Beach, Madi Gra, Airport

Beach 

Yesterday was our annual trip to the beach with all of the children.  Everyone enjoyed a wonderful day at the beach.  The day was very enjoyable but similar to last year's trip and the the previous year's trip so I will not bore you with redundant details.

When we went to the beach one of the mini buses we typically use was not available, so we borrowed a driver and an SUV from another convent.  We used one mini-bus, the SUV, and the orphanage pick-up truck, all of which were full.  In order for all of the children, sisters, two visitors and the mothers who care for them, many of the oldest children rode it the back of the pick-up truck.   On the back seat of the SUV, where I sat which (by American standards) was designed for three adults, there were three adults and six children.  Recently I saw a motorcycle with one driver and five children. It seems to me that, you can take the number of people the vehicle is designed for and multiply by three and that is the number of people you often find in a single vehicle in Haiti, many more if it is a pick-up with people in the back especially one that has been transformed into a tap-tap.          

  

Madi Gra Masks made by children decorate a window

Madi Gra

The children had a little Mardi Gras celebration on Friday.  Relatives of one of the Canadian sisters who are visiting helped the children to make masks.  They paraded into the nearby school yard singing, dancing and playing the drums.  It was an enjoyable activity for them.  The masks were quite creative.

For a community activity on Friday night, the sisters and postulants where I live danced around the community room in celebration of Madi Gra and just for fun. We really enjoyed ourselves.  I hope you had a happy Mardi Gras!

Airport 

While outside at the airport sitting on a bench waiting for the orphanage mail on Thursday, I watched as local people were trying to sell various items.  One man had a basin filled with what seemed to be a collection of vitamins and pills.  Because he took the container off of his head and put it on the ground near where I was sitting, I could see that some of the pills would require a prescription in the US ( antibiotics for example.)  Others tablets seemed to be out of their original containers and not well marked. I wondered if the seller knew what illnesses the pills were supposed to treat.  Someone walked by carrying a few used books that were also for sale.  A man had some radios that looked new.  Another guy was selling phone chargers, passport covers, and flashlights.  I did not see anyone buying anything.   In the past, I have encountered people selling paintings, nuts, oils of some kind, shoes, and things like superglue and padlocks.

There are so few formal jobs here in Haiti. There are so many people trying to find a way to make enough money so that they and their families will survive, and maybe have enough for their children's school fees.  While I watched these sales people who were not having much luck I felt compassion for them.  Just carrying their items to the airport area in the Haitian sun required effort.   The night before I had been reading on-line information about how the Unites States is increasing the deportation of immigrants who are "illegally" in the US.  It is easy to understand why local people would leave their country (even without proper visas) in search of employment prospects and possibilities that are so scarce in their homeland.  What will happen if all of the Haitians in the US who are not fortunate enough to have proper documentation are forced to return?  What is the government of the United States sending people home to?  What will they do?  What is the motivation for deporting people?  Who will benefit?  Who will be harmed?          

 A couple of links about the situation:
 http://www.ijdh.org/category/topics/immigration-topics/
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/immigration/2017/02/17/united-states-accelerates-deportation-haitian-migrants/96956498/
     
 

Let us pray for one another as the season of Lent begins tomorrow.  Many blessings!  

Funeral and Other Updates

Funeral
The sister who died two weeks ago was buried on Saturday.  Relatives of the sister came from Port-au-Prince an New York.  We enjoyed hosting her relatives at the convent where I live.  There was a prayer service Friday evening and another one Saturday morning.  After the Saturday morning prayer service which was at the high school in the city, we processed on foot to the nearby cathedral for the funeral liturgy.  Next, we walked in procession to the Holy Cross cemetery which is on the property of school sponsored by the priests and brothers.  A reception at a nearby convent followed.  The funeral and prayers were very well planned, almost entirely in French, a little longer than I would have expected but certainly a wonderful tribute to a woman who lived her religious life fully and faithfully.

Other Updates:

I finally learned the name to the flowering tree that I have written about several times during the past year.  It is called a Shaving Brush Tree.  I had expected a prettier name, but I suppose the flower does resemble and old fashioned shaving brush.   

