New Classroom for the Children of New Jerusalem Orphanage

Our Haiti Ministry took a big step recently when we sent Pastor Kenold funds for constructing a new classroom to replace the one destroyed by the devastating earthquake of January 2010.

This week, we received an email with photographs from Pastor Kenold showing the children eating in their new classroom. You, our parishioners, made this classroom possible by your generous contributions to our monthly Haiti Collection.

~ Photos by Pastor Kenold Chrispin

Pastor Kenold's Day Trip to Washington, D.C. ~ by Mildred Green

On Saturday, April 25, 2009, three members of the Haiti committee, Mary Ann Allen, Mieko Timmons and Mildred Green with Pastor Kenold, met at the Amtrak Train Station for an early departure for Washington, D.C. We got off in Alexandria and experienced the Metro to the Smithsonian Station. (Pastor Kenold's first ride on a subway!)

In Washington, D.C., Pastor Kenold's desire was to see a museum. Well, the Smithsonian is the largest museum complex in the world... made up of 19 museums. We went into a number of them, the typical tourist (smile) trying to see everything. He was fascinated by the dinosaurs at the Museum of Natural History. Pastor Kenold was thrilled! We could not have asked for a better day. Perfect weather, a little hot at times.

Taking in the Sculpture Garden, with the flowers in bloom, was picturesque. We walked the National Mall, went to the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the White House and the Museum of African Art. We had lunch at The Castle Cafe in the Smithsonian Castle, which gave us a chance to energise, cool off and outline the rest of the day.

Picture taking was ongoing. Pastor Kenold has some memorable shots to take back to Haiti. One of the pictures: on the street was a life size cutout of President Barack Obama. Well, Pastor Kenold was so excited to see this. We took a picture of him with his arm on the shoulders of the stand up of President Obama and he gave a big smile. He said all the people in Haiti love the President and danced with joy when he won.

It was a spectacular day and enjoyed by all. We had a late snack, recapped the day and headed back to Alexandria, VA. We arrived back in Richmond safe, tired and exhausted. I am sure that Pastor Kenold has a lot to talk about when he gets home. As we moved about so freely, think about him walking for 6 hours one way to get to a location in Haiti. It is difficult to imagine the effort it takes to get anything done in Mirebalais, Haiti. We pray for Pastor Kenold and all of the children at New Jerusalem Orphanage.

We hope to have a Sunday after Mass to show all the pictures taken on this day trip to our Nation's Capital.

New Photos of the Children of New Jerusalem School in Haiti

Patrice Schwermer recently returned from ten days in Haiti. While there, she was able to visit Pastor Kenold to give him the funds he needs to make an appointment at the consulate to apply for his passport and visa. These funds are from our Haiti Account - money that you have so generously donated.

We are looking forward to having Pastor Kenold visit us here at St. Elizabeth sometime this year. As soon as we know more, you will also.

The photos in this article were taken by Patrice during her visit to the New Jerusalem School and Orphanage. I'm sure these children touch your heart as they do mine.

The Choir Sings For Our Haiti Project

On November 30th, our Gospel Choir sang at Pioneer Baptist Church's Singspiration event. We had been invited by Scott's mother, Judith Stell, who is Ministry Assistant at the church in Varina. This particular Singspiration was arranged as a benefit for St. Elizabeth's Haiti Committee to raise funds for the New Jerusalem School and Orphanage.

Several hundred dollars found their way into the offering plates that people were invited to fill. They also very thoughtfully made DVDs for each choir member showing our performance that evening. We are indeed grateful to the members of Pioneer Baptist Church for their generosity.

An Update from the Haiti Committee of St. Elizabeth's ~ by Mary Ann Allen

I wanted to give you an update on the activities of your parish Haiti Committee. You have some very dedicated people involved in this ministry of the church. And that includes all of you who have contributed to our regular monthly Haiti collection; as well as dropping your change into the Pennies from Heaven jar.

Through your generosity, we have been able to help Pastor Kenold and the the New Jerusalem Orphanage with emergency food and supplies after the devastation due to the several hurricanes and storms of last summer. You can see the pictures and thank-you email Pastor Kenold sent us by checking the poster in the vestibule of the church.

Our Pennies from Heaven Jar has been a huge success! Kiyoko Timmons has volunteered to make a special Pennies from Heaven poster that will show a monthly update on the funds collected from the jar. The youth group is completing greeting cards for the children at the orphanage.

Our gospel choir will sing at a special musical program at Pioneer Baptist Church on Sunday, November 30th. Scott Stell's mother attends this church and has arranged for a special collection be taken up for our Haiti project. We are indeed grateful for their participation. We have also received notebooks from one of the VCU professors; and other school supplies from our parishioners.

Long range plans include a program through which parish families would sponsor individual children for a small amount each month. This would help in the education of the children. This kind of sponsorship has been very successful in other parishes.

