I arrived in Port au Prince, Haiti, on Saturday, November 2. Not only was this my first visit to Haiti, it was also my first mission trip ever and not really knowing what to expect I was both excited and nervous!
Shortly after I arrived, we drove up into the mountains to visit the Baptist Mission. After a tasty lunch, Will and I bartered for souvenirs while Jason took their two boys to play in the new playground.
On Sunday we were up early for Sunday school and church and then spent the rest of the day resting.
Monday morning Will put me to work organizing donated clothing; then we visited the Apparent Project in the afternoon. It was very interesting to hear all about how so many people now had jobs and could provide for their own families thanks to this organization. We watched men and woman making jewelry, working with clay, sewing and making tiny paper beads on needles.
The next day Will and I explored the outdoor markets. There was a lot to learn about Haiti's culture there and I could fill a book with all the sights, sounds and smells. Truly an incredible experience!
On Wednesday and Thursday I had the privileged to visit and help out at Hope Home and Rainbow of Love Orphanage in Port Au Prince. This home and orphanage is one of many in Haiti and is in part managed by a young, dedicated, passionate and talented young woman named Dora; she is Hungarian and has devoted her time here to better the lives of the children under her care.
Hope Home houses 27 special needs children, and the Rainbow of Love Orphanage houses 50 children ranging in age from infant to 10 years old.
Dora picked me up from Jason and Will's house in the morning and we made our way through the bustling city to the home and orphanage. Arriving there the kids came running up to the vehicle to say 'hi' with their big smiles! Dora then brought me into her office located in the special needs home. Most of the space inside was taken up with supplies.
Once she had her schedule for the day figured out she gave me a tour. Severely handicapped kids of all ages sat in wheelchairs and on the floor in the special needs home. About six lay on tables receiving physical therapy from the therapists and care aids. Most of these kids have never walked so their legs and arms were very, very thin.
One boy lying on the floor asked Dora when he would be getting his wheelchair back; it broke a few weeks back and hadn't been fixed yet since it's difficult for wheelchairs to be fixed in Haiti. She later told me he asks her every day when his chair will be fixed. When she tells him she doesn't know, he simply smiles and continues patiently waiting.
One little special needs boy about 2 years old slid across the floor on a little potty. He can't walk so it's the only thing they have for him, and he's perfectly happy to sit on it.
Dora explained that they had just recently started a special needs school for the kids so they could begin to learn numbers and words.
I eventually also become a source of entertainment for them as the little boys took turns doing my hair, trying on my jewelry, and using my phone to take pictures of each other. One little boy with a big imagination ran inside and came out with a black box of some sort in his pocket. Pretending it was his camera, he snapped repeated pictures of me.
That night as I pondered it all I felt ashamed. I had so much, yet was I really thankful and joyful all the time?
Another little boy named Wesley who was about a year old held onto me all afternoon, quietly sitting by me, smiling, but never saying a word.
Love this post and pictures! One you have pictured is hopefully going to be officially matched with my family very soon to become a forever part of our family! So glad to see more pictures of her sweet face!
ReplyDeletelove this post, Lydia :)
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