Letters From Haiti

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Letters From Haiti

4/16/08 (#2)-Joan

4/16/08-Joan

4/10/08-Joan

4/9/08-Joan

3/28/08 (#2)-Joan

3/28/08-Joan

11/9/07-Joan
3/30/07-Joan - Larry Hurm Visit
2/13/07-Joan
1/30/07-Joan

4/16/08 (#2)-Joan

Dear everyone,

This is the second set of photos from Gaspard. After much discussion about many projects, Fr. Phechner decided that the stucco for the outside of the church in the back needs to be finished. Some of the stones in the foundation are starting to fall out, and some of the concrete blocks are wearing down in the weather.

We can talk about what to do when I return to the US--and hopefully when Fr. Phechner visits about June 14-15 in Rockport, maybe June 7-8 in Seymour.



Joan

4/16/08-Joan

Dear everyone,

These are some photos from my recent visit to Gaspard.

1. Fr. Phechner with school supplies sent from St. Bernard.

2. The new latrine at the church.

3. The repaired clinic roof after the storm on Dec. 10.

4. Joan with the Ver Pre teachers.

5. Fr. Phechner with the Ver Pre teachers.

More Later, Joan

4/10/08-Joan

Now I know I must be dreaming. I plugged the digital camera into the new computer, and the program opened to download photos. I can't believe it!

It is hard to describe what Fr. Jocelyn has been able to do at LaTortue. Besides his pastoral work in the parish center and 4 chapels, he has also worked on some construction projects: the repair if the church, the renovation of the rectory, the new roof and repairs for the convent (although the sisters may not be coming for a while). It is difficult to get a person to LaTortue, much less the building supplies and workers. His efforts are a minor miracle.

1. Pere Jocelyn on the sail boat to LaTortue.

2. The church

3. The rectory

4. The convent

5. Leaving LaTortue to return to PdPaix.

More later.

Joan

4/9/08-Joan Martin

Just checking in from PdP on Wed morning (April 9). Just returned yesterday from 4 days in LaTortue with Pere Jocelyn. A very good visit. Windy going over, but tranquil for the return. Then at 11 AM yesterday, Fr. Roman arrived from Baie-de-Henne with three kids with naval hernias that we had arranged to have surgery in St. Louis du Nord with the visiting US medical team.   It is good that I went along, because there were a few difficulties that needed an English speaker. Finally, got them scheduled for 7, 8, and 9 AM this morning. Fr. Roman and I are planning to go back this afternoon, after the Presbyterium (the meeting with the Bishop and all the priests) finishes.

The good news here is that I am sending you this email from the new computer (bought with funds from Susan Askins for the nursing school) on the second floor of the convent (not downstairs in the classroom) on the newly-alligned email dish, with power from the newly-installed batteries and inverter. Am I dreaming?? I wonder how many minutes this will last.

The bad news is that evidently, while I was in LaTortue, people in Port-au-Prince and Les Cayes (in the south) began manifestations (demonstrations) against the government because of the problems in the country---high prices for food, taxes on everything coming into the country (especially by boat), lack of jobs, and low salaries. They have reason. Unfortunately, I hear there is violence in some places.

This morning in PdPaix, they burned one tire at one bridge, and two at another. So far, no major manifestations. But the banks and post office closed, which means that Fonkoze closed. So, even if people have some money coming in, they cannot get to it---which means more people will be hungry.

Pere Cholet and Pere Kerny arrived for the Presbyterium, and we talked about Bombard and LaCroix projects, and then about the government situation.  They said that tomorrow the 2 houses of Parliament will be meeting, with the possibility of firing all the Ministers of the Commissions.  They cannot fire President Preval, but they can change the people under him. Guess we will see what happens.

Hope all is well there, and that spring is on the way. I have made my reservations for returning to Indiana and Tucson. I will be arriving in Indiana on May 8; then to Tucson on May 14 to June 4. I need to get there before the end of school to talk to the students. So only a short time in Indiana in May. Then longer in June and July for sweet corn and tomatoes. Karen says the windows are still in the carport--waiting for my return for installation.

More later,

Love, Joan

3/28/08 (#2)-Joan

Dear Julie,

I hope this email finds you in good health, and I hope spring is on the way to Indiana.

I just wanted to share these photos with you of the Holy Week soccer tournament in Bombard. Everyone enjoyed receiving trophies with a soccer emblem versus the small-mouth bass on the earlier trophies.

Thanks for your help.

Peace--Joan

3/28/08-Joan

Dear Bob, Sr. Maria Luisa, and Sr. Sonia,

I am sending these photos of Holy Week and Easter in Bombard (Semen Sen ak Pak).

