Over the last two years Pierre Louis and I stay in touch through email and when I return to Haiti each time I try to schedule to visit with him during my stay and catch up on what has been happening since we last saw each other. Last year during one visit Pierre Louis and I were asked to be Godparents to the niece of Father Romel, the director of the Emmaus center. The Picture below is the three of us together in front of the guest house of the Emmaus center.
During a visit last October with the HEF Board members there was an ordination in Mirebalais that our group attended. I saw Pierre Louis at the ordination as most of the seminarians and many priest attend all special celebrations, like the feast day of the Patron of the parish, an anniversary of the church or school, etc. In Haiti these celebrations are events to celebrate in community and the Priest and seminarians want to be present to support each other in the celebrations in each others parish, there is a beautiful Mass and a big feast after for the occasion. During my visit with Pierre Louis after the Ordination he told me it was nice that our group was able to share in the celebration of the ordination with the deacons, that it was a special day for them and it is very nice to have many visitors join in the celebration. He then said I hope that you can come to my ordination to celebrate with me, I asked when it would be and he said when the Bishop decides that I am ready he will tell me and give me the date. I told him if he sent me an invitation that I would do my best to come to Haiti for the ordination. Three weeks ago I received the invitation and quickly began trying to make plans to attend, with such short notice I was not sure I would be able to attend but I was able to find a flight, there was a pastor, Pere Kesner from Cerca Carvajal, that I know from previous visits and had promised to come at visit on my next trip to Haiti who was in Richmond who would be returning the week before the ordination so I was able to travel with him and ride from Port au Prince to Hinche so everything fell into place and I was able to attend the ordination. In Haiti many responses and comments include Grace a Dieu or Si Bondye vle, this is Thanks to God or if God wills, when you ask how are you the response is Very often Bien Bien, Grace a Dieu, (very well thanks to God) and when you say see you later it is Na we Pita si Bondye vle, (see you later, if God wills), I am able to make this trip to attend the ordination Grace a Dieu.
Pierre Louis with the other Seminarians entering mass for the Ordination
During the Ordination Mass the Deacons with the Bishop
This trip has been a very good trip for many reasons, first because I was able to attend the Ordination of a friend in Haiti and celebrate with his family the special occasion, but also because it has been a very good time for me to attend meetings and training seminars with the Diocesan Bureau of Education (BDE) that are happening during this time. I will also be present next Sunday for the graduation of the Preschool which is part of Ecole Normale d'Instituteurs Hinche Papaye, the 3 year teacher training school that I work with through the parish twinning program with Our Lady of Nazareth. I was planning to make the trip later in June but changed plans when the invitation came and I have been very blessed to be here during this time instead of my previously planned time. Each time I come to Haiti I learn more and more about Faith, Life, and Joy this time is no different and I am getting a strong lesson in trusting the will of God.
By the Way, this last post was published using my laptop computer and a cheap Haitian smart phone as a Wifi Hotspot, so it is possible that this could be an option for internet connections in school computer labs. I will try to test it soon and follow up with the results.
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