This afternoon we drove to La Begue to witness a school being built. This was like looking into the future as to what we are being invited do participate in.
I am a little biased, but I am so proud that my former parish St Dunstan's (Dover, MA) is the principal partner. Last year the students had a tent to study and worship under (left of first photo). Today they have a school of 300 children and growing. It's not complete, but it will be in a few months. And they now have clean water, a new well to draw from. Needless to say, hope has prevailed and hope is being raised up in real tangible ways: education, food, clothing, community and faith.
We had a chance to meet with Janis (pronounced zha-neese), a young leader from the community of Loranette, who, with his college education, has chosen to return to his home town and give his life to helping lift it out poverty. He told us how desperate his community is - one of the poorest in this country that itself is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. The one thing they pray for is a school: a school to give their children hope, to break the cycle of hunger for their children, and to build community. Recently the Dominican government sent all Haitian refugees back to Haiti. Many of those refugees ended up here in Loranette, with nothing.
Tonight we are inspired by others and their resolve to make a tangible difference here in Haiti and by the spirit of Haitians.
Mark+
The Reverend Mark C. McKone-Sweet
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