I have been home for a day now and I keep thinking, "What do I do now?" How do you visit a place and make friends with people and then leave them on an island that their own government has literally ignored and forgotten? As we flew off the island it broke my heart. Why do we have so much in our country and there is so little in Haiti? Trust me, I know there is real poverty here in the USA, but I also know that here we have access to clean water, food banks, homeless shelters, and health care. The average Haitian on La Gonave makes $200 a year....yes, a YEAR! So I'm wrestling with these feelings of overwhelming gratefulness for what I have been blessed with and the heavy weight of knowing I have a responsibility to share my blessings.
Our small parish of St. Francis Catholic Church in Staunton, VA is a very generous church. We help support the St. Louis Parish in Pointe-a-Raquette on the island of La Gonave. There is a Catholic school there named Our Lady of Pointe-a-Raquette School that has grades preschool through 6th grade with approximately 170 students. We also help support the only clinic on that side of the island called "Bob's Clinic".
The problems on La Gonave are overwhelming for someone visiting for the first time. I ask myself, "What can I possibly do here?" I cannot build them a road....so they have access to emergency medical care and supplies from the mainland. I cannot change the infrastructure of an unjust government where the gap between the "haves" and "have nots" is so dramatic, and I cannot relieve the suffering from extreme poverty with few options for a bright future.
The Haitian people I met in Pointe-a-Raquette are a strong and resilient people who smile easily and are open to new friendships. They take their time and work very hard. They enjoy the small things in life and take care of each other. They taught me to slow down, enjoy a beautiful sunset, take care of the weak in the community, be grateful for what we are given, and to embrace life in the small things. They have a lot to teach us....in our fast paced life of trying to get ahead and seeking more and more.
So, what do I do now? I will continue to pray for my friends. I will see what we have in common and what they can teach me. I will share their story with my friends here so that we can continue to support St. Louis Parish in their journey to a safer and easier way of life with more opportunities. I will try to see the face of God in all people. Lord, please open my eyes to what you see!
Our small parish of St. Francis Catholic Church in Staunton, VA is a very generous church. We help support the St. Louis Parish in Pointe-a-Raquette on the island of La Gonave. There is a Catholic school there named Our Lady of Pointe-a-Raquette School that has grades preschool through 6th grade with approximately 170 students. We also help support the only clinic on that side of the island called "Bob's Clinic".
The problems on La Gonave are overwhelming for someone visiting for the first time. I ask myself, "What can I possibly do here?" I cannot build them a road....so they have access to emergency medical care and supplies from the mainland. I cannot change the infrastructure of an unjust government where the gap between the "haves" and "have nots" is so dramatic, and I cannot relieve the suffering from extreme poverty with few options for a bright future.
The Haitian people I met in Pointe-a-Raquette are a strong and resilient people who smile easily and are open to new friendships. They take their time and work very hard. They enjoy the small things in life and take care of each other. They taught me to slow down, enjoy a beautiful sunset, take care of the weak in the community, be grateful for what we are given, and to embrace life in the small things. They have a lot to teach us....in our fast paced life of trying to get ahead and seeking more and more.
So, what do I do now? I will continue to pray for my friends. I will see what we have in common and what they can teach me. I will share their story with my friends here so that we can continue to support St. Louis Parish in their journey to a safer and easier way of life with more opportunities. I will try to see the face of God in all people. Lord, please open my eyes to what you see!
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