Nursing Students
// Jeanne DeTellis Loudon
Two sisters, Saphtana and Wichelineda Verger, graduated from our high school this year. They are from a family who has “nothing.”
Their father died in 2012 and their mother has survived struggling to raise four children. In June, floods came through their home and took what little they had.
Pastor Guillame Jean in Léogâne, Haiti, helped raise and care for the two sisters without a father.
Saphtana Verger spoke at the high school graduation ceremony. What did she say? With sincere gratitude, she thanked her pastor, sponsor, family, mission, and friends for this occasion of graduation. Saphtana’s heart-kept secret was her deepest desire to become a nurse. And then, she took a giant step of courage and asked me about funding for tuition.
The class of 2023 represents hope and new leaders who are living on the foundation of Christian values.
Both sisters have been accepted at Université Episcopale d’Haïti, located in Léogâne, Haiti. The school recognizes the power of the Christian message as they undertake teaching, research, and service. I am blessed, unspeakable, and honored to know these two sisters.
Leading the graduates as they walk down the aisle, Saphtana and Wichelineda Verger represent stepping out of despair. Our students have risen above the hardest of challenges, and we celebrate their accomplishments.
A Haitian proverb says, “One hand washes the other (Yon men lave lot); we are family and we need each other. When we give to the poor, we lend to God; God will repay you when you help the poor (Sa nou bay pov, se Bondye nou prete-L).”
We are only rich when we bless the poor. As Prov. 22:2 tells us, “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” ~Jeanne DeTellis Loudon
