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Date: 2/24/2010
I guess this is a newsletter....short because it is
difficult to find Internet service in PdP.
They say there have been two tremors in PAP (about 4.5),
but I have not felt anything. Both were in the
night. Some people here say they think they felt the
shaking, but then they say maybe it was their heart
palpitating.
Just wanted to let you know we are OK here in PdP---for
the moment. Don't worry, but don't stop praying.
More later. Joan
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Date: 2/19/2010
This is a newsletter.
I have spent a great deal of time talking to
people in PdPaix since I returned on Monday
afternoon----actually I have mainly been
listening to people tell about their
experiences of the earthquake. Everyone
has lost someone---family, friends,
co-workers, members of the same religious
congregation.
I met four of the returning seminarians (24
will be returning to the Diocese for a few
months--2 have not yet been found in the
rubble of the seminary). One of the 4 had
broken bones in his hand--crushed by falling
concrete. Another had a very swollen left
side of his face (after 4 weeks)--injured
after he jumped from a second floor balcony,
and then another seminarian landed on top of
him.
Two of the Montfortian priests were talking
about the sadness of losing 10 seminarians
and a priest in the collapse of the
provencial house. Fr. Prophy, of Chansolme, had
left PAP on Tuesday (the day of the
earthquake) with Sr. Evelyne and 2 of the
young novices because he was having
premonitions of bad things. Fr. Bernardin
had stayed for the end of the Montfortain
retreat, and his truck was badly damaged by
falling debris. He had to return to PdP by
bus after waiting in the station for 30
hours, sleeping on the ground outside.
The convent for the older sisters of the
Daughters of Wisdom congregation in PAP
collapsed, killing 6 of the sisters. The
assistant provincial was visiting us
yesterday telling stories, her right foot
wrapped in a heavy ace bandage because of
being hit by falling concrete. She told of
how two of the sisters were talking
---falling concrete fell on one, killing her
instantly, as the other watched in horror.
She told of how the ceiling collapsed and
fell to within about 8 inches of the heads
of three of the elderly sisters who were
sitting in the dining room. They stayed in
that position all night, as the aftershocks
caused the ceiling to lower even closer to
their heads. She said that the bodies of
two of the sisters have not yet been
recovered. I saw the cousin of one of them
today as I walked in the street. She is
dressed in black for mourning, still in
shock at the loss.
One young man told the story of his cousin
who had been praying in the same place as
Archbishop Miot when the earthquake
started. The cousin watched as the
Archbishop was thrown across the floor by
the force of the heaving floor.
Sr. Esta of Bassin Bleu said that their
congregation's elementary school in PAP
collapsed, killing 400 students. Her new
classrooms at Bassin Bleu now have cracked
walls.
I have talked to 2 university students who
were within 3 months of graduation---now
they have no idea what their future will be.
People talk of trying to find relatives in
PAP; they talk of having to step over bodies
in the street. They say that there is not
much left in PAP. But then some say that
people are living as brothers and sisters,
sharing their misery.
I went to visit my friend Dr. Yvrose on
Tuesday. I had heard that her husband had
died very suddenly in early January. She
shared with me what had happened. Their 2
children had been visiting from the US (the
children are living with Dr. Yvrose's sister
in Connecticut to finish high school) for
Christmas vacation. After a very
nice reception at the American school in PdP,
her husband started to feel very strange.
When Dr. Yvrose checked his blood pressure,
it was 240/160. She rushed him to a nearby
hospital, but they could not help. The next
day she contacted a private plane to fly
them to the hospital in PAP. She and the
children helped get Jean Claude onto the
plane. As the door was shut, he died. They
continued on to PAP. This was Jan. 2,
2010. After much discussion with relatives
in the US, it was decided that the funeral
would be Jan. 11. The day after the
funeral, the 2 children boarded an American
Airlines flight to return to New York---the
plane left PAP at 4:00 PM on Jan. 12. The
earthquake struck at 5:43. Dr. Yvrose was
forced to spend 4 days alone in a collapsed
house until she could make her way to the
bus station. After 18 hours of waiting, she
boarded the same bus as Fr. Bernardin to
make the 10 hour trip back to PdPaix. For 2
weeks, she sat in her house alone. Finally
she decided to begin to see patients again.
