Reflections from Haiti – Fr. Tony Wroblewski Part 4

November 19, 2008 Evening

I’ve just finished praying after I got back from our final meal and evening here in Haiti. I was just thinking about a conversation a few nights ago, when Tom Johnson asked Brother Pete if he thought he was successful after 45 years of work here in Haiti. Br. Pete responded by saying, “No, I don’t think so.” I can understand why he would have said this. The needs here are great, the resources few. There is no doubt that at least in the Mission at Kobonal, a ray of hope certainly has been sparked, and there have been improvements in the lives of those that the mission touches. But at times, it may seem that what is done in this country may seem like a bucket full of water dropped into a vast ocean. It seems so overwhelming. I am overwhelmed. How to make sense of it all?

And then in prayer tonight I read from the Book of Revelation: “Worthy are you O Lord...with your Blood you purchased for God those of every tribe and tongue, people and nation. You made of them a kingdom of priests for God.”

In other words every human being has been purchased by Christ’s Blood. Everyone is loved and worthy of Redemption by Jesus Christ. And maybe that’s what this is all ultimately about: making sure that each person here knows their great worth and dignity. That despite outward appearances, each one here has innate human dignity and is precious in God’s eyes. Maybe that’s the success we must aspire to, the Missionary Sister of Charity, Bro. Peter, Fr. Glenn and his Mission, and yes even we who’ve been here a short while. And if one man, woman or child realizes that dignity or worth because of some act of kindness that one of us has done, then we’ve all been successful.

Reflections from Haiti – Fr. Tony Wroblewski Part 3

November 19, 2008

Last night, we had a joy-filled time, with the visit of Brother Pete, who is a Missionhurst brother who has been working here for 45 years – as long as I have been alive. He actually was a delightful man. He mainly has worked repairing all kinds of engines, and showing Haitians how to do so since his arrival. As a hobby, he does wood-working. I don’t think I could call him an optimist. He certainly wouldn’t be considered a conservative by any standards, politically or theologically. He doesn’t feel much has improved here – and after 45 years has no clue how things can turn around here.

This country, where Columbus first came so many years ago, was a tropical paradise, filled with exotic hardwood trees and fruit trees. But in a short time, the land was cleared of almost all natural resources. Its people are actually descendants of African slaves brought here by the French. Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the population in poverty, and over 50% in abject poverty. And due to its almost total deforestation, is terribly prone to natural disasters and erosion. Farming it is difficult. And there is no industry to speak of.

Today, we visited Br. Pete at his shop. What a kind, interesting man. His place is near the airstrip. UN troops were guarding the strip today. Apparently they were expecting some arrival that needed extra security.

So tomorrow we return back home. The mix of emotions I have experienced is still churning inside me. I imagine that it will be that way for some time. Those who work here are so very dedicated to being the hands and feet and voices of Christ. I am so very edified by Fr. Glenn. I can’t imagine being able to do what he does. And yet I am somehow drawn to this place. I certainly felt before coming here that once would be enough! Now I am not so sure. Despite what I would see as overwhelming challenges here, there is joy to be found. Somehow, many here live with hope. They carry on – they accept the inherent difficulties of life here. I am left to believe that it is because somehow they sense the presence of Christ close to them. I wonder if, left with few possessions and little else to give them security, they know that the only hope we all really have is in God.

When we were at the Missionaries of Charity, Sister Theola, the superior there, said that Mother Teresa always told them that no matter what they did, they did with joy, because the people they would encounter every day would have little joy in their lives. Brother Pete said of them that “they have chosen a very difficult path to heaven.” I’m not sure about that. Certainly anyone here, whether native to this land or not, has a difficult life. It is hard work to make your way even a little bit. Yet it seems that if it’s done with love, and in joy, then it’s all worth the effort. Tonight we have our final meal together here for this mission trip.

