it) somewhere in New Orleans.  This morning, since it is my day off, and it is not Friday afternoon when the bikes would be in use, I borrowed the bicycle that resembles my own and went for a bike ride.  It felt wonderful!

  When Lent started I thought  to myself, oh good, at least on Fridays we won't have those sausages that are really hot dogs to eat.  They are often cut up and put into pasta, soup, omelets, and other dishes at the evening meal.  If they are served at the noon time meal they are separate so one can easily not take them.  It is surprising to me that the religious/cultural not eating meat on Friday  during lent tradition, is not really followed at the orphanage given that other Catholic traditions are adhered to.  Since I prefer not to eat too much meat anyway, and don't think those hot dogs have any nutritional value, I am not necessarily wanting the tradition to be followed for the purest and holiest of reasons.  It does seem ironic that I had that self-serving thought which clearly misses the point of Lent, and it turned out to be WRONG anyway.

So don't trust that anything called unlimited really is without limits and if you are Catholic to leave the hot dog pieces out of your Friday night meal.   Take Care.  Many Blessings!      

              
 

Tomat, and working cross-culturally

We grow some of our own food here on the grounds of the orphanage.  Twice, I have made tomato sauce with basil using fresh ingredients from the garden.  I was pleased with the results and enjoyed an Italian meal for a change, well probably not truly authentic Italian food, but considering that I am an Irish-American living in Haiti....

A new child arrived on Friday, although she is clearly school age, we are not sure if she has attended school in the past and we don't yet know if the school here will take her this far into the school year.  The education system if very different here and the idea that children have a right to go to school might exist on paper but not in practice, as there are many children in this country who do not attend school.  As an individual, and an American who studied education undergrad, my thinking would be that the school needs to include her;  but, there are differences because of culture, experience and education  in how we approach and perceive situations.  Lately I have been aware of these challenges, in many varied situations which I encounter regularly.  As a Social worker I strive to be culturally competent, and respect the values and beliefs of the culture in which I am working, while always attempting to advocate for what is in the best interest for the child, or those who are most vulnerable, while considering the common good; this is the ideal and I don't claim that I meet this ideal with any regularity.  It would be unfair, and inaccurate,  if I assume that what initially seems best to me,  really is.  There are always little struggles and constantly I am needing to discern my response and pray to know when to remain silent, what to accept , what to challenge, when to speak, how to listen well, and how to speak in a way that is respectful and open to the perspective of others who can teach me much.  In a few simple situations this is not too terribly difficult, but in many it is extremely challenging and certainly, I mess up, frequently.  Working in a different cultural context, if nothing else certainly requires constantly being stretched and learning and relearning the virtue of humility.  

I hope that you are well.  Thanks for reading.  Feel free to leave a comment.  Wish I could send you some fresh tomatoes.  Take care!      

             

Madi Gra

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday the plan was to allow a small group of children to go into the city to see what was going on for Carnival.  The children who went really seemed to enjoy it.  I think the children, especially the younger ones whose school is located on the property are happy to go anywhere, since they don't leave site very often.  They came back talking about the "Madi Gra," referring specifically to people in the street wearing "ugly" masks.  My name was on the list to be an adult going with them on Tuesday, but in an attempt to practice better self-care, I decided to take what is supposed to be my weekly day off, which meant forfeiting my chance to go with the children into the city.  As it turns out all major Mardi Gras activities that had been planned in the country for Tuesday were cancelled.  There was a terrible tragic accident in Port-au-Prince during the very early morning hours on Tuesday when a float came into contact with power-lines, electrocuting  at least 15-20 people (the number varies deepening upon which article you read or radio station you listen to.)  The next time I am at a parade in New Orleans, and watch the big electric company truck that precedes each and every parade checking that power-lines and tree branches are not in the path of the large floats, I will have a deeper appreciation and understand that such a practice really does prevent accidents and premature death.  We are praying for all those who died, those who lost loved ones, and those who witnessed this traumatic event.

I am grateful that I had a chance to pray and read and take two long walks yesterday.  I do love the work that I am doing here, and also know that taking a break, a day off and not spending it in the place where one works, is important especially when working with people.

Be assured of my prayers as we enter into this season of lent.  During these days may we all be transformed into the people God has created us to be, people of love, compassion, mercy, justice, peace and hope so that we can work towards the transformation of the world into God's vision.

