It is has been slow getting back into teaching English. For my classes in the city, I went into to teach and found out the owners of the building misunderstood when I would be back and had rented out my classrooms and this week is Carnival. My classes will resume on Thursday. Bud is hard at work though. He has had a good week. He was thrilled that he was able to help a missionary who has been under the weather to fix his truck and come along side him in other ways as well. He has also been working on equipment breakdowns at Life Water. He is so excited when he comes home after a successful day.
One of our most successful stories is little Blondine. Here is a little girl so full of parasites and worms that she was miserable all the time. She never smiled or spoke when we were around her. She just sat and was dragged around by her big sister. Blondine and her sister were found wondering the countryside alone and someone determined that the parents had died and the kids were fending for themselves. We do not know how long they had been taking care of themselves. Blondine is is 7 and her sister is 11. They were taken to the orphanage. After 3 months of food and medical care Blondine other than her red hair and disfigured body from malnutrition is a happy and bouncy little girl. Now when I visit she is the first out the door to greet me and hang onto my leg during my entire visit. I do not know what kind of health she will have as she get older but she sure has a better chance now.
Our directors name is Joseph. He truly loves these children and has struggled to take care of the for two years. This has put him in debt himself to many shop owners. The rest of our staff are volunteers who receive food and shelter but we can not expect them to continue to do this for nothing. It gives them no possible way to help their families.
Milan has parents who are not well and her one day a week away from the orphanage she is doing laundry and helping her parents. She needs money to help to provide for them as well. These are things that lay on my mind and fill my prayers. The rent is also due at the orphanage. The owner of the house is a wonderful Christian man who is willing to use the rent money to repair the wall and barrier that stops the erosion that is caused by water running off the mountain. Since the flood the ground near the orphanage is gradually creeping closer to the house and before to long it will begin to weaken the structure of the home.
I met with a young woman who has taken on helping another orphanage like ours down the street. She is from Canada and she came to ask my advise on what is the best way to help and not create problems. My advise to her was seek God and what he wants her to provide and stick to it. Last night as I lay awake I had to eat my words. I do not pray enough for needs and provisions and I have to remember God did not ask me to solve all the problems. It is His job. I just need to be more faithful and listen to him more. I am also helping a third orphanage to try to get better organized. I was asked to act as a liaison and a strong influence for change in how things are done there. The Haitians who work there have been so welcoming to me and seem encouraged that I care and agreed to help them. They are teaching me too and I am learning more everyday what it is like to try to help kids in this country. They love the children but barely have what they need to take care of themselves let alone take on so many problems.
Working with suffering kids is not as much fun as people think. It is heart breaking and overwelming at times. I am reminded often that God did not ask me to finish this work it is His to do. I am just a tool He is using for right now.
I do not know why God has chosen me to be in these positions but I am willing to do what I can. Having a car of our own is such a blessing. Some of you have asked how our fundraising is going and I can tell you that He is providing one day at a time and I am grateful.
Sammy continues to grow. He is now over 16 pounds and 2 inches taller and think he runs this house. He has learned to scream. I am thankful he sleeps through the night now but he is so restless and cries out here and there waking us but we do not have to get up with him, he goes right back to sleep. We are working on finding a family for Sammy so please pray for him. We would love to stay in his life a God parents for that is how we see our roll right now. Standing in the Gap till his mom and dad can take over. We may have to travel to port soon to begin to work on papers for him.
Bud is outside working on our car. He is tweaking all the little things he has found wrong. I think he just like doing it because it is his and everyman needs a vehicle to call his own. When carnival is over Bud is going to buy another water tank because we run out of water every 3 days. We have saved up enough to buy one now. It cost $1 American for each gallon of water a tank holds. Next thing to save for is a hot water tank. I hate to be a whiner put cold showers are the pits. Well I am going to throw some cookies in the oven and invite the kids up here to play in the yard. The orphanage does not have a nice place to play. I hope to blog a little more frequent. If you get a chance read our friends blog. stevegrossfamily.blogspot.com. It will amaze you how there 6th grade son is working to raise support for his family and the orphanage. It really touched my heart.
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