A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless us with discomfort …
At easy answers, half truths,
And superficial relationships,
So that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger …
At injustice, oppression, and
Exploitation of people,
So that we may work
For justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears …
To shed for those who suffer from
Pain, rejection, starvation, and war.
So that we may reach out our hands

To comfort them
And to turn their pain into JOY.
And may God bless us with enough
Foolishness …
To believe that
We can make a difference in this world,
So that we can DO
What others claim cannot be done.
Amen.

Learning from our Brothers and Sisters

This morning I teared up just a little bit in church. It was because the two women coming down for the offertory were holding hands. Now some of you may think that is odd. But it reminded me of Haiti. When I first experienced this connection of hand holding in Haiti; I was walking to the market with the pastor's teenage daughter. She grabbed my hand as we were walking; I thought this was strange, but also felt connected, accepted, and loved by her.

I see people holding hands everywhere in Haiti. But the next time I remember two friends of mine, 2 guys were holding hands as the group of us walked. One of the Americans asked me if they were gay. I laughed a little and said "No, they are just good friends, many Haitians hold hands as they walk just to have that connection to one another."
That is what I saw this morning with those two ladies holding hands. It brought joy to my heart because I could see their love for each other. I think we can learn from this. Have that connection with the people you love. Reach out and grab that hand of your friend, show your love for them. Don't be afraid to look silly or have someone question you. You should always show love its what we are connected on this earth to do. Love is always something to be joyous about and never feel ashamed or embarrassed.

Being One

This ritual is One
The food is One
We who offer the food are One
The fire of hunger is also One
All action is One
We who understand this are One
~Hindu blessing

Visiting People

How often do we take time out of our lives to visit people. We are just to busy in our own lives. This is on things I miss about Haiti. One day as I was walking home from the artisan workshop, I heard this beautiful rhythmic sound. I asked Eddy what it was and he led me around the corner. This is what we saw. The family was excited to see us. They welcomed us and greeted us and grabbed us chairs to sit on from the house. I watched as they beat down the peatameez (not spelled right - but how it sounds) The older lady in the foreground was sifting rice.
Next to where we were sitting there was a young lady who was sowing the new nursing uniforms. We talked for awhile with the family and I just enjoyed the atmosphere. The family also offered us a coconut which is alway a treat. The hospitality in Haiti is unbelieveable and the people are so loving.

importance of being fearless or at least faking it

I used to ride horse when I lived down in Kansas with a friend of mine. I have always loved riding and wished I had more opportunities to do so. But most people don't have this opportunity in their everyday lives.
Horses in Haiti are used for practical purposes, such as hauling construction supplies, market produce, water, or general transportation. Most of the time it is actually donkeys that are used for this as they are better for the rocky terrain as well as lack of water.
This beautiful horse had been tied up around my house down in Haiti for some time. I kept telling people I was going to ride it. I was going to find out who owned it and ride it. But didn't really ever think it would happen.
One day we saw the kid out in the field with his horse and I said to my friends 'that is the horse I have been wanting to ride'. Right away my friends called over the kid to bring his horse to us. As I got up and remembered the rocky terrain I thought there is no way I can do this. And I looked at that beautiful horse longing to ride it but saw of coarse no saddle, no rein; there was no way I could ride this horse. I could fall and break a leg and then where would I be. Besides that how could I even get on the horse with no saddle. But as I was going over this struggle in my head; my friends were encouraging me. And I realized if I didn't do this I would regret it.
I would not say that in that moment I was fearless, I was terrified. But I knew my regret would out way my fear. This may be a great lesson to go through life with. Conquer your fears or at least fake it; You don't want to miss out on an amazing experience.

to say Bonjou or not

One of the things that was very hard for me to get used to when in Haiti is saying 'Hello' to EVERYONE! It just felt weird, I mean really. Imagine, every person that crosses your path you say 'Bonjou' [good morning] or 'Bonswa' [Good afternoon]and 'Como ou ye?' [How are you?]


At first you might think it sounds nice. But every person, people you don't even know. But I learned this is the way it is done in Haiti. Plus as an outsider you want to try and blend as much as possible. So I embraced it. I learned to greet everyone. And sometimes I even stopped and talked to people for awhile. It became very normal and I really never thought about it again.

Until last week. I was walking across campus at USD in Vermillion, SD. I was just going to visit a friend. I passed people and didn't know how to react. Do I avoid eye contact, make eye contact and smile, say hi or do nothing. Instead I just thought about it while I was passing them and thought how weird this was to pass someone by and not even acknowledge that they exist. Suddenly I felt a little lonely and missed Haiti. Where you greet everyone, even if you don't know them.

The first picture I posted happened to be a friend of mine. I might have just said hi and just passed him on by, but I decided to talk. And as it turned out. Look what I found.



... so do you say Bonjou or not? I don't know the answer for every situation. I don't know what I will do the next time I pass someone walking. But saying hi can't be any weirder than not saying anything and you never know how you might effect someone else's day or maybe you will find kittens.