Author Archives: Felician Mission: Haiti

Today, January 12 is the 4th anniversary of the devastating earthquake that destroyed most of Haiti. On that day many lives were lost and families were torn apart, homes were lost and people’s lives were destroyed.

Melinda and John Philip, sister and brother lost their parents and home that day 4 years ago. Melinda is now 22 and John Philip is 12. They both now are in the 5th grade. Since that day they have lived with relatives and friends, living in difficult conditions, being hungry and sleeping on chairs because there was no space for them to lie down. We met them a year ago when they began to participate in our english classes and food program. Now Melinda not only learns english but assists us in our Mother Angela kitchen in feeding our hungry children. Yesterday, we were able to help them rent a room. Besides a few clothes they did not have anything else. We found two mattresses in our container, some furniture, sheets and towels, cooking utensils, table and chairs, and some other household items to get them started to be on their own.

The Lord planned the day, we had help from friends and got the truck from Bishop Launay to transport the things needed for their home. The truck could only get to a certain point on the road where they now live so we needed to carry everything down a narrow path. We thank those of you who made it possible for Melinda and John Philip to have their own place now and depend on God’s providence to continue to help them in the future.

Every morning, sitting with the Word of God, I try to see my life in Jacmel in the light of the Word of the day. Today I ask myself: Do I believe Jesus is the Son of God, my Savior and my Lord? The Spirit of the Lord testifies this to me–Jesus came in the flesh, human and divine, for me. Do I believe this? Do I accept this truth? The truth is “God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son…” Believe! Give testimony and testify to this personal love you know and experience.

“If you want, wish, you can make me clean.” Are the poor here my untouchables, the situations that come my way? Jesus, you have the power to make all things new – I know and see all the situations here that are concerns for me, those situations that need your healing and blessing, fixing, making right. Consider the Toyota ambulance; it seems like a good solution to aid the poor and sick, to give people a job and income. Yet you say, “not yet.” Then we think about the pallet–donations sent by ship from a parish faith community from the goodness of their hearts. It was sent over a month ago, and it still sits in the port, waiting to be released because of the hardness of hearts of others. Yet you say, “not yet.” Ponder the situation of the two siblings who have no place to live, so they search for a place to sleep, a home of their own. It is like the Holy Family as they searched for a place to stay. We feel called to help in the search, but rent is so expensive here for the poor. We are asking others to help us in the search and seeing how this is building relationships.

I hear you today, Jesus, saying, “of course I want and wish to heal all these situations that will extend my power and healing for others.” Jesus, you are always giving back what is lost: health, home, family, human dignity. Use me to be your touch today, to all who come to our door.

Every morning, sitting with the Word of God, I try to see my life in Jacmel, Haiti, in the light of the Word of the day. Today there are two lines in the first reading that grab my attention: …”whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him self,” and “…who possesses the Son has eternal life.”

Our life here is very different from the lives we each led before Jacmel. It is totally directed toward others. We are not doing great deeds but small ones, such as giving a cup of water to someone who is thirsty. Our normal day will be spent on preparing for morning English class and conducting the class; buying food for Kizin Manman Angela; searching for a room to rent for two siblings whose parents died during the earthquake and who still do not have a place to sleep; finding help for someone failing in school; etc. When you add to this very hot weather, even this can be so tiring. I am also learning a new “trade”….making bracelets for girls in order to teach them to make the bracelets themselves…. Two years ago I would not have believed anyone who would have told me I could do this! And, of course, there are our Creole classes….so we would be able to communicate and, most of all, to proclaim the Word to them. How much I desire to tell them that, even if they have hardly anything material, they have Jesus Christ; and having Him, they have eternal life and they have this testimony in themselves. One of my biggest joys here was when I was able to begin giving little catechesis in Creole before Christmas. This is such a joy to be able to proclaim the Good News in a different language!

Today was the last day for our FC VIMsters. The young people with whom our volunteers worked all week gathered in the chapel to adore the Child Jesus. After that, it was a long time of good-byes.

During the Christmas season, we visited the families of our students; our Felician College volunteers joined us for these visits. Each family was very happy to welcome us into their home, even though there were about 20 of us since our kids all walked with us on these visits. Our visits to the homes teach us alot about our kids living conditions and family life.

Today we celebrate not only New Year’s Day, but Independence Day here in Haiti. When the French were in control, there was a law which stated that only the French were able to eat soup because they were in the upper class. The French used to have a custom that only they could eat soup on New Year’s Day. Blacks weren’t allowed.

Eventually when Haiti proclamed its independence, all Haitians started to eat soup. It was a way to demonstrate that everyone was equal. Since that time, the Haitian people keep this custom of eating pumpkin soup on Independence Day. The soup was a symbol that the French were no longer in control. People did not want to be treated like slaves and told what they could and could not do. Cooking and eating the soup on New Year’s Day is a way to celebrate freedom. We joined our Haitian brothers and sisters in eating pumpkin soup.