Palm Sunday

This morning we celebrated Palm Sunday at Pwoje Espwa. Just like Jesus walked into Jerusalem 7 days before being crucified, house mothers, staff, visitors and children gathered in front of the Quad and walked toward the chapel with palms in our hands. Before leaving, Matante was sure to remind the kids not to “...rip the palms or throw them on the ground. They are holy.” (Of course, some couldn’t help themselves and by the end of Mass many were sporting interesting palm bracelets and crowns and the church floor was decorated with palms.)

Walking towards the chapel.

Ferlando really enjoying his palm. 

Mass with Father Gregoire was beautiful and included a recitation of The Passion put on by some of the older kids. The service ended with everyone singing together joyfully in unison as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter Sunday next week.

The Passion

And tonight… a special dinner of PIZZA will be enjoyed by the kids thanks to Sam and his trusty crew of pizza experts! Yum!

International Women's Day

Thursday of this past week was International Women’s Day! Without women, Pwoje Espwa simply could not function. Women here are house mothers, cooks, and administrators. They are firm and kind, intelligent and generous, strong and understanding. They are truly what keeps our Espwa family moving forward.  

The women of Espwa gathered in the chapel on Friday to celebrate the special day and to discuss the challenges of womanhood and how we can overcome them together. Afterwards, sodas and snacks were shared.  Songs were sung as well. An example of one of these beautiful tunes is below:

“Famn yo, nou se rozo. Nou se rozo, se rozo nou ye. Lè lapli tonbe, nou pouse, nap boujane.”

“Women, we are reeds. We are reeds, reeds we are. When the rain falls, we grow, we are thriving.”

Here’s to strong women all over the world! Their strength and resilience are an inspiration to us all.