A new year for Marciel:
Some of you might remember the story of the man who fell off a truck in Haiti and continues to have an arm that was wrongly set. I got his name wrong the first time, but not now. He is Marciel and as this note goes out to the Internet, he rests on a hospital bed in Darío Contreras hospital in Santo Domingo. His corrective surgery seems like an "impossible dream" about to come true.
Anita and the people of Elko:
Marciel made it to the hospital thanks to the collaboration between the parishioners of St. Joseph´s Church in Elko and a Haitian woman named Anita Felix Urbaez, who lives in Lanza Arriba. Even before the Elko fund gets to us here in Paraíso, we are spending part of it to help Marciel. But Anita plays a key part in the aid: she is the one who sacrificed being with her family even during New Years so that she could take Marciel to Santo Domingo and bring him to the major hospital.
Anita the hidden angel:
Sometimes one hears that the Haitians only think of themselves and that they have no social conscience. This does not hold true for Anita. When she guided Marciel from Paraíso to Santo Domingo she did not count on his not having any money whatsoever to help pay his way. But such was the case. Anita used the funds that come from Elko to pay all the hospital bills for tests and laboratory work. She ended up going hungry and spending days barely eating a meal here or there.
The contrast to other experiences:
Without someone like Anita, the path to dealing with Marciel´s wounds would take much longer and involve lots of "top down" aid. We hear stories of priests or sisters leaving parishes unattended because they felt conscience bound to respond to a patient like Marciel. It is rare that a parish has somebody like Anita who is willing and able to leave all behind and travel every step of the way with a person who has nothing to do with her immediate family.
Animadores de la Palabra:
Anita is a real "Animador of the Word of God" she animates from the Word and gives the Word to others ... not only by leading the liturgical celebrations every Saturday afternoon in Lanza Arriba, but also by the willing spirit to respond to people in desperate need. The Church will grow because people like her are living signs of God´s power: alive in the liturgy.
Taking time to see her family:
Anita stopped by this afternoon and will spend tomorrow and Sunday with her family. On Monday she returns to Santo Domingo and the pursuit of corrective surgery for Marciel. We pray that these efforts will bless him into a time in 2008 when his arm becomes much stronger.
