A letter from Suzette Goss-Geffrard in Haiti
spring 2014
Greetings from the HIGH mountains of Haiti!
RECENT MUSINGS:
Why does there never seem to be enough hours in the day to complete all of the tasks on our lists? I ask myself that often and then feel a special kinship as I realize that the market lady that I am buying veggies from on the street probably has a long list too! Women the world over share many of the same concerns: getting children to school, getting meals on the table, surviving trauma, overcoming prejudice that relegates them to second-class citizenship or limits their options.
In Haiti the women who sell at the market are called “Madame Saras.” They are named after a small, chatty bird that never flies alone but in groups. The human “Madame Saras” travel great distances, leaving their homes before the sun rises and carrying great loads on their heads. These days with the wonders of transportation they can often be found sitting on top of the large transport trucks that carry the goods to market. These courageous women form the “backbone” of the Haitian open market. They chat each other up on the way to the markets from town to town; they verbally compete with each other and their customers to obtain the best prices for their goods. They are a sisterhood of survivors! I gain strength and encouragement from them each time I shop for my produce. They never fail to ask me about my family, always doling out pearls of Haitian wisdom through the many proverbs they share. FOR EXAMPLE:
“A goat with too many owners dies in the sun”
“A full stomach says the mango has worms, an empty one says let me see”
“ Children are the wealth of poor families”
RECENT HAPPENINGS:
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Last week I visited a project of a partner organization where a physically disabled woman is teaching young deaf women to sew, crochet and make cleaning products as a way to support themselves and integrate into the larger Haitian society. Usually such disabled persons are relegated to back rooms or courtyards and have few opportunities to learn or socialize. I was very impressed with how much they have accomplished with the limited resources they have.
I also led a women's Bible study for a small mountain church in my community. It was wonderful to share my heart and be touched by their strong faith. The song they chose was "How Great Thou Art" and my daughter, Gabii, and I were singing in English while the ladies were singing in Creole and French. It was so beautiful. In our mountain community of Calbasse/Barrette there are about five different Christian denominations represented by nearly a dozen churches within a two square mile radius. We had a wonderful discussion on how we, as a community of women, can work together across these religious differences to improve the lives of women and children. I know many people still believe that Christianity has not penetrated the Haitian society and that traditional African beliefs are the fundamental concepts of spirituality here. However, I beg to differ as the sacrificial love of Jesus, the Christ, has indeed become new life in Christ here. The joy of worship and service evident in the lives of these women was a clear example of this transformation. I was humbled by their commitment.
Another exciting event was a group of three American women coming along with Dottie Kelley (from the Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery) to Haiti to teach women of all ages to crochet. One of those ladies was my 78-year-old mother proving once again that you are never too old to serve! There were beginners who had never held a hook before and those who needed help in "making specific" items that they might make to sell or share in their communities. I invite you to think of ways you too can join in what God is doing in Haiti. These are just a couple of examples of the creative things God’s people are doing.
FAMILY NEWS / PRAYER CONCERNS:
- We are blessed to have two graduations in our family this spring. Wesley, our middle child, will be graduating from Georgia Southern University while Gabii, our youngest and only daughter, will complete her high school studies here in Haiti.
- The father of my husband, Willys, Gerard Geffrard, passed away here in Haiti after a long struggle with a cardiovascular-related illness. We are thankful that in his latter years he accepted Christ to embrace a rich life of faith.
- Please support Gabii with your prayers as she will be moving to the U.S. to study this summer. We are all a bit nervous, yet excited, about her new adventure without us.
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 48
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