Reflections from Haiti – Fr. Tony Wroblewski Part 2

November 18, 2008

Today we distributed food to those who are the poorest in the area (near the village of Kobonal where the mission is located. Of course, when you say “poverty” here it is a relative term. We simply don’t know this level of poverty in the US. Today the people who came here received enough food to feed their families for a month. Corn, beans, oil, a small package of bouillon cubes and some lye soap. Those without any adequate shoes received simple sandals. We distributed to about 400 families. That represented about 2000 people. Some came with donkeys to help carry the load. Many were elderly, who have no means of support.

It was interesting to see many carry sticks, wood, for fires which the mission will use to cook food for the children. Even in their poverty they want to help. Leaving, those without any “transportation,” which is most, carried the loads balanced on their heads. They were so very grateful – and so very gentle. One of our group mentioned the fact that it seemed that what the 10 of us ate last night at supper, in one meal, would last a whole family a week, or perhaps a month. And then I thought of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday – how much food we’ll eat in one day – the sheer amount of food readily available to us. And then there are many people who don’t have any access to a place like this mission, so they resort to eating cakes literally made out of mud. They simply want to fill their bellies. Of course for them, malnutrition will come quickly. Again today, when I thought I had seen it all, I realize I hadn’t.

Reflections from Haiti – Fr. Tony Wroblewski Part 1

I’ve just returned from the house of the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s sisters) in the city of Hinche. I am now realizing the great gamut of emotions I’ve been feeling the past few days. Though today was the first time since I arrived in Haiti a few days ago that I felt an overwhelming sadness – my heart broken over seeing so, so many sick people in the sisters’ home – especially the children. The sisters were wonderful. But the plight of the children broke my heart. The sisters take them in – they have no place to go. Their legs and arms are thin to the bone, and their stomachs distended like balloons from malnutrition. More and more have HIV and other illnesses, but they can get no medicine that could help them. (I am made aware of the immense amount of samples that are given freely to clinics in the US.) And yet, these children hold out their arms – only wanting a loving embrace – the smallest human touch which would validate their humanity – their dignity. And there are so many.

As I said, the range of emotions I have felt is wide. Landing in Port Au Prince I was guarded. Flying to Hinche, and then landing in that tiny dirt path they called a runway, I must admit was frightening. The next few days, I felt a building sense of joy. The people here are so warm and inviting, despite their utter poverty, what most of us in the US would describe as destitution. But they carry on. They muddle through.

But today I am overwhelmed. I wonder – where is the light at the end of the tunnel? How do they find hope in the midst of all this? And why was I, and not them, so blessed? These questions gnaw at my soul. I have no answers.

Time to pray…

I’ve just opened my prayer book. The first line read: “…the Lord looks tenderly on those who are poor.” I sure hope so. And later on: “…endure joyfully whatever may come.”

We ate supper tonight, and then enjoyed each other’s company with a game of cards. In speaking with Lyle, a doctor with us, he indicated that most of those people we saw today, especially the children, wouldn’t be in such dire circumstances in the US. In fact, they probably wouldn’t be ill at all. In his own words, he said in the US these diseases no longer even exist. There was a little boy – his name was Jean (John) – who was going to die very soon. He couldn’t be more than a year old, though with the malnutrition it is so very hard to tell the children’s ages. He suffered from anemia and malnutrition, which in turn brought about heart failure. His parents brought him to the sisters too late. There is nothing that can be done. So the sisters are helping him, and of course his family, to die with some dignity. I’ve seen so much poverty, and yet tomorrow I am told we will be seeing the very poor! The mission will be giving them, their families, enough food to live for a month. If the mission wasn’t here, they would most likely die. I am told that there will be hundreds here, those who have no other recourse. Words seem inadequate to express what I now feel in my heart and soul.

Helen Johnson's Testimony Finale

We Went, We Worked, We Received and Were Blessed

We supervised the cutting up of a pig! We painted the exterior of a recently completed home (and the color scheme, well, let’s just say that it fits Haiti). We hung a new door for the storage room in the Bakery. We did some very extensive cleaning up in the Guest House and the Convent/Chapel. We helped on the day for distribution of food for the destitute; we helped on the day for distribution of uniforms. We visited the hospital and Missionaries of Charity.

