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Written by Joan Martin
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   Click thumbnail to view photos of Haiti
These are photos of the new electric bakery (boulangerie) in Bombard. The project was sponsored by a group in Canada. It is a great gift to the people here, and the bread is great.
1. Bakery outside.
2. Making the dough.
3. Cutting dough and putting it onto baking pans..
- Joan
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Written by Joan Martin
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   Click thumbnail to view photos of Haiti from Joan MartinThe priests from 5 of the parishes in the far west have been planning this summer camp for the altar servers for about 6 weeks. The first location was supposed to be Gros Morne. But because bad weather and hurricane advisories made crossing the river a little difficult, the priests decided to send the group to the beach at Mole St. Nicolas. On Friday, July 30, the event began.
Fr. Roman, the pastor at Baie-de-Henne who is from the Czech Republic, donated his armored truck (sent by Caritas Czech) for transportation. The truck and 12 altar servers from Baie arrived in Bombard at about 6 AM. The18 Bombard altar servers had spent the night at the St. Francois school, sleeping on mats in the classrooms.
It took the group about 2 hours to load 4 bags of charcoal for cooking, 3 large bags of rice for eating, 2 goats for Sunday supper, and 1 large cooking pot into the truck. Fr. Cholet (in the white T-shirt in the group picture) blessed the group and told them he would see them soon in Mole. And off they went.
The trip to Mole took about 90 minutes. Then the driver back-tracked to Mare Rouge, about another 90 minute drive, and picked up the 25 altar servers from Mare Rouge and TiRivye and returned to Mole.
The camp is supposed to last for 10 days. I trust that the two cooks will be well-paid for their work and their patience.
- Joan
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Written by Joan Martin
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 On Sunday, July 25, Fr. Cholet invited me to accompany him to TiRivye for the Mass and First Communions. His parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Bombard has 2 vehicles--an old Land Rover, which was just repaired, and a new Toyota Prado, which was also just repaired. It is a very long story as to why both of the vehicles were on the other side of the flooded river in Port-de-Paix. So off we went on separate motorcycles. I will only say that the roads are not very pleasant to travel in a vehicle, much less on a motorcycle.
The Mass was very beautiful, with about 170 children and teens receiving Communion for the first time. I have no idea where they found or keep the dresses and the white shirts and ties.
The next day, July 26, we took the motos again to go to Mare Rouge for the feast day there--St. Ann. Again, a very beautiful Mass.
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Learn how six everyday items are changing life
for the better in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
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Written by Joan Martin
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 Just wanted to let you know I have arrived safely in Bombard. The AA plane arrived in PAPrince on time, I hurried over to the little airport to catch the little MAF missionary plane, and they wanted to leave early. So we did. There were storm clouds coming from the east. We missed them. We arrived at the Mole airstrip and the Wilson family and Steve Leach (from the Bombard hospital) were waiting for us. Hopefully the Wilson family, who were returning to PAPrince, missed the storm, too.
Steve and I picked up a sick woman in Mole and took her back to the hospital in Bombard.Now, I am catching up with news from the Sr. Maria Luisa and Sr. Mila. There has been much rain. Pere Cholet was stuck in PdPaix because the river was flooded. I am waiting to talk to him to know my plans.
The sisters said to tell you hello. More later. Let me know if you receive this.
- Joan
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Written by Joan Martin
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Just a few examples of what they do NOT teach in the seminary!
Dear All,
I am visiting in Gaspard for a few days. We came up on Tuesday afternoon, and we are hoping to go back down on Friday afternoon--if there is no rain. Actually, people here are complaining because there has been NO rain for almost 2 weeks--which is very strange for Gaspard (as you well know). As we were walking up, several people told us that they had used their last little bit of money to buy seeds for beans; they had planted the seeds and watched them sprout; then they watched them die in the hot sun and the dryness.
 Also as we were walking up (after leaving the truck in TiCoin, the normal parking place), several people yelled to Fr. Phechner that they wanted to talk to him. They wanted to know when he was going to give THEM something---food, medicine, money--because they were earthquake victims or because they were hungry and thought they deserved something. Fr. Phechner tried to explain to them that he is responsible for the parish and chapels of Gaspard, for which the boundaries start farther up the mountain. They did not like that response, and they threatened to cut the route up to TiCoin or worse if he did not find something for them.
We arrived at the church/rectory about 6:30--fortunately, it was not yet dark.
