During my recent (June 2014) missions trip to Haiti I was witness to many amazing things. Amazing in a beautiful way and amazingly heartbreaking ways. God surely was the coordinator of this trip as several planned events came to pass, but several unplanned events were better than we could have ever imagined. God knew the perfect timing of our missions team coming to Haiti and the exact people that we would encounter along the way. He brought the children to the Bible lessons. He held off the rain and dimmed the sun so that we could paint. He opened our eyes and our hearts to know more of who He is. I know that my life has changed after experiencing this trip.
Take some time to read through previous posts about the trip where I journal through our time in Haiti. Haiti Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five
One experience particularly touched my heart. A team of three of us were serving in Haiti by painting a mural on the orphanage gate during the mornings then teaching Bible lessons in the afternoons. We were staying in a guest house that was surrounded by tall walls that were topped off with razor wire. Across the dirt and pebbled alley was the orphanage which was also surrounded by a high wall with razor wire. The alley was quiet as we were in a very rural area. Only a seldom goat wondering around would ever visit us as we passed through the alley to get to the orphanage. No people. No traffic. Until this day.
This is the journal entry that I wrote the day I was in Haiti, June 5th 2014:
Earlier today, as we were walking back and forth through the alley from the orphanage to the guest house there was a young lady sitting against the wall. She was holding a small baby dressed in blue. Someone else was with her too but I was focused on the baby too much to notice. The little one was probably 1 or 2 months old. It crossed my mind to say to the young lady how precious the baby was but I didn't only because of the language barrier between us. So I passed by and simply smiled at her.
(this is where she was sitting- to the left of the tree)
Later, after the afternoon Bible lesson with the children, I found out that the staff had stepped out of the Bible lesson because they were talking to the mom from the alley. She wanted to leave her baby there at the orphanage.
I asked one of the leaders who lives and serves at the orphanage what happens in that conversation and had she ever had that conversation with another mother. I asked how often that happens here. She said that the Pastor handles that and asks many questions. He tries to see if the family is healthy or why they would be surrendering the child. The pastor encouraged this mom to keep the baby and would offer help to the family while they are going through a tough time. The leader told me that this hasn't happened at the orphanage in over two years.
My heart went out to her- the mom, and just the entire situation of seeing her there with the baby at the door of the orphanage. Breaks my heart.
June 6th 2014:
This morning the air was less humid and it was the most mild day of the week. After breakfast we went to put a few more touches on the mural. We second coated some edging on the royal blue color and I added a sea shell, sea waves, and white flowers. Lastly I signed my name and it is finished.
While we were painting, the mother with the baby boy came back to the gate again today. She was at the gate. Just on the other side of us. She knocked and we answered. The staff here took the mother to the dinning hall this time. A man was with her and I can only assume that more questions were asked and information was gathered.
Stepping out into the alley, we saw the mother leave into the alley as well. She had no baby with her. She was walking with a couple other ladies who appeared to have had been talking with her and working through this with her.
The mother had no expression on her face. I'm sure she mourned in her mind months ago when she knew she couldn't care for her son any longer than it was a difficult day today, the day she surrendered him. She probably separated herself from the heartache to save her own heart from breaking. I can only image that is what a mother would do to cope through this day. A humble, loving, and selfless woman.
It is nothing less than a God thing that I would be here to witness this. As a waiting adoptive mom to see this unfold is heart wrenching. To be at the gate. In all the years, all the days that this could happen and that I was there to see this unfold. I know this is part of what God brought me here to experience. I know this is part of our adoption story too.
His name is Cheridson and it sounds like "shared son" to say it. He is 6 months old and weighs only 9 lbs. I was told that is part of the reason they were able to accept him since he was in danger with his poor health.
I held that baby. He was like a newborn placed in my arms- so so small but with alert eyes. He was quiet and sucked his thumb. No crying, no sounds at all. I thought how he doesn't yet realize what just happened to him and how his life just took a different course.
One of the room mother's took Cheridson in and her and her husband (who live at the orphanage as room parents) will love him and help him to grow. He will learn about Jesus and praise the Lord with beautiful singing.
I see this orphanage and how it does so many wonderful things for the children. By whatever events lead them here- they are in a place better than one of hunger and sickness. This orphanage just saved this little baby's life....but nothing beats a family.
The kids here play together and fight together like brothers and sisters would. But nothing beats a family. If anything else on this trip, I have learned that well and seen it first hand- the benefits, the miracles, and the hardships of life in an orphanage.
* * * * *
Just to settle your curious minds as your natural coming questions stir to ask if we could adopt this little boy. Nope. And of all things I do know how long the process can be to adopt and what reams and reams of paperwork are involved in an adoption. The biggest factor being that I don't even know if this boy was released completely to the orphanage or if there was an arrangement made that the orphanage will nurse him back to health then reunite him with his family after he gets past this difficult time. Several times this is a service that orphanages offer as they wish to keep families together. I don't know many parts of this story. I do know that this particular orphanage is not adopting out any children. There are licenses and certifications that orphanages in Haiti have to acquire before they adopt out internationally. This particular one is not licensed to adopt. They love these children, help them immensely, offer hope to them and a future to live at the orphanage. At the end of their schooling age then the children who live here will be independent and hopefully young missionaries right in their own country sharing about the love of Jesus.
Please pray for this little one and for the care givers at the orphanage. Please pray for his birth mother and for what the future holds for the family. Give thanks for the missionaries who live at the orphanage and devote their lives to loving and serving the children there. Pray for health and strength of the workers and the children at the orphanage.