Anybody can go to the mission and paint, or clean-up, or perform the many odd jobs that need to be done. But, I believe we are primarily called on mission to reveal and be the Jesus in each of us: the Jesus that listens, the Jesus that loves unconditionally, the Jesus that embraces and defends the marginalized of society; the Jesus that forgives, turns the other cheek, goes the extra mile, and gives from the heart.

Certainly, one reason for going on mission is to serve others. But, it is also an opportunity to be still and listen for the Lord to speak. During this mission, the Lord spoke to me on several occasions, one being through the Gospel of Sat. Sept 20th, where Jesus speaks about the seed that fell in different areas/types of soil. In speaking about the “seed that fell among thorns and was choked”, I feel like I have one foot in the “thorns”, where I do get choked by the anxieties, riches and pleasures of life, and fail to bear “mature fruit”; and I feel my other foot is in “rich soil”, where the Lord says I will “bear fruit through perseverance”. I am hopeful that through patience and perseverance, the Lord will provide the opportunity for me to bear mature fruit by planting both feet in rich soil – the question is where.

The Lord also spoke to me through the Gospel of Sunday, Sept. 21st, which told of laborers being sent to work in the vineyard at different times of the day. The last ones are asked “Why do you stand here idle all day?”, and they answer “Because no one has hired us”. This speaks to me that, even at my “late” age, Jesus still seeks me out and asks me why I am not working for Him. And I believe that His response to me is the same as the owner’s response was in the Gospel, “You, too, go into my vineyard”.

A little message in the Gospel of Monday, Sept. 22nd, was to “take care then how you hear”, where the Lord is asking me to listen carefully. He will speak to me about where He wants me and what He wants me doing, I just need to “take care how I hear”. The following day, the Gospel has Jesus saying “My mother and brothers are those who hear the word and act on it”. In taking both Monday and Tuesday’s Gospels, I believe I need to listen carefully and then act on it.

When considering whether to do missionary work, here or abroad, it’s important to remember Matthew 25: 35-36:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.

The SOLT Mission in Haiti provides the opportunity to serve the Lord in many ways. While a personal trip may not be feasible for all, we can certainly contribute the financial resources needed to continue these good works, and always pray for the Mission and all who serve and are served in it.

Helen Johnson's Testimony Part 4

School Uniforms

One day we also distributed school uniforms, which had all been sewn at the mission’s Sewing Center. Once again, the people waited outside the gates of the mission. The staff members would call a child’s name (and we heard names like “Smith” and “Johnson”) and they would come forward, with one adult chaperone, and enter the grounds, where they would be seated and later called up in small groups.

We knew we wouldn’t have enough of all the sizes for all the children, but wanted to distribute as many as we could since school had been delayed throughout the country because of the hurricanes. It was really heartbreaking for us when a child would come forward for his/her uniform, and we had run out of their size. They, on the other hand, would just accept it, shrug their shoulders, and move on, as they knew more uniforms would be made and, in due time, every child would be getting their own.

We had brought a lot of candy with us, and we gave each child two pieces while they waited. After they received their uniform, the mission fed the children a bowl of corn mush and beans. We then sent them on their way with a piece of bread (baked at the mission), an orange (from the citrus orchard), and one more piece of candy since we had enough left over!

Sunday Mass

As with all functions at the Mission, the people gathered outside the gates for Sunday morning Mass. When they were allowed in, they walked in quietly, in single file and sat in the “pews”. The music is lively, but respectful, and the cantor has a great voice and, like most Cajuns, loves to use her hands! We also had a special treat that day, a Baptism. The little girl was just beautiful in her special white dress. When receiving Communion, the Haitians generally cross their arms, as they will not touch the Eucharist out of their deep respect and humility.

All in a Day’s Work

Life for the Haitian people, and the workday’s cycle, revolve around the rising and setting of the sun as they don’t have electricity in their homes. There is an underlying current at the mission; one of respect and love for one another, an atmosphere of mutual cooperation – team work. People know what their responsibilities are and fulfill them. Not that there aren’t disagreements or problems, but the people have been taught how to resolve conflicts when they arise. Fr. Glenn has a terrific group of Haitian men in charge, and he lets them run the show for the most part. He provides instruction and gives his opinion(s) to the men, not with an air of domination or superiority, but with an attitude of fatherly guidance, experience, and wisdom.

