After morning devotions on Day Three we had a good breakfast. Franz, who works here at Double Harvest, had brought in bags of fresh bananas, mangos, and tangerines as well as a huge watermelon. Haiti does fruit well. If you haven’t been to a Haiti, you are missing fresh fruit.
We headed back over to the orphanage. When we got out of our vehicle, I stood amazed at the work that the orphans, the Haitian workers, and our three men had accomplished. Empty trenches previously dug for footers were now full of strips of metal. These men spent hours under the blistering sun bending countless strings of rebar thicker than my thumb. They had carefully measured and placed a piece every 8 inches to make this school building outlast another disastrous earthquake.
The current school building, made of three sheet metal walls nailed to 2x4 stud poles, is open on the side where construction is occurring. From where I was standing, I could see groups of uniformed children sitting in an area about 600 square feet. They sat on long wooden benches with a narrow table attached. I was curious to see what these children could be learning with Bobcats and Cement Mixers rolling only feet away. I walked in and sat down in Monsieur Francso Olivier’s class. He was teaching Grammar on a wooden chalkboard, and had the attention of all of his students. There were three other classes going on under that small tin roof. Francso called his students to the board one by one. They had beautiful handwriting. When Francso called upon a student to dictate to the others, he transferred his textbook from one student to the next. One of the orphan toddlers walked into the classroom barefooted and wearing only a t-shirt. Jesula, a 15 year-old orphan, delivered “Nahnah” to the arms of the house mother, who was busy caring for another crying baby.
I then visited Benitha’s classroom. Benitha has the charge of educating the preschool-kindergarten group. Her little cherubs were shuffling their feet in the stones as they chanted a phonics lesson. They were following along in a reader titled “I Can Read” in Kreyol. I couldn’t believe how effective Benitha was in such undesirable teaching circumstances – conditions that would have sent any American teacher packing long ago. Benitha has no union to call. A chicken strolled into the classroom as I was on my way out.
It was Benitha’s classroom where I fell in love with Savanika (pronounced “SaVAHNeeka). Very quiet, unassuming and unpretentious, her humility stole my heart. I felt spiritual wholeness with this child on my lap, her innocent and trusting face resting softly on my chest. Savanika is a poverty orphan. Her mother is a widow and is financially unable to care for her and her older sister Cassalinda. It was in Savanika’s beautiful brown eyes that I recognized Jesus. If you found Jesus in these conditions, could you walk away? Something clicked.
I want to spend more time at the orphanage, to be involved with these children, not just sending money or clothing, but developing relationships. I want to know what their needs are physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually. I began to wonder if one of these classrooms that we’re building together will someday be mine. Or if I will invite a foster child into our home as the Spaldings have done several times.
Dr. J.L. Williams is staying with us this week at Double Harvest. He is the Director of Center for World Missions and has served in more countries than anyone I’ve ever met. Over dinner on Monday night he mentioned that projects are not the focal point of mission work. He encouraged all of us to focus on relationships. God used J.L to put into words what the Lord was doing in my heart, and to prepare me for Day Three, when I would go back to school in Haiti . God so loved that world that he gave his only Son to die, restoring the broken relationship between us and Him. Relationships are important to God, and projects are often the tools that get us to relationships. Ashley’s Orphan’s school building project has led to a relationship with not just Savanika, but with Stanley, Jonathan, Peter, Benitha, Denise, Kelvins, Deacons, Francso and many more.
The Proverbs 31 woman had her arms open to the poor and her hands extended to the needy. I have a feeling she wasn’t just giving them stuff. I can imagine her with Savanika sitting on her lap and both of them smiling.
After school, I had the pleasure of presenting the orphans with friendship bracelets made by some of Ashley’s friends from Glasgow and Stone’s Throw churches. The girls have been hand-making bracelets for several months and selling them to support Ashley’s Orphans. They made 27 bracelets specifically for the orphans at Centre Loving Hands. I wrapped a bracelet around the wrist of each child and showed them a photo of the girls that prepared them. They were fascinated as much with the photo as they were with the bracelets. They asked me to name each girl, and when I was finished, they asked me to go through their names again, and again, and again. And I have to admit, those girls are pretty fascinating.
I don’t know if Jake and Wendy have had the opportunity to show the orphans who has inspired all of us to defend the cause of the fatherless. I’d like to be there when they do. I hope to be there when they dedicate the school and the orphanage. I want to see the pearly white smiles of the children as they gaze in wonder at Ashley’s lovely features and hear the name that moved the VanWingerdens to begin this remarkable mission. And I want to be there when they speak the Name that stirred Ashley to be the person that she was here with us, and is today with Jesus.
Pray for Ashley’s Orphans and Centre Loving Hands. They need resources, relationships and love. Pray for safety for the orphans, the Haitians workers, and Americans who are serving God with hands and feet building the new school. Pray for wisdom for the Longs as we continue to seek God’s direction. Pray for the VanWingerden family as they continue to long for Ashley, whose love for orphans spurs the rest of us on to love and good deeds.
Dawn
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