A story of three people and how their lives have changed.

The children at Kay Timoun are my love.  Anyone who knows me knows that I am always talking about and bragging about “my kids”.  But today I want to tell you about a few of the adults that I am with and how my ministry in Haiti has changed their lives.

Our cook, Dedet, just showed up one day.  She was there to help out.  Her little girl was in my care and she wanted to show appreciation by helping with food preparation.  Eventually, I hired her.  Dedet is the poorest of the poor.  She has several children, ages twenty something to a two year old.  She is in a committed relationship with the children’s father.  I was horrified when she showed me a photo of a beautiful girl that she had given away because she couldn’t afford to take care of her.  And I was just as horrified to see the broken down stick house that they all lived in.  The father raises a garden and some goats but apparently doesn’t make enough money to care for his large family.  So, I asked,  “Why do you keep having children?  You have no money to take care of them.”  The little boys were always naked, or wearing only a torn shirt, and had fungus skin rashes on their heads. 

Seeing that she was dedicated to doing a good job as a cook, and needing a full time cook, I hired her.  I talked to Dedet about her family and agreed to give her food every day for the children and clothes that I receive as donations, plus a small salary.  She agreed to go to the clinic for birth control shots.  That was three years ago.  Her children have grown beautifully and the older two boys attend the parish school.  She and her husband had a sturdy house built of stone and mortar, large enough for the whole family.  With a big smile, she tells me every time she goes to the clinic for her shot.  Having a steady income and food for her family has made all the difference in the world to Dedet and her family.  The kids have nourishing food every day, she saved money from her meager income to build a house, and she is taking charge of her life.   

Wonel is about 23 years old.  He had been the “crazy guy” in Bondeau.  His actions certainly did seem to be crazy.  Prior to my moving into Kay Timoun, I stayed in the guest house.  In the middle of the night he entered the guest house, got into the room where the acolyte robes were stored, put on the white robe, and ran up and down the hallway outside the room where I slept, scaring the wits out of me.  He repeatedly shouted out during church service and had to be led out by an usher.  At one time, there were so many complaints about Wonel’s behavior that his father tied him to a tree.  In contrast to his bazaar behavior in the community, Wonel would show up beside me when I took my evening walk.  I knew his reputation but always welcomed him with a smile.  One man often commented, “He’s your friend?”  At the end of our walk, I’d face Wonel, place my hands on his shoulders and in Kreyol say, “God bless you”, to which he’d respond, “Amen.”  A few days after I moved to Kay Timoun and had hired the people I needed, Wonel joined me again in my evening walk and asked if he could work for me.  I had already hired people to work and the budget for salaries was accounted for.  So, I asked Wonel if he would work for food, receive three meals a day.  He quickly replied, “Yes!”  “OK, come to Kay Timoun tomorrow morning.”  And he did, showing up bright and early.  I told him that his job would be to keep the house clean and he could begin in the kitchen.  I observed him working and was astonished at the quality of his work.  He cleaned everything thoroughly, even wiping the sink dry.  I wondered where he learned how to clean a kitchen so well.  A couple of days later, I got into conversation with Wonel.   He told me that he had lived with his grandmother who was a maid for a wealthy family in Port au Prince.  She home schooled him, taught him to cook, and housekeeping.  After the earthquake in 2010 she fled to the U.S., leaving him behind.  He was heartbroken.  (I think that’s what caused his mental breakdown.) 

At the end of the month, Wonel received money as pay, and also his meals.  As time went on, Wonel took on more and more responsibility.  He learned to drive a motorcycle and does all the errands, shopping for food, supplies, whatever we need.  He drives me and accompanies me on errands.  He now sleeps in the boys’ bedroom and is “house father” to the boys.  He works with five of the children with their school work.  He’s bright, knows how to get around on the laptop and is learning English. 

It’s been over three years since Wonel asked me for a job.  His life has changed tremendously, from being the “crazy guy” to being the “go to” person whom everyone respects.

Claudette carries a five gallon bucket of water on her head every day from the water source on the mountain to me, so that I have fresh water to bathe.  (We do not have running water in the house at Kay Timoun.)  I met Claudette over two years ago when she left her twin infant girls outside the back door at Kay Timoun, lying naked on the walkway.  My first thought was that someone left their babies for me.  “Who left these babies here?”  In a few minutes Claudette showed up and I looked closely at the infants.  Two months old, she said.  I saw that they were skinny, looking undernourished.  Claudette, too, was skinny and undernourished and didn’t have enough breast milk for the babies.  It didn’t take me but a moment to decide to feed these babies.  I bought baby formula at the store, the same kind of formula we use here, and baby cereal.  Claudette brought her twins by every morning to Kay Timoun.  I’d mix the formula and cereal and one of the children would feed the babies.  Soon, they started to fill out and gained weight.  They grew into happy healthy six month olds, sitting up, cooing and smiling.  Not long after that, they were walking, and Claudette was pregnant again!  I gave her the same talk I gave to Dedet, “Why are you having children if you can’t afford to feed them?”  But it didn’t sink in.  She had a baby boy and the formula, cereal routine began again.  Although Claudette isn’t employed at Kay Timoun, she helps out where she can, showing her thanks for the food she receives for herself and her children.  I am so grateful that she brings me clean water every day and she is grateful that I give her food for her children.  I don’t know what she would have done with the twins had we not fed the babies.  They probably would have become a Haiti statistic: two more children with malnutrition.  Her baby boy is healthy, too, thanks to the food that he is fed at Kay Timoun.  Claudette has a lot to learn about parenting.  Of course, I think as an American, not as a Haitian peasant.  But I still try to teach her basics about hygiene and preventive care for her children.

