Maryknoll Sisters

In many ways, Haiti's needs are overwhelming, reports Sister Elizabeth Knoerl, and people are hungry for food, medicine, education, justice, and the basics of life.

Greetings to you from Duval Roche, Haiti!

In the three weeks we (Sisters Dianne and Janet and I) have been here, so much has happened!  We unpacked, cleaned out things, started language studies, met a million people, spent days it seemed in church and once in a while slept when the night heat allowed!  Last night was a night no one slept!  The heat and humidity was unbearable.  We each prayed the electricity would come on so a fan would work.  It was not to be.

I have been appointed the house breakfast chef, sacristan, “Jackie” of all trades, driver, and overall person to handle most things requiring repairs, transfer of phone minutes or anything technological.  Actually we three all have our gifts and have been wonderful in sharing them.

The three of us gather each night on the back porch to sit and pray, reflect on the day and simply talk to get to know each other.  When the stars are out and there is a breeze we could be out there for hours.  We enjoy each other’s company and are looking forward to beginning some small “project” with our neighbors.  There is an orphanage near us that is in desperate need of food, clothing, medicine and tender loving care for the children.  We have visited the place twice already and are pulling together some clothing, vitamins and treats for the kids.  We plan on going over later today when the heat is not so bad. 

Holy Week was an experience beyond any I have ever had.  Palm Sunday morning we started the day with a procession at about 6:30AM to the local church with about 500 or so people singing and waving palms.  We walked over a mile to get to the church.  Along the way we passed small communities of people living in shacks.  The children were beautiful and friendly!  Several times I found myself dancing in step with the music.  During the liturgy, I was very into the music–Haitian-style, loud and with rhythm. The Palm Sunday celebration was close to three hours.  After liturgy, the pastor invited the four of us (Dianne, Janet, Father Ron and me) for breakfast.

Walking along with the people in the morning was a moving experience.  I felt a part of the people in the way I had not experienced in other places I have been for Palm Sunday.  The Spirit was infectious and drew you right in.

Holy Thursday we went up to an area where a Sister friend of Dianne’s died.  The community invited us to join them and the villagers in their remembrance of the beginning of Holy Week.  Good Friday – Easter we stayed close to home and went to the parish for services.  The services were packed with people.  The music was wonderful and so lively on Easter Sunday!  During the Easter liturgy, there were children sitting around us who were quite interested in touching us and holding our hands.  I think they were fascinated with the freckles on my arms.  There was a little girl behind me who harmlessly kept lightly running her hands up and down my back and upper arms throughout the liturgy.  Towards the end of the liturgy I said to one of the guests with us, I feel like I have been cleared for take off!

The three of us students are working hard to learn the language. We had three guests until yesterday.  Sr. Marilyn from the Charity leadership left yesterday after being here a week.  Father Ron left yesterday for a few weeks in FL.  His mother suffered a stroke last week.  She is 83.  Tomorrow the two other guests leave.   Despite the guests and traveling around to see various parts of Haiti, I have been able to get study time in each day.

The days are hot and humid and the nights usually worse!  Electricity is rare and usually on for only a few minutes (sometimes we are lucky and get it a few hours).  Twice I have had to go out on the veranda to sleep.  There is usually a wonderful breeze that helps cool me off.  Sometimes the breeze keeps the mosquitos away but sometimes the mosquitos are stronger then the wind!  Speaking of mosquitos, I am one big mosquito bite!  Relief from the heat and bites comes from the wonderful cold shower I can take.

On a more personal and spiritual note; I have often found myself sitting at night while looking at the stars giving thanks to God for bringing me back to Haiti as well as giving thanks to Maryknoll’s Congregational Leadership Team for their continued interest in trying to get Maryknoll Sisters to come down here to work.  The people are in need of help, support, and honest and good people to work with them. 

Mother Mary Joseph’s words to Gemma, “Let’s go and see what God has in store for us,” is so much a part of my time here thus far.  In many ways the needs are so overwhelming and the people so hungry for food, medicine, education, support, justice, the basics of life, I wonder how can I offer them what they need.  Then I think of scripture where we are to be aware of when and how we see God – in the hungry, sick, lonely, etc.  Can it be as simple as just responding to the people and needs as they are seen or presented to me?  The Haitian people offer me more than I can offer them by their Spirit, welcome, laughter, music in all its forms, smiles and cries.

Oh rats! My computer battery is running low so I must close here.  Know that I will write again as time allows.   Let us keep in touch and continue to hold we other in prayer!

 – Sister Elizabeth Knoerl, MM

With Maryknoll Sr. Euphrasia Nyaki, Mariemat Toussaint (r) in Haiti is learning how to heal from the trauma that came with the 2010 earthquake.

Since November 18, I have been working with Maryknoll Fr. Dennis Moorman, doing trauma-healing work in Port-au-Prince as a follow up to the training we gave in January, on the first year anniversary of the big earthquake in Haiti.  We were met at the airport by Maryknoll Fr. Romane St. Vil, a Haitian-American who speaks Haitian Creole and has been a very good host to us.

Upon arrival, we went directly to the Archdiocesan Episcopal Center, where we met with 27 of the community leaders who we had trained in trauma-healing in January of 2011.  When we met with these leaders over the weekend we were quite pleased with their practice of applying what they had learned in working with people affected by the earthquake in their communities.  They gave us feedback from the trauma-healing work they have been doing and we clarified some of their questions and doubts and gave further training for expanding their skills in healing trauma.

In addition, we have been working with the communities where many of these young leaders live.  In one of the communities where we spent four days, we attended to 54 people–a mixture of men, women and children, who two years after the earthquake were still living with post-traumatic stress syndromes.  

