an arm amputation and broken ankle on a 13 year old girl named Catiana,
a little boy I have been working with a lot named Johnny who is about 6 who has a broken femur AKA now a steel rod – he was expected to be walking by now, but he lost his home, family, and everything he knew and was comfortable with, and now cant walk… so it is expected to take a little longer ☺ We are getting there!
Today we flew in 3 more children – one named Amani who has a broken pelvis and left leg (She had writing on her cast telling us her name and when to take the cast off – from what she told us she lived with her Aunt and after the quake doesn’t know where she is), so she has a cast from the waist down her left leg and she is 12,
one named Nonique who has had an amputated arm as well as a cast from his hips down his right leg which we got an x-ray of today (they did not have a way to x-ray at the port a prince grounds so they estimate, assume, and cast) his leg was not set correctly the femur is completely broken and has slid so the broken ends are side by side instead of meeting – therefore we were going to have him sent to have surgery to have the bones re-broken and re-set since they have started to fuse together this way – but because the bones have already re-fuses now we can not get it fixed here, in America they probably would, but can not here, this is going to take a miraculous act of God in order for one of his legs not to be shorter than the other for the rest of his life! PRAYERS!
–A boy with cerebral palsy that is only about 2 – didn’t have a name, and was dropped off at the grounds in port a prince by his mom who didn’t want him anymore after the earthquake… he has been named – Joen – French pronounced like John.
These are the kids we have now and there will be more coming! Momma Danita has gone to pick up more kids from port a prince so who knows how many we will have beyond the 109 that are here now! This is a really hard transition for the children but thanks to your prayers and Gods grace it is going well ☺ A lot to do! I love it!!!
“Do you sometimes just need a hug?” - Amanda “every time” – little girl in her lap haha ☺
I am learning a little Creole, ha, ha its pretty funny… first I learned to say go to bed or lay down ha, needed when I spent the night with the new children in the church building on the orphanage property! Wild nights ☺ Then I learned sit down, and now quiet, water, hello, good, beautiful, thank you, what’s your name, food, your welcome… my mind is soo full trying to remember all their names, the names of the staff and volunteers around me, and the new words… wow, sometimes I just blank and cant think at all…. Yeah ☺
Literally being the hands, feet, laps…etc. of Jesus to these children! Feeding, bathing, helping to use the bathroom, and helping walk/or carrying… for those who cant do it themselves. Watching them come alive and come out of how they hide at first… loving on those who need love sooo much! And have felt none for so long!
Johnny – my boy that’s learning to walk again has a pretty awesome story! His home, and parents were taken by the earth quake, he had wounds and a broken leg, and sat for 11 days after his surgery waiting on someone to take him – claim him (they have to do this after all the emergency surgery’s because they cant spend all their time on finding someone to claim or take care of them… there are so many that they have to move on to the next one). Finally Danita and her team there found him and decided to take him back here with them. Now he is adjusting to the life of being here with all the other children and we are working to rehabilitate his leg… it is so important to get him moving on it or he will walk with a limp for the rest of his life! He is not motivated, understandably depressed and saddened… it is so hard for me to push him and make him practice when I know he doesn’t want to and it isn’t comfortable but I know I have to do what’s best for him if I truly love and want the best for him – the way our God does for us ☺
A few facts I have learned while in Haiti –
Fact – you can name a kid ANYTHING you want to… any sounds you can make – put together and you have a new name.
Fact – roosters do not only crow in the morning! They crow any dang time they want!
Fact – God answers prayer! Like healing, when you have strep throat, are dehydrated, and start your period and are still able to work as hard as you can serving Gods beloved!
Fact – a white watch was an un-wise decision – seeing as my heart is being called and life is gearing towards missions/orphans/other countries… its not white anymore…
Fact – I want/need to learn more languages! They speak Spanish, Creole, French, and English here…
Last fact – other countries such as Haiti, Africa, and Japan have amazingly awesome fruit!
God causes our hearts to fall in love with broken hearts… and such a beautiful thing this is!
