He's back !!

TiTomas came back home yesterday.  As you see, he's always ready and proud to show off his stitches.  He has spent most of his time in bed which is to be expected.  It won't be long he'll be up to his old tactics.  Thank you for your prayers.

Help

I make an effort to keep this blog positive and uplifting.  My thinking is that folks want to get behind a winner, someone who gets thing done.  And we do on many levels thanks to a lot of help from a lot of different sources.  However, the global economic downturn has impacted us and we are struggling to provide the basics for the children.  There's much we would like to do but we have to feed the 650 children, clothe them, educate them and care for them medically.  These are the basics and we need help.  We're indebted to the many who donate to help us with the children. There's something else you can do to help us that does not cost a penny.  We need to build up our email list: send us the names and email addresses of like-minded folks so we can reach out to more people, ask friends and family to check out our website or this blog, talk about us in your church or club...  Help us save children from destitution.  Help us free the kids by giving them a chance at a future.  God will bless you for this.  Thank you very much.

Father Marc

Lucienne Dorvil

Good news!  Lucienne is now living at St Etienne's Home for the Aged.  Just so happens they had a vacancy for a female.  Coincidence?  For some maybe but not for me.  Gotta be the Holy Spirit. This is the only nursing home in all of southern Haiti.  It is always full and when I asked if there was space for Lucienne the answer was "not now".  Two days later there was an opening for a female.  Help for the Aged (a Canadian NGO) and St Mark's Parish in the Worcester Diocese make possible this home so we are in their debt.  Thank you for your prayers.

Edith Simon

This is Edith Simon.  She's 22 years old and a leper.  Yes, you heard me right-- she's a leper.  This is 2009 but leprosy still exists and causes much suffering.  Oh, she's been treated and doing all right now but this is after her two feet were removed, her nose redone (look closely at the photo) and her fingertips cut off.  Edith is young and vivacious but has no one to help her.  She wants to continue her secondary education.  Can you help?

Is there a doctor in the house?

Meet Doctor Clausel Bertrand Junior who has joined our medical team.  We anticipate losing Doctor Jacob as he needs to fulfill the state requirement of public service for a year.  Welcome, doc.  Good to have you with us.

Lloyd and Jean-Gardy

Lloyd and Jean-Gardy are starting to work on the beautification of their area. Cleaning, weeding, planting flowers... Lady Bird Johnson would be proud.

Daily chores

Kerly, in the gray shirt facing right, asked why we do this when more leaves are always falling.  I remember asking my father that about a hundred years ago.  Choupi and Joanel (not in the photo) do a great job of encouraging the kids to pick up trash every afternoon.

The Meadows

 

Hannah and Peter Meadow spent a week with us and departed for other parts of Haiti this morning.  While here, both worked on the Hospitality Program agenda and course schedule.  Thanks very much and Godspeed to you both.  That's little John sleeping on Peter.  

Clothing distribution

Matante sorting through the clothing

and giving them to the various housemothers

The clothing that came in with the New Jersey container was sorted into four categories: girls, boys, mens and ladies.  The children's clothing has already been distributed and it is now the ladies turn.

Light in the darkness

 

Wide path (really bad road) that leads to our northern neighborhood where the older boys live.

 

Some of the 15 homes that are now electrified so the boys and others here enjoy lights at night.  Talk about an upgrade in comfort!

 

One of the three transformers and switches we were able to buy to make this system work. We express our gratitude to Thomas Cracchiolo and his family foundation for this miracle of light. The residents of the northern neighborhood and the population now have access to electricity for the first time.  I can see the homes from the roof of my house and it's quite a sight to behold now after dark.  

TiTomas

 

This is TiTomas just after awakening after surgery.  We brought him to CiteMed this morning as he was vomiting blood.  The doctors decided to operate and we prayed!  He had two ruptures in his intestines which were fixed.  These were caused by some sort of trauma.  Anyone who knows TiTomas is not surprised as bumps and bruises are part of his daily life.  Prognosis is very positive if we can keep him still.  The scary part is that he would have died had they not operated.  This medical intervention cost $1,000 (US) which we gladly paid but what about those who could not afford it?  

 

Lucienne Dorvil

 

Lucienne was brought to us this morning in a wheelbarrow.  She can no longer walk as her left side is too weak she says.  Sounds like she had a stroke.

 

Lucienne is around fifty years old, has no family and cannot work.  She was living on someone's porch until that person forced her out.  She spent the last major storm outside with no shelter.  We'll be looking to find her a place to live at St Etienne's in town or at LaCharite. Please say a prayer that we are sucessful.  Thanks.

Grace

, 

Several times every day we stop to give thanks for our blessings.  Here the kids are saying grace for the food they are about to eat like they do for every meal.  Every morning at prayer and at Mass we pray for our benefactors and those less fortunate.  Of course, not all the kids pay attention all the time but the seed is planted.  What they do with the seed is up to them.  Our responsibility is to simply plant seeds.

FINALLY !!

The truck hauling the long-awaited container from New Jersey arrived yesterday.

This is what we saw when the doors opened.

It took a lot of muscle to unload the hundreds of boxes, wood, tools...

Just a few of the boxes

Over sixty cots for the younger and smaller children.  The fact that they stack is great; that they are wash and dry is fantastic!

We are very grateful for our Rotary friends in Ridgewood, NJ and surrounding communities for this huge effort.  May God bless your generosity!

