Haiti Trip

Jennifer and I are in Haiti now exploring the possibility of adopting two children from here. A few months ago we met a woman, we’ll leave her nameless, who decided to move to Haiti 15 years ago when her husband passed away. Having never even visited Haiti, She left her comfortable life to spend her retirment serving the orphaned children of this tiny island nation. Now, She is in her mid 70′s and is perhaps one of the most inspirational figures I have ever met. This woman supports herself, 14 children and three staff, on her own retirement and social security benefits.

We’ve only been here for two days and in that time she has entertained us with amazing stories of rescuing babies out of poverty, malnutritian and grave danger in order to bring them into her home, nurse them to health and find a loving Christian home for them. She told us one story of rescuing a baby that had been abandoned in a corn field and claimed by a vodoo woman who planned to sacrifice the child. She wasn’t having that so she bought the child from the vodoo woman for $20. While other women her age are wasting their retirement on soap opras and bingo, She is literally saving lives every day.

There are two children here that Jennifer and I pray will someday live in our home. Five year old girl “Bebe or Baby” is a tiny figure who has a personality as much like our Ruthe as any little girl I have ever met. She is rarely without a smile. We’re trying not to show favoritism to her but ever time we look her way we find her staring at us with a huge grin. The boy, “Jean pronounced John” is a tank of a boy who we are told is only two years old (although he could easily pass for four). Both kids were attracted to us right away, and us to them.

Before we came the director of the ministry told us these two children would fit into our family nicely… of course we were skeptical, how could she possibly know that? But as much as two days can tell she hit a bulls eye.

Since our arrival we have spent very little time outside the walls of the childrens home. The area is unsafe and we don’t have any transportation so we have spent two solid days getting to know these children. Several of them are “spoken for” but others are still looking for homes.

Tomorrow we go to church, we are told it will last for four hours.

The internet connection here is poor, pictures will come when we return.