Happy Birthday FM!

Yesterday, Father Marc celebrated his 65th birthday. May 9th was a day of celebration at Espwa as we looked back on everything Father Marc has given to the Espwa family. Everyone got to be a part of the festivities from the youngest babies and toddlers, to the older boys, the Espwa staff, Free the Kids and volunteers from the states.

The afternoon started out with a Mass presided by Monsignor Coulange from the Diocese of Les Cayes and concelebrated with Father Frantzy Jean and Father Marc.  The kids and staff dressed up in their finest for the occasion. Many of the Espwa staff made up a special choir that sang in honor of Father Marc's special day. It was such a treat to hear their lovely, strong voices in the church that afternoon.

After the service, the kids performed a Spectak with dances and songs prepared especially for the occasion. Babtime unveiled a new song they've been working on for weeks called "Mesi." They sang it for the first time at the event thanking Father Marc for choosing Haiti and their cause and being there for them as they've grown from children into mature young men. Kens also performed a new song he wrote for Father Marc called "Espwa." Among the other performances were dances and a rendition of one of Adele's hits. By the end of the show all were on their feet.

After the Spectak, a dinner was held in the courtyard of one of the schools. The evening ended with food, music and dancing. It was a beautiful way to continue to thank Father Marc for his 18 years of commitment to Espwa. We are so grateful for his presence and all that he has set in motion for these kids. You need only meet one of them to know how powerful this project is. The true gift for Father Marc is seeing how far all of these kids have come and we have him to thank for being such a critical part of that.

Happy birthday, FM! We are so thankful for you!