I spent this past weekend with Sisters Fidelis and Josephine and the Sisters of St.Francis in Sylvania, Ohio. I stayed on campus (and the campus is also 'home' to Lourdes College) and had a truly marvelous, relaxing, yet productive experience. The campus is beautiful; the Sisters love artwork and you will find it everywhere (outdoors, on buildings everywhere, indoors etc).
More importantly, however, the women who are part of St. Francis are incredible individuals. They have warm, caring spirits. They have hospitable, generous, and loving hearts, and they are genuine and joyful. It was a true pleasure for me!
While on campus Sister Fidelis received a phone call from a surgeon in Florida (Dr. Steve). To make a long story short, we (Fidelis and myself) ended up having a long three-way conversation (via phone) with Dr. Steve and also an energetic and gifted woman, Miriam Frederick (she has the glorified "e" in the middle of Fred- and -Rick :). They work with an organization called World Harvest Missions. Miriam has been working in Haiti for about 35 years AND she has worked alongside Dr. John Leininger (who has been helping us to install the Chateau Deau's in Pestel)!
Dr. Steve and Miriam feel led to build a hospital for Pestel! The planning is in the early phases, but they already have willing donors for lots of used hospital equipment, folks to help them with the construction, and some preliminary plans. And they have invited me to help with the planning process.
The timing of Dr. Steve's call was providential, not planned by any of us. If he had 'happened' to call a day or two later I would not have been on campus for the the conversation.
God continues to work in the most marvelous ways. It is always a delight to see Him work, and it is becoming less and less a 'surprise', if you know what I mean.
Ben
Just a few photos of the campus, including a piece of artwork that Sister Jo is currently working on.
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