Helen Johnson's Testimony Part 3

Our Daily Schedule

Our days would begin with Mass, and we were always joined by 3 or 4 of the mission leaders. We would then have a cup of coffee – usually our local Louisiana brand, Community Coffee – and maybe a granola bar. Then, it was off to do whatever the day held in store for us.

One day we went into town (Hinche) and visited the local hospital; no private rooms or air conditioning here. It’s your typical, third world country hospital: your family or friends are responsible for feeding you, cleaning you, getting your medication, etc…..no room service or button to press to call the nurse. One man we visited was there just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He had been shot in both legs – by a policeman – he said they were after the man he was with…..

We also visited the local Missionaries of Charity compound in Hinche. They take care of orphaned children, the elderly, dying, and abandoned; all ages of people were there. One child in particular stole my heart: she was maybe 18 months old and just sitting in her crib (there must have been 30 cribs in that room); her little face swollen and bruised, no doubt from being abused. Her face is etched in my memory. Not surprisingly, many of the children would just stand up in their crib and look at you, hoping to be held – maybe even just touched. All of us made the rounds, holding a few of them, but touching or stroking each of them as we would go by.

Back at the Mission, the school provides free education for the children, including uniforms, school supplies/books, and the most precious gift of a solid meal. They’re given a very generous portion of corn mush and beans in a stainless steel bowl – and they eat it all. It’s probably the only meal they will eat that day. The bakery, one of the most recently completed projects at the mission, provides bread for the children, usually twice a week.

Feeding the Hungry

The “kitchen”, and I use that term loosely, is a simple, tin-roof covered area, where the meals for the school children are cooked over open fires in big black kettles. If you’re imagining a big wooden paddle for stirring – you’re right on! But, it’s not just a flat paddle, the end is like a big scoop or spoon – and it is definitely hand carved. Near the cooking shed is a huge stack of wood for fuel; the children are required to bring one stick a day when they come to school. Can’t help but think about them with their piece of wood, and Jesus with His piece of wood (the cross). And, there is no commercial dishwasher around either, all of the kettles and stainless steel bowls and spoons are washed by hand! No union or labor laws or Department of Health to worry about here!

Once a month, the mission has food distribution for the destitute. Imagine that, the poor giving to the even poorer. The organization of the day is quite impressive. People from surrounding villages gather outside the gates, and are let into the mission, usually by village, and directed to sit in certain areas. Those who have come with their burro go and tie it up in the “burro parking lot”! Some of these people come from miles away, and having/sharing a beast of burden to carry the commodities back is a luxury; but, most carry their goods back home the old fashioned way – on their heads.

They come with sacks for the grain and beans they receive. They are also given about a pint of cooking oil (they bring their own container), a bag of chicken bouillon cubes, and a huge slab of soap. There is no shoving, yelling or disruptive behavior. They are quiet, respectful, and most grateful, as they always reply – in Creole French – “Thanks be to the Great Master”. To say that helping in this distribution was a humbling experience is a great understatement.

The Housing Project

The mission is also involved in building good, quality homes, which are on a concrete slab with a tin roof (both major improvements to what they are currently living in). The new homes have four rooms; there’s no electricity (it’s not available), and no plumbing (no water lines either). The home is usually painted when construction is completed.

The building crews and volunteers have constructed about 50 homes so far, and hope to build as many as 500, one or two at a time as money and supplies become available. One of the most impressive things is to “hear” the people building/working on the home. Some of the men will play bongo drums or tin cans or five gallon buckets to establish a rhythm/cadence as they do their work. This not only brings a “teamwork” kind of philosophy to the project, it establishes a joyful atmosphere. Everyone in the surrounding area can hear the music, and they know something is going on, so before you know it, the construction site is surrounded by onlookers! They also do the same thing when they’re out working in the fields, hoeing or digging to the rhythm of the beat! It’s uplifting!

