Dear Friends of Operation Starfish®:
Let us begin with a brief meditation…
“I am always asking God to give me and maintain in
me what He promises in the Bible – a heart of flesh to replace
my heart of stone. Because only such a heart can truly love – and
without this love, it would be worse than a waste of time to
try and help the boys. Better I should take up some kind of
manual labor – build chairs or something – than try and build
men without relying on god’s love.”
---
Fr. Attilio Stra, a Salesian Missionary in Haiti,
who
runs an orphanage for homeless boys
rescued
from the streets of Port-au-Prince
SHELTER
FROM THE STORM – PAYING IT FORWARD
Nativity
parishioners often ask “What do the people in our Nativity Village developments say about our
work?” “How have their lives changed after they move into a
new house? Here’s a particularly poignant message from a woman
in Nativity Village at Prolongé, near Cap-Haitien…
Chris
Frosch, a writer with Food For The Poor, was in Nativity Village
II this past December, talking with residents about the effects
of the hurricanes last Fall. He was visiting families who live
in the new houses built by Food For The Poor with funding from
Nativity’s Operation Starfish®. He also visited some of the many
families still living in an adjacent swamp.
According
to Chris, Adinine Jean lives in a Food For The Poor house in Nativity Village. As storm conditions worsened,
she walked over to the swamp to see if she could help anyone. “Conditions
were very bad,” she said. “On this side [Nativity Village] there was no flooding. But on the other side, the water was
rising. Before the water got too high, I went over to the swamp
to look for people. I recognized five people and invited them
back to my home.”
 Chris asked Adinine why she did this. She replied simply, “I’m
a Christian just like you.” She continued, “They stayed about
8 days. I shared my food with them, and also Father Duken [the
local priest] helped us out.”
Chris
asked her about her faith and she said, “My faith in God directs
my every move in life. When I have a problem, I pray to God and
He helps me out.” She said that other people in Nativity Village
took in their neighbors from the swamp as well.
 Chris then asked her what she would like to say to
the people who made Nativity Village
possible. She responded, “I would like to tell them, ‘thank you!’ Father
Duken helped us out, and now we are saved. I would like the people
in the swamp to get out of their situation and have an opportunity
like we do in Nativity Village.”
Another
woman, standing nearby, had this message for the parishioners
of Church of the Nativity: “I thank you all from the bottom of
my heart. I thank you — if not for me — for my children and grandchildren.
I keep you all in my prayers.”
With
the proceeds from Operation Starfish® during Lent, 2009, Nativity
will build another 80 houses, provide more wells and pumps for
clean drinking water, and install sanitation systems. In addition,
working through Food For The Poor, Nativity will begin development
of a 30-acre farm to provide locally grown food and create more
jobs for the community.
LENTEN STARFISH BEGINS AT NATIVITY
One
evening just before Lent in 1998, Fr. Dick Martin took a walk
with his dog and wondered “What if…” What if our parish
could add meaning to the Lenten sacrifice by giving up a topping
on a pizza or an order of fries, and use the money saved to do
something for the poor? What if each family could save 50 cents
a day during the 40 days of Lent? Could we create a miracle just
like the wedding feast at Cana? The parish
thought it was a great idea. Fr. Martin put out a simple wicker
basket during Lent, and by Easter, each family’s small sacrifices
had yielded $67,000! What a miracle!
With
Food For The Poor, Nativity built houses at Canapé Verte, Haiti,
that first year. The following Lent, parishioners wanted to do
it again. But first, Fr. Martin wanted to see what had been done
with the previous year’s gift, so he took 12 parishioners to Haiti to visit the families living in their new
houses. “While our people were happy that some lives had been
changed for the better, they were depressed by the depth of poverty
they saw.” observed Fr. Martin. That’s the moment when he told
the “Starfish Story:” [See story in box on last page]
At that point, a parishioner spoke up and said, “Let’s keep doing
this, and let’s call our work ‘Operation Starfish.’” Everyone
agreed. Eleven years and $2 million later, Operation Starfish® has
been trademarked by Food For The Poor, and the concept has spread
to hundreds of churches, schools and organizations across the
country.
This year, Nativity’s Lenten Starfish project will be the development
of a 5th Nativity Village
project in Haiti - Nativity
Village at Caracol.