                

Madi

Tuesday was supposed to be my day off.  Last Tuesday it seemed complicated to plan to go somewhere else in the morning and still go to Creole class in the afternoon, since Tuesday is the only day I was going to class.  I tried to take some quiet time that morning, but then there was a child who had not gone to school, and well it was not a morning off from work by any means....  So I decided that this Tuesday I would spend the morning at a nearby convent, which is located in a neighborhood where I have been told it is safe to go for a walk.  I made arrangements so that I could spend a restful morning walking near another convent and still go the Creole class for the last time in the afternoon.  It is really no wonder that people here often use the expression "si Dye vle" after saying what they plan to do, because plans are often changed by circumstances beyond one's control.  Everything I thought I need for that morning and for the afternoon class was in my back pack, I was ready to go.  On Tuesday there were protests here in Cap-Haitian, because many people want to government to lower the price of gasoline.  So, I was informed that it was not wise to leave the lakou (yard) on Tuesday.  I attempted to go for a long leisurely walk within the confines of the walls surrounding the property here; since the children did not have school and wanted to walk with me, my walk was different than I had been imagining.  I decided that I would close the wooden door to my room, often I leave it open if I am in my room during the day, since there is a decent screen door that keeps out mosquitoes but allows the breeze and sun light to enter.  After a little while I was startled when someone was at my bedroom window calling my name.  A child was peering in the window to tell me that another child wanted assistance with English homework.  So, my morning off was just not going to happen.  When I heard that there would not be any Creole class because of the manifestations, I choose to follow Wednesday's schedule on Tuesday so that I could go to Creole class on Wednesday without skipping any of the children's group therapy sessions for the week.  Hopefully next week, I will be able to take the day off, and spend it off site; at this point instead of saying "Si Dye vle", I want to say, "Please God", which is what my Irish grandmother would use in pretty much the same way Haitians tend to use "Si Dye vle."

On Wednesday the truck broke down on the way to the high school where we have Creole Class.  So we took a tap-tap, which is a pick up truck with seats in the back.  Usually they are very crowded but since we were going into the city at time when most people were leaving, this was not the case.  It is cheaper to take a tap-tap a longer distance here than it was for me to take the tap-tap in Tabarre four years ago (half the price actually.)  We had a small party during class.  I am grateful for the class and all that I learned.    

On Thursday I started teaching English classes to a young adult who used to live at the orphanage who is now in a training program to prepare her to work at a hotel.  

On Friday the Mardi Gras celebrations began; the children had a party at school.  Their faces were painted and many had on hats or headbands, and glitter in their hair before they left.  They were very excited.  It was wonderful to see them so happy as they left for school!  There may be a few photos on the Mary Gate of Heaven Facebook page if you are interested.

Bon Fèt Madi Gra!  Many Blessings!

Mental Health Treatment in Haiti

I recently read an article the following article http://woymagazine.com/2015/01/22/whispers-i-am-haitian-and-i-suffer-from-depression-2/  which tells the story of a Haitian suffering from depression.  At the end of the article it states that the editors of the magazine were unable to find resources to help people suffering from depression and/or suicidal thoughts in Haiti.  Someone left a comment about a counseling program near the capital, which looks interesting but is far from here and in terms of treatment of individuals seems to offer essentially the same level of care that I am able to provide.  
 
If I were working with a client here, who needed more than I am capable and qualified to offer as an experienced clinical social worker, what could I do?  If I felt that a child were possible danger to him/herself or to others, where could I refer the child?  It does not seem that there are many options.  What if I thought someone may need even a brief in-patient stay for the sake of his/her safety?  What are the prospects for people who don't get the help that they need?  I don't want to think about the answer to that question.  When working in the United States, especially while in Louisiana, I frequently felt that the needs of those I worked with who were experiencing poverty, homelessness, and serious mental health conditions were in many cases not adequately met by the existing mental health system there; young people were often falling through the cracks.  Here the analogy of falling through the cracks doesn't even fit because to fall through the cracks would imply that there is at least some kind of structure that catches some people, but that does not appear to be the case here at this time.  Even when I search the internet for information on mental health treatment for Haitians, the google search consists of more information for Haitians who have immigrated to the United States than it does for those living here in Haiti currently.  

This week, I began participating in an on-line international play therapy supervision group that meets monthly.  The others in the group presented very interesting cases.  It was very helpful for me to be able to connect with other professionals who are also working with children.  It is actually amazing to me that four people in four different countries can have a meeting!  Here is the link to the organization providing the supervision.  http://www.fptcenter.com/

Take care!

 
      

Creole class

This is my last full week of Creole class.  I had understood that it was just for the month of January, but this was not so. On Tuesday of this week, I learned that the class was supposed to continue for two more weeks; I am not sure how I missed this information, although no one in the class was sure of the date it was scheduled to end until I asked the other day.  Since I had told the children that I would resume the scheduled groups the first week of February, I have decided that beginning next week, I will only go on Tuesday which is the day I don't have any groups scheduled.  The times when I am able to work one on one with the assistant teacher are very helpful.  When I am in the classroom with the others, it is not quite as helpful, although certainly I do learn. I find the lists of vocabulary words that they give us interesting, although, I don't think they are concentrating on the most commonly used words, not even for the others in the class who are learning Creole for the first time.  If were a veterinarian or a farmer, I might need to know the words for a baby female pig, and a baby male cat, however I am a clinical social worker, and to do my work well, I really do need to make sure I have the vocabulary to do a decent suicide assessment in case the situation would arise and to discuss difficult traumatic experiences that children may have had, including sexual abuse.  I have had to be assertive in asking to learn what I need to learn and when working individually the assistant teacher has kindly obliged, especially in terms of vocabulary.  The class has helped me, I believe that my Creole is getting better. Sometimes I still struggle with listening comprehension and have to ask people to repeat or explain.  Of course I need to remember that sometimes even when people speak same language fluently, misunderstandings occur.  I have been grateful for the class and also am looking forward resuming more consistent groups with the children.
     
