From August 31, 2018 Little Jodeley is doing much better after the Tuesday night trauma of riding on a motorcycle to four hospitals while being very sick. Billy visited him in the hospital yesterday. Billy said Jodeley was very happy to see him, adding, “I could see the joy on his face.” Josette accompanied Billy and they brought him food…
From August 27, 2018 Yesterday I had a great phone call from Fr. John Dear, the former Jesuit and famous peace activist and popular author. We spoke for just under 90 minutes. It was a delightful conversation. He asked many questions about the Haiti mission and he committed to spending a week with me in Haiti sometime between November and…
From August 26, 2018 I spent some time yesterday reading old Journals from 2015 and 2016. The following is the first part of a Journal entry was posted on November 23, 2016. It was titled “From Dorothy Day to a Disastrous Day.” Years later, car breakdowns and generator breakdowns still are a source of trouble. I confess that I often feel…
From August 30, 2018 Around 1:30pm, I received a very distressing e-mail from Billy detailing a medical emergency one of the kids faced. I immediately called him. He said that he was in his office on Tuesday night at around 6:30om, when Fabibi came running in to tell him that there was an emergency. A little boy named Jodeley needed…
From August 29, 2018 The beginning of the school year across Haiti is being threatened by the fact that the combination of the recent deadly protests and government failures have left many people unable to afford registration fees and the cost of books. Schools and parents are just not ready for a new school year, creating a situation of confusion…
From August 28, 2018 In my feeble effort to rest and do nothing, I did something I rarely do. On Friday night, I watched a film. The film was titled The Constant Gardener, which was set in Africa. I really had no idea what the film was about before I pressed play. The opening was set in a massive slum.…
From August 25, 2018 Upon leaving the international arrivals terminal after clearing customs on Thursday afternoon, I felt I was really dragging as I made my way to the sixth floor of the parking structure. I was really walking very slowly. Each step felt burdensome. I put my two pieces of carry-on luggage in the trunk. Rather than get in…
From August 24, 2018 Greetings from Fort Pierce, Florida. Yesterday, I woke up in Haiti at 4:05am. I was already too tired to begin the rigors of travel. After I sent the Journal, I sleepily walked to the kitchen to make coffee. As it was brewing, I returned to my office to check my e-mail. Within minutes, we lost all…
From August 23, 2018 I leave this morning for Florida. It will be a short trip. Outside of the two travel days to and from Florida, I will be in Ft. Pierce for just six days…half of which, at least, will be eaten up with handling administrative chores. I’m in need of a little rest. Read Full Journal Entry Here
From August 22, 2018 Backstory. Marmalade (a nick name I gave her because I could not pronounce her real name) was a homeless woman camping out near our first little apartment in the small slum in Peguville. She had three young daughters, Lysa, Sara, and Laura. We let them stay in our place. They were soon joined by five very…