L to R: Joselyne Sévère, Giulio Mazzella, Marjolaine Sheldrick, Robert Gadbois

There are times in our lives when special things happen unexpectedly. Some people call them “God Moments.” I like to call them “The Father’s Favor.” Today we received the “Father’s Favor” as we took our team to the beach for one last outing before returning to Montreal tomorrow. Our plan was to take them to Cormier Plage. Cormier is a beautiful beach where one can swim and dine.

First, though, we decided to drive to Labadee Beach which is just beyond Cormier, just to let the team view the beach from the lookout point. Labadee is Haiti’s hidden treasure where cruise ships from Florida pull in several times a week. Each ship brings with it 6,000 passengers, and over 300 workers receive them as they come off the boat. Many of those workers are security guards — no one comes into Labadee or goes out without passing inspection.  It is a very high security area. Years ago when our children were little, they had the whole beach to themselves. That is an era long past and chock full of memories for us. Since the tourist ships started coming, it was turned into a private beach.

Imagine our surprise, then, when we were told that for $20 apiece, we could come in, spend the day, swim, and eat all we wanted from the food that is carried on shore from the ship! I am sitting here at a picnic table writing this post and thanking the Father for His favor upon His children. A Haitian band is playing, the sun is shining, and it’s a gorgeous day for the beach. Our visitors will have much to share when they return to the cold climate of Montreal tomorrow!