Hello from Port-au-Prince! We had a wonderful day together at the Missionaries of Charity’s home for children. In the morning we all spent time with babies and toddlers who are there to be treated for malnutrition, after lunch we helped with the almost infinite amount of laundry that caring for 100 babies and small children produces and then the group divided and some went to serve at a clinic where the sisters clean an bind the wounds of those in need of care and others spent the afternoon with the children again.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs” Mt. 5:3
Poverty here is visible. Easy to see, easy to describe, and exposed. But each of us has weaknesses and a certain hidden poverty within. Today we looked to find the blessing hidden in that, to be open to receiving life and all that we need as a gift.
Here are some of the ways the missionaries described their experience this evening:
- My low point today was in feeling incapable of meeting all the needs as I walked into the nursery with so many children. My high point was that it was so powerful that when we left they were all reaching and crying for us because there was a connection.
- I loved watching the other missionaries dancing with the children
- It was so beautiful to see all the families coming to see their children and spend the morning for them, to know they have families who love them!
- My high was to have a little boy I was holding reach up and put his little arms around my neck and just rest there with me.
- The hardest moment for me was caring for a very sick little girl. A ll she wanted was a cookie and there were none left, broke my heart to know she didn’t have that one little thing.
- I was amazed by the purity of the love here. The children love you immediately and it is so easy to love them with all your heart.
- A high point was eating lunch all together today and getting to know each other knowing we will be working together all week.
- The drive to the wounds clinic brought us through a market place and a much poorer part of Haiti, it is overwhelming to see the needs here.
- It was so powerful to literally feed the hungry, the Gospel comes alive here.
- I am in awe of the Missionaries of Charity and all they are doing here.
- My favorite moment was to have Mass first thing in the morning with the sisters.
MEANWHILE….we have another Mission team building a church in Mexico — their report:
Another great day, making a lot of progress in the Church! The roof is almost finished and the floor has been started to be put. The younger guys painted the outside, and others worked on the stand for the Tabernacle and the altar. We had two local men working with us, as well as three guys from the company that directs the project.
We finished the day with a soccer game with some of the kids and Mass. Everyone is happy and healthy, the temperature dropped today, but it didn’t rain so we could work all day.
Please keep us in your prayers, as we continue our mission!