1. Pere Cholet, the sisters, and 2 visitors from Spain.

2. Pere Cholet and the seminarians Paul and Bertrand.

3. The Easter candle in the church.

4. Pere Cholet and the procession for Palm Sunday (Dimanche de Ramo).

Joan

11/9/07-Joan Martin
Dear Everyone,
At the convent, it seems to be the custom to begin the celebration for a birthday on the night before. So, on November 6, the sisters began the activities for my birthday. We had spaghetti and pudding. Then for breakfast, after Mass on the 7th, we had Haitien hot chocolate and coffee, Haitien peanut butter, fresh bread, and good bananas---all of which are my favorites. For lunch, we had bean sauce with dumplings and vegetables, with bread and jelly for dessert. Sr. Adeline went to the non-working refrigerator and brought out a bottle of Heineken. She opened it, and asked if I would like to share. I said, of course. Imagine my surprise--the bottle had been re-cycled by the local cola company and filled with orange soda--not what my tongue was expecting. The rest of the day was quiet--until supper.

About 7 PM, one of the young men from the Bishop's office came to say that one of the Nigerian DDL sisters who works n LaCroix was at the emergency room at the hospital. Sr. Adeline, Miss Niote (a very good nurse, phlebotomist), and another sister went immediately. I followed with the Fdls truck and 2 other sisters and the cook.

The story unfolded. Sr. Francesca had been shopping in PdP most of the day. She had returned with a large tank of propane gas for cooking. When they unloaded the tank in the kitchen, evidently, gas began to leak out. The sisters had gone upstairs, and the cook was beginning to prepare supper. The fire began in the entryway--trapping the cook in the kitchen, and trapping the sisters on the second story. Eventually, a young man heard their shouts and began to rip off the sheet metal on the kitchen roof--pulling the cook out to safety.

The sisters began searching all the upstairs windows to try to remove the security iron to try to escape. They found a loose frame in the guest bedroom, ripped it off the wall, and smashed the window. Sr. Francesca went to search for her cell phone to call Pere Kerny next door to come with a ladder to help them. When she returned to the guest room, Sr. Chukwuemeka had jumped out of the window, and was lying unconscious on the ground 2 stories below. The ladder arrived quickly, and Sr. Francesca and Sr. Chimezie descended. The fire was put out with sand.

The sisters then began preparing to come down the mountain to PdP to bring Sr. Chukwuemeka to the hospital. That was at 7PM. The emergency room at Hospital Immaculee is not a pretty place. But there were two good nurses and a fairly young Haitien doctor (or med student) working that night. And there was electricity. Crying babies, dying old people, young men and women with various problems. Sr. Chukwu was now conscious and talking; she had much pain in her right hip area and left side. The doctor had checked her and ordered an IV, a tetanus shot, and a shot for pain. Sr. Adeline and Miss Ninote began to clean her cuts; then they began to clean the burns on the the young man and the cook who had come down with them. We left about 10:30PM. Sr. Francesca decided to stay at the hospital all night.The doctor had ordered x-rays, but that would have to wait till the next morning.

Thursday, at 8:30, some of us returned. After a not-so-long wait (because of SR. Adeline's connections), the x-rays were taken. The Cuban orthopedic doctor reported that there appeared to be no fractures of the ribs or hip, but many small fractures in the pelvis. We all breathed a sigh of relief. After a brief visit by the Cuban surgeon, Sr. Chukwu was released to Sr. Adeline--to rest at the convent for several days. Everyone went to bed early. It is now Friday morning. SR. Chukwu is resting and eating and drinking. She seems to be doing very well. We celebrated with hot chocolate and coffee for breakfast.

We were all reminded how fragile life is in Haiti--what a fine line between life and death. We were able to leave the hospital with a good report; others are still there. Joan

3/30/07-From Joan Martin
Dear everyone,

This is a quick newsletter, because there is not much power left. Just returned from a 6 day visit to Gaspard (in the mountains) with 2 men from my hometown in Indiana--Larry Hurm from ST. Bernard and Pastor Larry VanCamp from Trinity Methodist. Everyone here thought it was very interesting that they were both named Larry, and that a Catholic and a Methodist would be working together. Because of some space and weather problems, the Larrys spent the first two nights at the convent. The sisters thought that was interesting, too.

It rained everyday they were here--and it is still raining--13 days now. Going to Gaspard and coming back, we had to cross Riviere Ba by foot, and coming down, the mud was over ankle deep. Fortunately, when we had to cross the river the last time, it cleaned our shoes for free. The evaluation of the trip: bad weather, bad path, wonderful experience. It is always interesting for me to see how the comprehension of the situation here changes, even though visitors have seen pictures and heard me speak. They returned to Indiana very late Thursday night.

Today (Friday), I am on my fourth plan to try to get to Bombard and the far west before Palm Sunday. Because of the rain, Trois Rivieres, to the west, is too high to cross by vehicle--only by little rowboat. After the first 3 plans fell apart, I decided to go to Fonkoze to make some transfers, and Pere Roman from Baie-de-Henne had just arrived. He had to leave his truck on the other side of the river, so he wants to return to his parish this afternoon---and it is not too far out of his way to give me a ride to Bombard. Providence, Providence. We will see what really happens.