There are others, too, mostly women in the community whose lives are improved because of Kay Timoun.  There are too many, and too many stories to write at this time.  I do have a book planned for the future.

 

Back in touch again-being thankful

It's been so long since I have written!  Not to make excuses... I love to stay in touch...but in Bondeau, Haiti, I can't get Internet, and am without electric power most of the time.  Today I am not complaining!  Without all the distractions of Internet and the simplicity of life without electricity, I am able to find joy in the more simple things in life.  No need here for an alarm to wake up. The chickens awaken me at day break with the rooster's "call to prayer".  Everybody up!  Soon the hens begin their song, clucking in harmony.  The sound of chickens early in the morning is so sweet!  I believe (or imagine) that they are singing praise to God for another day.  The donkey across the way joins in with his honky snort, honky snort.  And then a goat, sounding very much like a human baby, cries out. Two month old puppies yap yap for their place in the animals' worship. From my bed with eyes closed, I join in their morning prayer, taking in the peace of the moment.  In a few minutes I hear a tap tap tap on my door and I'll soon be greeted with, "Bonjou, Anita" and hugs and kisses to begin my day. Fourteen hugs from fourteen beautiful children! It just doesn't get any better than that!

Kids off to school, I retreat to my favorite place, the second floor veranda overlooking the sea in one direction and the mountain in the other direction.  I go there to pray Morning Prayer but instead, I watch the hawks floating on wind currents, looking for breakfast.  How do they do that? They hardly move their wings.  A song bird flitters by and lands in the tree, singing a clear melody.  All for me?  A butterfly appears, seemingly from nowhere.  "Just passing by,"  she seems to say.  A tiny lizard scurries up the wall, blending yellow with the wall, so to hide from predators.  Are you the same little lizard that lives behind the tile in my bathroom?

Peace envelops me.  It's God's gift to me this morning.  And I can put behind inconveniences like not having Internet and not having electricity, and of course, no running water!  All quite challenging to live with...or live without.  But I know that God is here, with me, struggling right along with me...and I'm at peace.

Christmas-Here and There

As we approach another holiday season enjoying time together with family and friends, feasting on delicious and plentiful meals, opening beautifully wrapped gifts, and worshipping in a beautifully decorated church while listening to beautiful music sung by our very own choir, let’s keep in mind those of us in the Body of Christ who have so very little and yet celebrate fully the coming of Christ in their own special way.  There is just as much excitement around Christmas with the poorest of the poor who live in the poorest of country villages in Haiti, who save their pennies for weeks so that they might have a toy for their child on Christmas morning.  They plan and save so that they might have a special Christmas meal for their family.  They hope to have new shoes and clothes to wear to church on Christmas.  They hope that they can afford new shoes for their children.

The children at Kay Timoun (Children’s Home) will celebrate Christmas very much as we do in the U.S.  Last year we had a big Christmas Eve dinner with turkey and traditional rice and beans.  We invited children in the village to join us.  We sang Christmas songs and the children played games.  Keeping with our forming tradition, there will be a small Christmas tree in the living room, which will be visited by “Pere Noel” while the children are at late night mass.  The children will hurriedly unwrap their “cado” (gift) and play with it throughout most of the night, falling asleep with their toy on their pillow.  A simple toy, like a plastic doll for the girls or a plastic truck for the boys, means so much, because the kids in Bondeau, Kay Timoun kids included, rarely receive toys.

We must remember to thank God for all the blessings that He gives freely to us.  First of all, thanking Him that we have opportunity to live a decent life.  Most of us have no idea how people in developing countries live.  Thank God by sharing with those who have next to nothing.  You may do that by contributing for the Christmas Eve dinner at Kay Timoun.  The more money we receive, the more kids we can feed.  A special dinner means so much!  (Write check to South Florida Haiti Project—Kay Timoun.)  You may also contribute for Christmas gifts.  Last year one friend provided Creole bibles for all the children.  Other items on wish list are flash lights or lanterns with batteries, “church” clothes, small “match box” cars, and dolls.

I’ll be in Bondeau and Kay Timoun for Christmas and New Year, which is Independence Day in Haiti.  Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas!