Hmmm… there is not a mirror in the entire place so I haven’t seen what I really look like in days ☺ haha and kinda like it! Instead of bottles of water they have little bags of water that you simply bight a hole in and suck the water out… pretty good idea ☺ there is no shower curtain, very freeing… ha
Here’s a typical day for since I cant tell you about them all! –
Because no photographers came on this trip (most of our team members are medical) there wont be a lot of good pictures – the ones you will see will not be of the hard work we get to do – serving – acting on our Fathers words, obeying Him! – about our Fathers business – they’ll be of the (little) playtime – when the kids confiscated my camera…! What you wont see pictures of will be – me taking care of little Johnny’s needs – of me carrying him up to take a nap (trying to decide what’s best for him – and EVERYONE has a strong opinion on this!) waking him up after less than 1 hour (as I was told to, and to his dismay). I asked him if he had to pee. He didn’t say – assuming he didn’t (because he is supposed to understand the words pee pee and poo poo and tell us when he needs to, but I shoulda made him). I carried him down stairs (got reprimanded for this – “he needs to walk”) Even though he had surgery about a week ago, lost his family, is depressed…. He should be doing more at this point. We sat on a bench – he proceeded to cry out something (we can not understand each other – do not speak the same language) and pee – A LOT everywhere…. All over the place! At this point all adults had left me and only a few children were around… I scoop him up and carry him to find someone to help me get him new clothes (I didn’t know where to find any) I take him to the clinic we have set up and ask them about clothes and they ask me why I am carrying him (I only found out later that they didn’t realize who I had and just thought I was carrying a boy who had peed on himself…) so I’m thinking yeah I know “HE SHOULD BE WALKING” hahaha. Eventually we found him clothes and got him cleaned up, we checked his temperature and found it was 102.5 therefore maybe his wound was getting infected, changed his bandage, gave him a shot for antibiotics, and let him sleep some more. He then woke with a vengeance and ate 3 plates of rice and beans (he wont eat anything else!) and took a nice poo ☺ that I was responsible for wiping off… haha (thanks to working at the day care this wasn’t a problem). At this point (as usual) I stink, am wet – sticky… but the day continues on ☺ a sweet little girl falls to sleep on me knocked out from sheer exhaustion! Also longing for loving and affection (snuggling in great in 90 degrees haha). Then I got to help put together the new bunk beds for the port a prince children to sleep in! After putting my lil sleeper in a bed I soon got the hang of my tools… eventually ☺ Later there was more taking care of Johnny – working on walking or standing at least, feeding the children, taking care of all needs and then eventually going back to an awesome cold shower and bed!!!
He said –
Spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry – Isaiah 58:10 and the whole chapter!
Take care of the fatherless/motherless… Deuteronomy 10:18
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked – Isaiah 58:7 and Matthew 25:35
Speak up for those who cant speak for themselves – Proverbs 31:8
Defend the rights of the poor and needy – Proverbs 31:9
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” – James 1:27
Anything we do for the least of these – one of these little ones we do for HIM! – Matthew 25:40 – “The king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” – WOW!!! Sooo powerful! Even more it also says “I tell you the truth whatever you DID NOT do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” We must obey these direct commands from our God! This is Jesus being strait up truthful with us and it is serious, He means it!
“And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.” Matthew 10:42
“Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead…. Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder…. You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did… As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” James 2
Lose your life to truly find it – Matthew 10:39
Seek first His kingdom and all else will be given to us – Matthew 6:33
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. – 1 John 3:17
We had church today – God was speaking to my heart about the pride, and selfishness, and the lack of wisdom and spiritual maturity in myself and others… especially Americans! Pray that I will learn this lesson and I pray for others as well on this… I don’t think we realize at all how proud and selfish we really are! Obedience is something we chose not to focus on and it is all over the Bible and soo important! A simple act of obedience from one person is what makes an awesome ministry like this orphanage happen!
For some reason it has taken longer for me to see in Haiti than in Africa but the extremely beautiful spirits of these people are soo pronounced! If they can trust God, rest in His hands – love, rejoice, thank Him – have joy, peace, and love – amidst such tragedy, poverty, and disaster, living in the second poorest nation! Surely I should also! What selfishness to even doubt, fear, or complain…
The pastor talked about “Mamma Danita” answering the call of God… I heard Him – my Daddy, say “Answer me Hannah” I teared up instantly! I said YES! What is your call? Where, when, and what, I want nothing else! Nothing more, than to answer YES!
I can get stuck in these accusing, convicting thoughts like the first ones I talked about having this morning (pride, selfishness, obedience) and feel hopeless. I know that this is not His will! I thank Him that He is all that is good! He works even when I am so unworthy – let my flesh come through in evil – selfish… but the devil is the accuser – and he is right (I am selfish, unwise…etc.) but thank you Lord that you’ve covered it! Change my heart, character to be like Jesus! Your word says you are not finished and will complete the good work you’ve started! I receive you Lord, please come in – convict, change, purify me, my heart, my character! Praise you Lord that you do this! You are sovereign and all sufficient in all my weakness! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
p.s. the pictures didnt work out exactly how I wanted them to... but you can figure out who's who :)
