October 2, 2011

This week seems to have flown by. We still have no word from the Brazilian embassy regarding the visas for the seven headed to Brazil for their novitiate. Such nonsense or such bureaucracy!

I gave the three classes or conferences to the Evangelization Committee set up by Tom Hagan for the area of Cité Soleil around Ste Anne’s Chapel. I decided I’d try to speak Creole and if that failed I’d fall back to French. Well, guess what? My Creole, broken as it is, seemed to get across. Some of our men were there for the conferences and they said I did fine. That’s encouraging. It’s just getting out there and giving it a try.

Here’s some news – one of our men, the oldest, he’s 43 came down with “zona”. Volel showed me that he had a rash around his waistline. He was experiencing pain and wondered if he could see a doctor. I said of course. It was last Sunday and another member of the community knows a doctor so he arranged to have Volel see him that day. Turns out he has “zona” and got a shot and needed to return for a shot every day for five days plus have some prescriptions filled. Well Monday I got around to looking up “zona” and it turns out to be a case of shingles which is no fun. I once had a little case and I remember it was both sore on the inside and sore on the outside of the skin. Now here’s something interesting. When he initially showed me his side and back I could see a collection of little pimples forming a rash. Now if he were white like me, I would have observed the rash as being reddish. But of course Volel is Haitian and black so no red marks. That just struck me later. I don’t even think of skin color anymore. I may have said it before but I actually forget that I’m white. Well another thing occurred to me by way of a question which I have to ask, do black people blush? (I hope I’m not being racist. I’m just curious. You can let me know what you think.) Anyway, Volel is getting good care and I hope we’ve caught the shingles early. If we have, and I think we have, the cure is faster and easier. In the meantime the poor guy is hurting as you can imagine.

Monday French classes begin at the Institut Francais and a week from Monday classes begin in philosophy. I’m planning to have a retreat for the opening of the school year next weekend. That means preparing some talks. It’s all part of my work here. I don‘t mind it at all. It’s just coming up with a theme that sometimes gets somewhat difficult. So far the Holy Spirit has been there when I’ve needed Her.

Well, that’s where things are. I hope you are all well and enjoying beautiful fall weather and the changing colors. Here it’s still summer.
Peace to all and blessings. Tom