Different from the last trip in February, thanks be to God! I spent the last visit to our missions in Haiti almost entirely confined to Mission House, thanks to an unexplained illness or condition characterized by moderate fever, chills — and debilitating weakness which made it impossible to do anything but lie in bed and once in a while muster the energy to get a drink of water or something to eat. Mercifully, I recovered sufficiently to make the return trip home as scheduled, but it was another two weeks before I returned to something like normal. Whether this had anything to do with Haiti will remain forever unknown.
Thus it is that I find myself here only a month later, trying to accomplish what could not be done last month. Had I known how unstable conditions were here, I might have second thoughts, but so far I’m pleased that I didn’t — no untoward incidents. Unfortunately, it’s too much “business as usual”. The day before my departure, a couple of incidents between UN peace-keeping troops and former Haitian military troops (read thugs) led to the first UN deaths. I saw the news-bulletin on the eve of departure, and my first thought was — oh yes, it must have been at Petit-Goâve (where Fr. Grégoire and I had our “baptism under fire” last year). I was right. Tomorrow, we must pass through the town on our way to Les Cayes, and again Monday for our return. So far as we know, all is now calm — and I certainly pray it remains so. The night before my departure from Port-au-Prince for Cyvadier (from which I now write) there was gunfire throughout the capital, with a number of injuries and deaths. I knew nothing of it (apart from an unexplained sleepless night) until the next day. During my traverse of the city, there was no sign of unrest. As I said, “business as usual”. Sad, tragic — and that is the reality with which your brothers and sisters here live day after day.
Continued at Les Cayes Sunday evening, after a happily uneventful trip from Cyvadier. The visit with the faithful of St. Augustine’s in Cyvadier (a little village about 7km east of Jacmel on the south coast, for newcomers) was fruitful and enjoyable, despite the complications of Latin Easter weekend. On the way down (with two riders) I was able make the “coffee connection” at Tombe Gateau, high in the mountains, and add 240# of superior coffee to my payload. I’m afraid the little Nissan Sentra was about maxed out! Word of my coming had preceded me, and a vespers service was scheduled for that evening. Happily, we arrived in good time for it. The little chapel was packed — and again Friday evening. Inspection revealed that construction of the storage depot (surrounding the well) on the new property for the mission had been well accomplished: strong (enough for a second story at a later date if needed), secure, and even pretty good-looking for a simple block building. [Technical problems have caused a delay in completion of the electrical service and installation of the pump, but that should not be long coming.] Several of the parishioners and I spent considerable time walking over the property and working out plans for future building (trying to preserve any established trees). Next priorities: a sanitary disposal system (for later connection to toilets in buildings yet to come) and a roomy partly open-air structure, with a closed room at one end, to serve as a temporary chapel, later for trapeza, clinic and/or school space. Unfortunately, these things don’t come cheap, especially in Haiti. Initial phase: digging the pit for the septic system (no small matter, as the substructure is rock; dynamite and power tools are unknown for such projects here), walling it in, digging and construction of foundations for the terrace (24x54 feet), construction and setting of the posts which will eventually hold the roof (and, perhaps someday a second floor), and pouring the concrete slab floor. Note that this doesn’t really give us anything useful — but it’s a worthy beginning. Estimated cost, about US$8000. For your struggling brothers and sisters in Haiti, that’s a lot of money. For most of our parishes (and not a few families), it’s really rather small potatoes (I know of a parish attempting to raise money throughout the church to help meet its monthly mortgage payment of $5000). The cost for the second stage (enclosure of the space at one end which will serve as a sanctuary for the temporary chapel, and building the concrete roof over the whole affair) will probably have a comparable price tag. Something to bear in mind if you happen to be an engineer or contractor trying to evaluate this: wood construction is out of the question in Haiti, both because of the severe shortage of anything resembling construction-grade timber, and because of the voracious appetite of Haitian termites; and — anything built in Haiti must be constructed to withstand hurricanes, torrential floods and earthquakes, if it is to endure. Everything we build is being measured against those standards (but in the end, of course, it’s all in God’s hands!).
Divine Liturgy this morning was a fitting and joyful conclusion to the visit, even though departure had to be hastened to make the rendez-vous with Fr. Grégoire at Carrefour Dufort, roughly equidistant from Cyvadier and the parish of the Nativity of the Mother of God in Port-au-Prince where he served this morning (Fr. Jean had flown to Cap-Haïtien for his regular montly liturgy there). Typical Haitian circumstances conspired to make our meeting considerably later than planned — I was a half-hour late, he a half-hour later yet. No big deal, one might think, but we had no possible means of communication once we had left our respective starting-points, and anything might happen en route to make it impossible for one or the other to arrive at the crossroads. So far it’s always worked, but someday it won’t, of course! Nonetheless, we arrived together here at Les Cayes actually on time for the planned vespers (about 5:00 or 5:30 — actually started maybe about 5:45, in the most pleasant environment we’ve had to date. The faithful here had arranged for use of a classroom (yet another one), but unlike previous venues had been able to convert it into a reasonable facsimile of a chapel. It would have held more people, but it was full — about 30 altogether. These are folks who have been struggling for two years already to find a possible space to rent for a “permanent” meeting-place, a group which has grown from a small handful to its present size despite being in a different place for almost every service (regularly Saturdays and Sundays now, for lay services).
Later, at home: Regrettably, the next day’s scouting of possible “permanent” rentals bore no fruit — again. One nice space, but at $3000/yr. far too much for our resources. The return trip to Port-au-Prince was happily uneventful, even after a late start. Juliette, who had earlier travelled to Les Cayes to visit her old home, returned with us.
The short time remaining in Port-au-Prince allowed only a visit to LaPlaine, to inspect the newly-constructed storage building at the Foyer de Ste.-Marie d’Egypt, which now is home not only to Juliette but also to another parish family, Roselynn and her four children, and visit the newly-installed family a short distance from Katherine’s home on the “new ground”, which will some day be the site of a permanent church in the area. In the interim, we hope soon to construct a small chapel at the Foyer, for daily services and those occasions when it is impossible for the faithful there to get to the Church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. This property, the most spacious of all (about 1.6 acres), is situated directly on what will one day be the principal route from the city to the north. An additional contiguous tract of the same size is still available for about $25,000. A donor or donors for this tract would find their contributions well spent.
As is most often the case, the visit concluded with a seminar for the clergy, readers and readers-in-training, with special emphasis upon the lenten services (for me, it was the first time I had served weekday lenten services in French, a learning experience in itself!).
Next scheduled trip is for June, for the parish feast at St. Augustine’s — and, God willing, perhaps a first-ever liturgy at Les Cayes. Please keep these the poorest by far of your brethren in your prayers — and in your awareness when you reach for your wallet or credit card! Remember — what is a treat for you, is survival for them.