Jeannine Oaktanvil

Please overlook the quality of these photos. Camera problems. Jeannine is a mother and grandmother who was living in a small shack/lean to until this past week when she moved into the small green home pictured above. She will no longer get wet when it rains and will be safe at night. Jeannine cannot stand straight and has been this way for years. Her son and his wife look after her (they live next door) but there was no room for her. Jeannine spends her days in this wheelbarrow (her wheel chair, she calls it). The new home was built by Ray Verreault who has been volunteering with us for six years. He has a team of young Haitians who help him provide basic homes for the very poor. Funding is provided by Cross International and private donations. A small house like this costs about $1,500 at this time. Remember the phrase from Matthew 25:40 "whatsoever you do the least of my brothers, that you do for me".

Happy B'day, Raymond

Paige, Raymond and Father Charlie
We celebrated Raymond's birthday last evening. Raymond is on his sixth year with us and is currently managing the housing project for the poor. He is with us from mid fall through mid spring and gets more done in that time than most who would be here an entire year. Joyeuse anniversaire, Raymond!!

Looking good

Here's Raymond near the refined, textured wall. Raymond moonlights as a weaver of fishnets, hammocks and bags.

Hidden talent surfaces

This is Raymond, one of our illiterate teens. Come to find out this week that he can make (weave?) fishnets. You should see him go at it! He'll be working with the A&C group to share his talent and to try making hammocks. Is that cool, or what? The recognition he has received this week has transformed him.

Bye! Bye! Raymond

Raymond Verreault left us this morning on the early flight to Port-au-Prince to catch his long flight back home to Canada and be with his family. Not to worry-- he'll be back in the fall like he has for the last five years. If you've kept up with the blog you know that Raymond was responsible for the painting at Castel-Pere. He has done a bang-up job of that but this past month or so Raymond has found a new endeavor. He is now our Outreach Housing Director. Oh, he'd laugh at the title and make a joke but he has taken on a huge and powerful service for our less fortunate neighbors. As he is not one to replicate what has been done and as he is a very thorough individual, he thought this through in detail and then plunged in with all his gusto. The next two posts show the result of his work. Have a good rest, Raymond. Come back to us refreshed and re-energized as there are many more deserving families waiting for your collaboration. N'ap songe ou chak jou, Raymond.