Final Days

I’ve been slow at blogging the rest of our trip because of bad internet connections and busy days there.


The weekend was a succession of three great Masses. Anyone that thinks a 10 minute sermon is long ought to try listening to a 45 minute one in Creole. There were many exotic dishes to try at the feast.  I guess I wasn’t careful enough because I had some GI problems afterwards. Shirley got a good look at the kitchen conditions and decided not to eat much. After the Sunday Mass I had the honor of baptizing two babies.

Monday was the highlight of my trip. After being on the parish grounds for most of the past three days we had the opportunity to drive around the area. We started with the local dispensary that cares for minor health problems. We gave them an electronic thermometer and some first aid supplies that were donated. We gave some more of the same supplies to the new home for elderly women that was built with our parish’s donations. When we looked for a supervisor a young women volunteered that she could help us. When her talk seemed strange Fr. Al told us that she was a resident that had gone crazy in the midst of the earthquake. The building is small but is home to 8 women and serves lunch to others like the elderly blind man we met. Bernard was our translator for the day. He wants to go to college and study English but needs assistance since his father died in the earthquake.

Next we went to Goiun and met some of the people that go to the small chapel made of palm branches there.  A priest comes to the several chapels served by the parish once or twice a month for Sunday Mass. Building a permanent chapel here is Fr. Herve’s next goal. The parishioners took us to some of their homes which are in the foothills. A lady grabbed each of Shirley’s hands as we walked the cow paths along the steep slopes. We saw a typical mud hut that is smaller than most of our bedrooms that is home to 6 people. A man knocked down some coconuts and opened them with a machete for us. We had a good laugh as an older lady tried to teach Shirley a Haitian shimmy. We saw two more chapels; one was also a palm branch cathedral that hopes to start a better building by their tenth anniversary later this year.

That evening we went to a beautiful beach.  Haiti does not attract the tourists that other Caribbean islands do because of the lack of adequate services and the instability of the poor nation.

Tuesday we visited some of the students again, handing out toothbrushes and a couple of soccer balls that lit up the eyes of the young ones. Then we headed back to Port au Prince. Slowed by town markets that filled the highway and the big city rush hour it took us 5 hours to go 90 miles. We would spend our last night in Haiti in rooms at the national Caritas center which administers many types of Catholic charities. Fr. Herve provided a Valentine meal at a nice restaurant in the company of the national director of Caritas, the Chancellor and auxiliary bishop of the diocese. It was an American style restaurant but the doorkeeper with the 12 gauge shotgun reminded us we were still in Haiti.

Our trip home was delightfully uneventful and filled with the joy of being on home soil. . It had been great to see the progress we have been a part of in our sister parish. But it was also good to reconnect with the people there and introduce them and their very different world to Shirley, Jim, and Maureen. We look forward to sharing our pictures, videos, and stories.

Deacon Tim

Main Street, Laborde, Haiti

Bonne Fete!

Saturday morning broke early as raindrops fell pleasantly across the parish grounds.  "The first rain of the year, said Fr. Herve.  It's a blessing from Our Lady!"

The church bell pealed the call to the Solennal Mass for Notre Dame (the solemn mass for Our Lady).  The skies had cleared as the parishioners, dressed in their finest and most festive clothing, made their way to the Mass of Celebration.  Over 700 loyal churchgoers swayed to the calypso beats in praise of Our Lady of Lourdes.  Trumpets, guitars and bongos combined to create a festive spirit appropriate for the celebration at hand.  Deacon Tim spoke with eloquence of the fellowship between St. Lawrence and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes.  Fellow preachers spoke and the service concluded at the end of over three hours.

The over twenty concelebrants of the mass, as well as those involved made way to the parish rectory for a banquet feast of Caribbean delicacies.  Using the French word "convivialitie", Fr. Herve greeted all with the phrase "Bonne Fete!" which proclaimed the "good festival" of Our Lady.


Jim

(Left to right:  Deacon Tim, Maureen, Fr. Herve, Mr. Octuvre, Fr. Al, Jim, Shirley)

Festival Time

On Friday night, we began our celebration with an evening vigil.  The event began at the parish nursing home here in Laborde, which is right down the rocky main street from the church.  When we arrived, there was a large handmade sign that read "Bien Vunue Les Visiteurs".  The congregation appears to be happy that we are joining in the celebration, but also very intrigued by our group.  When we arrived at the meeting place, groups had already began to congregate.  When we came in to sight, I felt as though there were hundreds of eyes staring straight at me.  Some of the people embrace us with handshakes, hugs or kisses.  But there were also many that are very timid in addressing us.  It has been interesting to communicate with the Our Lady of Lourdes community from both sides, but overall I feel very welcome here in Laborde.