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Written by Joan Martin
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Yes, there are a few difficulties in Haiti right now.
1. Pere Carl has talked to some of the seminarians in PAPrince. All of them went back to study on April 6. They are residing on the grounds of the Episcopal Conference, where the bishops meet. They are living in small tents, and eating and having classes in large tents. The priests/professors were living in the bishops' quarters until Monday, when the bishops arrived for their quarterly meeting. Now the priests/professors are outside in the tents, too. That seems to be the housing condition for most of PAPrince.
2. It is becoming very difficult to find building materials in PdPaix. It seems that ALL the 2x4's have gone to PAP--to be used in the tent supports and in constructing rafters for sheet metal roofs. The sheet metal is hard to find, too. Cement is still available. Gasoline is supposedly not available in PdPaix for 10 days.
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Written by Joan Martin
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     Click thumbnail to view photos of Haiti from Joan Martin1. Kindergarten kids going home.
2. & 3. Ti Jean (Little John) cleaning the rice out of the pot and eating. I first met Ti Jean in 2004, when he was 4 years old. Now, I guess he is about 10. No parents, malnourished, underdeveloped, he lives in the street and causes disorder everywhere. Sr. Marie has tried to enroll him in her school and the public school. He doesn't go to class. He showed up at the afternoon school nutrition program for a meal, too.
4. Other street kids eating.
5. Another underdeveloped child---Sr. Marie said she has treated him for malnutrition about 10 times.
- Joan
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Written by Joan Martin
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    Click thumbnail to view photos of Haiti from Joan MartinThis is a newsletter.
Last week, I was in Chansolme to accompany Fr. Prophy. We wanted to go to his mountain chapel and school of LaVisite to take photos of the nutrition program that is sponsored by his sister parish in the Nashville area.
With the funds he receives, Fr. Prophy is able to buy enough rice, beans, and oil to prepare 2 meals a week for the 220+ students at the school. We were there for the Thursday lunch (April 8, 2010).
We arrived about 10 AM---recess had just started, and the cooks were almost finished preparing the meal. Recess ended at 10:30, and lunch started for kindergarten at 10:35. After each class had eaten, I passed out a worm medicine tablet for each student--with the permission of the head teacher. By 11:00, all the classes (K-6) had been served, plus a few others, and school was over for the day.
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Just checking in.
I spent the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday) in TiRivye with Fr. Rodolphe, who just returned to Haiti 3 days before the earthquake. The TiRivye sisters (from the Philippines) were called to PAPrince, so the people were very happy that Pere Roro and I could come to be with them.
We went back to PdP on Monday, with Pere Cholet and Msgr. Colimon (the retired Bishop of PdP). They had been together in Bombard for the Triduum. They started the Mass on Holy Saturday night at 10 PM and finished at 4 AM. (In TiRivye, we started at 8 PM and finished at 10:30).
After a good meeting with the Cocano group this morning (Wed), I came to Chansolme with Pere Prophy. We hope to go to the mountain chapel of LaVisite tomorrow to take pictures of the school nutrition program. Then back to PdP on Friday morning.
Pere Carl is supposed to pick me up on Friday afternoon to attend the ceremony with the preseminarians at Famille Myriam (from Canada). Then we go to Bonneau for a few days--hopefully to take pictures of the nutrition programs there---with the morning school, the afternoon school, and the old people.
Back to PdP on Monday afternoon. Then hopefully on Wednesday, Fr. Zacharie and I will connect with a group from his sister parish in Michigan who will be visiting the parish in Jean Rabel. The group of 6 will stay at the rectory; I will stay with Sr. Nazareth (from Spain) and Sr. Rose (from Ireland) at the convent. Back to PdP on Monday.
It is possible that on Monday I will go to visit Bombard again--Sr. Marie Luisa (from Spain) and Sr. Mila (from Colombia) will be returning, and I want to spend a little time with them.
Then maybe a visit to Gaspard with Fr. Phechner; to La Croix with Fr. Rodney and the DDL sisters from Nigeria; to LaTortue with Fr. Jocely and Fr. Paul and the sisters from Tanzania.
The diversity of the Church is one of its great gifts--to herself and to all of us. I am always in awe of that here in Haiti.
I am hoping to finish these visits before my scheduled return to the US on May 12. We will see what happens.
I wish you a Peaceful Easter Season.
Joan |
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