(a plaque at the Church World Service guest house in Port-au-Prince, Haiti)

The following quote from Rumi seems at apt way to say "Au revoir and Bonsoir" as the Haiti exploratory group returns home to share our experiences, reflections, and learnings with you...

"If God said,

'Rumi, pay homage to everything

that has helped you

enter my

arms,'

there would not be one experience of my life,

not one thought, not one feeling,

not any act, I

would not

bow

to."

(Source: Love Poems From God, translated by Daniel Ladinsky)

From each of us--Colleen Kintner, John Walsh, and Sharon Graff--please accept our deepest gratitude for your prayerful and loving support.

Amazing!

Have an amazing journey Sharon and group

What are we seeing these past three days?

On this Sunday afternoon in a city where 300,000 (at least) died in the 12 January 2010 earthquake, there are 2 million homeless people, 1-1/2 million of those living in tents, and yet from where we now comfortably sit, we hear the cheering of a crowd of 1,000 or more locals gathered for a neighborhood soccer game. If that's not hope, I don't know what is...

Earlier today, while riding through the town of Port-au-Prince, we saw street vendors, enthusiastically selling homemade wooden art, colorful paintings, and a variety of crafts. Across the street were the remains of what had been a five-story supermarket, now folded in on itself. Even earlier this morning, while worshiping with our hosts--Jon, Florence, and their staff member Patrick--we saw hope as stories were shared about both the devastation and possibilities, the history and the future of this great nation.

Yesterday and the day before, we saw a school, an orphanage (where two of us fell in love with an unforgettable little Haitian girl, orphaned by the earthquake, who smiled at us with her whole face); we saw also a medical clinic being rebuilt, a community garden in a sustainable village, a temporary home for women amputees from the earthquake, and yet another school being enlarged to accommodate their growing children. In the second school--picture above--art is encouraged by the very well-educated founder and continuing sponsor, Marc Christophe.

After our full day of touring, talking, dreaming, riding in the heat and humidity (the air conditioner went out on the car!), of having our hearts and minds so filled, our hosts booked us into a lovely waterfront hotel on the north coast of Haiti. We gratefully swam in the warm, gentle waters of the Caribbean, and within an hour, were wading our way through the floodwaters of a tropical thunderstorm...what drama lies deep in this country!

Like Frederick the Fieldmouse (of children's literature fame) we are each collecting stories to share with you when we return...stories, I believe, that will lead us all to the cooperative ministry that Redlands UCC can do to assist in the rebuilding of this good country.

Bonjour!

Bonsoir!

Paradoxes and contrasts...this is the description of Haiti we keep hearing from our gracious hosts, Jon and Florence Robertson. And the view out our car window today confirmed the truth of their description. In the midst of abject poverty and devastation from the earthquake, there are beautiful bougainvillea trees blossoming. While people crowded around our car, begging for anything we might give, there were also well--dressed, uniformed, perfectly-groomed young schoolchildren, laughing their way home after a day of studies.

We arrived in Port-au-Prince just this morning, yet with a lovely meal and conversation, followed by an afternoon rest, it feels already like home. Our accommodations are palatial, and as John says, "embarrassingly so!" We are residing for this week in what was Florence's childhood summer home. It is up in the mountains out of Port-au-Prince, and though it is surrounded by urban growth, the crickets' song and the lush tropical plantings give a hint of the paradise that Jon and Florence remember about the Haiti they once knew.

Tomorrow we head out of the city to the coast and to explore some of the many programs sponsored and assisted by the Foundation Hope for Haiti (Fondation Espoir). This afternoon, as part of our introductory tour of the city, we also were honored to meet Hans Tippenhauer (a world-renowned engineer, husband of Nadege Robertson, and president of the foundation) while visiting the Foundation's offices. In this second-floor meeting room, a vibrant training program was in progress. Men and women from throughout the country had traveled there to be trained in sustainable practices that they, in turn, take back to their local communities. What spirit and zest was in that room! We look forward to seeing, hearing, and experiencing more signs of hope as this week unfolds.

All pilgrimages must come to an end, yet it appears as though the benefits and effects of this particular one will continue for some time. The above pictures reflect something of both the surprise--i.e. actually seeing puffins at arms length!--and the peacefulness that invited us each day into the presence of the Divine. A mountaintop experience? Not really, in the classic sense of that expression. These two weeks, for me at least, were more of a repeated message affirmed by the psalmist so many thousands of years ago: there is NO place to go where God is not present, or, stated more positively, God is with us...always...everywhere...offering peace and creativity. Surprise! Surprise!

For those of us pilgrims now making our way home, we thank you for your prayers, comments, and support of this first (annual?!) Redlands UCC Thin Places Pilgrimage. We cherish opportunities to share more of our pictures and stories with you upon our return...just ask!

Rainy Day at Iona

Today (Wednesday) is our first rainy day on Iona. This is the way it is usually. Many of our group are going on a boat outing. I hope they are successful in their quest. The wind and the rain...hummm. We are divided (all Abbey guests or residents) into 3 work groups. Otters have breakfast duty and chop vegetables. Puffins (I am one) have lunch duty and chores. I change toilet paper rolls and trash can liners, and dump trash to the outside bin. Then the Otters have dinner duty and different chores, like keeping the Common Room supplied with hot water, cups etc. There are two worship services a day which are quite meaningful. Some classes and alone time round out the day. Tonight is a Concert, or Talent Show. Our Redlands UCC group is singing "The Raggedy Band" by Jim Manley. Bill on the guitar, the rest of us voices. And a Raggedy Band we are!

The week is going by very quickly. It will be a wrench to say good bye. We have done this "good bye" piece several years ago when we moved to Seattle in 1983. The passage of 28 years doesn't make this good bye easier! Didn't think about that when we signed on.

Wish you were here. A spiritual experience it is albeit experienced differently by each one of us.

What a lovely place!

I'm glad others can put up pictures to give you the idea of what this place looks like. It changes from moment to moment depending on weather- goes from mist to rain and back again with some hous of sun and rainbows thrown in. For me there have been many highlights since we arrived on Iona Satursday evening.. It is so special to be living and working in the rebuilt Benedictine Abbey and know that others were living and working here way back in the Middle Ages. ( That' s how I get out of doing exact dates- after all, they are numbers.) There have been lots of "thin place moments" here, but one of the highlights, for me, has been getting to know people from all over and to discuss things like prayer and healing with them in the Chapter meetings. It is a great way to learn and stretch my understanding. Last night I went down to the ceilidh in the village hall which was a hoot! Nothing fancy and much like camp folk dancing, but I did get to see some of the Scottish dancesI have always heard about! I met one of the local women and got to learn a lot about kilts and local customs from her. I think kilts might not always be the best clothing for " a thin place"- could be drafty!