Helen Johnson's Testimony Part 2

This is the SOLT Haiti Mission

We arrive at the mission and spend some time settling into the guest house. It has 4-5 bedrooms with a total of maybe 15 single beds. The kitchen is large and fairly well equipped. There is a dining room area as well as office/reception area, a front porch, and a couple of good sized storage rooms. Also waiting for us are fresh eggs, fruits & vegetables – the hospitality and generosity of the people are already beginning to show.

We’re given a tour of the mission grounds, which is “fenced in” by their own manufactured cinder block and a lot of “au natural” cactus. Also on the grounds are 18 classrooms, Fr. Glenn’s house, dining/kitchen/cafeteria building, storage silos, convent (with a chapel), church/grain storage building, a bakery/sewing building, security/staff living quarters and a staff office building.

There are also areas where the animals are raised, a citrus orchard, corn field, and various fruit trees. The mission has developed and nurtured these grounds over the years, and all of its fruits are used to feed the children and/or the destitute. Water is provided to the mission from a natural spring – known as “the source” – which is some 8 miles away. There is one corner of the mission property, which has separate faucets on the street side, where the local people can obtain fresh, clean water. It is an oasis for these people, and they have been taught over the years to respect and appreciate this gift. If they don’t, they know the mission will turn the water off – they tested Father once! When the aqueduct system had first been completed, and the water first flowed from these community spigots, there was some unruliness and misuse of the water. Father turned the water off for one week, and when he asked the people – at Sunday Mass – how they were going to resolve the issues of misuse, they came up with solutions and he let them implement their plan.

There is no electricity in the immediate area, so power at the mission is provided by solar panels which are hooked up to large batteries. When the batteries run out (and they do, usually during the early evening), there is a generator for backup. The next day, when the sun comes up, the batteries get recharged and the process starts all over.

A “Bouchere” in the Mission

Oh, oh. Fr. Glenn’s a little disappointed. He understood that the men at the mission were going to be killing a pig early in the morning before we arrived so we could have a little meat for our first supper – but they didn’t. Now, we’re on the line for a “bouchere” tomorrow morning, and we are expected to give instructions to the Haitians on how to cut-up the pig, as Fr. Glenn says they don’t do it “right”. Remember, Fr. Glenn grew up in rural South Louisiana where a “bouchere”, or pig butchering, is considered an art. Well, at least this time we don’t have to kill it! He said the Haitians usually just take as much meat off the bone as possible and then chop up the boney parts. What he really wants is to have his favorite cut – the Boston butt. Lord, help me! I attended one Bouchere Festival in St. Martinville and he thinks that makes me an expert on cutting up a pig. One interesting thing that the Haitians do to remove most of the hair after they kill the pig is lay it on the ground, cover it with dry straw, and then burn the straw – kinda like singeing.

Receiving as Well as Giving

On the morning of our arrival, the 1st reading of the mass was from St. Paul which dealt with the body, although one, having many parts, and that God has designated and given each of us certain gifts and responsibilities in order to serve Him and our fellow brethren. In arriving at the mission, we see many people, doing many things………..and I begin to wonder how does God want us to serve while we are here? On one hand, what does God want us to give to these people, and on the other hand, what does He want us to receive from them? They have the “need to give” just as much as we do. And learning how to receive is a challenge when our thought process, as “rich” Americans, normally tends to material things. God has not sent me here to receive anything material; please Lord, help me to be open and humble enough to receive your Spirit of joy, humility, generosity, and gratitude that lives in these people.

Helen Johnson's Testimony Part 1

SOLT Haiti Mission Witness Statement of Helen Johnson – Sep. 15-23, 2008

The Call to Go

There comes a time in life when you begin to search for a little deeper meaning to it all. For me, that search began a few years back when I felt the Lord calling me: calling me to a closer and deeper relationship by serving Him more earnestly, more faithfully, unconditionally, obediently, and totally surrendered. In order to do that, I’d have to reprioritize everything in my life, by first coming to the foot of the cross, where – through His mother – I’d find the will of God for me. And in looking back at my life thus far, the crosses I’ve had to carry have been kindling sticks compared to His. But even more revealing has been just how little my crosses are compared to the people He has sent me to serve in the mission fields. And it is in seeing the crosses that they carry that I lose any pretense that my life is difficult. From the moment I get up in the morning to the moment I lay my head down at night, I am truly blessed. And in the night, I sleep with a comfort level in regards to shelter, food, clothing, employment, etc. that the majority of the world envies.

