Folks,
This is the time of year that the days shorten and nights stretch long. The nighttime darkness in the Haitian mountains is quite something. When the moon isn’t out, it is blackout dark.
And that is when the stars become magnificent. Against a blue-black ceiling the stars crowd the heavens.
Something else happens as well. Specks of light appear on the mountainsides. People carry flashlights that seem to bob along paths. If you hold very still you can hear sounds. Someone calls out. A baby cries. And the trees provide a constant background of sound. The leaves rustle. A twig snaps as a small animal scampers along. Branches creak.
The news from Haiti this year has been a constant story of dark times: earthquakes, assassinations, hunger, gang rule, and COVID. Yes, these are dark times. But it is never completely dark in Haiti. The stars shower hope on us and the people of CODEP and their trees make the mountains come alive even at night.
Michael Anello, Executive Director
