Where He leads...: Meet Jocelyne

Meet Jocelyne

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[This is a post I wrote for FHM's blog.] I could spend all day bragging on our staff here at the guesthouse! Each one of them plays an important role keeping our guests comfortable, safe, relaxed, and feeling at home! Jocelyne is no exception.

Jocelyne will be sure to greet you with a smile and many words spoken in her fast Creole. :) She is in charge of keeping the house in top shape for our guests. She started working for FHM the day the guesthouse opened and has been a solid part of our team ever since.

Born into a family of seven, her mother died when she was nine years old. Each of her five remaining siblings (one died when she was too young to remember) went to live with various members of her mother's family. Jocelyne was raised by her mother's sister. Her aunt taught her how to cook and clean. "If I didn't wash a piece of clothing well enough," she remembers, "my aunt would rub it into the dirt and hand it to me to wash again."

When the guesthouse was about to open in 2012, FHM employee Missy was looking for trustworthy staff. Jocelyne's sister works for the hospital in Leogane and recommended her to Missy. Jocelyne was excited for a new job opportunity. Before coming to work for FHM, Jocelyne was a street vendor. She sold all sorts of fruits and vegetables... bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes, plantains, oranges, passion fruit. Each day she would get up early, hoist the heavy basket of food onto her head, and set off for the market. The work was difficult. The days were long. The journey to the market was not easy. She talked about the slippery roads after a rain, or having to depend on public transportation and the risk of accidents. She has enjoyed working at the guesthouse because it's "pi poze"—more relaxed. At her age, she appreciates the blessing of having a job that doesn't require such long, hot days, with a daily (and tiring) journey to the market. She shows up faithfully each day for work... except for Sundays, she will always remind you that she doesn't work on Sundays. "That's the day for worshiping God!"

Jocelyne has seven children of her own, four daughters and three sons. Her oldest child is 27 and her youngest is 16. She was able to send all of them to school and talks about them with pride. Her oldest is living in the Dominican Republic and she will be getting married in December.

I'm so thankful to have such an attentive and caring housekeeper here at the guesthouse. It certainly makes my job easier! Like all of our staff, Jocelyne takes her work seriously and does everything she can to keep our guests comfortable and satisfied. "When visitors come, I want them to find our guesthouse refreshing—everything clean," she says. "I want guests to come, enjoy their stay, and come back again!" And we trust with fine staff like Jocelyne, that's exactly what you'll do!