Having spent a few months on mission in Mexico, I was excited about the opportunity for a new experience. And while we seldom hear anything positive about Haiti, I knew that all of that needs to be disregarded to go on mission, and, I trusted that Fr. Glenn wouldn’t put us in harms way.

Setting Out

So, off we went, leaving on Sept. 15th, the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, and I thought that was rather appropriate, as we were going to a nation considered one of, if not the, poorest in the western hemisphere. How Our Lady of Sorrows must look down, not just on the people of Haiti, but on all the poor and destitute of the world, and be so sad that the riches her Son has poured out on so many is not shared more generously so that all can have the dignity and respect they deserve as His children. She continues to look down and see her Son, persecuted, abandoned, abused, naked, cold, thirsty, and with nowhere to lay His head.

After spending the night in Ft. Lauderdale, we flew to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday. As you enter the airport, you’re greeted with beautiful Caribbean style music that puts you in a rather cheerful spirit. While it belies the political situation in the country, it does represent the joyful, warm, and friendly Haitian people that we have come here to serve.

After the unbelievable hustle and bustle of the main airport terminal – so many men wanting to handle your luggage for a couple of bucks– we’re driven a short distance to a smaller terminal for the connecting flight with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to the city of Hinche. Since we’ll be flying in a puddle jumper, every passenger and piece of luggage must be weighed for proper distribution and placement in the airplane. So, we’ve decided that proper etiquette calls for everyone to turn their back to the scales whenever one of us is being weighed!

It’s only a 15-20 minute flight and a comfortable way to see the beautiful countryside (as opposed to the optional drive through unfriendly territory and roads that are unpredictable – if there at all). From the coast, you fly inland over mountainous terrain to the area of the country known as “The Plateau”. When approaching the dirt strip landing, you pray that all the people and animals will clear out of your way!

From there, the ride to the mission is exciting as you pass through the streets of Hinche, full of people, little shops, and homes that vary from the nicer, cinder-block style, to the more common stick and mud shacks of those less fortunate. It’s our first real glimpse of Haiti and her people, and they are just as curious about us as we are about them.

All Souls Day Mass

Father Glenn, as he approaches the altar at the Mission in Haiti to offer the All Souls' Day mass, will place at the foot of the altar the names of deceased friends of the mission and deceased family members of friends of the mission. If anyone has a name they would wish to include, please send it by mail to:
SOLT Haiti Mission
140 Rue Beauregard
Lafayette, LA 70508

or email us at rosefontana@solthaitimission.org

VCHS Donates to Haitian Mission

A donation to Fr. Glen Meaux's Haitian Mission was presented to Mr. Bill
Broussard by Vermilion Catholic's principal, Mr. Gerard Richard. Monies for
the donation were collected at weekly school masses. Vermilion Catholic
supports various charities throughout the year from these collections.

Pictured left to right: Bill Broussard and Gerard Richard

Hurricane Update

Fr. Glenn is wrapping up his fundraising trips and is due back to Louisiana tomorrow from Tulsa.

Hurricanes permitting, he's returning to Haiti next Monday and taking with him some Louisiana supporters who will spend a week working at the mission. Father has been in contact with the Haitian Mission Director, Bingo, who reports that the 2 storms so far this season have beat up the mission a bit, but so far, there has been no serious property damage or injury to the people.

Some livestock (goats and pigs) were lost though and the roads from the coast to the mission are in really bad shape. There is a shipment of supplies for the mission coming from Minnesota in November, so we really need to hope and pray that the roads can be repaired by then. The longer the supplies have to remain in the port city, the greater the danger of loss to looting and rot.