Another reflection on poverty

One would think that by this time I'd be used to the poverty that surrounds me and become somewhat "hardened" to it.  But I'm not used to it and who know if I ever will be.  A typical case that I can't get accustomed to seeing...a mother who gives birth to one child after another when she can't afford to feed the ones she has.  I think to myself, "Doesn't she have any sense?  How can she be so unaware?  Doesn't she know that there are ways to prevent having children that you can't afford to feed?"  But then, I think, "I'm not in her situation.  Maybe she wants all these kids to assure that she will be cared for in her old age."  One mother, in particular named Claudette, comes here every day for food for herself and food for her 2 year old twins.  Now she has an infant boy who looks frail and tiny.  She doesn't have enough breast milk for him probably because she is so undernourished herself.  Did I get "hooked" into providing nourishment for him when I bought baby formula and a baby bottle and told her to come every day so the baby could be fed?  What would happen if I didn't take on that responsibility?  Would she and the baby's father step up to their responsibilities as parents?  I don't know the answer to that question.  I do know, however, that I'm caring for her 13 year old who has a brain problem and difficulty learning, probably due to malnourishment as a baby.  I do know, also, that her 2 year old twins were severely undernourished at two months old.  I do know, also, that Claudette just doesn't seem to "get it".  She has left her baby here on a blanket on the floor while she goes off somewhere.  She just doesn't seem to understand parenting the way we do.  But then, she isn't "us".  She is "she"!  Who am I to impose my values on her?  But then, am I responsible for "picking up the slack"?  I couldn't not "pick up the slack".  My question is, "Am I enabling dependency?"  Or am I doing what I am supposed to do as a Christian?  I know the answer for me but I'd like some feedback from anyone who reads this.  Email me deaconanita312@gmail.com.

Thanks...I'd like to hear from you.

Home again, home again!

I returned to Kay Timoun five days ago and have not stopped for a minute since I've been back.  The children have started school and are thrilled with their new school uniforms and "like new" shoes.  Cawol quickly wrote a list of all the school books that are needed and went to Miragoane on a moto taxi to purchase them.  Wonel stocked the depot with food and water, all transported on the motor cycle.  He ran into a problem on the way to the market, as there was a rock-throwing demonstration and the road was blocked.  He immediately made he way home, as not to get caught up in the melee.

The children were all smiles, hugs, and kisses when they returned to Kay Timoun.  Thank God, they are all healthy, although visibly thinner.  I know they didn't eat three meals a day when they were with their parents.  Probably only one meal.   

Claudette was one of our first visitors, along with her newborn baby boy.  The baby is tiny, so I'll keep a watchful eye and make sure that he gets enough to eat.  I'll prepare baby formula, as Claudette herself is undernourished and has very little breast milk.  Kay Timoun is also providing food for Claudette's two year old twin girls, who first came here when they were infants.

Two nights ago it poured rain at about 9:00PM.  The kids ran around in the pouring rain, shouting thank you to God for the rain, and filling up buckets, basins, and anything that holds water.  When I saw lightening flash, I put an end to their fun and made them come inside.  They walk the mountain trail every day to the water source and carry jugs home, so a downpour saves them a trip.  We will be so happy when we have a deep water well to serve the community!

I want to sincerely thank everyone who is helping with Kay Timoun.  People give us beautiful clothes, shoes, school supplies, vitamins, and anything I ask for.  I am truly thankful.  I don't know how I'd keep everything running without your help.  I am especially thankful for money donations, which I use to buy food, pay tuition, pay for school uniforms, and all those other expenses that require cash.  I was able to buy much needed new beds for the girls' bedroom.  I am also able to help out poor kids in the community with food and clothes.

Be thankful for all you have. 


 

Challenges and abundant blessings

It’s so hot!  My clothes are soaked with sweat and my face is dripping.  The bugs are almost unbearable!   They swarm around the tomatoes in the bowl and the pineapples sitting on the counter.  Mosquitos threaten my health.  I’d like a good night’s sleep but I lay spread eagle on my bed trying to get catch a breeze.  I’d love to have a nice cool shower, but the best I can do is a bucket bath with water carried to my room  by Naomi.  The bucket must last the day, morning and evening bath.  I’d love to prepare a meal in a clean kitchen but I do the best I can with a few ounces of water to clean the counter and stove. There is seldom electricity, so the refrigerator sits as a sign of modernity come to Haiti, except there is not electricity to cool the refrigerator.  

Life here is difficult!  So, why do I stay?  I asked myself that question often.  I think of my nice comfortable condo in Boca and envision  all the comforts that I’m  so accustomed to.  And I know that I can return anytime I want.  So, why do I stay?  To answer that question,  “God called me to this ministry,” is not enough.  He not only called me, He gives me what I need to carry out His work in an extremely difficult environment.  His abundant blessings keep me from turning my back on it all.

God blesses me as He allows me to feel the joy of being surrounded by children.  Where else would I receive hugs and kisses every morning from loving children?  He blesses me with the patience I need to teach 12 year old Mirlande how to write and read.  He blesses me as I see 5 year old Angi navigate on a laptop.  I’m blessed when I see and hear 5 year old Odiana read and say words in English.  I’m blessed that the kids understand me when I speak in English.

As difficult as life in Bondeau is, I’ll keep accepting God’s grace and keep doing His work as long as He wants me to.  Thanks to all who pray for me.

