Haiti Blog Post 14- The Road to Crochu

Haiti Blog Post 14- January 18, 2012

Today we went to one of Pere Val’s Churches, St. Alban’s, in Crochu.  Crochu is located on the top of a mountain and the road to get there is rough and very scary.  I was really hesitant to go to Crochu.   I went there in October of 2007 and I have not gone back since then because I remembered how scared I was on the drive there.  Today was no different.  The entire drive I closed my eyes and repeated over and over God keep us safe. 

We did arrive safely and the second we got there I thought, why wasn’t I praying for the people of Crochu instead of myself?  Crochu is very, very poor and until recently they didn’t have running water or bathrooms.  Tons of improvement has happened at Crochu in the five years since my last visit.  I am very proud of the Diocese of Alabama and all the work they have done there alongside Pere Val and his parishioners.  There is a new Church, school, running water, toilets, a hot meal program, a garden, the list goes on and on.  It is so exciting to see such progress and the people of Crochu were so happy to see us.

As it was time to get back in the car, I started to gear myself up for the scary drive back down the mountain.  Immediately I started praying for my safety and I very quickly forgot about the people of Crochu.  Isn’t it interesting that I can so easily turn my prayers back to me?  This frankly is a hard pill to swallow.  Everyday Haiti and God teach me something new…

Blessings,

Mary Balfour