Me with Wendy - He is a treasure! :)
I adore all of the kids at Son of God. They are beautiful, precious and priceless children of God. Three boys there hold a special place in my heart. As soon as we arrived last Monday - Osnel, Ronjmmy and Wendy were by my side. Osnel and Ronjmmy are happy to receive any attention I give them and will just stand by me quietly. Wendy is more persistent and will grab my hand and insist that we make eye contact and talk.
Shortly after we arrived Wendy told us, "Something is wrong with me. I am getting smaller." He indicated by pulling on his clothes that everything was too big. What do you say to that? I was speechless. I gave him a big hug and told him that I loved him.
Due to the effects of malnutrition the kids are getting smaller. The food that we provide is sufficient, it is just being misappriopriated by those who care for the kids. For those of you who sponsor these kids financially I want to assure you that we are working hard at making contacts in Haiti that will hold the adults in this situation accountable in caring for the kids. I don't know what would happen to the kids if they weren't even getting a portion of the food that we provide.
Osnel is quiet. He will just stand by me and when I turn to him or put my arm around him, he looks up into my face with the most tender, genuine smile. Osnel has a terrible fungus that is all over his scalp. He had a deep sore that was on one of his ears that was filled with pus. The pus was oozing out of the sore, down his neck and onto his chest. I so wanted to take him somewhere and clean him up, put medicine on him and just hold him. I took his face in my hands and looked him in the eyes and told him how precious he was and how much I loved him. I didn't have an interpreter with me, but by the smile that lit up his face he seemed to understand what I was saying.
I have noticed the last couple of times that we have been to Haiti that Osnel and Ronjmmy are friends. They stand side by side - watching the activity that happens around them. Ronjmmy likes to stand by me and will lightly wrap him hand around my upper arm and then lay his face against my arm. He will smile shyly at me and then turn away when I smile back.
The power of touch is amazing! We all need to be touched by someone who loves us. The power of touch brings hope and healing. The power of touch commands loneliness to flee. The power of touch allows the body to relax. I am always amazed how the little ones beg to be picked up and how quickly they fall asleep on the shoulder of an adult who is holding them so lovingly and securely.
Jesus didn't have to touch people to heal them, but he did. Even the woman who risked touching the hem of Jesus' garment knew that there was power not only flowing through Jesus, but through touch (Matthew 9:19-22).
As we were getting ready to leave the orphanage Wendy grabbed our interpreter Samuel and brought him to me. His earnest, sincere eyes grabbed my attention, he said "I am little and I can't do much to help myself, but if you adopt me my life would be better". Tiffany and I could hardly control our emotions hearing those words come out of his mouth so seriously. I picked him up and hugged him tightly and told him how much I loved him and would be praying for him. Then he looked at me and said in english "God Bless You".
Those are sweet tender words that are forever etched on my heart.
There is a song that Sara Groves sings "I saw what I saw". It speaks the words that I feel about how the children at Son of God have touched my life. Their pain has changed me.
Shortly after we arrived Wendy told us, "Something is wrong with me. I am getting smaller." He indicated by pulling on his clothes that everything was too big. What do you say to that? I was speechless. I gave him a big hug and told him that I loved him.
Due to the effects of malnutrition the kids are getting smaller. The food that we provide is sufficient, it is just being misappriopriated by those who care for the kids. For those of you who sponsor these kids financially I want to assure you that we are working hard at making contacts in Haiti that will hold the adults in this situation accountable in caring for the kids. I don't know what would happen to the kids if they weren't even getting a portion of the food that we provide.
Osnel is quiet. He will just stand by me and when I turn to him or put my arm around him, he looks up into my face with the most tender, genuine smile. Osnel has a terrible fungus that is all over his scalp. He had a deep sore that was on one of his ears that was filled with pus. The pus was oozing out of the sore, down his neck and onto his chest. I so wanted to take him somewhere and clean him up, put medicine on him and just hold him. I took his face in my hands and looked him in the eyes and told him how precious he was and how much I loved him. I didn't have an interpreter with me, but by the smile that lit up his face he seemed to understand what I was saying.
I have noticed the last couple of times that we have been to Haiti that Osnel and Ronjmmy are friends. They stand side by side - watching the activity that happens around them. Ronjmmy likes to stand by me and will lightly wrap him hand around my upper arm and then lay his face against my arm. He will smile shyly at me and then turn away when I smile back.
The power of touch is amazing! We all need to be touched by someone who loves us. The power of touch brings hope and healing. The power of touch commands loneliness to flee. The power of touch allows the body to relax. I am always amazed how the little ones beg to be picked up and how quickly they fall asleep on the shoulder of an adult who is holding them so lovingly and securely.
Jesus didn't have to touch people to heal them, but he did. Even the woman who risked touching the hem of Jesus' garment knew that there was power not only flowing through Jesus, but through touch (Matthew 9:19-22).
As we were getting ready to leave the orphanage Wendy grabbed our interpreter Samuel and brought him to me. His earnest, sincere eyes grabbed my attention, he said "I am little and I can't do much to help myself, but if you adopt me my life would be better". Tiffany and I could hardly control our emotions hearing those words come out of his mouth so seriously. I picked him up and hugged him tightly and told him how much I loved him and would be praying for him. Then he looked at me and said in english "God Bless You".
Those are sweet tender words that are forever etched on my heart.
There is a song that Sara Groves sings "I saw what I saw". It speaks the words that I feel about how the children at Son of God have touched my life. Their pain has changed me.
God has allowed us to feel a portion of how His heart grieves at the acts that are committed against His children. What should our response be?
God's mandate for those who follow him is that we are to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves". Proverbs 31:8
That act will look different for each of us. Here are some ways that you can speak up on behalf of these kids:
*PRAY
*FAST
*Share their story with anyone who will listen - you never know who in your spere of influence has deep enough ties to Haiti that could open the door to freedom for these kids.
God's mandate for those who follow him is that we are to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves". Proverbs 31:8
That act will look different for each of us. Here are some ways that you can speak up on behalf of these kids:
*PRAY
*FAST
*Share their story with anyone who will listen - you never know who in your spere of influence has deep enough ties to Haiti that could open the door to freedom for these kids.
*Sign a petition to get CNN's attention that is linked to Tom Davis' blog post about Son of God -
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