’15 Classmates work with Missionaries of Charity in Haiti

Three members of the Class of 2015 — Samantha Flanders, Tori Miller, and Joanna Kaiser — have recently returned from a post-graduation mission trip to Port au Price, Haiti, where they worked with the Missionaries of Charity. Writes Miss Flanders:

“We began every morning at 5:00 a.m. in the chapel with morning prayer, meditations on Scripture, and Holy Mass; after which I would go and help take care of the 115 babies (mostly suffering from malnutrition) that the sisters provided care for in the compound. Once a month I would help the sisters with a food distribution to 900 needy people. We would give them 10 cups of rice and beans, 30 cups of cornmeal, 1cup of oil, 1can of tomato paste, and 1chicken. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, I would help out at the sisters’ St. Joseph wound clinic. The poor people of Haiti would come in long lines and wait for us to dress their wounds, mostly third-degree burns covering their arms and legs, and injuries such as machete hacks and bullet wounds.

“The weather was very humid and balmy. Every day my clothes would be drenched in sweat, and in the afternoon the heat was usually unbearable. It is truly incredible how much the MC sisters endure. Not only do they put up with the heat but they also live in such a detached way — it is truly a beautiful vocation. The trip was an amazing experience, and I am so grateful to God for all of the benefactors who supported it, and especially to all the angels He put on my road. I was able to meet a lot of other wonderful volunteers in Haiti.”

Miss Flanders and Miss Kaiser are currently continuing their journey with a 33-day pilgrimage to Spain, where they are backpacking 800 km. of the Camino de Santiago.