Haiti Part 1 and 2

After writing last night I accidentally deleted the post as I tried to download some pictures.

In brief, our lovely hosts live next door to an orphanage and the voices we hear lifted in praise every day are the voices of the orphans.  It amazes me how wonderful they sing without instruments of any kind – a gift both from God, and fitting for King. I am going to go visit them in the next few days. 

The children laughed at my attempt at Creole

Today, I visited what is the only Assemblies of God orphanage, though I don’t think it quite fits the description.  The area was still devastated from the quake, and most of the children are there for a feeding program. Sixty children show up daily for two meals given out by Pastor Solange, the president of the AG, WM’s. Ten are living there now due to poverty, but only two are without either parents. These two were saved because they were at the orphanage at the time of the earthquake – both parents were crushed. The children in the orphanage were saved because they all had a word from God and Pastor Solange called them all downstairs. Even a boy who was cleaning the upstairs bathroom was taken out by the hand of another smaller boy. The upstairs totally collapsed but all the children were saved by the miraculous hand of God. 

The approach to the orphanage is rough – broken houses, tent camps, trash and pile after pile of rubble. The amount of rubble is still intense, one year later. The orphanage consists of two rooms, one is a place to eat and congregate by day, then ten mattresses are piled for the children to sleep.  There is a tiny little kitchen outside in the courtyard that Pastor Solange somehow manages to cook and run a small catering service – she is cooking for the conference of 267.                   The two sisters who lost their parents.

After visiting with her I went to an orphanage that was run by Americans and the contrast was unbelievable. Perhaps if I had not gone on the same day, I would not have felt the difference so keenly, but the difference in those with American support, and those without assaulted me.  There is also a differing philosophy in feeding the multitudes a little, or feeding the few a lot. Right now, Pastor Solange is praying for $130 a day to feed her small group 3 times a day, well, instead of twice a day the minimum. 

So little money to feed so many children. I told her I will not go home without leaving what little we may have left and with a promise to make her heart, and her needs known in the USA. 

I was overwhelmed and cried – the needs are exhaustive and what can be done? Until I remembered the Starfish. Thank you Lord, we start with one.  Tomorrow I am preaching in the church about the Starfish, and at the foot of the cross stood John – the one.