A Day in Haiti

My day started a typical day (if there is any such thing) at 5:30 am with 30 min. to prepare something for the kids for breakfast , grab some coffee and wake the kids up by 6.

I try my best to start the day off with 30-60 minutes on the balcony looking over the city praying and talking with the Lord, once my day begins, I never know what it will bring my way. We kinda have a joke around here , when we say, well what will we be doing tomm? the truth is , we just really don't know, every day the Lord continues to remind me how very much I need him!!! it usually requires an extreme amount of flexibility and willingness to lay our plans aside.

Today would prove to be one of those days.

Wednesdays are my prenatal clinic day, the one day I spend away from the orphanges here , I look forward to seeing friends and the ladies in our program.So off we were to school at 7 , upon my return home , I was met at my gate by a woman with 3 children, not an unusual site as there is ALWAYS someone at our gate...but she caught my eye and wanted to talk, I noticed her son , who was maybe 12, was holding a very tiny newborn baby, only 10 days old, she also had a small toddler with her, obviously malnurished, lathargic and very sickly,as I rolled down my window she preceeded to tell me her problems, only able to gather she wanted me take her babies, I told her to wait while I went in to find someone who could help translate her story for me, still in my PJ's , I was able to get someone here on staff to come with me to talk with her. As I sat listening to her story, my mind became numb, not believing what I was hearing, even though I've heard many simular stories, today it just seemed to boggle mind, she shared that the Father of the two babies kicked her out, not believing the baby was his , as it was born 2 months premature, she has no means to feed clothe or care for her children and now no place to live, I sat there thinking, "Lord what in the world were you thinking" sending me here all alone, not having even a tiny clue what little ole me is going to say to this lady, I must have been a site, sitting in my PJ's on the wall outside our house pretty much daized with disbelief and here they sat waiting for my response and all I could do was tell her to please wait for me as I go inside and try to collect my thoughts, everything in me wanted to take all 3 of her children, but I knew I couldn't do that,as our homes here are now full.

My thoughts went to John & Beth our friends here , they have two children's Homes, but with the recent changes in the adoption laws, they have not recieved any new children over the past several months into their homes. So reluctantly, I took my chances and called John and to my surprise, he asked if the baby was a boy or girl, when I said a girl, he immediatly said ,"I have a home for her", a missionary couple living here in Haiti have been waiting for a newborn baby girl...Wow!!! how amazing is our God!!! he said bring her and Mom over for an interview , so we did and her new family will meet her tomm...though I was excited the baby now has someone to care for it and give it a good life, it was so bitter sweet, watching this Mama leave her baby behind with strangers, without a word or even a tear, we left for home, it was a long ride home in silence, still with no answer for her or her other children, I had to know God was in control and he would care for them, everything in me just wanted to cry, bury my head in a pillow and cry..I still don't have all the answers and I probably never will, but I do believe and trust our Father in heaven sees each and everyone of these children here and loves them more than I ever could.

That was not to be the end of my day. Now 4pm I was off to pick up kids at school , when I got a call from my friend Sheila, saying she had a flat and could I get her kids as well, having a flat myself this week , I knew it could be quite sometime for her to have help and within 15 minutes she called to say no one was able to come help her and could we come, so off we went with a truckload of kids to rescue Sheila , who just happened to be broke down right in the middle of one of the busiest roads she and another white girl, which is quite the distraction on the roads here in Haiti. So after an hour waiting on the tire to be pushed who knows how far up the road for repair we were finally heading home,now almost dark, feeling I have absolutly nothing left to give for this day,but so thankful for ALL that God allowed me to give........