Like Old Times

I push open the small door inside the gate and step through. Dana follows close behind me. Brittany's already here and since there's only one empty seat inside the truck's cab I hop in the back. Jasons' home today since he worked Saturday so it works out great that I can leave Jayden with him. Sitting on the edge of the truck I hold on tight as Brittany fights the potholes and dips in the road. I soon decide to lean a little forward so I don't lose my balance and flip off the side. The sun is comfortably warm as it shines down on me but the roads are dry and dusty so I blink rapidly to keep the dust out of my contacts. We are heading to Child Hope International. Dana's here for a one week visit and she's excited about helping out at the feeding program that she managed for almost a year. It's been several months since I've helped out there due in part to my busy guest housing schedule, and in part to the fact that there's no MAF vehicles available during the day. Thankfully Brittany, another one of my friends, has agreed to pick us up so we could attend. After 15 minutes we arrive at the orphanage and it's fun to see how excited the kids are to see Dana who's been gone for 5 months.

They crowd around her and hug her and ask how long she's staying. When they hear it's only one week I can see they are disappointed, and I understand how they feel. You just have to appreciate the time you have, I remind myself.


I soon get to work organizing the kids so they can participate in games, listen to Bible stories and pray. Once that's going smoothly, I find a spot next to Brittany and spend some time catching up with her. When the kids are finished and the food is ready I get up and help hand out the plates of rice and beans and tin cups of water.



No matter how often I do this, it's still always touching to see how thankful the children are for their food, and how quickly they eat it.


Once the food and water have all been handed out I spend some time just talking to the kids and patting their shoulders. The kids always love to talk and get very excited when there is a "blan"(white person) who can speak Creole. Many also crave affection and will pull on your arms until you pick up and hug them. What if that was Jayden? I think to myself as I pick up another little child and hold them in my arms. I can't imagine him being so desperate for affection that he would go up to a stranger and beg to be held. I hug one child and then another until it's time to head home. Driving back, my heart breaks as the faces of the children fill my thoughts. Oh Haiti, what a hard place for these kids to grow up.