Although I refuse to blame the little tree frog (see my post from two weeks ago) and see it is a comical coincidence I actually seem to have a very small wart developing on my right thumb.  Nanna Nealon is probably smiling from heaven.  Oh well, at least my eyes are still intact!    

I hope that you are well.  Thanks for taking the time to read this.  Take care.  Many blessings!



        

Valentine's Day and my Sunday off

This was written on Tuesday afternoon; it is only being published now because I was unable to get a decent internet connection on my laptop since writing it.  

Happy Valentine’s Day!  For me, some years Valentine’s Day passes by with my just barely noticing it.  Honestly, I don’t remember doing or having anything special for Valentine’s Day last year.  This year here at Leocaide Convent chocolate was placed by each sister’s and postulant’s door during the night.  The dining room table was well decorated for the occasion.  At each person’s spot was a little pretty paper Valentine basket, which had been hand made by the postulants.   We even used the good china at both the noontime and evening meals!  There was a box of chocolates on the table at supper tonight too.  The chocolates had melted and then solidified, but they still tasted great.  

I had planned to spend this week in Pilat working at the school.  There was apparently a lot of rain in Pilat making it impossible for the driver to come for me, so I did not go. Plans can change so easily, so much is beyond our control.   At one point, I had planned on going to Pilat on Sunday, but even before they got a lot of rain, I learned that no driver would be available on Sunday.  I had already told the older children at the orphanage that there would be no groups on Sunday.  I decided to take Sunday off because I figured I would be working on Tuesday which is normally my day off.  It was nice to not work on a Sunday.  When we got home from church, I actually took a long nap; I very rarely ever nap so this was surprising to me.  That evening the postulants and one of the sisters were going to a concert and since I was actually home I was able to go with them.  The biological sister of one of the sisters is an excellent singer.  The school auditorium where the concert was held was full of people.  Some songs were in Creole, others in French.  In addition to the sister’s sister, there were other talented singers, musicians, and dancers.  It was an enjoyable evening out, for which I am very grateful. 

Have a great week!  Many blessings!  

Krapo (Frog)

Krapo
I am not sure why frogs get such a bad rap, after all, they eat mosquitoes which are scientifically known to cause illnesses.  When I was a child, my Irish grandmother told me, that if I touched frogs I would get warts.  I never believed her, and being the nature lover that I was (and still am) this never stopped my twin sister and me from going to a little pond in a neighborhood vacant lot and catching frogs.  Several years later I did get warts on my fingers from time to time, but I never did blame the frogs.

One day last week, I passed a group of school children who were supposedly doing homework but were obviously quite distracted by the presence of something on the ground.  I asked what was going on and they said there was a frog.  I suggested they leave it alone and do their homework.  Then I heard a child tell me that the frog could pee in someone's eyes and make their eyes pop.  There have been a few occasions when I have accurately understood Haitian Creole but thought to myself I must not be understanding; this is one such example. When I asked, "what?" trying to imagine how a frog would come to urinate in a child's eye, never mind the image of the possibility of an eye "popping."  Other children started telling me the same thing, convincing me that they really believed this.  I asked, "where is the frog?"  They pointed to the ground.  There was green tree frog just barely bigger than my thumbnail.  I scooped it up into my hand; it did not move.  If it was still alive it was in terrible shape having been damaged by fearful children.  The children said, "Sister Kathleen, you're not afraid of frogs?!"  I told them I was not afraid of frogs; I decided not to tell them that my twin sister and I liked to look for and occasionally catch frogs for fun when we were their age.  I explained that I did not really believe that the frog would pee in my eyes and make my eyes pop.  I gently threw it into the grass away from the picnic table where the children were doing homework, hoping that it would survive and maybe even eat a few mosquitoes.  Thankfully, it did not urinate on me.  If I do develop warts on my hand in the next few days, then I will know that the Irish superstition is the true one.      

I don't have any good frog pictures, so I'll share this newly taken flower and bee picture instead.

Other Updates:
This morning we received news that one of the elderly Haitian Sisters of Holy Cross died.  Her death was not expected. She did not wake up this morning.  Please keep the sister who died, all of the Sisters of Holy Cross and the family of the sister in your prayers.  Thank you.