From our meeting place we processed through town to the church.  I would estimate it was about a 15 minute walk, timed perfectly with the setting sun.  By the time we arrived at the church steps, our entire group had ignited our candles and concluded the chanting.  We filled the church and went on with the service.  Over twenty priests were in attendance to concelebrate the mass.  The participation of all involved was truly inspiring.

After church, we retreated to the rectory where we were invited to join the priests and others for a feast of goat stew and cold Prestige (Haitian beer).  What a party!  Also, what made the stew particularly poignant was that the goat himself was part of our welcoming party just four short days ago.  Talk about a host that is willing to give it all!


Maureen

Sisters of Charity

When Fr. Herve suggested a day trip to Les Cayes, my initial thought was a trip to the Sisters of Charity was a definite must.  Having visited before, I felt very touched, and was hoping to share the experience with our group.  

Upon arrival at the compound, we were met by the jovial Sister Superior.  Even though we came unannounced, she was warm and very willing to show us around the grounds.  We spent about 45 minutes walking from department to department.  Orphaned children from the 2012 earthquake, handicapped children and adults who had been abandoned, and the poorest of the poor whom have been affected by many terrible diseases.  She even described that children are commonly dropped off at their front gate.  One image that sticks in my mind is one worker feeding nearly twelve babies less than a year old, all on the floor waiting eagerly for the spoon to reach their mouths.  The work and compassion of these Sisters is absolutely amazing.  Through her tour and narrative, it was definitely apparent that this truly is a place where miracles happen.

Tim

Heartache and Joy

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were days of heartache and joy.  Fr. Herve took us to Mother Teresa's orphanage and care center ran by the Sisters of Charity.  The love and compassion extended to those dying of TB and AIDS and the gratitude of those afflicted was a profound experience.  The needs of orphaned and challenged children gives witness to recognizing charity as fundamental in our lives.

The school of Our Lady of Lourdes shows the spirit and potential of this island.  To see the parish gather for the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes and raise a joys song of celebration and thanksgiving was unforgettable.  Fr. Herve is in charge of a special place.


Jim

Haiti Revealed

My wake up call this morning was the chorus of the dogs barking, the birds chirping, the rooster crowing... followed by the fresh, crisp sound of the church bells.  It was around 6:00 a.m., not so early but so different from waking up in Carroll.  There was a sense of peace and tranquility as I welcomed the dawning of a new day in Haiti.  The silence was broken only by the soulful and harmonious songs in church by the priest and people attending mass.  Their voices sounds celestial and very soothing.  The early morning spiritual songs reminded me so much of my experiences in the past when I have visited convents and monasteries; what a refreshing, peaceful and joyful way of starting out a new day.

After breakfast of typical Haitian food, our morning was spent at our sister parish's Catholic school.  We met with the teachers and saw the conditions of the classrooms and the needs of the students, but most of all, we watched the joyful and enthusiastic faces of the children as they sang songs for us after we gave them candies and chocolates.  Though the buildings in the school grounds are viable places to teach and learn, they do not offer much space and comfort to the students.  The classrooms are well ventilated and not air-conditioned, because there were open-air doors and windows.  There was only basic furniture to be seen, like a small teachers desk, an old fashion chalkboard and rugged student desks.  There are usually two to three students to each desk.  Seeing this situation first hand makes me feel so blessed and grateful to have so many gifts and amenities and life from God, but it also humbles me to think that these poor people are much more deserving to have all the extras to enjoy, but do not really need.

Right away, electricity was turned off right after the bells rang this morning.  So the cold shower was a welcome relief from the heat.  This afternoon was spent driving through Les Cayes (a nearby town), where we visited the infirmary and orphanage ran by the Sisters of Charity (founded by Mother Teresa of Calcutta).  Again, in spite of the clean and poor condition of the facility, the orphans, the handicapped and the sick people (mostly with AIDS) seemed joyful with their big smiles and friendly "hellos".

Our evening was concluded with a dinner at the beach under the canopy of stars and bright golden moon. This day was a day of discovery and of strengthening our ties and friendship with our sister parish.  Tomorrow, we will bring more revelation and I just can't wait!


Shirley

A Whole New World

Father Herve (pronounced: Air-vey) peered into the rearview mirror.  "Are you scared?" he said with a cheeky grin.  I glanced at the speedometer.  The dial hit 72 mph.  We maneuvered our way around four grown men on a motorcycle.  I shut my mouth and closed my eyes, praying we would arrive at our destination soon...

As mentioned, the roads are in poor condition and unbelievably chaotic.  It was a long journey to get here, which made our arrival to our week-long home at Laborde that much more of a relief.  It has been quite an adjustment from my normal routine in just about every way possible.  I wake up in a knotted mosquito net to the sounds of stray dogs, roosters and church bells every day at 6:00 a.m.  Food has been one of my biggest obstacles.  Although I do not claim to be a picky eater, it is tough to find anything very tempting around here.  Let's just say, I did not know there were so many ways to cook a goat.  The Coca-Cola and plantains are fabulous though!

