The next chapter begins Janaury 15, 2013

I will be resuming my blog on January 15, 2013 as I will be leaving for my work in the Diocese of Sunyani, Ghana. The fact I have to wear my boot cast to Ghana is just another wrinkle in the trip and should provide for interesting conversaions on route.

ICE CREAM WAS A HIT

cookies and cream, my it was good,
good discussion about the simliarities and differences between dioceses
got an invitation to their ordination when ever that it,
my answer..if I can I will other wise I can not
Toronto tomorrow !

LAST DAY

Packing almost done, good byes tonight and we are having 'Breyers cookies and cream' ice cream that I found at the store, had to buy a ice cream scope and there is not one here at the seminary, my hunch is that ice cream is not on the menu, probably never.











Good byes are not easy, leaving folks that you have just got to know. I guess it is like the song somewhat says,,with the first hello then starts the good bye





Au revoir a la Seminaire de Theologie Eglise Episcopale de Haiti




If there is not wifi at the Fort Lauderdale Airport where I will sit for a while tomorrow between flights then c'est toute .

Cool morning, only 82 in the shade

Time is coming fast that the return plane will be ready

This week trying to get information for a Food Program project for which I will try to get support.

This little one wanders around many times a day, a daughter of one of the cooks. She does not know her name yet but is very cute!

NOTRE DAME on Sunday morning

I got pics taken at church yesterday.

This is the worship space now that the church building is damaged and needs to be taken down.

Yesterday was the morning that the children come up for a blessing, it seemed to me that most people came up so Fr. Jean Fils and I could bless them. It is the older women who look at me as though...finally the women are gaining groumd, kiss my hand, kiss me, I have found that the same in Ghana when they have not seen a woman priest

This is Emmagina

Emmagina slept through the sermon, maybe that was a good idea as it was translated sentence by sentence ( it always feels very weird)

anyway I have no idea whether anyone else slept I was a bit busy.

She is 1 month and 15 days old, has red shoes and red ruffles under her skirt

The congregation was very welcoming as was Fr. Jeanfils, I guess he was as he got out of preaching.

a 'nothing' day of rest

Wow, a day with no committments, just reading and laying around.
Yes it is hard to take ... lol
weather warm, 84 in the shade, ?? in the sun (no A/C or a fan at the moment), car horns beeping (which they do all day and all night), the rooster in the yard strutting and making his 'cock a doodle doo' but I have stopped hearing him in the early am now (it is amazing what you can get used to), radios making their sound, voices loud, tires screeching and here I sit, in a classromm using the internet.
I had a real Coke last night and today I have a bottle of Diet Coke (nothing can be better than this).I do miss margarine on my bread ... no Becel
Just thought I would check in and now off to a great afternoon of 'nothingness' .... .......
sounds good eh, because it is. Thanks be to God.

Broken houses abound

I think that I am immuned to seeing the destruction and today I saw one that is literally hanging, waiting for demolition.

I have a long conversation with FR. McDonald who has beeen given the task of developing a Sunday School Curriculum. and asked if I could help. I sugggested that there is free stuff on the internet, showed him some samples. So next week instead of going to the school I will search for free material for him. If anyone has great source, let me know or if you have used curriculum ,those also would be helpful as with the lectionary the readings come around every three years.

Sr. Mary Alban SSJ

I had a great conversation with Sr. Mary Alban last night. She is a sister of St. Joseph's in Toronto and a friend of my friend, Sr. Rosemary Fry. Sr. Mary has been in Haiti 23 years last week and turns 80 next year and wonders what she will do next. Formerly taught in Toronto RC schools and then got into justice work, then felt she needed to come to Haiti. She has worked in the slums here, worked for justice and has now just written a series of booklets on Non Violence. An amazing woman to be with and a gift for me.

