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
No comments:
Post a Comment