All is well here.  It has been raining on and off the past couple of days, but not too heavily (no flooding here.)  I hope that all is well with you, especially those of you in the north eastern part of the US who are inundated with snow; stay warm.  Take care.  

Visit, liv Priye, fèt Pè Mourea

M te visite NPH.  
On Sunday I took an air conditioned tour bus to Port-a-Prince.  The ride was quite pleasant.

On the bus someone asked me in English, if I speak Spanish.  I replied in Creole that I speak English. This suddenly struck me as comical when I thought about it later in the day.

I spent that afternoon visiting with people at NPH.  A friend, who I had lived and worked with had come to Haiti for the anniversary of the earth quake and of the anniversary of the beginning of the Father Wasson Angel of Lights program. It was wonderful to see her and other friends from various places in the world, who work with NPH.

I had a chance to visit with the children at both Kay Ste. Ann and Kay Ste. Louie.  I was so happy to see the children, many seemed happy to see me. Some of the older children asked for "ti toti," the turtle puppet that I used when I did some psycho-educational groups at the FWAL.  While at Kay Ste. Ann, one of the children who has a disability emerged from the bathroom, lifting his hands up over his head smiling broadly, proclaiming, "Sè Kathleen, m lave men mwen!" (Sister Kathleen, I washed my hands!)  I often say that I spent more time there encouraging hand washing than I did doing clinical social work, because that seemed to be the more immediate need, especially when Cholera arrived.  A smile came across my face, "bravo," I said.  When I was there in September, I did not take the time to walk around the grounds of the hospital; I did on Sunday.  Where the tents for the temporary volunteers once stood there is now a small forest of banana trees!  Volunteers are now housed at a nearby but separate location in newly constructed permanent buildings.  There are some amazing changes on the grounds of St. Damien, including pools of tilapia, coops of chickens and a restaurant.  

That evening we had mass in the little chapel by the hospital.  Most of the people who attend this liturgy are volunteers, long and short term from various places.  The beautiful, simple liturgy was prayed in a mixture of English and Haitian Creole.  Afterwards several of us went to the house of a friend who lives on the grounds of the hospital and we talked, interesting, stimulating conversation (in English.)  

Early the next morning I took the bus back to Okap feeling grateful for friends, for the health and growth of the children at FWAL, for the connections made, and for experience of the visit and for the experiences that I had when working and living there.  Mesi!

Liv Priye
Tuesday morning, there were only two of us present for morning prayer.  The other sister was kind enough to pull out the Haitian Creole liturgy of the hour prayer books that had recently appeared in our little chapel at the convent.   We were able to pray the entire morning pray in a language we both understood.  In the cover of the book I was using, was written a name that I recognized as the name of a French Marianite sister who I know previously worked in Haiti. There are four such prayer books, two of them have the name of a nearby Holy Cross convent written in them and the other two, have the first names of Marianite sisters who once worked in Haiti.  I was happy to discover this!  This helped me to feel connected my own congregation and also gave me an increased sense of belonging.  In general, the sisters I live with seem to prefer to pray in French although for all but one of them Creole is their first language.  The fact that Marianites who came from France would have had prayer books in the language of the people of Haiti while they were here,  I find affirming since I too, am a Marianite, and believe in the importance of using the primary language of the common person in the country/culture where one is missioned.

Fèt Pè Moreau

Tuesday was the Feast Day of Father Moreau, the founder of all of the Holy Cross congregations.  There was a special prayer service and a wonderful celebration held at the Holy Cross high school in the city.  All of the Holy Cross religious and lay associates in the area were invited to attended.  Those of us who work at the orphanage, were charged with preparing the prayer.   Following the prayer, we had a great feast, and wonderful celebration.  There was lots of delicious food,conversation,  music, laughter, and dance.  Each house prepared some little performance or activity to entertain everyone else.  It was truly a gift to celebrate this special day with the larger family of Holy Cross.  

For the 10 days between the death of our founder, Fr. Moreau and the death of the first congregational leader of the Marianites of Holy Cross we celebrate a decade of days with special prayers.  For all of you who support me is some many different ways, be assured of my prayers for you at this time.  Mèsi anpil!