A Girl at Kay Timoun

I'll tell you about this girl, M, that I'm caring
for. The situation is so pathetic that to deal with her I
have to look at her with humor. It's not funny, it's sad, but you
know "gallow's laugh"--that's what this is. A little
background...shortly after I opened Kay Timoun I went out the back
door to find twin girl babies, almost naked, lying on the floor. My first
thought was "Oh no! somebody left me twins"...they were tiny, scrawny,
and 2 months old, I later found out. "Who left these babies here?" I
shouted, and found out that their mother would soon be back. Well, I
ended up feeding these babies for about a year. They grew into
healthy toddlers. The mother was and is still grateful for what I do
for them and brings a five gallon bucket of mountain water every day.
We still, by the way, are feeding the family. So...on to M.
One day, vacation time, I guess last summer, this girl shows up. She
is skinny, straggly, but as sweet as can be. She's hanging out and I
say she has to go. She doesn't, and mumbles something about her
mother. I ask the other kids, who is she...She is the sister of the
twins, just returned to her mother and had been a "restavec" (child
slave) with a family. She asks if she can stay. I couldn't understand
her but the kids told me. I said no, she couldn't stay. I thought
she would cry, so I said she could come in the daytime and eat here
and go home at night. As time went on, I wanted to get to know her
better...she didn't know how old she was but thought she was 12. Her
mother didn't know and didn't have any identification for her. She
said she had been to school, the first grade, but didn't pass. In the
meantime, she doesn't have clothes, shoes, nothing...I provided. So,
after about a month and school is ready to begin, I think that
M should go to school so I ask Mom for her papers to prove that
she is a "person" and can enroll in school. No papers. My house
mother, Cawol, knew what to do and arranged for a person to come here,
paid his bribe, and got identification so M could begin first
grade at the government school. Then one day at church, she went
forward at birthday time and said she was 14!

So, she is in first grade, 14 years old! She cannot read the most
simple words. She has been working on "li li, le, le, lo, lo, ma, ma,
mo, mo, pa, pa," since school began.  She carries her torn book with
her, points to these small words and guesses what they are. She
doesn't have a clue. I work with her every day and she just cannot
get it! Writing is something else...I have her writing "lo, li, etc."
and she tries really hard but has no grasp of what to do. Trying to
teach her to write her name is exhausting! She is so sweet, and tries
so hard! I met with the teacher and administrator...he said that he
thinks there is something wrong with her brain...I do too! And this
part isn't funny at all. Her mother is pregnant again and totally
undernourished. I give her prenatal vitamins every week. I'm sure
that the mother was so malnourished when she was pregnant with
M that the brain didn't develop and then add that the baby, if
anything like her twin sisters, didn't get nourishment.

So, M's story is tragic...I'm teaching her basics about life in
general..."blow your nose!" She is the first one to chip in with the
cleaning, a throw back to her life as a restavec. 

Let's Look Forward to Lent!

Looking ahead on the calendar, we see that Lent is approaching quickly.  Before we know it, it will be Ash Wednesday.  I wonder if we are giving any thought to how the days of Lent will be different from any other day of the year.  Many of us embark on a new prayer ritual for Lent.  Others would rather "deprive" themselves of something they enjoy.  (Be sure that you give up that high cal treat for the right reason!) For me, Lent is all about serving others in a way that is sacrificial.  That is, give up something for the benefit of another. Give up time to visit a sick person, or serve a little time each week at the nursing home.  Give up lunch in a restaurant and give the money saved to a homeless ministry, or to the Haiti project, to be used for people who couldn't comprehend going to a restaurant for lunch. Give up buying that new pair of shoes that you don't need and give the money to the poor who have no shoes.  Be creative in how you will sacrifice.  Each of us has something that we think we can't get along without.  That's the thing to give up, if we are being truly sacrificial.  And remember that if you fail one time, you can always begin again.  Lent is an opportunity for spiritual growth, a time to become more Christ like.  Read the gospels and take in how Jesus lived and try to be more and more like Him.  On Easter morning you will present yourself at the altar a new person in Christ!



I returned to Kay Timoun at Ste. Marie Madeleine Parish, Bondeau about a week ago, having spent a month at my home in Florida tending to a broken tooth, visiting friends and family, and "catching up" with the happenings.  I especially enjoyed and was blessed serving as deacon in my home parish, and attending a clergy retreat, where I reunited with many clergy friends.  While I love being here at Kay Timoun and serving the people of Bondeau, I do miss my friends in my home parish. 

The children at Kay Timoun greeted me with excitement and lots of hugs and kisses.  It took me a couple of days to get back into the rhythm of life here.  As I settled in, I continued where I left off teaching and training the kids to be excellent students, orderly in keeping their things, and pitching in with the work it takes to keep Kay Timoun running efficiently.  They are excited about the new computer games that I loaded onto a "tablet" that was given to me by a good friend.  Their reward for completed homework and tidy bedrooms is time playing their new games.

I look forward to two mission trips next month, one a medical mission, the second a pilgrimage led by Father Andrew Sherman of St. Gregory's.  I pray that all "pilgrims" are moved by what they see here in Bondeau, and return to their home ready and eager to do something to improve the lives of their sisters and brothers in Christ.  It takes love to make changes!

Reflection on the "good side" of poverty--if there is one.

