Haiti

     In a world where there is so much wealth, so many resources to feed everyone, it is unfathomable that there are so many hungry children, that there are so many children without an education, so many poor persons. . . To love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely.                                                                                                                                         [...]

I am still processing my experiences in Haiti. Instead of rehashing each day and activity, I would like to focus on four specific experiences or encounters – two that brought me joy and two that made me cry. Heidi with knitting students First, teaching people to knit makes me happy. I love to knit so why not share my passion with others?  However, what I enjoyed most was not teaching skills but connecting with the students via teaching. In fact, we did not get very far with knitting, partly due to the fact that I had about one hour. The hardest part of knitting for beginners can be casting on and then knitting the first row. I helped students cast on, but since the cast on stitches are so close to the needle, they had trouble practicing. Although [...]

This was my fifth trip to Haiti. Every trip to Haiti is different and special and touches your soul. Upon arriving I was again struck by the poverty and the desperation of most people's lives.  The many men standing outside the airport pedestrian exit vying to earn a dollar by carrying your bag drives home their situation. The three hour Sunday morning worship in a crowded and very poor “God’s Faith Church” was one of many examples during the visit of the deep faith of most Haitian people. This church was particularly interesting because of its charismatic worship style. The pastor often preached with his eyes closed and members would shout out phrases such as "praise the Lord." Many had their hands raised high with eyes closed as the Spirit seemed to seize them. The church has a tin roof [...]

    In a recent report for Global Ministries, the current missionaries working with CONASPEH (the National Spiritual Council of Churches in Haiti) described attending a graduation of nurses and seminarians. David Entin, Judy Sherman and I attended this graduation the previous year and were all deeply moved by the ceremony. Along with their diplomas the seminarians received either a gift of a Bible or a commentary or a book of church history. Our friends at the Longmeadow UCC church provided nursing bags for graduating nurses that included a blood pressure kit, a nurse’s watch with a sweep second hand, a digital thermometer, a penlight for examining pupillary response and a pair of bandage scissors. This gift bag is part of the church’s “alternative Christmas” program, which members have supported for the past four years. In past years, First Churches [...]