Eucharist celebrated by the only woman priest here

The Rev. Fernande Sanon Pierre Louis, ordained 12 years ago, celebrated this am. It is interesting how there is a knowing when you meet someone who in reality, is in the same position. Denise is one of the students, in third year, but if understand the system here, she will work in a parish, still called a seminarian for a couple of years and then at the pleasure of the bishop will be ordained. Rev. Frenande is a great role model for the women who are following her.

so I figured it out

In actual fact the solution was in front of me but I could not see it.

right click on the picture and then where it says save as ...

then it was saved in the picture folder,now how simple was that

well the picture is of the cathedral before the interior had many murals on the wals and the ceiling but they are all lost.

the mind quickly stops seeing

I was standing in the gateway to the street from the school and found myself not reacting to the site. I find it is amazing how the mind accomodates what ever reality it is dealing with to minimize the disturbance.

The top picture is the "wash hands system in one of the classrooms, a bucket with a spiget and a basin on the floor to catch the water.

The second pic is a very broken house which is so common place that I almost say 'oh hum' what else is new. I guess this is why I visit places such as this ..to remind me' to not forget and also I am so blessed.

trying to post pictures from the internet on this post

I can copy the pictures on a web site, I can paste it in a word document but I can not paste it in this space or as a photo
??? I think there must be a way but I have not figured it out yet
all suggestions gratefully received

Cathdral before

I am trying to get pictures of the cathdral before but do not know how to save them in a picture format so I took pictures of them on the computer, but I can not turn off the flash as it is a new camera so this is the best that I could do. If you look on web sites for the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port au Prince, Haiti you can see how beautiful it was.

TRINITY CATHDRAL - PORT AU PRINCE

Worshipped at the cathdral this am. I remember how beautiful it was and now just rubble.

I am thankful for Denise (a seminarian)who gets me here and there when needed. As Anglican we are blessed being people with a book. The service, same parts, just a different language so one can follow along with great success. Many kids in the service and the choir was 5 men with their leader. I met the celebrant who is the only woman priest in the diocese, The Rev. Fernande Pierre-Louis, she has been ordained for 12 years. Progress is slow all over.

I now have an afternoon to veg out I think.

Later

Saturday - attend a funeral

The pictures are of St. Luke's Leogone, after the quake and the present worship space.

Temp 40o and driving the usual way: in and out speed up to 80 k/h and then jump on the brakes to wait for opportunity to pass a slower vehicle

funeral for the mother of a seminarian in Loagone (the epicentre of the quake)

The destruction was quite wide spread but buildings that had rebars and supports were less affected than ones without which stand to reason. Most of the rebuilds include rebars and steel supports. At the funeral the women of the family were upset and wailing, very loud I must admit. I asked the priest is this was expected, he said that she must be very nervous. At the end of the service one daughter threw herself on the floor screaming with her brother laying on her to keep her still. Eventually she settled and we left to come back to the seminary.

The present worship space is a concrete pad with a tin roof which I understand leaks when it rains.

Arriving back it was not long before I was in bed, the heat, the very bumpy roads and very loud services wears me out.

NOTRE DAME ANGLICAN CHURCH

The church structure was so damaged in the quake that is unsafe, an area was built, concrete pad with corregated tin roof which leaks when it rains but it is safe. It is amazing how we can 'make do' when necessary. I think sometimes it does one good to have to make do, to demonstrate that sometimes our goals can be for the wrong reasons so 'making do' give time for the real priority to emerge.

The neighbourhood was damaged greatly and two years down the road, still is in great disarray BUT merchants line the street selling their wares, life continues. Beside the tent cities of

which are several, a line of porta potties are the sanitation system.

I spoke to the saleman in the shop where I bought the camera etc yesterday about his feelings during the quake. He was in the basement of the store and thought for sure that he would die. For weeks,life was totally chaotic with the damage, the smell and dreams of it happening again. At this time he does not think about it, passes downed buildings without giving them a second glance. Things are harder as there is so much rubble, even getting around requires major effort.

As you can see buses are very decorated in bright colours. each one with a different design. lots of fun.

enough for now

yet people persevere to eek out their life. I am so impressed with their will and determination.

Notre Dame Anglican School

I almost celebrated the eucharist today and the celebrant was not there, so got robed and during the first hymn he arrived, thanks be to God as I would have done it in english and that would have been a struggle for the seminarians,

I visited the school where I am going to volunteer for the time I am here.