Today I mounted the motorcycle with Wonel driving and went to visit a long time resident, a woman whose family I have known since I first came to Bondeau, about 10 years ago.  Rachelle, her granddaughter is an active member of the parish.  Rachelle told me that "Gran" had fallen down and broke her hip.  She said that she is confined to her bed and is in a lot of pain. 

I arrived at the tiny house in the early afternoon.  The family was on the front porch and in the front yard.  There was Rachelle, her mother, and brother.  Rachelle's first grade daughter was inside the house sitting on the floor next to "Gran", reading to her from her reading text book.  Gran had a look of contentment, looking very much at peace.  And is it any wonder?  She is surrounded by her entire family day and night.  She is cared for by her daughter and grand daughter.  She was clean, dressed in a lightweight cotton nightgown, her hair neatly combed. The bed sheet was neat and clean. It's obvious to me that she is getting excellent care.

I visit many people in Florida about the same age as "Gran" and because of similar injuries are confined to nursing home care.  In contrast, people I visit in nursing homes are very often lonely and feel "cast aside".  Their families are often too far away to visit.  They have their physical needs taken care of but they are missing the love that a caring family gives.

So, while I'm not saying that living in poverty is "better" than being affluent, I see a positive side...the elderly usually live out their lives among family and friends, being cared for with love.

A Joyful Christmas at Kay Timoun

What a wonderful and joyful Christmas it was at Kay Timoun.  Our kids were so excited about Pere Noel coming and wondering if he would leave a gift for them under the tiny Christmas tree.  As it turns out, Pere Noel did come with a gift for everyone.  The kids were thrilled!  Before Pere Noel's arrival and before the church service at midnight, we hosted a huge party for children in the community.  Adults were invited, as well, but the party was intended mostly for the children.  Carole, Dedet, and helpers cooked all day preparing a huge amount of Haitian fried chicken, fried pork and goat.  Carole made the best "pickles" (pronounce peek lays) I have ever tasted.  A beautiful and colorful salad of red beets, potatoes, and carrots garnished every plate.  Of course, there was rice and beans.  And a special treat of fried banann, tasting so good when topped with pickles. Every plate was heeped high with food, a real treat here because most people do not have enough to eat. 

The children who came to the party are the poorest of the poor.  And they had such fun, a great relief from the poverty that they face every day.  They played a favorite game, musical chairs, and danced to traditional Haitian music.  What fun they had! 

I tried to count the number of people and came up with forty children and twenty adults.  That is in addition to our thirteen kids and the eight adults that prepared the meal.

A special thank you to our friends who made all this possible by donating generously for a Christmas party at Kay Timoun.  They know the joy of giving.  I pray that Kay Timoun kids learned a little about the joy of giving as they shared their space with children who have much less than they do.

Return to Bondeau

Sunday afternoon and I am enjoying the quiet time while the kids are visiting their parents.  I returned to Bondeau last Tuesday, arriving in early evening to a party in honor of my return.  I was so surprised!  The kids had decorated the back patio with colorful paper chains and paper flowers.  They taped their art work to the outside wall.  There was music and dancing and Wonel had bought cold drinks special for the party.  Such a nice party!  The neighborhood kids were here to help celebrate.  I arrived with cookies given to me by the airline flight attendent, coconut and chocolate patties that I bought in the Fort Lauderdale airport, and two small cakes with blue and white frosting that I bought in Leogane.  Everyone was so pleased to have a special treat.  Then, like the strict mama that I am, I ended the party at 9:00 so everyone would get a good nights sleep before school in the morning.

It didn't take me long to get back into the swing of things.  I immediately saw that there are repairs to be made...the outside kitchen is in poor condition.  The children's bedrooms need painting.  But most pressing, and what is becoming clearer and clearer are the number of kids who are hungry.  Carole prepares extra food every day.  I am so grateful to people who have given me money to run Kay Timoun.  I am able to purchase extra food so that we don't have to turn kids away.  It's not like they are taking advantage of a good situation.  I know the families and I know that they are desperately poor.  They simply cannot provide for their children.  It's not that they are lazy and don't work.  They do work in the fields or other manual labor.  They buy and sell vegetables and fruits as they are able.  They do the work that they are qualified to do.  Most do not have even a grammar school education.  They know that their children must be educated if they are to rise above the destitute poverty of the parents.  So, they struggle financially to send their kids to school.  In doing so, they often don't have money to buy adequate food for the family.  It's the vicious cycle of poverty! 

Bondeau Christmas

Thursday begins the holiday season here in the U.S.  Twinkling white lights decorate the palm trees on my street, although it's weeks before Christmas.  Stores are decorated with Christmas wreathes and paper Santas.  Television and radio commercials shout at us about sales on "Black Friday".  So much hype!  So much money spent! So much distraction from what Christmas is really about! 

While I'm taking time away from Bondeau and Kay Timoun this month, my thoughts drift back to Bondeau.  I can't help but compare life here in Florida to life in Bondeau.  Those who have read my blogs know that Bondeau is an extremely poor country village in southern Haiti.  People have barely enough money to live on.  Very few have regular jobs.  Women buy and sell fruit and vegetables to make a few cents.  Others sell penny candy and cookies.  Men do manual work.  So, people don't have money for a festive Christmas.  They barely have enough to scrape together for a special dinner.  Certainly they don't have money to buy toys for their children. 

