La Fond, Haiti 3 - 5 - 14
Brothers and Sisters,
Greetings from picturesque La Fond, Haiti where the folks are
beautiful and content. Their smiles and laughter come from a place
that knows where true happiness resides. Today is Ash Wednesday in
the church calendar and the imposition of ashes is the prescribed way
to celebrate this beginning of Lent. "From dust you came and to dust
you shall return" seems fitting in this country where the people in La
Fond are so connected to the land - green at this time of year due to
the short six week rainy season, and dusty and dry for most of the
rest of the year. Remembering you are mortal and that death is
assured restores humility to those of us who "have the world's goods."
Receiving ashes almost seems an unnecessary reminder to the Haitians
whose humility and lack of presumption is as refreshing as it is
convicting. Without all of the distractions and trappings of our
bloated society, people here concentrate here on living life - its
joys and its tragedies - knowing that our return to the dust is
inevitable and that we have the opportunity live, laugh, and love NOW.
So what do we spend our lives doing? I know that I try to push the
idea of my own mortality far out of my mind - but focusing on my
mortality this Ash Wednesday and throughout the forty days of Lent
will inspire me to live purposefully and with a grateful heart.
To all of our loved ones whom we miss terribly we send our love and
we hope that you spare a moment today to remember this nation and its
incredible people who have endured so much hardship. Perhaps each day
in Lent you could say a prayer for Haiti and for all of God's children
who struggle to meet the challenges of finding the basic necessities
of life.
With deep appreciation for all who made this trip possible,
Hutch (or, "Etch" as the children here pronounce it)
La Fond Belle 3-6-14
When we woke up this morning it was soggy, windy and overcast. Our
plans to hike down to a small village in the valley had to be
postponed for safety reasons. The rain had made the paths slippery and
difficult to navigate. We decided to change our plans and asked the
students to present their findings from the "Global Issues Scavenger
Hunt" activity. Each team of two students interviewed members of the
community, young and old, to gain a better perspective on issues
surrounding healthcare, education, gender roles, housing, water
security, agriculture and the weather. They also asked each
interviewee what their hopes and dreams were for the community and
what aspect of the community they were most proud of? We filmed their
responses in a documentary format including segments with community
leaders. All of these activities are an extension of the WLS
leadership training curriculum. Students have learned to leverage
their different temperament types including their strengths and
weaknesses. In our group students are identified as Idealists who
give birth to a vision, Conceptualizers who actively help the group
solve problems, Artisans and Experiencers who make ideas become
reality, Traditionalists who set boundaries, and Guardians, who take
an active role in maintaining group cohesiveness. The group continues
to evolve and it has been wonderful to see the students affirm and
support each other as they share this journey together. Part of the
leadership training includes a practice of giving "Stars" and
"Stairs": Singling out individuals for special recognition (stars) or
suggesting areas for growth (stairs). I would like to give "stars" to
all of the members of the group for their exceptional openness,
flexibility, adaptability, generosity and kindness. Our students have
demonstrated these qualities over and over again with each other and
with the members of the Lafond community. A special shout out to our
leader-coordinator-superhero Chris for making sure that we always felt
safe and supported while at the same time challenging us
intellectually, physically and emotionally during our time in Haiti.
We thank him for his endless stories about his eclectic adventures and
awe-inspiring experiences in every corner of the globe. We thank him
for his love of laughter and song and for his pure servant's heart.
There are no words to express our gratitude to the Meance Family,
Berthin (Bear) and Jacques for sharing their love of family and
country. They have made us believers: A better future for Haiti is
possible if we all work together and share the same vision. Finally,
to my co-laborer and brother in Christ, "Coach" Hutch, you always
believed we could make this happen. Thank you for supporting me and
for being a living example of the Christian servant in 1 John 3:16. A
ma famille et à mes amis, "Mesi anpil." Je vous aime. -Diahann
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