300 students, in an impoverished area of Port au Prince, Fr. Jeanfls the priest of the church and director of the school.

the poverty is endless but I can not say often enough that Human Spirit goes on regardless of the circumstance, mothers wash clothes, kids go to school, shopping is done, etc, floors are swept and folks attend church.

got camera and phone ...life is good

taken shopping and bought phone and camera on my VISA just like home and used ATM to get Hatian money

so got a picture from the Birthday Party we had for two students, I understand that there is a party every month

tonight I am taking individual pictures on students, down loading them and sending everyone their picture and the party picture. They are quite thrilled that it can happen.

Chapel at 640 am and 540 pm and yes I am getting up. I can struggle to sing the hymns in french but the rest is a bit of a blur as they know it all be heart and so I can never find it in the book.

went to the corner market tonight for party supplies, four years ago there were 3 men with guns at the exit, now it is a rebuit store as it collapse in the quake, and only one with gun at the door

I guess things are looking up but now there is a video security system with 12 views that management watch.

I am back in business with the camera so will be able to send more pics

later

THURSDAY AFTER A NIGHT'S SLEEP

I was up at 530am but went to bed at 8pm last night. I am not on my computer so can not send pics. Chapel is at 640am and then breakfast...spagetti with hot dogs cut up. You have to know it tastes real good when one is hungry.
I left my backpack (computer and meds in it) in the taxi yesterday and in the midst of poverty, the taxi driver returned it this am. It confirms to me that people remain faithful and good regardless of the circumstance.
I am going shopping...I know what else is new... to buy a phone as my roaming does not work for some reason in Haiti, only in the Domincan, and a camera to replace the one that fell out of the van.
talk later.

from Punta Cuna to Porta au Prince, Haiti

it took from yesterday am till 7 pm today to get from there to here,
The story is beyond imagination and I will blog it later. I have just had supper with the students. The brief drive through the city still shows great devestation, huge buildings with cracks through out and parts laying in rubble on the ground. Tent city still in the park and many many tarp covered dwelling along most roads. It was hard and shocking to see.
I am sure it will get worse as I see more.
Peace

I hope pictures this time

It was a setting that gives wonderful memories for a great couple!

I am posting this tonight as I leave for Port au Prince tomorrow (please note I need to be up, packed, eaten breakfast and at the front desk by 8am, me who hates mornings) and have no idea if the internet it up and running in Haiti.
I have a drive in a car, trip 5.5 hours. The scenery etc should be a sight to behold.

Better than the bus that is 7.5hours as it stops along the way.

THE WEDDING OF CHRIS AND SHWETA

breezes, sand, blue sky, family, onlookers in bathing suits was the setting for Shweta and Chris to show and talk about their love for each other.
May they always remember today and their love for each other.

figured it out

I just figures out how to see the comments,,,wow wow wow

computer skills are lacking

dammed if I can figure out how to edit posts or see other's comments, maybe by the end of the trip I will have it figured out, if you know how...email me at revbettyjordan@gmail.com
thanks in advance if it helps

sun sun sun

the sun is beight, the palms wave in the breeze, the beach is crowded,

-the wedding couple and I had a discussion as to the how and where for the wedding ceremony

It is amazing how so many people can be worshipping the sun god on a Sunday or any other day here.

I am sure it takes an army of staff working day and night for this place to run, all day and all night.

I will admit it is very nice but over the top for me personally.

SUNDAY IN SUN

temp 82o, birds flitting here and there in the open air lobby, blue blue water, food beyond imagination, many channels on the tv, found the casino last night...not lose much, no church but great music in the air

cant figure out how to delete repeat picture, oh hum what else is new.

off to the wild blue wander

at the airport, sitting on the floor near a hydro plug, the magic of wifi, I tell you,

drinking Tim Horton;s coffee and watching people back and forth.

self pic, best I could do, arm only so long

Domican Republic/Haiti

Getting ready for 90 degrees F

Long time , no blog