July 31, 2012
Welcome Pere Phanold!
Monday morning…up at 3AM for a 6:30AM flight from Fort
Lauderdale to Port au Prince. Pere
Kesner met me outside the airport in Port au Prince, only to say farewell. He was on his way to his new assignment at Bon
Sauveur, Cange, his childhood home and now home of Partners in Health, Zamni
Lasante. I would be driven to Bondeau by
Pere Phanold’s driver. Pere Phanold is
the new priest in charge of Ste. Marie Madeleine. We stopped in Leogane and Ste. Mathieu, the
parish Phanold is leaving. I had been
there nine years ago. At that time,
there was a small wooden church, a tiny presbytery, and a small school. It was sad to see that the new big church had
been severely damaged by the earthquake.
Services are outside under a canopy.
Two school buildings are in use.
I waited while Pere Phanold’s helpers packed a truck with his
belongings, and then we were off to Bondeau.
We arrived in Bondeau mid afternoon. The children at Kay Timoun were eagerly
waiting for me to arrive. There were
lots of hugs and kisses. I was so glad
to see them, too, and happy to be at my Haiti home. Pere Phanold and his vestry stayed the
afternoon, walking around the grounds.
Junior had been coordinating the building of an outdoor
kitchen while I was gone and today, Wednesday, the work of building began. It will be made totally of natural materials,
palm trees that have died will serve as the four corner posts. It was long and hard work in the hot sun for
most of the day. Our cook, Ethela, has
been cooking on the patio or on the walkway in front of the children’s
bedrooms. She needs a place where she
can cook. Plus, it just is not safe to
have a charcoal fire around children.
Although they have had charcoal fires all their lives, I’d rather be
safe and have the cooking done in a separate area, away from the children.
Pere Phonold officially begins his service to Ste. Marie
Madeleine today. A bus full of people
from Ste. Mathieu came here and gave him a glorious farewell.
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