Blog | Bethlehem Ministry

Oct 31

Back to School!

We are so happy to share these wonderful shots of St. Barthélémy's students, thanks to Dominique Bruno! These students are enjoying their time at St. Bart's - playing, learning, and being alongside their friends! We thank all of our supporters for enabling these beautiful moments, and we ask that you pray for a happy, healthy, and successful new school year for our students, teachers, and staff!

Student Spotlight!

We are so proud of Chrisnel Cheramy at St. Barthélémy, as well as of our school's teachers and staff! Chrisnel began the 10th grade at St. Bart's this October and was recognized as the laureate for the Trou du Nord region of Haiti for the 9th-grade national exams! In Haiti, all students must take a national exam before they can proceed from 9th to 10th grade, which marks the beginning of high school in Haiti. All of the 9th graders at St. Barthélémy passed this year's exam, and Chrisnel received the highest score in the region! These results are a testament to St. Barthélémy's exemplary academic program and the commitment and skills of its teachers and staff, as well as the diligence of these students. For various reasons, only around 20% of Haitian children will advance far enough in their education to begin high school. Therefore, the opportunity to attend St. Barthélémy transforms the lives and future prospects of these students! Thank you to all of our supporters who have helped make this success possible! Image courtesy of Dominique Bruno!

courtney3769

Oct 11

Ordinary stuff

A few weeks ago I was walking a footpath in Haiti inspecting our summer's work. It was peaceful and ordinary - people stopping to talk to neighbors on their way to their farms, a man handing a mango over a hedge to an old lady, a girl with a slotted spoon and a pan of hot oil frying up plantains for a smiling customer.

This was not the Haiti of headlines. This was human Haiti. People tucked into their communities, doing what needs to be done, working to put food on the table, worrying about somebody they love, feeling proud of something. It was ordinary stuff, the stuff we all do, the stuff that makes us human.

When I bent down to see a little boy's truck, what caught my attention was the string because it was tied to an imagination that could see what I could not - a noisy 'taptap' piled high with people and sacks. What I saw was a toy made out of junk. It made me think, what is it we don't see when we look at poverty in Haiti?

One thing our imagination has been tied to is a star over Haiti. We could see it helping us. Now you can see it too, because it is powering our entire operation from processing farmers' crops to irrigating our nursery and truck garden. Without the expense of a diesel generator, we are doing more to help people. Imagination pays off.

Solar batteries can run our whole operation for three days without sun.

Lastly, this summer we sustainably increased the food supply for more a community of six hundred people suffering hunger. It's the kind of stuff we do that is NOT ordinary.

Take care,

Rob

Rob Fisher, Exec. Director

PARTNER FOR PEOPLE AND PLACE, INC.

courtney3769

Aug 29

St. Barthélémy's Band Camp!

While school is out of session, St. Barthélémy's band continues to play! We are deeply grateful to everyone who contributes to St Barthélémy's musicians - from student sponsors to instrument donors and all of our supporters in between! Thanks to each of you, these students can fine-tune their musical talents while building on their academic skill sets and bringing about beautiful melodies within and beyond St Barthélémy! If you're interested in sponsoring a student or supporting the school, click here: https://tinyurl.com/43rfxrc9. If you have instruments to donate, send us a message or email us at info@bethleministry.org! Scroll down to see a clip of the band in action!

Here is a clip of the talented St. Barthélémy band playing Ah ! Les crocodiles (The Crocodile Song) for all of St. Bart's students before the 2023-2024 school year came to an end! Note the youngest students dancing along to the nursery rhyme's tune!

French lyrics and English translation of the song below!

Ah! Les crocodiles

Un crocodile, s'en allant en guerre,

Disait au r'voir à ses petits enfants.

Traînant ses pieds dans la poussière,

Il s'en allait combattr' les éléphants.

REFRAIN (bis)

Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)

les crocodiles

Sur les bords du Nil, ils sont partis,

N'en parlons plus.

Il fredonnait une march' militaire,

Dont il mâchait les mots à grosses dents.

Quand il ouvrait la gueule tout entière,

On croyait voir ses ennemis dedans.

REFRAIN

Il agitait sa grande queue à l'arrière,

Comme s'il était d'avance triomphant.

Les animaux devant sa mine altière,

Dans les forêts, s'enfuyaient tout tremblants.

REFRAIN

Un éléphant parut : et sur la terre,

Se prépara ce combat de géants.

Mais près de là courait une rivière,

Le crocodile s'y jeta subitement.

REFRAIN

Et tout rempli d'une crainte salutaire,

S'en retourna vers ses petits enfants.

Notre éléphant, d'une trompe plus fière,

Voulut alors accompagner ce chant.

Refrain

Ah ! Les cro, cro, cro (bis)

les crocodiles

Sur les bords du Nil, ils sont partis,

N'en parlons plus.

___

The Crocodile Song

Once a crocodile, set off to fight a battle

Taking his sword, he waved his kids goodbye

Off through the dust to join his worthy comrades

Wagging his tail in search of elephants