I hope to be able to see the Colombian sisters in Bombard for the first time since their return in late February. Also, I hope to be able to help Pere Cholet with his driving, since his schedule is very full for the next 10 days. He emailed me to say that the Land Rover in resting in TiRiviere and needs a new "disclutch" for $750. He is driving the truck of the TiRiviere sisters which has a few problems, too. He wants to return to PdP next Wednesday for the Chrism Mass on Thursday morning; then back to Bombard for the Holy Thursday service in the evening. We will see what happens.

I hope you have a peaceful and joyous Easter. Joan

2/13/07-From Joan Martin
I am sending you some pictures of the all-day activity at the convent EVERY Saturday--all morning and most of the afternoon----washing clothes. Of course, with no electricity, there are no washing machines, so all the laundry is done by hand in metal or plastic tubs. The sisters have 2 women who come to wash the sheets, towels, and the sisters' clothes on Monday and Thursday. But the employees and students who live at the convent have to do their own. They start about 8 AM.

The work is a cross between sheer drudgery and social interaction. The students talk and sing; friends stop by to chat; the little kids, Anita and Fanfan, spend time with the older girls.

Haitians have a certain way all this is done. They buy the soap (savon) in foot long bars that resemble white chocolate. Large chunks of the soap are broken off and scrubbed into the clothes with a special hand action--with the clothes held in both fists, the cloth is rubbed knuckle against knuckle in a crossways direction, with the fists parallel to the ground, back and forth, left to right.

After the soaping, everything soaks in water in the sun; then the clothes are wrung out, rinsed, and hung on the line--without wringing them out a second time. Of course, that makes for a lot of drippy clothes, but I think there may be less wrinkles that way.

Before the clothes are completely dry, they are taken down and ironed--with a steel iron that has glowing charcoal inside to provide the heat. By the time all this is finished it is about 6 PM.

At the old convent, before the fire, I got into the habit of doing all my own laundry about every other day---mainly because I didn't have a lot of clothes, and I couldn't wait a week for the clean clothes to return. I used shampoo because I didn't have any Fab (the Haitian term for ALL laundry powder), and my clothes weren't that dirty. There was a little more privacy, and nobody watched what I was doing or made any comments.

After the fire, at the temporary convent, there is a bit less privacy. About every other day, I stand by the big water drums near the bathroom (because that is easier than carrying the water elsewhere), and wash my two shirts, underwear, socks, and jumpers. Of course, everyone who passes by has a comment. (Oh, Joann knows how to wash. Oh, Joann washes quickly. I can wash that for you. Do you wash clothes like that in the US?) I finally had to start using FAB, because everyone rolled their eyes at the shampoo (Poor American, she just doesn't know any better.)

The sisters finally received a new truck--after several years of waiting and walking and asking for rides to everything. The chauffeur is a young man named Nadim--he seems to be a careful driver and a decent mechanic. At 8:30 every morning, he comes to the Convent to take the sisters to work. On Friday, he arrived a little early, and as I was starting my laundry activities, he stood watching and talking. Finally he couldn't stand it any longer. He laughed and said, Oh Joann does not know how to wash clothes. When I asked why he said that, he responded that my knuckle-to-knuckle scrubbing action was not correct. I was rubbing my knuckles front-to-back, not top-over-bottom. I asked him what the difference would be. After about 3 minutes of both of us examining different knuckle action, he gave up and said that the Haitian way was just better. Poor American, she just doesn't know any better. Nothing like a little critiquing from a driver to keep one's humility in line.

More Later--Joan

1/30/07-From Joan Martin
Just checking in to say I have safely returned to PdPaix...Friday Jan. 26. The weather is warm--lucky for me. It is good to see everyone, and I think they are happy to see me, too. The sisters made a few changes in my room for my return and rest. They replaced the 6 concrete blocks that were under the mattress with a real wooden bed frame (I don't know where they found it, because most bed frames here are welded metal.) Also, they put a curtain over the door opening for my room--for a little privacy when the door is open. The curtain is bright pink, with multi-colored flowers, and the word Barbie everywhere. (Don't know where they found that, either.)

I was able to talk to many priests yesterday, since they were on their way to the priests' retreat in La Croix. Fr. Cholet, Fr. Nicolas, Fr. Phechner, Fr. Jocelyn, Fr. Carl, Fr. Chepa, Fr. Renald, Fr. Prophy (who is recovering from typhoid), and Fr. Kerny (who was back in PdP to renew his visa for the remainder of his rest in Miami. They all send their greetings to their sister parishes---and their thanks for all the help and support for their projects. Of course, there are still many problems. But we will work on those after the retreat.

Sr. Adeline is preparing to leave for New York and Medjugore on Thurs. Feb. 1. She is planning to return to PdP about April 24. She is reminding me to rest (per the orders of my surgeon and my parents). I hope to begin my travels on Friday.

More later. Peace--Joan