Our major project in the next year will be to bring Pastor Kenold to Richmond for a short visit. This visit will go a long way to strengthen the relationship between our people and Pastor Kenold, his teachers and the children of the orphanage.

We look forward to his visit in the new year. We will tell you more about this ambitious project as soon as we have received the information needed to put it into action.

An Update: The Children of New Jerusalem Orphanage in Haiti

At our recent Haiti Committee meeting we received an update about how Pastor Kenold Chrispin and the children of the New Jerusalem Orphanage fared during the terrible storms that devastated Haiti. Patrice Schwermer has been in phone and email contact with Pastor Kenold and learned that the children were safe and that he had been able to offer shelter to some of his neighbors.

In a more recent email, we learned that Pastor Kenold has emergency needs for food and supplies for the children and their teachers. The committee discussed these needs and decided that we would send him funds from our Haiti Account. Fortunately, someone from the diocese will be leaving for Haiti this week and will take these funds directly to Pastor Kenold for the needs of the children.

The funds that we have sent are funds that YOU have so generously given in the three collections that have been taken and earmarked for our Haiti project. So YOU will have made it possible for Pastor Kenold to buy food and supplies for the children and their teachers. I know they will be very grateful for any help we are able to give them.

Members of the Haiti Committee also spoke about fundraising projects for the future. Some of the ideas include St. Elizabeth T-Shirts, bus trips, selling candy and "pennies from Heaven", which is collecting people's extra change. You will hear more about these projects as plans take shape. The Youth Group has also become involved and they have begun making greeting cards for the children.

As our parish becomes more involved in this project, you will be learning more about the children of the New Jerusalem Orphanage and how you can help make their lives easier.

Haiti Committee Update ~ Jay Schwermer's Trip Pictures

Church, I want you to know that St. Elizabeth's has a very fine Haiti Committee. Our members are dedicated, enthusiastic and ready to work to raise funds both to help the New Jeruselem Orphanage and school; AND eventually, to send two of our young people and a chaperon to Haiti in the coming years.

At our last meeting on Sunday, September 14, 2008, we set up a special fundraising committee made up of Mary Walker, Lucy Thompson, Jackie Hall and Melvon McMillan to explore ways to raise funds; not only by sponsoring functions within our parish, but also to seek grant money from other interested groups. Several suggestions have already been given to that committee and they will report at the next meeting of the Haiti Committee on Sunday, October 5, 2008.

In addition to fundraising, the Finance Council has approved a regular Second Collection for Haiti that has been set up for the first Sunday of every month. These monies are earmarked for the Haiti Committee to use both in assisting the orphanage and to send our young people to Haiti to experience firsthand what it means to live in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. So far two Haiti collections have given us a total of over $400! We know you will continue to be generous in these collections.

We have all felt quite disturbed over the news of the terrible flooding in Haiti, caused by the recent destructive storms. Pastor Kenold, who is the director of the New Jeruselem Orphanage, was able to get all the children to safety as the waters rose and has even been able to assist neighbors whose homes were flooded. However, we do not yet know the state of the orphanage itself or how much damage it sustained. Our hearts go out to our new friends and we pray they will be back to normal soon.

The photos you see in this article are those taken by Jay Schwermer who recently returned from Haiti after visiting the orphanage and presenting the children with the soccer ball inscribed with our names.

If you are interested in joining the Haiti Committee, please contact Mieko Timmons (our recorder), Michelle Jordan or Mary Ann Allen.

Haiti Committee members are the following: Mary Ann Allen ~ Jannie Allen ~ Mildred Green ~ Jackie Hall ~ Michelle Jordan ~ Micole Jordan ~ Jackie McDonnough ~ Melvon McMillan ~ Rosemary Overton ~ Patrice & Jay Schwermer ~ Katie & Scott Stell ~ Lucy Thompson ~ Kiyoko Timmons ~ Kariin Timmons ~ Mieko Timmons ~ Mary & Sam Walker ~ Larry & Barbara Williford.

Haiti Hurricane Update and the New Jeruselem Orphanage ~ by Patrice Schwermer

Over the last few days Haiti has been hit hard by Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna. There have been 136 deaths (many more now) and reports of massive flooding throughout the country. And if this is not enough, currently they are being affected by Hurricane Ike. I have received some information on the status of some areas of Haiti following Gustav and Hanna that I would like to share with you.

First, I know that we at St. Elizabeth are concerned and wondering about how New Jeruselem Orphanage is faring. I have sent an email to Pastor Kenold but have not heard back yet...

(Patrice has now received an email response from Pastor Kenold dated Sunday 9/7/08, that reads in part:

"...I can tell you that by the grace of God we are not die; but the water came through my neighbors first and I took all my children away and the water came and move a part in my land away to the sea...

