What I do every day........June 10, 2025

One of the graduates from our NPH programs for vulnerable children and youth, named Edson, often stops by for evening prayer called Vespers.

He told me that today is his 28th birthday, and to reach this age he had to run a lot. I asked what he meant.

He said, he had to run a lot from bandits and bullets, a refugee many times this past year to stay alive. What a way to remember your birthday, as being successful at dodging bullets for one more year.

We have had a lot of violence in our area these past days, focused in nearby Santo. Santo 17 to be precise. A gang battle that has left many dead, injured and homeless once again.

Last Sunday, Gena and I met with the survivors of the killings and kidnappings in Furcy. Three of them came, one of them having been hung by the arms from the Chruch rafters.

We wanted to show concern, listen to the importance of their terrible stories, offer medical help for the one with the damaged wrists, have a prayer and a blessing, and offer a financial assistance for what they will do next.

Gena said to me, as they approached in the vehicle, just to look at them makes you hold back the tears.

They are overwhelmed and terrorized, and they represent thousands of people in the country who have so suffered. It is very emotional and sobering.

They were explaining how Furcy (in the Kenscoff Mountains) is empty of people, houses ravaged by fire, and all livestock stolen and led off. Doomsday in what was once a quiet, peaceful rural life of family gardens and farms.

A nearby trauma hospital is overwhelmed with gunshot and burn victims. We are trying to see, at their request, how we might lighten their load and free emergency beds at their facility by taking about 20 of their post-op patients and continuing their treatment at St Luc Hospital.

“It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”(Confucius)