She is dressed in black for mourning.
There was no carnaval or Mardi Gras in
PdPaix this year. There are many more
people walking in the street (some estimate
60,000 to 70,000 people have returned), but
there is much less noise than before. The
silence of the suffering, the silence of the
trauma, the fear that the ground will start
to shake again.
People sleep with a small bag beside them
that holds all their valuables--passport,
money, Bible. They don't like to go inside
concrete buildings--large or small. They
want to tell their stories.
Joan
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Date: 2/15/2010
Just wanted you to know that I have arrived safely in
Port-de-Paix----probably faster than I do normally when
I fly American Airlines to PAPrince.
I left Nashville (snow was on the way) about 2:30
(a little late) and arrived in Miami about 40 minutes
before the plane was leaving for Santiago. I met up
with Keith Lashbrook (who works in PdPaix) and a
photographer friend of his named Chuck at the gate. We
boarded quickly, and we were off to the Dominican
Republic. We arrived in Santiago early ( about 9:30
local time), and after clearing immigration and customs,
we were met by a young woman named Jennifer who works
with GO Missions (stands for Global Opportunities). She
said their name used to be God Offers Global Opportunies,
but GOGO did not seem like a good name for a mission
group. She took us to one of their dorms for visitors,
and that is where we spent the night.
Monday morning, another GO employee named Mike picked us
up about 7:30. We stopped at a nearby hotel to pick up
6 pilots who were going to be flying 3 different planes
to deliver food, doctors, missionaries, and
medical supplies to small mission groups in several
cities (Cap Haitien, PAPrince, Jacmel, Les Cayes, and
PdPaix). These guys are all private US citizens who
have brought their own small planes to Haiti to help in
the hurricane relief effort.
GO Missions and all these pilots and their planes have
been an incredible blessing to Haiti.
About 2:30, it was our time to go. Mike led us thru
Immigration, Security, and Customs right out to the
runway, where we helped load food and clothing onto the
plane for Keith's mission in PdPaix. And off we went.
The owner of the plane is named Steve Boyd. He is a
dentist from Denver. His pilot is named Steve, too.
They came into Santiago on Feb. 12, and they have been
flying 4 relief deliveries every day. They are planning
to return to Denver on Saturday. Mr. Boyd paid $600 for
the fuel fill-up out of his own pocket. I don't know
how many trips that covers.
A very smooth ride and landing in PdP about 3:25. The
local airport policeman had to check our passports to
make sure of something. Keith's assistants put the
supplies in one truck, and he put us in another. In 5
minutes, I got out at the convent. Keith and I could
not believe how this had all fallen into place---thanks
to much hard work by the GO people.
It has been wonderful to see everyone!!!-----the
sisters, the employees at the convent, Msgr. Paulo, Pere
Nicolas, Pere Phechner, Pere Jocelyn, people on the
street. Tomorrow, I hope to meet with all of them to
get a better idea of what the situation is here. Pere
Nicolas said the UN is estimating perhaps over 70,000
people have returned to the PdPaix area.
I hope to sleep peacefully tonight. The sisters
are still not sleeping in their rooms. Three are
sleeping in the school; Sr. Raymonde and the 2 cooks are
sleeping on the ground floor (of the 3 story convent). I
asked Sr. Raymonde why she wanted to sleep on the bottom
floor; if there was another earthquake, wouldn't the
whole building collapse on her? She said she was told
they would have 8 seconds to get out of the building if
the shaking started, before the building collapsed, and
it is easier to get out of the ground floor. They have
given me a room on the first floor---so I guess I will
have to jump off the balcony.
Msgr. Paulo and Pere Nicolas were saying that the
Haitien news had reported that in 1842 a big earthquake
hit the north of Haiti. Between the shaking and the
tsunami (5 meters high), the event destoyed most of Cap
Haitien, PdPaix, St. Louis du Nord, and Mole St.
