News from Bother Mike 

Sunday we sent three members of the spirituality team with Pettris to the Emmaus Center [diocesan retreat/conference center in Papaye] for a week of Bible study. Next week four more residents will go for liturgy study. We will also have three more going for dance, drums and choir. Great stimulus, I hope. Last night, sitting in the dark outside, thinking of life here, I was inspired to try another outreach at the orphanage: bring a class at a time into the library and engage them in some conversation about the future, about their present academic likes and dislikes, about their life at the orphanage: things they like; things they'd like to improve (I need to clear this with Jean-Louis first, obviously). And we'd do some personal interchange about their giftedness, what they could offer the orphanage in service, etc. a kind of group session with them. I'll begin meeting with oldest group, the pre-philo [13th grade] group, and go from there. Anyway, I got extra energy thinking about it.

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Editor’s Note: Brother Mike has been working hard to help the students raise their grades and pass their tests. Brother Cos, Foundation Secretary asks if the Foundation have a School Committee to discern the needs at the orphanage elementary school and find ways of meeting those needs as part of our supportive mission? Pettris, for instance, has asked about getting bookshelves in the classrooms (which are pretty bare) and also better blackboards because the current ones are difficult to read.