Mesi Anpil,Walin and Johnny

Our fascinating, fun, eye-opening trip would not have been possible without the passion and presence of two men:  Walin Decamps of Hinche, Haiti, and Johnny Wilson of Austin, Texas.

Walin is, simply put, one of the most remarkable men I have ever met. His dedication to his parishioners and the children of his far-flung parish is inspiring and humbling. In addition to fulfilling all of the responsibilities of a parish priest (preparing sermons, officiating at weddings, funerals, and church services, visiting the sick and the poor, and all of the other myriad responsibilities associated with church work), he has also created a vast network of small country schools. In addition to the school that is literally attached to his house, St. Andre, he has developed partnerships with faith-based groups and individual donors to keep thirteen country schools afloat. St. Stephen's is a partner of St. Etienne, for instance. Because donors vary in their willingness to follow through with their commitments, he is constantly scrambling for operating funds for these ventures. (In one of his schools, teachers haven't been paid for months because a donor did not make good on a commitment.) I am happy to say that St. Stephen's is a good partner to St. Etienne, and Walin treasures this particular association. He also values his association with John Moon and John's really meaningful and exciting music program based at St. Andres in Hinche, which is a separate program from the St. Etienne school program.
The importance of these Episcopal country schools cannot be overstated. They provide a community of faith; they provide food for hungry children; they provide education; in some cases they provide clean water for a region. We have now personally witnessed the value of the school as an anchor in the community in Salmadere.

In addition to these very time-consuming tasks which are fraught with uncertainty, Walin plays a dynamic role in shaping the next generation of Haitian leaders. He mentors young men of promise (our tour guide, James, for instance), giving them real responsibility and pushing them toward greater levels of education. He personally arranges for scholarships for strong students to go to college in the Dominican Republic, seeking donors to help these young men. He is at once:  college counselor, financial aid officer, non-political community organizer, social worker, priest for St. Andre and thirteen country churches, CFO for fourteen schools,  salami purchaser (see School Lunch post), food scrounger, tour guide for St. Stephen's students and faculty members, and man of the people. Taking a walk with mon pere is taking a walk in slow motion--he greets everyone on the street, pats every baby, speaks to everyone he knows and most people he doesn't. He greeted us generously as guest in the rectory--eleven of us!--and made us feel most welcome.

In addition, he is a family man. His wife is the generous and good-natured Kenite, a surgical nurse in the local hospital; his little children are daughter Kenora and son Fedde, both of whom have the charisma and intelligence to be important Haitian leaders someday.

And on to our own Johnny Wilson . . . his passion for helping the people of Haiti, and his joy in their presence, is something uplifting to see. We know him as gifted biology teacher, advisor, Science Department member, snake-radio-tagger, West Texas guru, colleague, and friend--but to the Haitians in Salmadere, he is a revered blanc who provides materially for their children. He is also inspirational to our own students. One of those students wrote in a keepsake book to him, "I hope someday to be a good man like you." What higher praise could there be?

From me personally, mesi anpil (abundant thanks) for an amazing adventure and experience, Walin and Johnny.