Dear
Fellow Vestry Members of St. Anthony, and Family and Friends:
It's Good Friday in Haiti. The outpatient clinic is closed today, because it is a high holy day. A skeleton staff remains on duty at the hospital for emergencies, such as to attend to the elderly gentleman who was carried into the hospital around 8.30 a.m. by a neighbor. Jean Claude, the driver, has to work today. He is driving the hospital Land Cruiser to transport into Port-au-Prince all of the luggage of the fourteen members of a dental and medical group that stayed at the Guesthouse the past seven days.
Life presents us at times with a lesson that flows from the most mundane of things. Three of the fourteen departing HSC guests are flying back to the U.S. today. They were very anxious to get on the road to the airport this morning by 9:30 a.m. (As an aside, a 11 a.m. departure still would have allowed them to make their flight back to Miami.)
At 9:35 a.m., I told all of the travelers that I had just received a cell phone call and was advised that it was taking awhile for the flat tire to be fixed on the van - being provided by the nursing college - that everyone would ride in for the trip into PaP. The Land Cruiser would follow with all of the luggage. A number of the travelers seemed a bit nervous after receiving "the tire isn't fixed yet" status report.
We still were waiting for the van at 10:15 a.m. when the Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession from Rose de Lima Catholic Church stopped in front of the hospital main gate for the next station of the cross. About ten minutes later, one of the travelers pointed to the north and came over to tell me that she could see the van parked up the street unable to reach the hospital gate.
As several of travelers were looking up the street at the parked van, I commented that it was interesting that the delay in fixing a flat tire this morning allowed everyone in the group to experience a Catholic Rosary and the Lord's Prayer in Kreyol, as well as listening to other prayers and a hymn in Kreyol. Some smiled.
The Rose de Lima procession stayed in front of the hospital gate for another ten minutes or so before moving on to the next station of the cross, making way for the van to pull into the hospital driveway. The travelers departed for the airport (3) and Hotel Karibe (11).
.jpg)
I was reminded yet again this morning that there just are times when our
"itineraries" need to take a back seat to other needs, not only ours
but of others.
The photo shows what a flat tire allowed some nervous travelers to experience this morning.
Happy Easter Weekend and other faith tradition wishes to you all.
I hope this Note finds you and your loved ones in good health and spirits.
Peace,
David
It's Good Friday in Haiti. The outpatient clinic is closed today, because it is a high holy day. A skeleton staff remains on duty at the hospital for emergencies, such as to attend to the elderly gentleman who was carried into the hospital around 8.30 a.m. by a neighbor. Jean Claude, the driver, has to work today. He is driving the hospital Land Cruiser to transport into Port-au-Prince all of the luggage of the fourteen members of a dental and medical group that stayed at the Guesthouse the past seven days.
Life presents us at times with a lesson that flows from the most mundane of things. Three of the fourteen departing HSC guests are flying back to the U.S. today. They were very anxious to get on the road to the airport this morning by 9:30 a.m. (As an aside, a 11 a.m. departure still would have allowed them to make their flight back to Miami.)
At 9:35 a.m., I told all of the travelers that I had just received a cell phone call and was advised that it was taking awhile for the flat tire to be fixed on the van - being provided by the nursing college - that everyone would ride in for the trip into PaP. The Land Cruiser would follow with all of the luggage. A number of the travelers seemed a bit nervous after receiving "the tire isn't fixed yet" status report.
We still were waiting for the van at 10:15 a.m. when the Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession from Rose de Lima Catholic Church stopped in front of the hospital main gate for the next station of the cross. About ten minutes later, one of the travelers pointed to the north and came over to tell me that she could see the van parked up the street unable to reach the hospital gate.
As several of travelers were looking up the street at the parked van, I commented that it was interesting that the delay in fixing a flat tire this morning allowed everyone in the group to experience a Catholic Rosary and the Lord's Prayer in Kreyol, as well as listening to other prayers and a hymn in Kreyol. Some smiled.
The Rose de Lima procession stayed in front of the hospital gate for another ten minutes or so before moving on to the next station of the cross, making way for the van to pull into the hospital driveway. The travelers departed for the airport (3) and Hotel Karibe (11).
.jpg)
I was reminded yet again this morning that there just are times when our
"itineraries" need to take a back seat to other needs, not only ours
but of others.The photo shows what a flat tire allowed some nervous travelers to experience this morning.
Happy Easter Weekend and other faith tradition wishes to you all.
I hope this Note finds you and your loved ones in good health and spirits.
Peace,
David
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