What God did in 5 days through 5 people....

When Tim and I first arrived in Haiti, one couple was already at the guesthouse to complete their adoption process. They actually helped us learn a thing or two about the house!

This week we had the privilege of hosting 5 guests. They spent the week serving at an orphanage about 45 minutes from the guesthouse. They came equipped with bubbles, beach balls, bracelets, Bible stories and a lot of love and hugs.  

Their church had gathered many donations, so they were able to bring those to the orphanage each day.  There is a great need for toys, formula, clothes and medicine so it was wonderful to see these needs tangibly met.

For several of the team members, it was their first experience at an orphanage or in another country.  However, this did not stop them from jumping right in.  They tried new foods, were patient in long traffic jams and took things in stride. When things seemed overwhelming with 100 children ready to play, be held and cared for, they remained calm and focused on the task at hand; sharing as much love as possible within the time they had here. 

They were a great help to the caretakers at the orphanage. They do a wonderful job of caring for the children, but the extra hands hopefully helped relieve their load at least for a while. I was reminded of the importance of praying for them as I cannot imagine how tiring it must be for them to care for so many children.

It was interesting to see each person’s gifts and abilities as they served.  Some were content to rock a baby for hours, feed the little ones, while others were out with the older kids jumping rope. The one man on the trip became a human jungle gym at times.  The children are so in need of individual attention and one-on-one time.

Tim and I had the opportunity to join them for several days and were quickly another lap to sit on and hand to hold. 

The children are adorable! They have unique personalities, gifts and abilities that we saw glimpses of this week.  My prayer is that each one of them will be adopted and cared for by a family who can give them the love, care & attention they deserve.

Their attitudes, actions and interactions with the children and staff were clearly ones of humility, kindness and the love of Christ flowing through them.

They were able to share the gospel with the children and distribute Christian resources to the staff at the orphanage and guesthouse.  Please pray that these books would be an encouragement to those who read them and that they would be drawn closer to Christ as a result.

One of the most significant times for me this week was being there when the children had breakfast.  They all sat at their little picnic tables waiting for everyone to be served their cereal.  They all put their hands on their head and said the sweetest prayer. Their tiny little voices alone will make you smile.  It broke my heart to see them sharing with each other. Giving their friend a little more of their own milk and even offering a sloppy, slobbery spoonful to me.  Oh sweet girl; thank you! Thank you for sharing the one thing in your possession; your very own breakfast.  What a humbling lesson of generosity.  A little one who has nothing, yet was willing to share with me.  I hope I can display that kind of kindness to those around me.  

We are thankful for this week and the work God will continue to do as the team shares with their friends & family about what began in their hearts here in Haiti.