Aurevoir, dear visitors

Folklore dancing troupe

The girls of Espwa with their new knitted hats and purses

From L to R and top to bottom:  Hillary, Dr. Cynthia

Claire, Allie, Nina

These wonderful friends are leaving us this morning after spending a week working in the clinic, teaching the girls knitting and bonding with the children.  Boy, the week went by fast!  Bon voyage and we look forward to your next trip.

Flora

 

 

 

These are the flowers just outside the guest house at Castel-Pere.  

Leisure time

Matante and Papi relaxing and playing a game of dominoes.

Barrel of fun

 

Dave enjoying himself on a barrel with the help of his older sister, Janine.

Corpus Christi

 

Group shot of some of the First Communicants waiting for the service to begin

 

Another photo of the First Communicants reciting a prayer

 

A little feast for them, their families and friends.

Today is the feast of Corpus Christi, an ideal day to receive your First Holy Communion.  After two years of classes, forty-four of our young people received the Body and Blood of Christ this morning for the first time.  It was a beautiful and solemn occasion. Our prayers accompany them as they mature in their faith.

Three of forty-four

Jacquelin

Gedna Mackenson

Mateus Guivens

There were forty of them but these three will have to suffice.

Silicone

 

Fritzner leads by example. He's seen here filling in little holes in the walls that nasty critters love.  After filling in the holes, we'll be fumigating.

 

JahRoro lends a hand to the project.

 

Alexis and Sam, Public Health workers, pose while assisting Fritzner.  The guys are doing a terrific job in all aspects of public health.

Knitting Group

Dr. Cynthia DeSoi is here with a mini-medical group for a week.  Cynthia always brings a knitting project with her and noticed the girls were interested so she brought along knitting needles and yarn for all our girls and today was their intro class into the wonderful world of creating stuff.  Above you see six of the girls absorbed by the craft and below is Tama concentrating on the bag/purse she is making.

Elizabeth

 

                                                                                                                

Elizabeth was standing by while I was taking the photos of the twins.  She looked a tad sad so I asked if she minded sitting for a photo.  She warmly smiled.

Twins

 

Jameson and James

Remember the commercial on TV a long time ago: "Double your pleasure, double your fun..."? Well, we have a few candidates should they ever decide to remake it.  

Double trouble

 

Rosenie and Rosena

 

Mandly and Mandy

 

Bertho and Jean-Bertho

 

Onal and Onaldo

Kelliya

 

This is Kelliya.  She was baptized this morning.  Kelliya's mother died at childbirth and her father abandoned her immediately after that. Kelliya is lucky to have her aunt who cares for her as though she were her own.  Kelliya smiled through the whole service but the second a camera showed up her smile vanished. 

Public Health

 

Fritzner was up and about very early this morning, filling 5 gallon water bottles for the children's homes.  The kids drink water where they find it and sometimes it is not potable.  This water source was tested and found to be all right so the filled water bottles will go to the house mothers and be available to the children.

 

Here Fritzner (center) sprays the small food depot as one too many cockroaches was found at inspection time.  Fritzner is the Public Health Team leader and they keep him busy.

Normal state of affairs

 

 

 

Three of our five vehicles are out of commission.  Above you see the KIA with its wheel off.  Bearings need replacement I'm told.  And below that is the TOYOTA.  I'm no mechanic but I don't think leafsprings are supposed to hang like this.  The military truck has been decommissioned (get it?) for two months now.  It is too old and battered so it just plunked itself down at LaMadonne and refuses to get up. The roads down here are a challenge and the vehicles suffer the brunt of it all.

Bedside bureau

 

Father Fred who runs the only nursing home in town was impressed when he saw the quality of work our carpenters were producing.  He ordered a dozen of these small bureaus for the folks at St Etienne's Home.  I'm sure they will appreciate these very much.

Andy

 

Andy is now 14 years old.  He is excellent doing somersaults and acrobatic stunts that make me nervous.  He loves to sing, is a good student and works really well with the younger boys.  Andy is fairly quiet and reserved and is not comfortable speaking about himself. You can always count on Andy when there are chores to be done.

Abner

 

Abner, also known as TiSourit, sits on the porch of our little corner store with a couple of friends.  Abner is twelve and wants to be a singer and dancer, a mechanic and chauffeur, a carpenter and dabble in politics.  It is extremely rewarding to hear the kids dream like this.  It was not long ago all Abner thought of was whether or not he would eat tomorrow.  See what your support allows!!

Rebirth of a chair

 

Here's the chair that Robenson repaired and cleaned up. The carpenters added a caned seat and a rack back.  All it needs now is some black paint on the metal frame and we've got a winner.

Johnny Joseph

 

Johnny Joseph is a serious student.  He dreams of being a doctor someday.  He enjoys doing Arts & Crafts and playing soccer in his free time.  Johnny is fourteen and he has one younger sister who lives with his single mom.  Johnny sends his warmest wishes to Sue (who visited us a while back) and wanted me to tell her that God will protect Scott.  A day does not go by when he does not think of Sue and pray for her.  

Lifaite Nelson

 

Lifaite is one of four brothers here.  Jonas and Ronald are older and Jocelyn is the youngest.  Lifaite surprised everyone last week at the spektak.  He's part of a singing group and he brought everyone to their feet.  What a talented showman!  Lifaite wants to learn plumbing but we don't offer that trade yet in our vocational school and sending him to town for this is too expensive.  Maybe someday.