Located near Cap-Haitien, on the north coast of the island, this
site was selected for the 2009 Operation Starfish® campaign.
One of Nativity’s two fishing village co-op’s is located nearby
at Madras. The Caracol
development will include 80 houses, sanitation, water wells and
a 30-acre farm.
Nativity Village at Caracol will also include a community center with
a sewing co-op honoring Mrs. Georgette Martin. Here, young adults
will be taught dressmaking, pattern design and production of
school uniforms and table linens. The funding for this vocational
training component comes from donations in memory of Fr. Martin’s
Mom. The Martin family designated Operation Starfish® for gifts
in honor of Mrs. Martin, who was an accomplished dressmaker.
The
same wicker basket is now sitting at the entrance to the sanctuary
in Nativity Church. And the same simplicity of the Starfish concept is at work.
One person at a time, Nativity will continue to make a difference.
For
more information, or a fact sheet on Operation Starfish®, contact jim@starfishmission.org or
go to www.starfishmission.org. For information on Food For The Poor, go to www.foodforthepoor.org.
LETTERS TO FR. MARTIN
Dear Fr. Martin,
My family and I are dedicating
our 2009 Operation Starfish to your mother. Just as mothers
positively influence their children’s lives, what we do as
a community of God can also have an influence on others. And,
God knows that the people of Haiti certainly
need and deserve the support of all of us who don’t face poverty
each day of our lives.
My Dad was the Methodist in
the family & years ago he & my mother went on a cruise
that stopped in Cap
Haitien & when he relayed the details of the trip, the
words “overwhelming poverty” punctuated his conversation. He
visited an old Colonial fort during the afternoon stayover,
but it was the poverty that he always remembered.
Thanks for continuing this mission
of hope.
Sincerely,
Kathleen & Phil
“SEEDS OF HOPE” – A GALA EVENING PLANNED
 Nativity parishioners Melinda Engelbrektsson and Kathryn
Scully are hosting a Gala Benefit for Food For The Poor’s Housing
Program at Waterford at Fair Oaks, Fairfax, Virginia, on Saturday,
April 25, 2009. Ann Curry, of Dateline NBC and Anchor of the “Today
Show,” along with Chris Matthews, Anchor of MSNBC’s “Hardball,” are
serving as co-chairs. A 5-night trip for two to Los Cabos, Mexico is
being given away, and there will be a silent auction with many
delightful arts, crafts and gifts. Dinner and dancing is included
in the evening. For more information, http://www.foodforthepoor.org/virginia
BOOK REVIEW: FEEDING AND BEING FED
Following
her husband’s untimely death, Margaret Trost visited Haiti to heal her broken heart through service.
Struggling to make sense of the extreme poverty, and touched
by the warmth and resilience of those she met, she partnered
with a local community and together they developed a program
that now serves thousands of meals a week to those in need. On
That Day, Everybody Ate tells the story of her remarkable
journey.
I read
this book on a recent flight from Los Angeles
to Washington, D.C.
Margaret Trost’s first trip to Haiti took
place, like mine, in 1999. Also like my first journey to Haiti, Margaret’s trip came
as a result of a suggestion from a friend. And she, like me,
was filled with apprehension and second thoughts. So I was hooked
on the story – it felt very much like my own pilgrimage to the
poor.
Margaret
Trost’s story of her 10-year relationship with the people of Haiti is a compelling journal
of making friends, seeing needs in each other, and filling those
needs with love and action. She shows engagement with the poor
and destitute to be a two-way street. We all have gifts for each
other – we have ways of healing each other – we can lead each
other to faith and fulfillment.
For
anyone who has traveled to Haiti,
and for those who are thinking about making a mission trip to
this land, I recommend this book.
Trost,
Margaret. On That Day Everybody Ate. Koa Books, Kihei, Hawai’i. 2008. (Available at booksellers,
at Amazon.com, and at your public library)
--- Editor
LAZARUS SEEKS TEACHERS
Our friends at the Lazarus Project,
a partner of Food For The Poor, are looking for teacher volunteers
to spend a week in Haiti this
July teaching children hands-on skills. The July Enrichment Program at Village of Hope runs
from Saturday, July 25th until Saturday, August 1.