Christmas for the people in Bondeau is centered around the church as they celebrate the birth of Baby Jesus, born to poor peasant parents, born in an animal stable.  Parents in Bondeau relate to the poor circumstances of Jesus' birth.  They relate to Mary and Joseph who want to give Jesus the best they can, yet can only give him straw for a bed.  Many are in the same situation, wanting to give their children the best they can but can give them next to nothing.

So, there are no twinkling lights decorating the street, no Christmas wreathes or Santas.  Children are thrilled if when they return home from midnight mass they find a small toy tucked under their pillow.  Parents are thrilled if they are able to provide a special Christmas meal for the family.  There is nothing in Bondeau to distract from the real meaning of Christmas.  People in Bondeau know what Christmas is really about. 

Bondeau Baby

I enjoy taking a walk in the evening from Kay Timoun down the rocky driveway to the main road.   A few evenings ago I was taking that walk when I met a woman I have known for a long time.  She was carrying a baby.  We stopped to talk.  I fussed over the baby, talking baby talk. Very often a young child will cry the moment he/she sees me.  It's the light skin that scares them.  But this baby just looked with no reaction.  I quickly noticed that the baby, a girl, was very thin and had tired looking eyes.  Mama told me the baby is one year old.  I know enough about babies to know that a one-year old will either cry or smile or do something when greeted by a stranger.  This baby did nothing!  She just sat in her mother's arms.  So, now I was curious.  Why isn't the baby reacting?  I asked mama if the baby is breast feeding.  No, mama doesn't have milk.  Is the baby eating, drinking milk?  No, no money for milk, no money for baby formula or baby food.  I had seen a little girl in this condition before and in a short time, even though I tried to help, the baby was dead!  So, I talked to the mother about the importance of the baby eating.  She knows, but doesn't have money.  I immediately invited her to come with me to Kay Timoun, where I prepared a small amount of cooked oatmeal with milk and sugar.  (I never did finish my walk!)  I watched the baby while mama tried to feed her.  It was obvious that the child was not familiar with eating from a spoon.  She cried weakly, hardly making a sound.  I asked mama if she would come back every morning and I'd have good nourishing food for her baby.  She agreed to return every morning.  So, added to the shopping list that day was vitamin fortified baby cereal.  When she returned the following day, the baby was munching on a soggy cracker.  While cookies and crackers are OK for snacks, many mothers here think it replaces good nourishing food.  So, I tried to explain  to mama that crackers are not a meal and have very little food value.

Last year, we all at Kay Timoun took on a commitment to prepare breakfast, usually oatmeal with milk and sugar, or baby cereal, for twin baby girls that were undernourished when they showed up on our door step at two months old.  By the time the twins were a year old, they were chubby, happy babies, taking their first steps.

So, keep the little girl in your prayers.  She is very much at risk for malnutrition and who knows what other disease.  She needs good nourishing food, which she will receive as long as her mother brings her here to Kay Timoun.

Reflection on Poverty in Bondeau

 

Living here in the middle of a poor peasant village in rural Haiti, I see situations with people and families that we couldn’t conceive of in the U.S.  Sometimes it seems surreal.  It seems that there is no end to the poverty here.  So many kids wander around partially clothed, dirty, and hungry!  Families are broken when a child is sent away to live with a relative or friend, usually serving as a restavec (a child slave).  I don’t know the percentage of children that are sent away, but I hear about it from time to time.  Nor do I know the percentage of children here in Bondeau that are not in school, but there are many.  Without an education they will grow up being illiterate just like their parents, and face a life of poverty just like their parents, and bring children into the world that will face a life of poverty just like their parents, and the cycle goes on and on.  I see all this around me and can only do so much to relieve the suffering.  It’s so frustrating!

A little girl returned to Bondeau after living with a relative.  The girl is about ten years old.  She comes here to Kay Timoun, where I live, and spends the day.  She has her meals here and plays with the kids that live here, but mostly, she likes to help with the work.  I think it’s because that what she knows after living as a restavec.  She is not in school.  The kids and staff help her to learn basic math and writing.  But she needs to be in school.  One morning she arrived all flustered because her step father told her to stay at Kay Timoun.  We are not in a position to take in another child.  We can, however, help her with food and clothes.  For now, that’s what we are doing.  And we do what we can to help other kids, as well. There are always six or seven extra kids to feed at mealtime.  These are kids from families in the community that are so poor they cannot feed their children every day. 

Very often poor families have so many children they can’t feed them.  A woman showed up one day asking for food.  We got into somewhat of a conversation, given my limited Kreyol language ability.  She told me she had twelve children!  How in the world, I wondered, can a woman bring twelve children into the world when she can’t even feed herself?  She agreed to help with washing dishes in exchange for food.  We talked about family planning and she agreed that she needs planning but doesn’t have the money.  Thoughts ran through my mind about medical missions supplying some type of birth control and instructions on how to use it, available to those women who want it.  The upshot to the conversation is that when she left, the staff told me that she has sixteen children!

