A day of orphanages...

       There was such joy witnessed and experienced by the team on Thursday...we brought our healing touch and love of Jesus to handicapped children at Gertrudes orphanage. These orphans are left without care in the back room of hospitals, and a Haitian named Gertrude rescued several of them and started the orphanage. Healing Haiti came alongside this orphanage and supports them financially along with the visits from us.  The children ranged in disabilities from wheelchair bound to fully functional without any disabilities...Gertrude will care for orphans that are suffering on the streets of Haiti as well.

     Our afternoon trip was to a new orphanage named Juno's, after the name of the man/wife team who began it.  It is built on a small lot with a few mature trees which are so nice for shade. These children were mostly rescued from the streets of Cite Soleil...there is a good Samaritan in the slum that will pluck these abused children from the squalor and transport them to Juno's orphanage for healing and a new chance at life.  

     When the top-top (creole for "bus")  pulled into Juno's, the 19 orphans were so excited!!  This was a first visit from HH, so the children had not experienced a team of Americans loving them up. What joy! I could hear them saying "C'est Momma" (it's my momma) as we were stepping off the bus...sweet sadness. We acted out a bible story -- Jesus calms the storm--first and made paper boats with the children after. All the Haitian team that travels with us act as interpreters so they loves the skit. We then unpacked and layed out all the donated swimsuits and flip-flops for the children to choose, for we were taking them to the beach on Saturday---most had never been to the clean side of Haiti to enjoy the ocean...how we take that for granted. The girls were so precious to watch as they "shopped" the donated swimsuits.  Three of them came strolling out as proud as could be with these brightly colored suits against their very dark skin...such a contrast from earlier. The boys had a ball as well with their swimsuit choices and trying to match flip-flops. All wanted our approval of the choice they had made interestingly enough.  We also brought soccer balls along and played soccer as a last activity. The children had literally no toys, balls, nothing....now they have soccer balls as a start. We waved them all goodbye, knowing we would be reunited on Saturday. Great day!!