At the End of the Day

Now that I got that last post out, I'll let you in on a little bit about my most recent travels! This past week I went to Haiti for the second time (first time was October 2011). I went again with All God's Children International which is an organization based out of Portland that specializes in adoption in countries all over the world. They also take teams to do short term mission trips to the orphanages that they assist with adoption so that those kids can be well cared for before they are placed with their forever family. I got home only late last night from this trip. I can say with confidence that out of the 3 international mission trips I've been on (the very first one being to Ethiopia in 2008), this one was my favorite, but I haven't quite been able to put my finger on why that is.

On this particular trip we went to a different orphanage than the first trip. This time we were up in the mountains in a town called Petionville, about an  hour out of Port-au-Prince. The orphanage is called Rivers of Hope and is run by Rachel, a native Haitian woman who has a strong personality and a strong heart, and cares deeply for each child. There are two homes: one is for ages 0-3 and the other is for ages 4-7. We spent most of our time at the younger one, though we did attend a birthday party at the older one and the rest of the team spent an afternoon doing crafts with kids there (I was sick!).

We split our time well between practical projects that needed doing and caring for and loving on the kids. One of our main projects to begin with was to create a play area for the kids in their space outdoors. We didn't quite see that one completed, but there was a lot of backbreaking labor and at least one broken shovel that went into digging a trench for the cinder blocks to make a closed in area.













One project was to build a changing table that provided more space for diaper changes.

 

Another project was building a play table for the kids which was immediately being used and crayon-scarred.

The guys also built a half-wall and a gate to separate the babies room from the toddlers room so they didn't have to use a couch anymore.

Our new friend Jerry from Arkansas built some shelves in several closets throughout the home to allow better storage space. Greg, Paul, Katie and I all worked on organizing different parts of the storage room to cut down on time spent looking for specific toys or clothing. 

Our time spent with the kids included a few activities but we mostly spent time just being with them. We blew bubbles which brought plenty of laughter, joy and the occasional ear-piercing scream as they ran around with their hands in the air trying to catch the nearest bubble. It was extremely enjoyable to watch.

We also did some coloring with them and that was fun too. Other than that we held them for long periods of time, tickled them, rolled around on the floor with them, fed them, and I even fell asleep at nap time with one little girl! One thing that was interesting was that  there was a physical therapist from the midwest who has been working with these kids for quite some time now and on the first night she told us a lot about how important it is for these kids to have physical touch. All day every day for them is spent in an orphanage where they have 4-5 caretakers who also have the responsibility of making their meals, constantly changing diapers, hand washing laundry, etc. After all this, as you can imagine, very little time is left for one-on-one contact that every child needs. So part of what we did there was give them just that. Even when there were 3 or 4 kids piled on one lap at a time, it was still significant for them to have a sitting lap to pile onto at all.

One remarkable thing about this trip in particular is that there was a couple who came to stay at the guest house with us as they were picking up their son to finally take him home to the states. I thought that was so beautiful to watch. These parents who adopt their kids from certain countries often have to wait 2-3 years before they can finally welcome their son or daughter into their own home and be together as a family. So to have the privilege of living in the same house for a few days as this family who just now gets to spend 24/7 with their own son is immense. In John 9, Jesus responds this way to his disciples who asked him about who sinned for the man to be born blind: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Also in John 11, Jesus says a similar thing after he waited days after Lazarus' death to show up. Even in the wait, the death, the blindness and the pain, it was so that, SO THAT God would be glorified. Even though these parents and their daughters waited years to welcome a son and brother whom they had known and visited into their home, God is being glorified in that story because an orphan is no longer such. He has a family in which he will get more than just one-on-one attention. He has a home where he will grow up knowing about Jesus. And better yet, there are four other boys in the same church and school as him in the states who were adopted from the same orphanage in Haiti. Is that beautiful or what? And then in that context, we read this: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)

During my time in Haiti I enjoyed many things. I had a great time with the team having meaningful conversations, great mouse hunts, laughing really hard, and serving alongside each other. I love the sweet little kiddos and the laughter and joy they bring. I enjoy feeling useful and getting things done that are helpful long term. I admired the beauty of the country itself and the intricate artwork the Haitians create. I even loved the crazy ride to church in the bed of a truck with 15 other people going down one side of the hill into a valley and up the other side. It was all great. But at the end of the day when I come home, those kids are still living their day to day life. They are excited to go to the doctor or hospital because that's the only time they leave the orphanage. Several of their parents' have brought them to the orphanage because they know they have a better chance of survival there.

So what hope is there then? I know this: God is good and He has commanded us to care for the orphans (James 1:27). Maybe you can't adopt (or maybe you can!), but there are still ways. One way is to sponsor a child. What a sponsorship does is provide money so that the child can be better cared for. Ideally, if each child is sponsored, the orphanage can hire more nannies, keep up the home much better, pay for food, doctor bills, etc. Click here for more information and kids you can sponsor. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck, but some of them live meal to meal. You can also pray. Remember to lift up these kids and this nation up to God. Or you can go and do similar things that I did.

Now that I'm at the end of this post, I think I might have recognized why I liked this trip better than the other two. I think on the other two I went with a mindset more focused on what I can give. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But I do think I was more focused on what I can learn this time. And I think God has blessed me through that. I have learned so much and taken so much to heart in the past week. Now I have a responsibility to do something with that.