Pray also for our family as I look at this experience and am thankful to have been there even in the heartache of this event. I pray for how God will continue to use this experience in our lives as we press on with waiting for our adoption story to unfold. This experience leads me to think more and more about the events that lead up to our children being placed in the care of the orphanage and I pray for their birth family who humbly surrendered them. I thank God for those who work at the orphanage and for the supporters who help to save the lives of precious little ones all over the world!
Thank you!
Take some time to read through previous posts about the trip where I journal through our time in Haiti. Haiti Day One, Day Two, Day Three, Day Four, Day Five
One experience particularly touched my heart. A team of three of us were serving in Haiti by painting a mural on the orphanage gate during the mornings then teaching Bible lessons in the afternoons. We were staying in a guest house that was surrounded by tall walls that were topped off with razor wire. Across the dirt and pebbled alley was the orphanage which was also surrounded by a high wall with razor wire. The alley was quiet as we were in a very rural area. Only a seldom goat wondering around would ever visit us as we passed through the alley to get to the orphanage. No people. No traffic. Until this day.
This is the journal entry that I wrote the day I was in Haiti, June 5th 2014:
Earlier today, as we were walking back and forth through the alley from the orphanage to the guest house there was a young lady sitting against the wall. She was holding a small baby dressed in blue. Someone else was with her too but I was focused on the baby too much to notice. The little one was probably 1 or 2 months old. It crossed my mind to say to the young lady how precious the baby was but I didn't only because of the language barrier between us. So I passed by and simply smiled at her.
(this is where she was sitting- to the left of the tree)
Later, after the afternoon Bible lesson with the children, I found out that the staff had stepped out of the Bible lesson because they were talking to the mom from the alley. She wanted to leave her baby there at the orphanage.
I asked one of the leaders who lives and serves at the orphanage what happens in that conversation and had she ever had that conversation with another mother. I asked how often that happens here. She said that the Pastor handles that and asks many questions. He tries to see if the family is healthy or why they would be surrendering the child. The pastor encouraged this mom to keep the baby and would offer help to the family while they are going through a tough time. The leader told me that this hasn't happened at the orphanage in over two years.
My heart went out to her- the mom, and just the entire situation of seeing her there with the baby at the door of the orphanage. Breaks my heart.
June 6th 2014:
This morning the air was less humid and it was the most mild day of the week. After breakfast we went to put a few more touches on the mural. We second coated some edging on the royal blue color and I added a sea shell, sea waves, and white flowers. Lastly I signed my name and it is finished.
While we were painting, the mother with the baby boy came back to the gate again today. She was at the gate. Just on the other side of us. She knocked and we answered. The staff here took the mother to the dinning hall this time. A man was with her and I can only assume that more questions were asked and information was gathered.
Stepping out into the alley, we saw the mother leave into the alley as well. She had no baby with her. She was walking with a couple other ladies who appeared to have had been talking with her and working through this with her.
The mother had no expression on her face. I'm sure she mourned in her mind months ago when she knew she couldn't care for her son any longer than it was a difficult day today, the day she surrendered him. She probably separated herself from the heartache to save her own heart from breaking. I can only image that is what a mother would do to cope through this day. A humble, loving, and selfless woman.
It is nothing less than a God thing that I would be here to witness this. As a waiting adoptive mom to see this unfold is heart wrenching. To be at the gate. In all the years, all the days that this could happen and that I was there to see this unfold. I know this is part of what God brought me here to experience. I know this is part of our adoption story too.
His name is Cheridson and it sounds like "shared son" to say it. He is 6 months old and weighs only 9 lbs. I was told that is part of the reason they were able to accept him since he was in danger with his poor health.
I held that baby. He was like a newborn placed in my arms- so so small but with alert eyes. He was quiet and sucked his thumb. No crying, no sounds at all. I thought how he doesn't yet realize what just happened to him and how his life just took a different course.
One of the room mother's took Cheridson in and her and her husband (who live at the orphanage as room parents) will love him and help him to grow. He will learn about Jesus and praise the Lord with beautiful singing.
I see this orphanage and how it does so many wonderful things for the children. By whatever events lead them here- they are in a place better than one of hunger and sickness. This orphanage just saved this little baby's life....but nothing beats a family.
The kids here play together and fight together like brothers and sisters would. But nothing beats a family. If anything else on this trip, I have learned that well and seen it first hand- the benefits, the miracles, and the hardships of life in an orphanage.
* * * * *
Just to settle your curious minds as your natural coming questions stir to ask if we could adopt this little boy. Nope. And of all things I do know how long the process can be to adopt and what reams and reams of paperwork are involved in an adoption. The biggest factor being that I don't even know if this boy was released completely to the orphanage or if there was an arrangement made that the orphanage will nurse him back to health then reunite him with his family after he gets past this difficult time. Several times this is a service that orphanages offer as they wish to keep families together. I don't know many parts of this story. I do know that this particular orphanage is not adopting out any children. There are licenses and certifications that orphanages in Haiti have to acquire before they adopt out internationally. This particular one is not licensed to adopt. They love these children, help them immensely, offer hope to them and a future to live at the orphanage. At the end of their schooling age then the children who live here will be independent and hopefully young missionaries right in their own country sharing about the love of Jesus.
Please pray for this little one and for the care givers at the orphanage. Please pray for his birth mother and for what the future holds for the family. Give thanks for the missionaries who live at the orphanage and devote their lives to loving and serving the children there. Pray for health and strength of the workers and the children at the orphanage.
Pray also for our family as I look at this experience and am thankful to have been there even in the heartache of this event. I pray for how God will continue to use this experience in our lives as we press on with waiting for our adoption story to unfold. This experience leads me to think more and more about the events that lead up to our children being placed in the care of the orphanage and I pray for their birth family who humbly surrendered them. I thank God for those who work at the orphanage and for the supporters who help to save the lives of precious little ones all over the world!
Thank you!
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