...But around me, all my neighbors are devastated. I am trying to shelter some, but they loose everything they had ..."

Pastor Kenold Chrispin


...Our Diocese has a twinning relationship with the Diocese of Hinche in Haiti. The Diocese of Hinche encompasses the interior part of Haiti and has many parishes. The area of Mirebelais where new Jeruselem is located falls within the boundaries of the Diocese of Hinche. I spoke to Fr. Jacques, the director of CARITAS, Catholic Church's social service agency in Hinche. He told me that in the City of Hinche many of the families had to leave their homes and are at schools or in parish halls. I have attached pictures of the flooded river in Hinche that were taken by a resident of Hinche.

CARITAS is trying to provide resources especially food for these people. I told Fr. Jacques that we are praying for them and will try to help in ways that we are able. If there is any one who would like to donate funds to CARITAS to distribute to the most affected areas of the Diocese of Hinche, you may send checks to me made out to: Catholic Diocese of Richmond, 7800 Carousel Lane, Richmond, VA 23294 and I will send them to Fr. Jacques. There are many agencies providing relief all over Haiti including Catholic Relief Services, http://crs.org/haiti/haitifloods2008/

Thank you for your prayers.
Patrice

~ Photos taken by a resident of Hinche ~

The St. Elizabeth Haitian Commission has been formed! ~ by Mary Ann Allen

Last Sunday, July 20th, Fr. Andrew introduced the newly formed Haitian Ministry Commission to the parish. He spoke about our special project that will be a twinning arrangement with an Orphanage and School for Deaf Children in Haiti. These students are learning American Sign Language as you can see from the picture above. There are approximately 21 students in the orphanage and they are from the ages of 7 to 14 years.

Jay Schwermer will be travelling to Haiti toward the end of this month and will visit the orphanage, meet the children and their guardians and teachers and then determine just what the role of our parish will be in assisting them. Jay will carry with him a small welcome package, a notebook with parish photos and a soccer ball signed by our parish members as an introduction to our parish.

One of the important steps for our committee and the church is to involve as many of our youth as possible in this project. There is even the possibility of an immersion tour into the Haitian culture for some of our young people to take part in. This has been tentatively planned for 2009.

There will be much more information about this project after Jay returns from his Haitian visit. In the meantime, here is a listing of committee members. If you don't see your name included and you wish to be a part of this wonderful project, please let a committee member know that you are interested.

HAITIAN MINISTRY COMMISSION

Micole Jordan & Mary Ann Allen, Co-Chairs

Mieko Timmons, Recorder

Jannie Allen

Mildred Green

Michelle Jordan

Jackie McDonnough

Melvon McMillan

Rosemary Overton

Patrice & Jay Schwermer

Katie & Scott Stell

Lucy Thompson

Kiyoko Timmons

Kariin Timmons

Mary & Sam Walker

Larry & Barbara Williford

Twinning with Haiti ~ by Phyllis Booth

Fr. Andrew stated: "...that to receive freely, one must give freely." St. Elizabeth's has received freely from the community and now we have an opportunity to give freely. This opportunity was explained by one of our own, Mrs. Patrice Schwermer, Associate Director of Haitian Ministries.

The Parish Council, at its June 20, 2008 meeting had discerned again, the idea of twinning with the Haitian people. Sixty parishes in the Diocese of Richmond have a twinning relationship with Haiti.

The proposal for St. Elizabeth is to twin with the New Jerusalem Orphanage that houses Deaf Children. Currently, there are seven girls and fifteen boys ranging in age from seven to fifteen with three teachers who teach sign language and other community children. The school needs school supplies and sign language aids.

In 1894, Haiti became the first independent Black Nation in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti is the third hungriest nation in the world. Only 5% to 10% of the children finish elementary school and the life expectancy is fifty-four years of age. The yearly income is $400.00 a year. American Media only report the unrest and social disorder from Haiti. The poverty, lack of medicine and moral issues are hidden from the news reports.


Mother Teresa once said, "The rich save the poor and the poor save the rich" because a relationship is developed. In twinning, St. Elizabeth hopes we'll work toward gifting each other.

The Parish Council discerned three areas that are needed for this project to work:

1. Leadership
2. Committee Focus
3. Communication with Parishioners

Youth involvement is desired on the committee, also.


Things that can be implemented immediately:

School Supplies
Pen Pals
Prayer Relationship
Cards and Letters

Possible Cost of Twinning:

Teacher Materials - $100.00
DVD Player - $100.00
Trip to Haiti - $1400.00 per adult and per youth. A Diocesan trip to Haiti occurs several times a year.

The proposal was accepted by the Parish with great enthusiasm and a committee was formed immediately after Mass.



~ Photos by Patrice and Jay Schwermer ~

~ 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~