Somehow the poor do survive!  They have strong faith in God, believing that they will receive all that they need.  They thank God for everything.  I see and hear people thanking God for rain, for a good night’s sleep, for today.  They survive one day at a time, believing that they will have enough for tomorrow.

Is He coming or is He already here?

It's a quiet Sunday afternoon with the kids visiting their parents.  I have time to think.  And the thought that kept running over and over in my mind is that we Christians are waiting for the return of Jesus.  I honestly don't know if He'll return in the way that we expect.  As I see it, He has returned, and keeps returning, except we miss Him.  I see Him every day in the poor children who live with me;  I see Him in the eyes of their destitute parents as they struggle to get together another meal.  I see Him every day in the disabled man I call "Net" (because it means perfect) who comes here to beg a meal.  I see Him in the girl who I'm caring for who has returned to Bondeau after being a child slave most of her life. 

We keep waiting for the return.  And yet, He is here.  We just don't see Him.  Or is that we refuse to see Him?

Bondeau, Happy to See You!

Arrived back in Bondeau on Tuesday, September 10 to a glorious reunion with my kids at Kay Timoun and the wonderful people who looked after the kids while I was gone.  The first thing I noticed after all the hugs and kisses was that every child was visibly thinner.  Not skinny, by any means, but thinner.  So, like a typical grandmother, first thing I did was prepare a snack.  The flight steward had carefully wrapped muffins, biscuits, and quiche as a special treat for the children. 

It didn't take long for me the staff to bring me up to date.  Many problems, they said.  The kitchen faucet leaks so much that buckets upon buckets fill with water that drips from the connections under the sink.  A plumber is repairing as I write.  And then there is the recurring problem of the electricity.  We have no electicity at all!  I came equipped with new battery powered lanterns, one for each room.  A great inconvenience is keeping my laptop charged so I can go on the Internet.  All is well in the daytime, but at night, I really get annoyed at having to read with a flash light and carry a lantern with me as I make my way around the house.  The chapel is illuminated by candles at prayer time, which makes for a peaceful setting.

The good news is that the moringa tree is huge!  And there are three smaller ones growing, as well.  I trimmed some leaves from the tree and added them to the tuna salad sandwiches yesterday.  I also talked with our cook about adding the leaves to food.  She said she is familiar with moringa.  She told me that Haitians use moringa often, adding the leaves to rice dishes.  Moringa is extremely high in nutrients. Often called the "miracle tree", it is used in developing countries, especially good for children with malnutrition.  

The kids are at my door wanting attention, so I'll end my blog and hope to write again soon.

Summer at Kay Timoun

We are well into our summer schedule at Kay Timoun.  Like kids in the U.S., kids here like to stay up late at night and sleep late in the morning.  So, instead of going to bed at 8:30, the kids are up till after 10:00.  Then they sleep till 7 or 8 in the morning, a good break for me!  The end of the year report cards showed that many of the children need extra help in school.  I have an agreement with one of the teachers to teach Zachary, Love, Jean Marie, Sundrene, and Benjamy every morning, hopefully focusing on math and language, in exchange for money.  Most of the kids did well all year and then had a hard time with state exams.  I can't speak Kreyol well enough to help them, although I have been giving them math exercises to do.  We also have study time every afternoon.  At the end of the day I check with everyone on their chore duties and their study time.  Their reward for good work is watching a movie on the laptop.

Our kids love to play outdoor games.  Their favorite is soccer, called football here.  They play every evening until dark.  A second favorite is "marbles", thanks to the mission team who gave all the kids marbles.  Another game is similar to "jacks", except that the kids play it with stones, no ball.  They can play this for hours in the shade of the porch.  Then there are the kids who love to play games on the laptop.  Benjamy is the star player.

This is the rainy season here in Haiti.  We get wonderful downpours that water the garden and we collect water in buckets and huge drums.  But there is a downside to those downpours.  Water runs into our house, first flooding the girls' bedroom, and then the kitchen.  Water also comes through the window casings, runs down the wall and onto the floor.  It's a matter of house construction that didn't make provisions for heavy rain, something that's unheard of in the states.  The upper verandas also flood but that is less of a problem.  Rain water runs down from the mountain forming gullies, even in our driveway.  Houses at the bottom of the mountain, across the road from our parish land, are flooded, looking like they sit in a lake.  Dedet, who works here, and her family live in one of those houses that are built on the dirt ground, which turns to mud after a heavy rain.  Huge puddles remain in all the low spots, a perfect nesting place for mosquitoes.

I'm so thankful that the tropical storm that was threatening us broke up and is no longer a threat.  I have my own personal "weather man", my grandson Michael, the meteorologist.  Michael is at Florida State working on his masters in meteorology, interning this summer with the National Weather Service.  He keeps me well informed.  Thanks, Michael.  Keep those storms away from Haiti!  Let us enjoy our summer!

Comfortable? No... but happy!