One 43-year-old woman, Mariemat Toussaint, had lost her husband in the earthquake, and was left with five kids to raise on her own.   She was very badly injured herself in the earthquake by the crumbling wall of their own house, which they also lost.  After the earthquake Mariemat was taken to the local hospital with two broken knees and two broken collar bones.  She was admitted to the local hospital, where she spent three months.  They were able to successfully treat her broken knees and the right collar bone, but her left side was not treated.

She told me that when she tries to sleep at night, her left collar bone will slide from one side to another and cover her throat, interfering with her breathing.  So, as I did a session with her, we dealt with the traumatic situation which was leaving her with extreme pains, desperation and fears.  What we were not able to resolve was her ongoing physical pain and the uncomfortable situation that occurs when she wants to sleep.  

Mariemat has been living with this unbearable situation for almost two years now. With a trauma-healing session she was alleviated from the emotional turmoil, but she continues to live with the physical aspect that would require surgery for correction.

We are hoping that one of our readers might be inspired to help Mariemat to get that corrective surgery and help her to be able to sleep well so that she can take better care of her five children.  

 – Sister Euphrasia Nyaki, MM

Sister Efu is helping Haitians recover from the traumas caused by the massive earthquake.

I am now in Haiti and have been here since November 18. The day we arrived were met at the Airport by Maryknoll Father Roman Saint Vil, who took us directly to the diocesan training center in the city of Port-au-Prince, where 32 community leaders were waiting for us.

These leaders from different communities were trained for trauma healing last January, a year after the big earthquake. Maryknoll Father Dennis Moorman and I trained these leaders with the expectation that they will be able to attend to people in their communities who still suffer from the  post-traumatic stress syndromes caused by the earthquake or by the extreme poverty and violence that people experience daily. 

On November 19th and 20th, we listened to the testimonies of the community leaders about their work on trauma healing using the method of Somatic Experiencing, a natural method created by Peter Levine.

We were happy to see that these young leaders are so well-dedicated to the healing of their own people. We gave more training this month to give them more confidence in their work. 

This week we are in the part of the city known as Leogan, where 90 percent of the population was affected by the earthquake. We are attending to individuals that the leaders have pointed out as having many psychosomatic problems.

Today, Tuesday we attended to 12 members of the community. I am writting from my cell phone. Tomorrow, if we have electricity, I can write more details about the seasons that we have with people here.

We will be in Leogan until Friday night and then we will go back to the city of Port-au-Prince for more work there. We will be in Haiti until December 12. 

Peace, love and healing,

Sister Euphrasia “Efu” Nyaki, MM

Bonjour! How are you? I thought I would write a little about my experiences thus far in Haiti.

When I first got here on February 3, there were four cholera patients. Today, three days later, we have 36 patients. A family of six was found to have it and will be coming today for care. There is a big tent from UNICEF on the grounds for the patients. The room they were being treated in is now too small. Everyone will need to be moved soon. This morning I rolled up all the flaps on the windows of the tent to air the space. The village the new patients come from has no clean water and so we were expecting more patients. We did get up to 30 patients at one point this past week but are now down to six patients as of yesterday.

No one has died here since my arrival. We have 24/7 nursing and cleaning staff. Some we pay; some are paid through other groups. With the rainy season fast approaching, the number of cholera patients will rise as so many people and villages have no clean water.

We are involved in a clean-water project (Kolorasil program) for the people and people line up for the supplies. It is still a challenge to get the people to understand that when supplies run out they need to come to the clinic to get more.

The clinic expats consist of two Medical Missionaries Fellows who are ending their time here. I am the administrator of the St. Joseph Clinic and I work with the medical director to keep the clinic functioning, supplied, staffed, expanding and caring of the Haitian people. I am using my years of skills as the past administrator of health programs in Nepal. Sister Claris Zwareva is the other Maryknoll Sister serving here. She will do the community health work.

The poverty is very hard to see. It is even worse than in Nepal’s outer villages. Haiti is noted as the poorest country in the western hemisphere and it is easy to see why. There is a large lack of industry in the villages and the land is lacking nutrients to grow anything well. Haiti is still fighting back from the earthquake from over a year ago and a hurricane as well.

Unsafe drinking water exists and is the cause of cholera spreading. Lack of adequate health care outside of the capital is evident for the majority of people despite the attempts of the many worldwide groups doing their best. A lack of good roads is one major problem in the villages around Thomassique.

The people are friendly and at Church (packed) this morning. The music is joyful and abundant. I made a little friend. He is a little boy who sat in front of me and kept staring at me throughout the entire Mass. I got him to smile and laugh when I wiggled my ears and made funny faces. After Mass I asked him his name in Creole. He smiled and whispered his name to me.

There is a difference in the mountains from the Dominican Republic (DR) and Haiti. The DR has trees on them and Haiti has cut all theirs down for fuel but never replaced them with new trees. Currently not much is growing here in Thomassique or in the surrounding area. We are finishing the dry season. The land is so dry and lacks any nutrients. The rainy season is about two months away. However, last night it poured rain! Everyone was outside enjoying the relief from the heat.

There are kids around but I do not get to see them much. They are told not to come to the clinic if they are not sick because of the cholera.

I got into town a few days ago. The town consists of a place to buy a local phone, a Catholic Church, A badly cared-for cemetery (which consists of a few open graves), and a place for the homeless called the ‘Poor House,” which is made up of a few rooms where an entire family must live. There is also a very small “store” which has very little to sell.

There are no paved roads. Rather, there are very dusty dirt roads with holes and huge bumps. The main means of transportation is walking or by motorcycle.

Finding a place where I can sit at times to be quiet is hard as every space is used and people always need help of some kind 24/7.

Blessings,

— Sister Elizabeth Knoerl, MM