8 teens from the Felician Haiti Mission participated in a special computer online program conducted by Jean-Marc Julien, a computer programer and consultant from Chicago, Illinois. Jean-Marc met Peterson, our computer lab director in a course he led. Jean-Marc recognized Peterson was gifted and asked if he could give a web development class on-line to our young people in our mission. Jean-Marc is Haitian American and wanted to give back to his country. He has certainly paid it forward with this project. The rest is history. The course was eight weeks and they met twice a week.
Portfolio Project Overview
For the final project, students used everything they have learned in HTML and CSS to create a personal portfolio website that showcases their web development skills. Students chose to work individually or in pairs (2 students per group)
The students presented their projects and all did very well in learning the process.
The other day, Wilkens came to visit us. He was with us as a teen. We had accompanied him and supported his schooling as a teen. Now he is with the Haiti Police Force. We gave him a cross with the Benedictine medal and assured him of our prayers We are very proud of Officer Wilkens.
On Tuesday, February 3, the Felician Mission Faith Formation classes met with Fr. Samson Pierre, pastor of the Cathedral. The parents and students welcomed Father and then began the meeting with a sung praising God and the gift of his Word. All catechists were introduced to the parents. Father Samson spoke with the students, first explaining the importance of growing in faith. He then spoke with the parents about their responsibilities in accompanying their child in the faith. After the meeting ,Father Samson met with all the catechists individually.
On Monday, February 2, we gathered with the many different religious communities of the Diocese of Jacmel. The day began with Morning Prayer, a conference followed by small group sharing, and then Mass with Bishop Errick Glandas. A CLUNY Sister celebrated her 50th anniversary of religious life and renewed her vows. It was a grace to be together and a great sign of hope for the mission of being a prophetic presence where we are. All the communities introduced themselves, Sister Inga spoke for the Felician Sisters, and Sister Marilyn led one of the intercessions during the Mass.
On Sunday, February 1, we celebrated two birthdays–Sister Inga (February 2) and Dala (February 4) with a special family dinner of their favorite foods and, of course, a birthday cake of their choice.
This program was created by the Felician Sisters years ago in response to the need for clean water in the Jacmel area. It is intended for women, those who serve life in so many ways.
We witnessed people drinking water from the river or other places where there was no clean water source. The Mother Angela Clinic has had many illnesses brought by unclean water. We ourselves have experienced serious illness after buying juice prepared with unclean water. We started to look for ways to help people to get access to clean water. We researched some programs already existing, and then we created our own: “Servants of the Living Water.”
In the beginning we were the trainers, but soon after we created a small group of women who would go with us or without us to different parts of the Jacmel area to train people and to entrust them the mission of providing clean water to their families and to help others, especially families with children in order to have access to clean water.
The program has 3 parts.
Spiritual: where we pray with people and read the Scriptures to help them to see water as God’s gift for everybody. We also show them how other people in the world care for them by giving them the gift of a filter and a bucket.
Educate: how unclean water affects our health and the importance of using clean water especially for children.
Teach: how to filter water and how to clean filters to be able to use them for a long time.
The pictures are from the last program that took place in Marigot, a town 1h away from Jacmel. Women came for from a place even farther and had to walk a few hours to get to Marigot.
Pictures taken at our Mission are from the preparation and training of 2 young women, Melinda and Rosemarie, who lead the program in Marigot. They also assemble the buckets and filters. we thank all those who crochet filter covers in so many beautiful colors and designs.
Thank you to all who help give clean water to our Haitian sisters and brothers.
Sister Julitta and her assistant, Junior, continue to extend the “sewing circle “ in the mission. A new class of 12 students began in December and has concluded with them making the traditional apron. It continues to amaze us how our young people discover hidden talent in sewing.
As many of you know, we are back in Jacmel, Haiti, serving where needed in the Felician Mission. We have been communicating with our sisters, associates and lay partners since August regarding all that has been happening, and now we thought it was time to start the blog again with photos and all that has been happening with us.
Where there is hope, there is life. And for sure there is life happening in the Felician Mission. We had a beautiful Christmas celebration with the story of the first Christmas with the birth Jesus.
After the Nativity story, the children received gifts and a hot meal. We are grateful to many of you who assisted with your generosity.
We began our Faith Formation program in January with children and teens in need of the Sacraments. We have bout 60 participants this year.
Stay tuned for some more updates for we have been busy about the Father’s business with activities. There is much hope here!
The force, which is backed by the United Nations and financed by the United States, had been stalled since October, when Kenyan opponents of the mission challenged it in court, calling it unconstitutional. The High Court upheld some of those arguments on Friday, throwing into doubt the latest international effort to rescue an impoverished country that is spiraling ever deeper into violence and instability. “An order is issued prohibiting the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti or any other country,” Justice Chacha Mwita said at the conclusion of a judgment that took 40 minutes to read.
The international force was meant to help break the grip of the armed gangs that control most of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, and have turned Haiti into one of the world’s most dangerous nations. Haiti’s government has pleaded for foreign military forces to be sent in to restore order, but the United States and Canada have been unwilling to commit their own troops.”
Thanks be to God the 6 nuns who were kidnapped last week have been freed.
Felician Sisters of North America Mission: Haiti 