Wednesday, March 11, 2009 - Day 6

We leave for Jamel tomorrow. There will be 26 visitors. They have never hosted that many before at Trinity House and they are unsure how tight it will be and if there will be enough supplies.

In our session with Michael this morning we talk about simplicity. "To him more is given, more is expected" -- big earners are called to be big givers. Are you prepared to rise to that level? Most of the time when St. Joseph's receives money it is from the less wealthy. We also talk about how to minister to people who have lost family members due to the effects of malnutrition -- by being present and compassionate. We underestimate presence and the power of a smile. We are so focused on the lack of material things here that we miss the spiritual abundance.

After our lesson with Michael some of us opted to travel to the Mother Theresa baby hospital which is run by the same Sisters of Charity that I visted yesterday. It wasn't hard to figure out what to do here, there were 6 rooms wall-to-wall with cribs. You pick up a baby. I walked into a room and a little boy held out his arms to me. He was 2, Yondel. I held him and soon figured out how to hold another 2-year-old boy at the same time, Job. I left them down to walk but despite being slightly younger, Job was quicker so when a man asked to hold Job I stuck out the morning with Yondel. Many of the parents were there visiting and the sounds of the children crying when the bell rang for the parents to leave was terrible. I walked from crib to crib with Yondel in my arms trying to comfort children. Later I picked up 2-year-old Rochelyn who was tiny but full of life. I fed the kids. They ate egs and nutrition crackers as well as rice with some type of stew over it. There were groups visiting alongside of us from Arizona and Indiana and a women who came down for weeks at a time to work there -- from New York and Wisconsin. Father Tim from Indiana explained to me that his parish partnered with 2 churches in Haiti and came down 4 times a year to work in the baby hospital and the churches. He said that many of the children had parents who were too poor to provide adequately for their children. The hospital was like a revolving door where children come for a few weeks to be treated from the diseases of malnutrition. To my surprise this was one of my favorite visits.

That afternoon I watched the dance team rehearse -- they practice 2 hours a couple of times a week. I also tried Haitian soda -- it tasted like bubble gum flavored amoxocylin. I was not a fan. Soni helped me with my Kreyol. After dinner the dance theatre performed again to a packed house. After the dance theatre we played darts in the kitchen with the boys. I wasn't very good but thankfully my prayer partner was. In between turns, Bill told me that he goes to class 3 days a week between 9-4 and 2 days a week between 9-7. He works at the house until midnight and then does homework until 2-2:30 then gets up at 4:30 to lead morning prayer. I asked him how he manages it between working on an accounting degree and working at the home and he told that he did what he had to do with the opportunities given to him. Bill is a pretty remarkable person.

Before bed I met Rolan, he is the father of Caleb 5, and Didi, 8. Rolan is a security guard at St. Joseph's, he has worked there since Didi was a baby and brings him to work with him. Didi would watch the dances and starting practicing with them at 3. He is now touring with the group and is their youngest performer. Didi has been to Texas and California with the dance team. Rolan works hard to educate his sons and to provide for his wife and parents. Rolan has a deep faith and works to give his family the best possible life. He was a joy to meet.