If anyone would like to contribute, a donation of $50 or so will help purchase livestock to replace those that were lost in Hurricane Gustav.

Please contact Rosa Fontana to donate.

Thank you and God bless you!

The Halpen's Trip to Haiti

Our SOLT Haiti Mission Trip
Mike and Tommye Halphen
New Iberia, LA

March 2008

Our experience at the Kobonal SOLT Mission in Haiti………the best description that comes to mind is that the Mission is an oasis in the middle of a desert. What a contrast in the faces of those outside the Mission as compared to those who are part of the Mission. The poverty, the emptiness and hopelessness of most of the people we saw in Haiti was quite evident to us.

In contrast, those working within the Mission radiated contentment, happiness, self confidence and enthusiasm. There was no doubt that Jesus’ work has been and continues to be done at this Mission. The beautiful smiles and the healthy bodies of all of the children in the Mission School was something wonderful to behold. The SOLT Haiti Mission has given these people something to hope for and to look forward to and an appreciation that God has not forgotten them.

Dieu Grande Louis

18 year old Dieu Grand Louis came to the Kobonal Mission preschool as child very sick and weak. The mission bought a donkey for him as he was too weak to walk to school with the other children. Now he is an exemplary student of Agronomics at the University of Notre Dame on a scholarship offered to the students scoring in the top academic 20% from all the villages far and wide. He is maintaining a 96% grade average.

He is our first scholarship student and Top

student in the Central plateau.

Long distance

Going for supplies is not easy in Haiti. Here is 1 of the 3 trucks on the way to Cape Hatian to retrieve supplies shipped from our supportive parishes in the States. Flooding from Tropical Storm Noel posed quite a problem and we ended up pulling this one out of the deep.

Stuck in the Mud!

One of 3 trucks transporting supplies shipped from MN to Port Au Prince got mired down on the road thanks to rain from Tropical Storm Olga. It took 5 days to travel 60 miles, but they made it!

Frisker Destave, SOLT Haiti Mission Seminarian

Frisker Destave, is our seminarian. Frisker is from the Village of Kobonal and the first vocation from this Village. He is studying in Port Au Prince and resides with the community of Vincentian theologians.

St. John Bosco

The work of the SOLT Haiti Mission is largely based on the thoughts and works of St. John Bosco. Here are some thoughts about the Saint:

John Bosco educated the whole person—body and soul united. He believed that Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play. For John Bosco, being a Christian was a full-time effort, not a once-a-week, Mass-on-Sunday experience. It is searching and finding God and Jesus in everything we do, letting their love lead us. Yet, John realized the importance of job-training and the self-worth and pride that comes with talent and ability so he trained his students in the trade crafts, too.

“Every education teaches a philosophy; if not by dogma then by suggestion, by implication, by atmosphere. Every part of that education has a connection with every other part. If it does not all combine to convey some general view of life, it is not education at all” (G.K. Chesterton, The Common Man).

Clothing Donation

A local uniform retailer donated over 5000 lbs. of brand new clothing, (mostly the desperately needed childrens school uniforms). Volunteers Tom and Lois flew to Louisiana from Minnesota, loaded up a rental truck and drove the goods back up to MN where they are filling a shipping container with various supplies to ship to Haiti. Louisiana Volunteer Sue says: "before leaving to pick up the truck, we were speaking of the most important needs of the mission and Lois was mentioning that children's clothes were the most needed items, because most of the time the donated clothing is adult sizes. When we arrived at the Clothing Retailers warehouse, we asked what most of the boxes contained and they said - CHILDREN'S CLOTHES! - We were so excited! skirts, pants, shirts - over 5000 lbs of fresh new clothing!"