My favorite part of the trip thus far has been visiting the school.  Notre Dame de Lourdes is located just across the street from our parish.  It is basically an open field with about six concrete, tin-roof buildings (as seen in Deacon's last post).  It was amazing to see the condition of the school; especially after visiting my nephew's Kindergarten class at Kuemper last week.  No, there were no iPads being used by these 5-year-olds.  What we found were dilapidated chalkboards and homemade books.  The children were all dressed in a uniform and appeared very eager to learn and interested in interacting with our group.  It was amazing to see the school, but evident that more aid is needed in order for these children to fully achieve their potential.


Maureen White

Dreams Come True

Dreams.  It's wonderful to see St. Lawrences' dream of a wonderful hall and remodeled church come to fruition.  Nine years ago, the dreams of the pastor of our sister parish in Haiti seemed impossible and now many of them and others are a reality.  It is overwhelming to see the building the that the two sister parishes have done.

Shirley, Jim and Maureen have already written about our journey here - pushy porters at the airport and their outrageous fees, the race through the night for a hundred miles to the parish in Laborde. The way people, motorbikes, donkeys... would pop out of the dark and Fr. Herve would dodge them reminded Jim of a video game that kept him and the ladies all on the edge of their seats.  I know the road and Father's driving skill, so to me it was a delightful amusement ride.  The shock of a strange culture can be overwhelming at first, but for me, I felt very much at home when we reached the parish buildings.

In the morning light, I was impressed with the progress made on building the dreams of a decade ago.  New high school classrooms have been built near the elementary school.  The old classrooms by the church had the hot tin roofs removed and replaced with sturdy and concrete roofs that keep the rooms cooler .  Sewing is being taught in a room there, also bathrooms and a small hall for the parish to gather have been put where the classes had been held.  The volunteers preparing the church for the festival have lunch there.

The morning was spent visiting all the school classrooms.  In 2003, teachers went months without pay.  They were demoralized, and some times wouldn't even show up to teach.  Our donations have changed all of that.  They are very professional now, discipline is better and the students are learning more.  They have more textbooks and learning aids now.  It is so good to witness our parish's part in creating a better future for these young people.

Deacon Tim

A Wild Ride

Upon leaving the airport tarmack and entering the muggy customs building we were confronted by the obligatory confusion and rudeness that seems to go with crossing a border.  Patience seemed to wear the officials down and we entered a madhouse of porters all competing for the right to carry our baggage.  These guys give the word aggressive a whole new meaning.

Luckily, we found our lost Fr. Herve in that mass of humanity.  Six of us squeezed into one and one half seats of a Nissan and took of on a car ride of a lifetime.  The sights of devastation caused by poverty and natural disaster created an unforgettable landscape.  Our route was full of people, road conditions, competing traffic all navigated with speed, skill, horn and brakes and a solid measure of luck.  Four hours later we were grateful to be in Laborde, Haiti.

Our late evening meal hosted by Fr. Herve and his brother priests allowed us to unwind.  Our hosts are men of quiet confidence and great care.  I am looking forward to what tomorrow will bring...

Jim White

We're Here!

Bienvenu! (That's "Welcome" in French)... And we surely had a warm one this afternoon when we arrived at the airport in Haiti.  The temperature was a balmy 95 degrees, but most of all the people seemed eager to see us and help us in any way they know how!

Visiting Haiti for the first time with Deacon Tim, Jim and Maureen White, I was excited and fully prepared (I thought) to meet all the challenges I was to encounter in this country.  Remember this is only our first day in Haiti, and already we were faced with a variety of challenges that tested our patience, endurances, understanding, faith in God and trust in the people we met today.

Within minutes of getting off the plane I, started to learn more about Haiti and its people (lessons that are not learned by books, Google or hearsays).

Here are the top ten lessons I learned on our first day in Haiti:
1.)  Haiti is a beautiful country.  From the air it looks like a graceful maiden, asleep and floating in the tiny ripples of the water of the gulf.
2.)  Most homes are built closer to the shore, but the hills and mountain slopes are dotted with tiny, colorful houses (the tin roofs are sometimes painted with bright shapes of red and orange).
3.)  Though obviously impoverished, the people seemed happy and content (I didn't see any grumpy Haitians).
4.)  Haitians love to walk and visit by the roadside (they don't seem to realize the danger).
5.)  Motorcycles and bicycles, as well as refurbished school buses and trucks (called tap-taps) are favorite modes of transportation in Haiti.
6.)  Road as narrow and not very well maintained, but they offer the best challenge to even the most skilled driver (Like Fr. Herve).
7.)  There are no traffic lights, lanes, right-of-ways or signal lights in Haiti.
8.)  Most people on the streets are very young to middle-aged adults.  I did not see any elderly, whether ambulatory or using special equipment -- like walkers or wheelchairs.
9.)  Our sister parish in Laborde is a beautiful place nestled quietly in the countryside amid tall trees and green banana plants.
10.)  Fr. Herve (The pastor of our sister parish), together with his staff at the rectory were genuinely gracious, warm and generous with their time and attention for our needs.

