Thursday, October 25, 2018

God's Presence




Sunday, October 21, 2018

Today is our last day in Haiti.

We started our day with Mass at St Gerard’s. We really enjoyed attending Mass with the congregation. It is amazing to attend Mass in another country. It is pretty easy to follow along because the Mass is the same all over the world! It was also very humbling to be at Mass in Haiti as part of a mission team on World Mission Sunday.


After Mass, we were treated to lunch by Sister Alta. We were also able to meet some of the students that graduated from the trade school last July. A Reiser Relief team was supposed to come in July and attend the graduation but the trip was canceled because of protests. The graduates were at the nuns’ home to pick up sewing machines donated by Reiser Relief so that they can get out and start their businesses. Please pray for their success.


In the afternoon, we went to Sacred Heart which is a residence for elderly women who have been abandoned. There were two young women, who are sisters and who have been blind since birth now living at the residence. We massaged the women’s arms and legs and put polish on their finger nails and toe nails. One of the nuns started singing a lively song and we got some of the ladies to dance with us! The smiles on their faces were priceless!



At times this week, I have felt frustrated. While walking back from Missionaries of Charity after morning Mass on Friday, we had another beautiful view of the mountains and the valleys below. You would have thought that you were looking at any mountain range in the United States until you saw the poverty immediately around you. I have wondered where God is in this crazy, chaotic place called Haiti. I have wondered how people can live like this. I have wondered how people can let other people live like this. I have wondered whether we are making any difference at all. The protest last Wednesday and the one in July have shown me that greed and disregard for human dignity are some of the reasons why people are living in such poverty here. So, have we made a difference? Yes, we have. We impacted the lives of every baby, child or adult we interacted with. Love was shared even though we speak different languages. We reached the people that God wanted us to reach. We have built on what missionaries before us have started and more missionaries will come to continue the work that we did this week. And where was God this week? God was in the unity and the strength of our team. God was in the face of every person that we saw. And God will continue to be with the people of Haiti through every missionary that comes in His name.

Lynn Arcand







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