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! 


     

Earth Day and First Communion

Earth Day  

Ordinarily, I love to share photos that celebrate the beauty of nature and the wonder of creation.  Today for Earth Day, I decided to do the opposite and share a common sight that I find disturbing. 

There may be less infrastructure to deal with disposables here so the problem is more visible.  I, however, believe that there is much more trash generated by the average person in the US than there is by the typical person in Haiti.  In many ways, people here, in general, seem to be better at reusing and fixing things that would typically be thrown away in the US.  In reality, the overabundance of waste and the condition of the planet is a global problem that is structural and complex and in need of attention. 



First Communion
Today six children who reside at the orphanage and many of their classmates received the sacrament of First Holy Communion.  There was a lovely liturgy held in the auditorium of the school the children attend.  We then had a great celebration at the orphanage this afternoon. 

At the orphanage popcorn a staple at any party!  

Let us all strive to live in communion with one another and all of creation every day that we are on this Earth!  

Happy Earth Day!  Many blessings! 

   

Throw Back Blog Entry

Nearly every week that I have ever been in Haiti I have written an update to share with community members, family, and friends who are interested in my experience here.  Recently I went back and read some of my old updates.  There are some old ones that I think are good stories. The number of people who read this blog has grown gradually, so I am assuming some of you may have missed some of my early entries.   I seem to be having a bit of writer's block today, so, I figured I would offer links inviting you to view a couple of older entries that you might find interesting.     


Click here to read about the real turtle that was given to me as a gift!


Only when I went back and read this one did I realize that these two memories both of which still come to mind from time to time happened around the same time.   
"Gade!" Click here to take a look!



I hope that you are doing well.  Many blessings!

Shamrocks and other surprises

On Tuesday the school schedule resumed (following Easter break) and the third trimester of the school year began.  It was a busy week at Leocadie Convent because many of the Holy Cross priests spent a couple of days here for a meeting. 

  

I try to keep my camera in my bag and pull it out when I find myself waiting for something (like a ride) or just have a few minutes free.  When I take a moment to walk around outside with my camera in hand I am often amazed at what I find.  

This week I discovered that there are shamrocks in Haiti!  

I chased a very active hummingbird, hoping to get an active shot. I did not exactly succeed, but, eventually, even a hyper hummingbird needs to rest. 

One evening when I stayed at the sisters' school in the city, while I was working at my desk, I could hear birds singing.  When I was ready for a little break I took some pictures from the porch.  Even in an urban area, one can find natural beauty.  

I was pleased to see this bird in a schoolyard one afternoon recently.  Today, when I opened the pictures on my laptop I was surprised to realize that it was in the process of dining when I snapped the photos.  

I found myself wondering why these birds were sitting on the fence. 

I think they were just too chicken to get down!   

Now, I am wondering who (of my family, community members and friends) is rolling his/her eyes and who is laughing?  

Have a great week.  Many blessings!  

  

Bon fèt Pak! Happy Easter!

An Easter Haiku 

Life springs forth from death 

Celebrate resurrection

Hope will never die!

Here are a few images of Easter morning all taken in the yard at Leocadie Convent.

The midnight Easter Vigil at our parish last night was truly a joyous celebration.  There is something deeply beautiful about the Easter Vigil ritual of lighting candles; the darkness of the room was transformed by the light of the small candle each one held in his or her hands.  Two young women received the sacrament of baptism and an older gentleman received his first communion.  The spirit of the people gathered was positively energizing.  The mass started a little later than its 10:00pm scheduled time and ended at 1:45 in the morning.  I appreciate that many people here seem to be present in the moment and don't appear to have a nagging desire to hurry things along; I still have a lot to learn in this regard especially during long liturgies.  I am very grateful that I attended.

Here is a (not great quality) picture I took with my phone before the liturgy started last night.  

May you experience much joy this Easter season and always.  Many blessings! 

