Now I Sit Me Down To Eat: June 2015

I can't adequately describe my experience in Haiti. I spent most of our 6 hours of flight time on the way home from Haiti writing. Processing through what I'd experienced over the previous days. Wrestling with facts vs. feelings. Wondering how I jump back into American life after all I'd learned.

* THINGS I LEARNED *

Not all orphans have no family. Many orphans are economic orphans. They have family, but their family can't afford to take care of them. This means that adoption isn't the only answer. What they need is education, investment, and opportunity. By teaching them a trade, they are afforded further opportunities allowing them to support their families, and helping to break the cycle of economic orphans.

Haitians don't need America. They have their own culture. They have a way of life. Its not our way of life, but it works for them. I saw some examples of how the first world failed miserably at their attempts to help Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. There were housing units built outside of Port-au-Prince in an effort to provide housing for an entire tent city of people displaced by the earthquake. However, they now sit probably 95% vacant because those people don't just need a roof over their heads. Most of them have to walk everywhere or rely on public transportation, so they need to be close to work and market.

There is no such thing as the Haitian public school system. Schools are private, which means it costs money to send a child to school. With the level of poverty in Haiti, this means that many children are not afforded the opportunity to go to school. Many families who can afford to send children to school can only afford to send one child, which means they have to choose.

[Photo Credit: Lindy Nance]

God is at work in Haiti. Haitians were created in the image of God just like you and me, and He desires to redeem ALL of His children.

* WHAT WE DID *

Two of Pastor Pudens' daughters

We spent a couple of afternoons at orphanages in Port-au-Prince (Source de la Grace) and outside of Gonaives (Desire), but the majority of our time was spent at Village de Vie in Gonaives. We spent our days playing games, coloring, getting our hair braided (even the guys...), doing crafts, teaching Bible lessons, and of course lots of snuggling.

One morning a few of us got to "help" the mammas with some laundry (and by "help" I mean we tried). Our attempts were met with joyous laughter (because we're really not that much help), but it was time well spent and helps build relationship with the mammas as well. They are responsible for taking care of the orphans day to day, so a little help (even bad help) brings them joy.

[Photo Credit: Stacey Gibson]

* WHAT'S GOING ON *

The Global Orphan Project is a global orphan care and orphan prevention ministry. Orphan care isn't just about feeding and clothing orphans, but about breaking the cycle to prevent future orphans.

[BREAK THE CYCLE]

* Education * GO Project and the village orphanages are not just feeding hungry faces. They're giving the children an education to help them succeed in life.

* Training * The Pathways program provides an opportunity for the children in GO Project's orphan villages who are aging out of care to be trained in a trade/skill in order to be able to support themselves and a family as an adult. Because many of Haiti's orphans are economic orphans, this is vital in orphan prevention.

* Opportunity * Connections with job creation organizations such as Papillon give Haitians a chance at a good job with a living wage.

[RESTORATION]

[Photo Credit: Lindy Nance]

* Broken Relationships * Pastor Pudens Innocent of Village de Vie knows the names and stories of all of the orphans in his care. Although the staff at Village de Vie care well for the orphans, there are broken relationships that have caused them to be orphans: death, abandonment, etc. Pastor Pudens knows that although the child's physical needs must be met, there are also deep emotional scars that must be healed.

* Reconciliation * Pastor Pudens desires for the children to be reunited, if possible, with their parents or other relatives. Because many of Haiti's orphans are economic orphans, there are often possibilities of reuniting children with their biological families.

* Jesus * The children are taught that above all else: Jesus saves. Jesus loves. Jesus heals. These children were created in the image of God. He has adopted them into his kingdom where they are not orphans, but cherished sons and daughters.

* MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT *

[Photo Credit: Adam Lynch]

One afternoon I spent some time holding a little boy and walking around the orphanage grounds. He was content to be held and lay his head on my shoulder. At one point he began singing in English "This is the day that the Lord has made." He and I sang the song together several times. I remember thinking to myself, this IS the day that the Lord has made. He planned for me to be there at that moment, showing His love to His child.

* AFTERTHOUGHTS *

I've been considering myself undecided as to whether or not I will return to Haiti. I haven't made the decision to return, nor have I made the decision not to return. But at the same time I'm already mentally making plans for coming back. And I can't image not holding these children again.

I guess it's time my head and my heart get on the same page.