… … … these were the words from our friends in Haiti as they greeted us upon our arrival to Toussaint L’Ouverture Int’l Airport in Port-au-Prince toady for our first Haiti journey this 2008-2009 pilgrimage year: a VERY BIG and heartfelt THANK YOU which they asked us to extend to you for your generous response to John Porter’s e-mail-letter plea for immediate financial support for our Haiti partnership and efforts to aid in their recovery from devastations caused by resent storms sweeping their country.
The entourage greeting us were our friend / priest, Fr. Jean Berthol Phanord, along with Wilford, our driver, as well as translator Louise from Residence Filariose. Tomorrow, as we celebrate with the parishioners of St. Matthieu the Feast Day of St. Matthew, there certainly will be the whole congregation of St. Matthieu saying THANK YOU. All this is to say, again and again: Mèsi Ampil Ampil Ampil which from Creole translates to English: Thank You So Much, So Much, So Much!!!
Because of your compassion and deep hearts, we were able to offer immediately $ 15,000 for aid and relieve efforts and we continue to receive more donations from you which will continue to go directly and undivided to St. Matthieu and her aid efforts at her different missions. The most pressing needs have been to make sure that everyone has food. With your generosity, most of the 2,500+ people under the pastorate of Jean Berthol have secure food supplies provided to them right now, and many families whose homes were swept away in floods and mudslides have now shelter for the time being; most notably in the two schools which you – our wonderful parish / school community – made possible to build at St. Matthieu and St. Jean Baptiste. Also and as we have noted before, despite of structural damage to the two mission churches of St. Marguerite and St. Bartolome, up in the mountains above Leogane, whatever is left and deemed structurally safe of these two houses of worship now serves as shelters for the homeless families in those areas. At St. Saint Jacques mission parish where the church was demolished as well as many homes, those having lost their homes have been moved down the mountain to sheltering at St. Jean Baptiste school for the time being.
On our pilgrimage journey there will be limited areas that we will be able to survey and visit with, but it is very clear that need for help is great … as if it wasn’t already. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti.
Peace, Tryggvi.