Haiti's new president officially took office today.  Let us pray for him and for Haiti.

I hope that all is well with you.  Have a good week.  Many blessings!

Find the Beauty

There were many items on my to-do list for today.  So easily my day off gets filled with the practical tasks such as cleaning my room, responding to emails, and just trying to catch up on life.  I pulled myself away from my tasks for a short time this afternoon to take a few pictures.  None of the pictures I took are especially great, but I needed a moment to look for and find the beauty.  That is the great thing about creation, there is always something beautiful we just need to open our eyes to see it.

(I was planning to post more photos but the internet is not cooperating.)

As I look at the on-line news and my facebook feed I feel sad and my heart aches for the people being denied entry to the United States especially refugees fleeing horrible situations who had been cleared to enter.  I wonder who are we (as Americans and human beings) if we can not welcome the refugee?  At the same time, I have been inspired by the number of people speaking out in various ways.  I am so glad that many of my friends are protesting this injustice.  If I were there, I would be standing with you.  Thank you, everyone who is speaking up, your actions are encouraging.

Have a good week. Take care.

HOPE

“The cross, our only hope.” 

Those are the words of Fr. Moreau, the founder of the Holy Cross congregations.  Friday, January 20^th was his feast day.  Here in Cap-Haitian, the Family of Holy Cross celebrated the feast day together on Saturday night at Leocaide Convent where I live.  The celebration began with a prayer service, which seemed to have been well prepared; I wished I had understood more of it (it was mostly in French.)  The prayer was followed by a game of Holy Cross Bingo.  Trivial questions regarding the history of the Holy Cross Congregations were asked and the answers were written on Bingo cards.  I enjoyed observing the excitement of people as they called out correct answers to the questions and especially their enthusiasm when they won.  That evening, our dining room was filled with laughter and conversation as we enjoyed a wonderful meal.  As we began to eat our desserts some local communities entertained everyone with singing and dancing. One of the priests told a joke in Creole (I could not understand much of the prayer service or the French Bingo questions, but at least I got the joke!)  It was truly an enjoyable gathering.  For those of us who live here, the celebration was followed by washing dishes.  

Two years ago at the end of my first Fr. Moreau's Feast Day Fèt in Haiti, the sisters at the high school convent who had hosted that year announced that the Holy Cross men of a particular house would host the following year. Last year at that party one of the priests announced that Leocaide Convent would host this year.  When the party was over, I realized that we had not continued that tradition and wondered where next year’s party will be held. 

Regardless of where the party is held, what I am really wondering is whether or not I will be in Haiti next year.  The original agreement between the Marianites of Holy Cross (my congregation) and the Sister of Holy Cross regarding my ministry here was for three years, which if not renewed will end in September, or actually since the orphanage operates on a school schedule more likely it would end in June.  My preference at the moment is to stay in Haiti, but know that I am called to be open to respond to whatever the Spirit may seemingly ask of me. 

   

There are so many unknowns right now.  I wonder where I will be next year and what my future holds. In preparation for meetings we will have this summer I find myself pondering possibilities regarding the future of my congregation.  When I consider the current political situation in the United States, fears arise within me that potential policy changes will have severe detrimental effects on those who are most vulnerable and at least for four years move us further from the possibility of creating a more just, peaceful, and sustainable world.  Today, I sat down to pray,  tempted to try too hard to sort out all of the unknowns.   I share with you the words that came.

    

Unknowns abound

but so do the certainties

of seasons

and Paschal patterns,

For even if what seems the worst of all possibilities

one day arrives as reality,

Then from under the abandoned ashes

seeds will surely sprout

and rise from death’s decay

to flower and offer fruit,

proudly proclaiming the certitude

that hope cannot be killed.  

Many blessings!  