      

Pondering Paschal Patterns

It is once again that time when the church recalls the crucifixion of Jesus and then celebrates his resurrection.  The pattern of death and resurrection is everywhere.  I see it in the tree that I really thought may have died just a couple of weeks ago, that is now beginning to flower again.  And I see it in the Shaving Brush tree that had those beautiful blooming magenta flowers last week and now stands naked, except if you look closely you will see that small new leaves are beginning to appear. Nature so beautifully proclaims the paschal pattern. 

There are many different dimensions to this pattern; both death and resurrection come in many very varied forms.     

Some deaths and resurrections seem natural like the cycle of seasons or the peaceful surrendering to the eternal after a long life. 

Some deaths are crucifixions. The crucifixion of Jesus was violent and unjust.  I don't really believe that God wills such deaths instead when they happen God turns them into resurrections.  Torturing and violently killing a person can't be in the plan of any God that I believe in.  Jesus came to teach us to love one another.  He turned previous assumptions upon their head; he challenged the status quo.  He befriended the outcasts of his time and put love before the law. God probably knew that such a death was a possible or even probable because Jesus' message would challenge people and frighten those in power who had much to lose if the first would really become the last and the last first.  His death was lawful and sanctioned by the government of this time.  If God had directly intervened to stop it our free will would have been compromised. I believe that God allowed the crucifixion of Jesus (did not will it) but God did not allow death to have the final word. 

There is so much violence in the world.  This is not God's will but God will try to use whatever happens to bring about good.  When I read of young people marching for peace and stricter gun laws in the wake of school shootings, I see this pattern of change for the good occurring, as a result of unjust, violent loss of lives (God did not will the shooters to kill or want those young people to die at this time, but God will use tragedy to transform and empower people to change.)     

Sometimes what might seem like a natural death may be more of quiet crucifixion.  I think this happens often in Haiti. A death may be from an illness, but it may be an illness that would easily have been treated or perhaps completely prevented in other places.  People may die because of a storm but it is poverty caused by systemic injustices that denied them the possibility of obtaining adequate shelter that would have easily protected them from that storm. 

The paschal pattern in our own lives takes many forms.  We let go of habits that are harmful to ourselves, hurtful to those we love, selfish, or damage the earth.  We recognize the error of our ways, make amends for our wrongdoings, become aware that our behavior may be negatively affecting society or the earth itself and we choose to change.  These are the small dyings we are called to and so we become new people, resurrected in a sense in our ordinary daily lives over and over again.  We all have had times of loss and grief or have been victims of something whether accidentally or due to an injustice of one kind or another.  When we go through the grieving process or suffer from pain and then after time, as a result, we find that we have become more compassionate, less judgemental or start to live out of a deeper perspective about what is truly important in life then too, we have experienced our own dyings and risings.

What is true for individuals is also true for structures, and societies.  Much of the unnecessary pain and suffering in the world is caused or allowed to happen as a result of systemic injustice, which values some lives more than others. It is a few people who have most of the power, prestige, possessions, and privilege who benefit from the current societal structures.  They are the ones who would be most threatened by the real message of Jesus and probably find a way to silence or kill him today, (or perhaps dramatically distort his message to justify global structural injustices that benefit them.)  It is these systems that need to be radically transformed.   The current structures that were created to benefit the few, must be  allowed to die and then be resurrected built with love, equality, peace, mercy, and justice for all people and in a fashion that is sustainable for the earth. 

 Thank you for taking the time to read my ponderings; writing them out helps me to try to make sense of my recent thoughts and reflections.
           
Since schools were closed this week, I was able to spend more time at the orphanage allowing the children to come to the play therapy room not so much for formal therapy but simply to play.  I offered a creative activity for the oldest children too.  It was enjoyable.  It amazes me when I realize how the children have grown so much since I first met them. It is a privilege to recognize the Paschal patterns in their lives and celebrate their own risings from the pains of previous sufferings they have experienced. 

May you experience many blessings and celebrate resurrection during these holy days!