Tomorrow, we have another full schedule.  But for now, I must go to bed... it is past midnight and I have to catch some sleep.  We didn't get here until almost 9pm.  I can't wait until tomorrow and the surprises and lessons it will bring.


Shirley Molitor

The Final Countdown

About all my packing is done. Just got some tooth brushes and medical thermometers to squeeze in.  Beyond our personal items our group is taking four 13 gallon tubs full of sheets, towels, and assorted items. I've been reading journals of my past trips to prepare myself mentally: just a 2 hour flight from the USA, a different reality, a hot tropical climate with insect born disease so take pants & long sleeves, beautiful coasts punctuated with streams chocked with garbage, cell phone towers rise above mud huts with starving people. They are the reason we are going. I look forward to seeing my friend Fr. Herve and others I’ve met there –like children that have grown up since my trips in 2003 & 2009. Here is an entry when I reflected back on my first trip: I see many faces, black, shiny, startled by a ruddy stranger, hollow faces, some desperate, some peaceful, in their faces you can see determination, resignation, pleading, curiosity they are all God’s children. 

Jim and Maureen’s blogs reflect the faith and trust involved in an initial trip to Haiti. Much of the sense of security we take for granted here doesn’t exist there. Like children we put ourselves into the hands of our Lord which is really true of all the faithful, it’s just more obvious in Haiti. I thank God for the prayers offered for our trip and for Fr. Herve and others that will take good care of us.

God’s peace,

Deacon Tim

Our Beautiful Adventure

Our journey is quickly approaching.  Because I was a late addition to the group, I haven't had much more than about a month to prepare.  Since my commitment, I have spent time reflecting and educating myself on Haitian culture.  Still, I do not know what to expect as we land in Port-au-Prince tomorrow afternoon.

As a student at Creighton University, I had many friends that partook in service trips and other like experiences.  The fact that I never took advantage of those opportunities was something I have deeply regretted since graduation.  I am very excited to be a part of the St. Lawrence group and eager to experience the Haitian world.

There are many things I fear about our trip, but I am certain it will be an experience I will treasure for a lifetime.  It is sure to be a journey of self-reflection and discovery with a greater understanding of our world.  I have found overwhelming support from my family, friends and professors as I have been preparing for our departure.  Although many of the details are uncertain, I am thrilled to embark on our belle aventure!


Maureen White

Journey of a Lifetime

This invitation to attend the feast day celebration of Our Lady of Lourdes parish to the people of St. Lawrence is an indication of the great significance placed on the long standing relationship between the two congregations.  It is an honor to be part of the local delegation who will attend the feast day on February 11th.

All events of consequence in our lives are preceded by a period of uncertainty.  As I contemplate the upcoming journey I am filled with uncertainty.  My goal is to "quiet my mind" in order to comprehend and appreciate the spirit of the people we will encounter in the coming days.  I suspect the experience will be life changing.


Jim White

Mission to Haiti

When I went to Haiti by myself in the past I looked forward to the company of others on a future trip. It is already apparent how the interests, energy and gifts of a group will make this trip different. I knew Shirley Moliter’s nursing background would help with improving the health of people in our sister parish in Laborde. She has been collecting some basic products for health and first aid to take with us. When she heard of the recent cholera outbreak since the earthquake she became interested in building a well in Laborde to provide them with safe drinking water. I thought: Ok, nice idea, but big project. But she has already worked at making the idea a reality by talking to a few potential donors to the project. We now have another goal to work on during our trip.

I know Jim White has been interested in Haiti and making a visit there for a long time. His sense of charity and experience will be a great asset. So will his daughter, Maureen. It will be good to have a young adult with us. Maureen plans to use her journalism talents to report about our trip while we’re there via this blog.

I appreciate the leap of faith of these three to step out of their comfort zone and commit to this trip. I’m sure I will have some surprises with what has changed since my 2 trips to Haiti. The earthquake has changed roads, buildings, and the relocation of people. There will be improvements in the parish that started as dreams on my last trip. But the first time you go to Haiti it challenges many of your views and assumptions. Coming face to face with the people and reality of their conditions so close to the United States but so different can be life changing.

So far our group has met twice to discuss vaccinations, mosquito nets, street smarts, itineraries… to prepare. It will be great to have different perspectives of our sister parish to share on our return.

Your prayers for a fruitful trip are appreciated. Donations to fund the trip can be made out to St. Lawrence Haiti Mission.


Sincerely,
Deacon Tim