The flowers will return

Manman yo (the mothers)

On Monday mornings, for 30 minutes when the children have school (and when nothing else that is  seen as more important arises,) I meet with and provide some training for the manmans, the women who do most of the direct care of the children.  Some of these mothers have children of their own who live with relatives.  It is not that these women want to leave their own children, it is the reality that there are few employment possibilities in Haiti, so in order to provide at least minimally for their own children financially, they accept work away from their families caring for children whose own families can not.  During my brief formation on Monday, I told the mothers, "travay nou pa fasil", (your work is not easy.)  They clapped because apparently most of the time they do not generally feel that this is acknowledged.  I told them they should clap for themselves and for each other; for some reason just because I spoke what I thought was an obvious truth they said they were clapping for me (I usually work with small groups of children at one time and I go to a convent that is not at the orphanage every night and sleep in my own bedroom; they sleep at the orphanage in the children's rooms.  Imagine sleeping most nights in a room with as many as 17 children between the ages of 3 and 11.)  Really, everybody should be clapping for them all of the time, every day.  So often it is the people with the most difficult jobs, who do the direct caring of those who are most vulnerable who are least respected and at least in most places that I am aware very poorly compensated (financially and otherwise.)  This is not just true in Haiti, think of nurses aides, teaching assistants, and day care workers in the US.

First Full Week

For me the first full work week back after vacation went well.  I made a few adjustments to the Sunday therapy schedule to give the oldest children a choice regarding what kind of group or program they would like to attend.  This improved attendance among the adolescents.  Attendance is not usually a problem with the younger children, in fact, some of the littlest kids actually often ask to come.

My English class resumed and seemed to go well.  I hope my students enjoy it as much as I do.

Earthquake Anniversary

Thursday marked the 7th anniversary of the earthquake that did so much damage to this country.  This year the children had school.  There were prayers during mass.   Certainly, it seemed that there was a deep awareness of the anniversary, but it was not considered a holiday this year; things went on pretty much as they would any other ordinary Thursday, although nobody has forgotten.  

Buds

After a particularly long day at the orphanage, while walking towards the house I looked up and saw a bud on my favorite tree, the tree whose beautiful flowers fascinated me last year.  The flowers have been gone for months now.  The leaves recently began to fall from the tree; for whatever reason, this tree needs to let go of the leaves before the flowers bloom.  The tree looks a bit awkward at the moment; I suppose this is normal in the midst of any transition, growth, or major transformation.  It has also been significantly pruned since last year, too.  The visible buds remind me that the flowers will return.  Yes, the flowers will return.  There is hope.  I can trust the paschal mystery.

Have a good week.     Remember, you can let go of the leaves you are clinging to because the flowers will come. And, I challenge you to be sure to tell someone who is doing the underappreciated and most important work of caring for people who are vulnerable that you know their work is difficult and that they are appreciated.  Many blessings!  Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.  

Retounen

Other than the five-hour delay in the airport in Paris, my return to Cap-Haitian was smooth.  The bus from Port-au-Prince to Okap, actually left pretty much on time, which since the bus going in the other direction three weeks earlier and every flight on the entire journey was delayed this was a welcomed and much-appreciated surprise.  Traveling was a great experience and it is also great to be back!  

When I made the travel arrangements last summer I did not yet know the dates when the children would leave for their family visits or when they would return to the orphanage.  I might have planned a bit differently since as it turned out I left and returned before them.  Actually, it was good to have a day to rest and two days to get organized before the children arrived on Sunday.  I enjoyed being present to welcome them back.  I had missed them.  Most of them seemed to have had a good visit with their relatives. School resumed for the children yesterday, as did my therapy sessions.  

While I was away screens in the windows and a screen door were installed in the playroom as well as in the other rooms in the same building.  This project is thanks to generous donations that we have received recently. I am very appreciative!  I had wanted this for a while believing that it will greatly reduce the number of mosquitoes present during play therapy sessions, and hopefully make it more difficult for rats and tarantulas to enter too.  They also made the step into the playroom higher which should prevent water from entering again if we have heavy rains like we did a couple of months ago.  

I decided to include some pictures from inside the play therapy room too.      

When I returned I was glad to see that the mud had turned to dust and the large puddles that I had to cross to travel from the convent to the orphanage had dried up while I was away.  Then on Sunday night into Monday it rained and was very windy.  It also rained at times during the day yesterday and this morning as well.  I am glad the rain was not heavy. There is mud once again but, nothing like the flooding we experienced in November. Fortunately, it is possible to walk around the puddles as opposed to needing to wade through them.  Yesterday, I went on-line to check out the weather in Cap-Haitian and it looks like we can expect light rain at least at some point every day for nearly a week. Oh well, at least it is not dusty!

