And Bingo was his name

After being here a few days, I think I may have finally uncovered the secret to how Father Meaux was able to create such a huge success in this Kobonal Mission.  How did one man bring such light to the middle of the “darkest corner of Haiti”?  The secret – he didn’t.  Well, that is to say he didn’t do it alone.  In fact the longer I breathe the air of this earth the more I become convinced that nothing great, outside of works of art, is accomplished by alone. It takes a team of people with different skills and ideas to accomplish things of vision.  Though the visionary is often given credit (and with good reason), the people behind the scense are just as important in helping greatness to be realized.

In the case of the Kobonol mission, one of Fr. Meaux’s key partners is Bingo.  Philo-Jacques (Bingo) Bernard is an amazing man.  He is a native Haitian who has been working alongside Fr. Meaux for over 25 years.  So dedicated is he to this place that he is still here while his wife and children have fled to Montreal in the face of a death threat.  In the week that we have been here, he has been the decision-maker and organizer behind almost every detail going on at the mission.

Always on the phone, yet somehow always available and fully present at mealtime conversations and throughout the day, Bingo has his hands on everything from the construction of 3 homes (and schedule of many more to come) to the delivery of older school student’s homestead manure as compost for the mission garden. He greets the school children each morning and leads them in their songs on the way to class and leads them out of the mission at the end of the day.  He looks over the drying and storage of beans to the distribution of food and supplies to the desperate poor.  He delivers “Boxes of Joy” – presents from people in America to students in developing countries. Plus assuredly dozens of other things I didn’t witness.  And all the while he is our gracious host helping us arrange our activities and schedules.  Granted, he’s probably taking on more responsibility than normal as Fr. Meaux is currently not at the mission, but he does it all with such calm, grace and wellness of nature that he has earned the highest admiration of all on our team.

Probably the highest compliment one could give the leadership of this mission is this:  We had several wonderful young men and women (probably early 20s) who served us as interpreters for our medical team.  They were in college studying different professions, but when i asked them what they wanted to do when they completed their schooling, most said they wanted to come back and serve the mission.  One said specifically he wants to be the next Bingo.  It’s one thing to help people. It’s one thing to lead people.  But those that inspire at the same time – those are special people indeed.  The world needs more Bingo Bernards. But if that ever happens, I’ll consider myself lucky to have known the original.