It's so much fun living with and caring for twelve children.  They are all precious in their own ways, their individual personalities always shining.  My favorite time is first thing in the morning when I go downstairs and one by one the younger ones wrap their arms around my waist and hold on tight.  "Bonjou, Anita" or "Bonjou, Mama".  The older kids are more reserved, but do come to me for a less enthusiastic hug.  Now that school is out some of the kids sleep late.  This morning Ange slept till after 10:00.  Breakfast was over when she wandered sleepy eyed into the kitchen to begin her day with a hug and a kiss.  Chores begin right after breakfast: the older girls sweep and mop their bedroom.  The boys have various jobs: cleaning their room, picking up trash around the yard, taking trash in a wheelbarrow to the "dump", always making their beds and picking up their clothes.  This morning all the kids went to the mountain water source to wash clothes.  There isn't enough water in our water tank to allow for washing clothes.  They carry huge basins full of clothes on their heads, walk up the mountain trail to the water, and then after a couple of hours, return and hang their clothes on the line to dry.  This morning the younger boys were in charge of washing "stinky" sneakers.  Kids at Kay Timoun love between meal snacks.  Their favorites are watermelon and mangos.  No paper wrapped snacks here!  So, bringing up kids here is a lot different from bringing up kids in the states.  And in many ways, it's a lot easier.  With people on the Kay Timoun staff, I have very little actual "work" to do.  Carole does the cooking and is main caregiver to the children.  She makes sure they take a bath, brush teeth, and have clean clothes.  Naomi and Dedet clean the house and wash clothes.  There is a tremendous amount of laundry with kids changing clothes two or three times a day.  Carole does the big market shopping for food.  Wonel runs all the errands on the motorcycle.  There is no such thing as driving a kid to soccer practice or a music lesson or to a church activity.  Everything is right here.  The kids watch movies on a small laptop.  They have never been to a movie theater.  So, life is simple!

I write on Facebook and complain about not having electricity, (true...we have electricity for a couple of hours a day.)  I write and complain about not having running water, (true...I often take a "bucket bath" and the kids bathe outside, often with rain water.)  Going back a hundred years, we buy ice to keep food from spoiling.  Most of our food is cooked in an outdoor kitchen in a huge pot on a charcoal fire.  Today Carole is roasting peanuts for home made peanut butter.  It doesn't get any better than that!

Having lived for years in my comfortable air conditioned condo, driving in my air conditioned car to shop in an air conditioned store, or have dinner in an air conditioned restaurant, or worship in an air conditioned church, it's not easy for this city woman to live in what I view as primitive. But, truth be known, the joy of my kids far outweighs the discomforts of living in rural Haiti.  I pray that God continues to give me strength and endurance, and whatever else I need to carry on.

"Bebe"

“Bebe” is a deaf mute lady who has lived in Bondeau all of her life.  She survives by selling fruits and vegetables that she buys at the market and sells for a few cents profit.  It’s a hard life, carrying around huge baskets of fruit in hope of selling a few pieces.  Bebe has the added problem of not hearing and not speaking.  But local people know her sign language and can communicate. 

Bebe has come to Kay Timoun often to sell her produce and we always buy from her.  We can use the food and she needs the money.  So, when the children called to me, “Bebe is here," I expected that she would be selling something.  But,not so.  Bebe said that she didn’t have any money to go to market to buy fruit.  I just listened, or watched, I should say.  The kids translated her sign language.  I saw that she was considerably thinner than she had been.  I assumed that she was hungry, so I asked her to wait.  I went into the kitchen and made her a peanut butter sandwich on an oversize Haitian bread, scooped the oatmeal that was left in the pot into a small bowl, and cut a piece of watermelon.  Bebe sat at the picnic table and ate her meal.  I went out again to say good-bye but she was gone.

 

Some of my favorite things.

Life is difficult here in Bondeau, no doubt about it!  But there are so many pleasures and joys, so I'll share some of those with you now.

Breakfast this morning:  Freshly made hot chocolate with real chocolate, add milk and sugar.  Freshly baked Haitian peasant bread spread with peanut butter that was made with peanuts roasted on charcoal fire, and then hand ground into thick delicious peanut butter, topped with fruity confiture (a type of marmalade)  Carole cleaned and sliced one whole pineapple just for me!

Roadside markets:  Everything you could ever want in organic fruits and vegetables;  our own "Whole Foods Market".  Women tend to their business selling vegetables and fruit neatly arranged by the side of the road.  Every town has a street market.

Children singing "Jesi Savoir".  Our children's choir sings beautifully.

Mother hen carefully tending to her chicks.  Love that maternal instinct that we females have!

Watching the garden grow.  Watching my neighbor's garden grow.

Feeling the cool breeze just before a rainfall.

Watching the rain water our garden.  Mesi Bondye!  (Thank you, God.)

Mangos just off the tree.  Eat them while they're fresh and sweet!

Hearing the brass band practice Mozart.  (Twinkle twinkle little star.)

Watching the kids create art with color pencils, crayons, and color paper.  The winners get displayed on the refrigerator.

Teaching Benjamy a new computer game.

Sitting with the kids as they learn English with Rosetta Stone.

The smell of sheets on my bed that have been hanging on the clothes line all day.

Ending the day reading a good novel.

"Facebook" friends.

Emails from my grandsons.

These are a few of my favorite things.