Classes may include: Art (many
different types!), Cross-Stitch, Woodworking, Crochet, Simple
Robotics, Music, Solar Oven (building and cooking), Dance and Metal
Working, Sewing and Basket Weaving.
Do you have a talent or skill
you are willing to share with the children at Village of Hope? Teaching them a skill
will bless them not only this summer but for years to come. And,
as always, you will receive so much more!
If you are interested, please
contact Marni Maree mmaree@cox.net or
Pastor Larry Bollinger villageofhope@hughes.net. For more information on the Lazarus
Project, go to: http://www.lazarusprojecthaiti.org.
STARFISH EXHIBIT AT L. A. CONGRESS
  Food For The Poor sponsored an exhibit booth at the
Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in February. The Congress
is sponsored by the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and it
is the largest catechetical and liturgical gathering in the world. More
than 40,000 participants enjoyed 3 days of presentations, exhibits
and liturgy. At Food For The Poor’s booth, the Operation Starfish® concept
was featured. Nearly 200 additional churches and organizations
expressed interest in follow-up contacts by Food For The Poor. Nativity
pastor Fr. Dick Martin and Nativity CCD co-directors Sr. Mary
Attilia Todaro and Sr. Donatella Merulla, along with Nativity
catechists Pat Attiliis and Terri Baker visited the booth, staffed
by Wendy Bourgault and Jim McDaniel from Food For The Poor.
ONE PENNY AT A TIME, YOU CAN MAKE
A DIFFERENCE!
How
often do you go to Google or Yahoo! to do an internet search? Do
you realize that these search engines generate billions of dollars
in advertising revenue? Well now there is a way to direct a
small amount from every search toward your favorite charity. Powered
by Yahoo!, the new search engine www.GoodSearch.com will
split 50% of its ad revenue with non-profits. This works out
to about one penny per search.
We
have listed Nativity’s Operation Starfish as a benefiting charity. All
you have to do is go to www.GoodSearch.com;
find the “Who Do You GoodSearch For?” Box; type “Operation
Starfish”; and start searching. After you do this the first
time, Operation Starfish will automatically become your
default charity. It’s easy to change, however, if you prefer
that another good cause receive your search pennies. For example,
our friends at Food For The Poor are also listed.
If
you have any questions, please let us know. Meanwhile, good
searching!!!
MARCH PRAYER REQUESTS
Our readers have submitted the
following prayer requests for this month:
† For
Fr. Jean Printemps and Fr. Duken Augustin, and those they serve
in Haiti, that God grant all of them strength, courage
and the resources they need to continue their mission work;
† For
the repose of the soul of Fr. Jack Hughes, of McLean, Virginia, and for his sister and his friends, who will miss his kindness
and humor and especially his St. Patrick’s Day rendition of “Danny
Boy;”
† For
Smiley St. Aubin, of Washington, D.C., whose young life was cut short
by a stroke, and for his family and friends who grieve the loss
of this positive and happy man;
† For
Bishop George Nkuo and Fr. Daniel Ache and those whom they serve
in Cameroon,
that God bless them and their people with encouragement;
† For
individuals who are hurting, families that are divided, and nations
at war, may the peace of Christ be felt by all those who struggle;
† For
Sr. Francis Annice, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that her recovery
from hand surgery be swift and pain free;
† For
Pauline Girard, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts,
who has kept our work in Haiti in her prayers, may
she now be in our prayers as she deals with serious illness;
† For
all our friends at Food For The Poor, and for all those who work
here and abroad to alleviate suffering;
† For
the people of Haiti, who struggle against all odds to get back
on their feet and to bring their land back to life;
For these and all our intentions,
hear us, Oh Lord…
HAITIAN
WISDOM
“’Piti, piti, na rive!’
Little by little, we will arrive.
CLOSING THOUGHT…
“When
my mother was pregnant with me, six doctors tried to convince
her to have an abortion. ‘You’re too poor to have another child,’ they
told her. ‘You won’t survive; your health isn’t good enough.
And don’t you know there are too many people in Jamaica already?’ But
my father objected. ‘Doctor, there is a soul at stake here, and
it belongs to God. And what if this baby were to become a preacher
some day? I would never want to think that I had destroyed a
preacher’s life.’ And so, because of my parents’ faith and reverence
for life, I came into this world.”
--- Bishop Herro Blair
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