Testimony from Fr. Seamus Walsh

HAITI

Years and years ago I did further studies at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. McCormick and the University of Chicago are next door neighbors, and my time there was wonderful. The buildings were beautiful, and the whole area of these educational institutions in Hyde Park in south Chicago was glorious. The extraordinary thing about the University of Chicago and McCormick was that within six or seven blocks of their campus the whole area was a wasteland. Buildings were gutted, others had broken doors and boarded up windows, the sidewalks had weeds and grass growing in the cracks. The whole area was a ghetto and one would never walk there alone. While at McCormick I was deeply struck by the power of these two educational institutions to determine the life of the area. That small area was an oasis of civility, learning, beauty, and safety while surrounded on all sides by chaos, poverty, violence and fear.

I was reminded of the power that education and a school can have on a community in November when I went with nine other people to Kobonal in Haiti and the Catholic Mission there. The Mission’s only priest is Fr. Glenn Meaux, and for over eighteen years he has built an extraordinary place of refuge, productivity, peace and hope for some fifteen hundred families. This year two Religious Sisters of the Society of Our Lady have joined the Mission and Fr. Meaux says they are indeed a welcomed addition. All around this Mission is abject poverty, unemployment and misery.

The average income per year in Haiti is $350 US. Yet the Mission has purchased land and built forty six modest but sturdy 572 sq. ft. (22x26ft) homes for forty six families who were the poorest of the poor. I was honored to be part of the blessing of twenty two of these homes while I was there. The Mission purchases grain and potatoes from the local small farmers who are parents of the school children at 20% above the market price for their crop. The Mission has purchased a small corn grinder and uses it to grind the corn into meal that they purchased from these farmers for food for the children in its school and to feed the hungry of the neighborhood and surrounding Villages.

The Mission gives employment to approximately 200 people from the villages. In addition, once a month the Mission provides clothing, rice, corn meal, beans and cooking oil to about a thousand children and elderly who are the poorest of the poor. Without that help, most of these people would die of malnutrition. It was an extraordinary sight to see a line of some forty ponies, mules and donkeys with panniers on each side come to the Mission to pick up these supplies that enable these families to survive for another month. The Mission people told me that when this food first became available some ten years ago, there were only a few people who possessed an animal to carry home the food. Now we saw this huge line of them – a sure sign that the economy and income of these people is definitely improving.

The astounding revelation for me was that the success of this Mission is not the church there – it doesn’t have one. Mass is celebrated in one of the classrooms without walls and the worshippers are scattered around the grounds. Nor is it due to government help – it gets absolutely nothing from the local or national government. The anchor and center of this Mission is its Catholic school for 1,300 children from grades 1 – 8. Because Fr. Meaux has decided that the education, the feeding and well being of these children is the focus of his missionary activity, a small industry has grown up centering on the school. The youngest children are fed twice a day with cornmeal and beans, and the older ones once a day. These children have come to school without a breakfast, and more than likely they wouldn’t have much to eat after they got home.

The school is not only the source of their education, but also of nourishment, and ultimately of hope to break the cycle of poverty. Because of this Catholic school, there are 76 teachers paid at an average of 400 Haitian dollars, 54 people employed for the security of the Mission, and 12 in administration, repair, maintenance, and in building the new homes for the very poor. Also, the poor who get new homes, give their old house to someone poorer and the cycle of development continues. Because of the school, a whole economy has grown that gives gainful employment to many people. Without the school none of this would be possible. And that’s the connection with McCormick and the U of Chicago. These places of education have made all the difference for the areas where they exist.

The Mission is not self-sustaining. It has depended on gifts, child’s tuition (each child brings a stick of wood to fuel the fires to cook their lunch) and is always dependent on the grace of God. Fr. Meaux’s dream is to establish a list of at least 1,000 donors who will guarantee $30 per month or $360 per year for the education of a child in this school. Every dollar you give will be used for the children and after there are 1,000 sponsors, the families can be helped by giving loans and starting more parents in the agriculture projects. There are no administrative or other costs. If you’d like more information, or more details, or would like to be one of these sponsors, you can contact Fr. Meaux at:

SOLT, Haiti Mission
Att: Mrs. Sue Hoffpauir
140 Rue Beauregard - Suite A
Lafayette, Louisiana 70508
Phone 337-654-1400

frglenn@solthaitimission.org

www.solthaitimission.org

Seamus Walsh. Thanksgiving Day, 2007