weather or not

I got a question tonight from my sister in the US: What's the weather like there?   I had to say I had no idea what the temperature is outside.  My room has been a pretty steady 78-83 degrees so far, morning or night, but the temperatures outside have ranged much more widely.  So I decided to check.  Here, for the curious, is the ten-day forecast for Port-au-Prince (screen capture). 


weather forecast
Easter Week 2012
Port-au-Prince


Then I got curious and looked up the forecast for Duxbury, MA, one of the towns I might call home.  This is what I found:

 from 60 to -6 degrees?

I blinked a few times and said to myself, "Now that is what I would call a serious cold front."

And then I moved from curious to suspicious and looked up tomorrow's forecast.

That's what I'd call a speedy warm front.

Just enjoying imagining an hour like the one from 2-3pm above. 

alleluia!

Garden of Gethsemane

Garden of Gethsemane
January 2012
photo by Liz Delaney

Stay with me.

Remain here with me.

Watch and pray,

Watch and pray.

Maundy Thursday is past, but the waiting, watching, and praying continues.

a tree with strange fruit



crucifixion mural
behind the altar
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Port-au-Prince
summer 2009

I've been praying with a hymn today, one written by a friend of our community, Carl Daw. "Were Tadpoles to Fly or Fireflies to Sing" is particularly appropriate for Good Friday.  Using the image of a tree with strange, withered, dying fruit whose bitter pressing turns to a sweet vintage, it tells the marvel and wonder of a love stronger than death. 

I count on that love.  I count on its being stronger than death, than despair, than violence, than heart and life-breaking poverty. It is a love that doesn't settle for helping us to avoid death or for making it less painful, but rather is a love that takes that death and turns it inside-out, turns it into life, overflowing life that can and must be shared. 

Today is Good Friday, and we stand at the foot of the cross with Mary and other women and with John. Unlike them in that moment, we know the end of the story - which is yet another beginning.  But for now, we wait and grieve with them and with all those who are in similar death-dealing places in their lives. 

* * *

This hymn is copyrighted, so I can't print the lyrics here, but I can give you a link to them on the site where you may also contact the publisher for the music and appropriate permissions.  It's worth your visiting this page so that you, too, might pray through these images. 

 http://www.hopepublishing.com/html/main.isx?sitesec=40.2.1.0&hymnID=2819#

washing feet

I was looking for images of foot washing just now and found this one, very much unlike the others.  I had just been noticing that all the artwork has Jesus fully - very fully - clothed, which is tasteful, but unbiblical.  And then this one showed up.

Jesus washing feet

Here is a link the site on which I found it and the sermon it illustrates. It's worth your reading.

Christ Episcopal Church, Albertville: Risk of Intimacy: Maundy Thursday: Holy Week is a journey. We walk with Jesus this week, from his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, to his Last Supper on Thursday, to his cross on Good Friday, to the empty tomb in the darkness of Saturday night, and finally to the glorious light of Sunday morning. To walk with Jesus on the way to Sunday, and beyond, is to share in the risks he took for us...

Read the story for yourself a few times. Close your eyes and imagine yourself there - the details - the sensations - the conversation - the reactions - the feelings that emerge.  And then Jesus looks at you...

Walk with Jesus tonight.  It's a long night.  Washing feet is a good way to begin before we go to Gethsemane. 

John 13:1-15
Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself.  Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him.  He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"  Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand."  Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!"  Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you."  For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."  After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am.  So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

Se te jou anvan fèt Delivrans jwif yo. Jezi te konnen lè a te rive pou l' te kite tè sa a, pou li al jwenn Papa a. Li pa t' manke renmen moun pa l' yo ki te nan lemonn. Li te renmen yo nèt ale.  Jezi t'ap manje ak disip li yo jou swa sa a. Satan te gen tan pran tèt Jida, pitit gason Simon Iskariòt la, pou l' te trayi Jezi. Jezi te konnen pou tèt pa l' li te soti nan Bondye, epi li t'ap tounen jwenn Bondye ankò. Li te konnen Papa a te ba li pouvwa sou tout bagay. Li leve sot devan tab la, li wete gwo rad li a, li pran yon sèvyèt, li mare l' nan ren li.   Apre sa, li vide dlo nan yon kivèt. Epi li kòmanse lave pye disip li yo. Li t'ap siye yo ak sèvyèt li te mare nan ren l' lan. Se konsa, li rive sou Simon Pyè ki di l' konsa: Mèt, ou menm ki pral lave pye mwen?  Jezi reponn li: Koulye a ou pa konprann sa m'ap fè a. Men, wa konprann pita.  Pye di li: Non, mwen p'ap janm kite ou lave pye mwen. Jezi reponn li: Si m' pa lave pye ou, ou p'ap disip mwen ankò.  Simon Pyè di li: Si se konsa, Mèt, se pa pye m' ase pou ou lave. Lave men m' yo tou ansanm ak tèt mwen.  Jezi di li: Lè yon moun fin benyen, tout kò l' pwòp. Se pye l' ase ki bezwen lave. Nou menm, nou tou pwòp, men se pa nou tout ki pwòp.  (Jezi te konnen ki moun ki tapral trayi li. Se poutèt sa li te di: Se pa nou tout ki pwòp.)  Lè l' fin lave pye yo tout, Jezi mete gwo rad la sou li ankò, li tounen nan plas li bò tab la, epi li di yo: Eske nou konprann sa m' sot fè la a?  Nou rele m' Mèt, nou rele m' Seyè. Nou gen rezon, se sa m' ye vre.  Si mwen menm ki Seyè, mwen menm ki Mèt, mwen lave pye nou, konsa tou, nou menm, se pou nou yonn lave pye lòt. Mwen ban nou yon egzanp pou nou ka fè menm bagay mwen te fè pou nou an.

