HAITIAN HOPE
April 23-27, 2009 trip to Trouin, Haiti
People ask how was your trip to Haiti? Do you say great, wonderful, a super experience when people are hungry, children walking hours to and from school, closet hospital is closed, bad water, and a future that is full of hurricanes.
I think you have to remember God’s call to serve and in Trouin it is answered in both directions. The faces of our friends are warm and worn but their smile is always present. How may I serve you is their call also.
We had a spiritual time through many services: baptism, confirmation, installation of a new Daughters of the King chapter, St. Marguerite, celebration of 10 years of ministry by 5 priests and blessings by Bishop Duracin. 400+ attended throughout the weekend. Joyous music filled the air: church bells, roosters crowing, and wonderful choirs. Visiting choral groups came in on Tap Tap buses and trucks to help celebrate St. Marc’s Day, April 26th.Young and old raised their voices to praise God for the day, for their time together and for St. Marc’s Feast Day. It truly was a camp meeting. As the night moved in twinkling lights from flashlights could be seen.
Preparing the way - school was not in session on Friday so that the rooms could be cleaned, benches removed and turned around to become pews, mats were brought in as the visitors who planned to spend the weekend filled up the classrooms. Acolyte robes and vestments were washed, probably from river water and then boiled and hung to dry. They were then ironed with hot presses, the old fashion way to us .Two shoe shine men created a micro-business on Sunday and a small food stand was set up across from the church to catch those who had not eaten.
There was busyness in every corner. Pere Michaud had picked up paint from the local hardware store in Leogane to refresh the blue paint on the church buildings. The once bumpy road around the church was still bumpy but big rocks were being removed, an old abandoned car was removed and street sweepers with home- made brooms were kept busy most of Saturday. Tarps were hung around the outside of the church in case of rain or too much sun. Cooking pots were set up everywhere. Teams of ladies seemed to know their assignments. The organizational skills that were being displayed would match any big festival we might plan. The difference being they cooked over a fire with charcoal and wood, many in dark smoky spaces, or the corner lot with a local goat or in the kitchen we helped build. Two propane stoves were used to make 4 delicious cakes for the feast. When all the chopping, cutting, peeling and cooking were done, these chefs had breakfast for the Bishop and friends plus a luncheon after the service for 100+.
Between all the activities, our team talked with the teachers and learned that the school was an accredited school, meaning the state exams can be given at St. Marc’s. The school now has 400 students K-9th grade. Parents seem to want so badly for their child to have an education that they find the $10 for the school year some way. St. Francis helps to provide a hot lunch during the school year. We talked with the Trouin nurse who manages a clinic. She has not been paid since 2007 but continues to serve…God’s call. Guy Parison from Floresta visited with us and talked about urban gardening possibilities. Five teachers had gone to some training in March, thanks to St. Francis, and saw first hand a school that was raising most of the items needed for the meals.
Staying in Trouin allowed the team to be more a part of the goings on in Trouin. Georgette rents to Pere Michaud living space and has 2 guest rooms, the other space filled with family members or guests” bunking down”. Getting water to drink was hard. The church members drank Sprites and Cokes and water in quart containers. We were never offered any, so the water probably wasn’t good. We did get a liter bottle of treated water daily plus coffee.
Hugs, hand shakes and promises to return came from us and hugs, handshakes and hearts calling for St. Francis to return came from our blessed friends.
As Pere Michaud says, my friends, my friends, I greet you in the name of our Lord and ask you to pray for us and we will pray for you too until we meet again.
Team 6
James Caldwell
Gail and Ranny Moulton
April 23-27, 2009