Have a great week!  Take care.    

    

The Beauty of Burkina

Since I am currently living in Haiti and was visiting Burkina Faso I am tempted to make comparisons.  There are striking similarities and drastic differences in the cultures, the people, the poverty, and the beauty.

There are images of Burkina that I will always carry with me.  I want to share some pictures I took of Burkina.  None of the pictures really capture the experience.  I am still needing to reflect.  It may be a while before I understand what this journey has meant for me; somehow it seems to have expanded my perspectives.  I know that I am grateful for every minute of time I spent in Africa.  It was a wonderful experience of being in community, and getting to know the sisters there a little better.

(Out of respect for people's privacy I generally don't share identifiable photos of people, so hope you enjoy the plants, animals, and landscapes.)

There were many gifts of the past week.  They included interactions with various people, a visit to the Sisters of Holy Cross at their convent in the capital, a new year's eve luncheon for priests and sisters of the diocese hosted by the local bishop, celebrating the parish feast day, being with the Marianites who serve in Burkina, and just enjoying and attempting to learn from Africa.  
  
I am on way back to Haiti.  There is simply no direct route between Yalgo and Cap-Haitian.  Because of flight schedules, I am spending a night at a hotel in France and will continue my journey tomorrow.  The internet at the hotel is very fast!   They also have a very nice shower with hot running water.  I had thought maybe I would try to see a little of Paris, but my plane getting in was delayed, getting to the hotel was a little more complicated than I thought, and it was snowing when I landed, the snow turned to rain, (my winter coat is in Rhode Island.)  Thanks to modern transportation one can be in a very dry warm climate one evening and find oneself in a cold wet place the next morning.  Amazing!  

Happy New Year!  Many blessings!    

Dancing and Drumming

Written on Monday, December 26, 2016)

The Christmas eve liturgy in the parish was a joyful celebration. The church that was overflowing with people.  Many were dressed in clothing made from special printed cloth with pictures of the Holy Family, prayers and Christmas greetings on them.  The parish covers a large geographic area and some people traveled a distance to come to mass.  Since the mass ends at midnight, long after dark, and there is also a morning liturgy, many people sleep in the church on Christmas eve.  As soon as the mass was finished people started drumming and dancing together to the rhythm of the drums just outside the church.  There was a wonderful sense of joy and celebration.
Following the liturgy, we had a party at the convent.  We ate and drank, danced and laughed, and danced some more.  People really than seemed to enjoy one another’s company.   Dancing around the table to music of various cultures seemed to bring us all together.  One of the priests who had gone to a small chapel in a smaller village this one, which is still in the parish, came after he had finished mass there.  It was about 3:30 in the morning when our Christmas party ended.  Still, we got up for 9:00 mass the following morning.  I was sitting next to a woman who was holding a small baby.  When I returned from communion she placed the child in my arms, so that she would not have to carry the baby to communion.  Smiling, I looked down at the sleeping infant in my arms; that brief moment was itself a true Christmas gift.

On Christmas eve and Christmas day we had many visitors who came bearing gifts for the sisters.  A woman came with her new baby who was very healthy; the sisters had cared for her first child through the nutrition program; her new baby does not need to be in such a program because now she knows what a baby needs to thrive.  She brought us a live chicken as a gift.  We gave her some homemade cookies and something to drink.  Several people brought us beer that they had brewed themselves.  Others brought food that they had cooked.  On Christmas evening the parish youth group came to visit.  They brought with them two drums that are essentially wooden boxes with what I assumed to be an animal skin on one side.  The youth playing the drums sat on them while making music.  The others sang and danced in a circle.  We joined the dancing and gave them some refreshments.  People share their gifts, their food, their talents, their time, their presence.

I will be lucky if I can get a strong and stable enough internet connection to post this within the next couple of days, so I will not even attempt to upload pictures while I am here, although I do have some I would like to share.

May you experience many blessings and graces during the New Year.  Peace!