Avant la fête de Pâque, Jésus, sachant que son heure était venue de passer de ce monde au Père, et ayant aimé les siens qui étaient dans le monde, mit le comble à son amour pour eux.  Pendant le souper, lorsque le diable avait déjà inspiré au coeur de Judas Iscariot, fils de Simon, le dessein de le livrer, Jésus, qui savait que le Père avait remis toutes choses entre ses mains, qu'il était venu de Dieu, et qu'il s'en allait à Dieu, se leva de table, ôta ses vêtements, et prit un linge, dont il se ceignit.  Ensuite il versa de l'eau dans un bassin, et il se mit à laver les pieds des disciples, et à les essuyer avec le linge dont il était ceint.  Il vint donc à Simon Pierre; et Pierre lui dit: Toi, Seigneur, tu me laves les pieds!  Jésus lui répondit: Ce que je fais, tu ne le comprends pas maintenant, mais tu le comprendras bientôt.  Pierre lui dit: Non, jamais tu ne me laveras les pieds. Jésus lui répondit: Si je ne te lave, tu n'auras point de part avec moi.  Simon Pierre lui dit: Seigneur, non seulement les pieds, mais encore les mains et la tête.  Jésus lui dit: Celui qui est lavé n'a besoin que de se laver les pieds pour être entièrement pur; et vous êtes purs, mais non pas tous.  Car il connaissait celui qui le livrait; c'est pourquoi il dit: Vous n'êtes pas tous purs.  Après qu'il leur eut lavé les pieds, et qu'il eut pris ses vêtements, il se remit à table, et leur dit: Comprenez-vous ce que je vous ai fait?  Vous m'appelez Maître et Seigneur; et vous dites bien, car je le suis.  Si donc je vous ai lavé les pieds, moi, le Seigneur et le Maître, vous devez aussi vous laver les pieds les uns aux autres;  car je vous ai donné un exemple, afin que vous fassiez comme je vous ai fait.

Antes de la fiesta de la Pascua, sabiendo Jesús que su hora había llegado para pasar de este mundo al Padre, habiendo amado a los suyos que estaban en el mundo, los amó hasta el fin.  Y durante la cena, como ya el diablo había puesto en el corazón de Judas Iscariote, hijo de Simón, el que lo entregara, Jesús, sabiendo que el Padre había puesto todas las cosas en sus manos, y que de Dios había salido y a Dios volvía, se levantó de la cena y se quitó su manto, y tomando una toalla, se la ciñó.  Luego echó agua en una vasija, y comenzó a lavar los pies de los discípulos y a secárselos con la toalla que tenía ceñida.  Entonces llegó a Simón Pedro. Este le dijo: Señor, ¿tú lavarme a mí los pies?  Jesús respondió, y le dijo: Ahora tú no comprendes lo que yo hago, pero lo entenderás después.  Pedro le contestó: ¡Jamás me lavarás los pies! Jesús le respondió: Si no te lavo, no tienes parte conmigo.  Simón Pedro le dijo: Señor, entonces no sólo los pies, sino también las manos y la cabeza.  Jesús le dijo: El que se ha bañado no necesita lavarse, excepto los pies, pues está todo limpio; y vosotros estáis limpios, pero no todos.  Porque sabía quién le iba a entregar; por eso dijo: No todos estáis limpios.  Entonces, cuando acabó de lavarles los pies, tomó su manto, y sentándose a la mesa otra vez, les dijo: ¿Sabéis lo que os he hecho?  Vosotros me llamáis Maestro y Señor; y tenéis razón, porque lo soy.  Pues si yo, el Señor y el Maestro, os lavé los pies, vosotros también debéis lavaros los pies unos a otros.  Porque os he dado ejemplo, para que como yo os he hecho, vosotros también hagáis.

Go and do likewise.

music for Maundy Thursday

The Holy Trinity Cathedral parish choir sang this prayer at the Maundy Thursday Eucharist this afternoon.  It moved me into a different place, a quieter place.  I thought I would share it. May it be a blessing for you as well. 

views on the road to Cange

I would love to know what makes these hills/mountains so tall and round.   I've never seen hills like the ones in Haiti.



mountainside woven wood house

 

We passed through Mirebalais.

This is where the new Zanmi Lasante hospital is being built.
Sounds as though it will be wonderful.



the lake created by the Peligre Dam

so beautiful

 

misty mountain morning



...and here we are in Cange!
More on that later - it deserves its own post.



turquoise houses on the road back home
The gingerbread trim on this kind of house has a Victorian air.



Love this combination!
The loaded horse is standing in front of a painted corrugated metal roof advertising Digicel, the largest cell phone company in Haiti. I am sure that man has a cell phone on him, too.



back to the river-lake by the dam -
some of the mist has cleared now



Artibonite River

back through Mirebalais - through the downtown this time



blue house
This reminds me of a book I had a as a child in which a little, old, beloved house has big, modern buildings built around it.  In order not to tear it down, they finally move it out to the country, and it lives happily ever after.  Anyone know what book this was? I loved it, but I have no idea what the title was.



donkey at work

 

 how to get free air conditioning and 
 a good view of the winding mountain  road



down the mountain back toward Port-au-Prince