Nicolas. Supposedly, the fault line is in the deep
chanel between PdP and LaTortue. I never heard that on
the US news reports.
Since this is a newsletter, I want to thank all of
you for your prayers. It is nice to be back in Haiti.
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Date:
2/10/2010
Just wanted to let you know that I received a call
from a friend named Keith Lashbrook who has an orphanage
in PdPaix. He just returned to the US on Feb. 4 with
about 40 children, en route to their adopting
parents. Last week, Keith told me he was planning to
return to Haiti soon.
Last night, Feb. 8, he called, and we made our plans. On Sat. Feb. 13,
my sister will take me to Nashville, TN. On Sunday Feb.
14, if there is no snow, I will fly from Nashville to
Miami--where I will meet up with Keith--then continue on
to Santiago, Dominican Republic...arriving about 10PM.
The plan is to sleep in Santiago, then travel by small
cargo plane directly to PdPaix...I think on Monday. This
is a relief plane that Keith has been helping to deliver
supplies to PdP.
We will see what happens.
It is going to require a bit more courage to return this time---Haiti is a
different world than what I left on December 1, 2009.
Joan
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Date: 2/8/2010
I am still in Indiana, waiting for AA to fly. My ticket
is for Feb. 22 to Miami, Feb. 23 to PAP. The little
domestic plane in Haiti (Tortugair) is flying, but not a
full schedule.
I spent last week (Jan. 31-Feb. 5) in
Nashville trying to assist Theresa Patterson with some
of her backlog of work.....Parish Twinning Program
activities, Matthew 25 House repairs, Visitation
Hospital medical groups.
The USS Comfort medical ship has asked to send some of
the surgical patients to Visitation Hospital for
recovery--maybe 100. Visitation Hospital is willing to
accept, but it lacks tents, beds, sheets.
Sister parish medical groups that could not get to
their Haiti sister parishes were sending some of their
team to work in PAP. Some were staying at Matthew 25
House----which has some structural damage to the first
floor walls, so Sr. Mary, Patrick, and Vivian are
sleeping outside in tents, along with the medical
groups.
Port-de-Paix has received a large number of people
returning from PAP---some are estimating 50,000. Most
of the parishes in the Diocese have received people.
The government is saying that all schools must receive
any students returning from PAP. This is going to
create some big problems--since some classes are already
overcrowded, and schools with nutrition programs have
experienced price increases for food, even before the
new students enter.
I have talked to a missionary and Mr. Oreste (the
owner of the cargo ship Lady Lotmore which serves PdPaix
directly from Miami). There is a slim possibility that
I may accompany one of them to PdP (thru Santiago,D.R.
to Cap Haitien to PdP). I will try to keep you posted.
More later. Joan
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Date;
1/18/2010 5:26 AM
Subj: Update from Joan
I
have returned safely from
Tucson to southern
Indiana. The
weather is not too cold. My parents, family, and
friends are very happy that I am safe.
I have received several emails
from various priests, sisters, and others in the Diocese
of Port-de-Paix, about 130 miles north of PAPrince.
Everyone seems to be OK physically, but still terrified
of the continuing tremors. Some have found out
about family in PAP (some alive, some dead); some
are still waiting.
The 3 seminaries in PAP
collapsed---many of the priests and seminarians have
died. We have 25 seminarians studying there; 2 are
still unaccounted for.
Steve and Faith Leach, the
Americans who run the hospital in Bombard, were in PAP
during the quake. Miraculously, they were not
injured, and they have returned to Bombard.
I have not heard from Sr.
Adeline, who is now working in Jeremie on the south east
of
Haiti.
When PAP closes down, the rest
of the country closes down, too. Nothing goes
out---no food, no diesel fuel, no money for the banks.
I had a ticket to return to
Haiti on
Jan. 20. American Airlines has now stated that
they hope to resume service to PAP on Jan. 25.
They have re-booked my ticket for Jan. 26-27 (I usually
sleep in
Miami).
I will keep you posted on what
I know. Thank you to everyone for their
concern and prayers for the people of
Haiti.
Joan
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