On Monday morning, May 18th, I awoke to an unsettling Whatsapp message. Jean Marc, long-time security guard at the Lighthouse, had died unexpectedly.

On April 10, “little” Johnny celebrated his 14th birthday. Although I could not be physically present for the celebration due to the restriction of travel over coronavirus, my thoughts were with him in the hopes that his birthday would be as pleasant as those of the past.

Last month we shared reflections from the kids at the Lighthouse Children’s Home as they commemorated the 10th anniversary of the earthquake and the founding of the home.

Everyone gathers around the table, the one we’ve gathered around a thousand times before. Traditional Haitian dishes await us—fried and barbecued chicken, rice and beans, fried plantains, pasta salad, pikliz. It’s a beautiful spread of food, no doubt. And it’s been so long since we’ve done this. It’s been so long that we’ve all been together. Lovely squeezes my right hand as I look at all the faces, children who grew up right in front of my eyes and I begin to realize that time is even more fleeting than I once perceived. 

Earlier this month, Haiti commemorated the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that took so many lives, destroyed so much property, and left so many scars.

First, I want to thank God for this year that went well. Though Haiti was not good at all, He always protected me.