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| Arriving in Cap Haitian |
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| Children of the Promise compound |
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| Nikki S. showing us around |
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| evidence of God's love |
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| Geronne's first flight |
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| Thanks to Mission Aviation Fellowship for the lift! |
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| more evidence of God |
In Haiti it often seems that the weakest and broken are left to suffer abandoned and alone. Due to the non-existent margins in people's lives, many do not have the ability to care for the 'least of these' - or even to acknowledge them. It appears that for many folks just getting through each day and solving their own immediate issues and most basic needs is tough enough.
Because we know this to be true and because we know that habits and norms are formed in cultures with much poverty, it did not surprise us to see the way some people reacted to Moses and to his obvious disabilities.
The day he came to live with us we watched Geronne as she pretended not to notice him, pretended he wasn't even in our house. Because Geronne has been a large part of helping us to care for other kids we were sad to see her respond to him like that initially. We understand that stopping to care for someone so broken is not something that she has frequently seen done and that some of those actions of "not seeing" are measures of self-preservation in a place where everything is so difficult.
For about a week she ignored him and we grew more upset with her. Finally I decided that she needed to hear about him and be informed about why we had him, even if she really didn't want to know. I shared his story and why he needed a home for a short time. I told her that he wouldn't be staying forever but that while he was with us we wanted to all help him experience love. As I shared his story tears welled up in her eyes. When I said "We want him to have a family "lot bo" (in another place - which to her means America) she got goosebumps all over her arms and said "Yes, yes, a family would be very good Madame Troy!"
Over the next few weeks we watched Geronne make a decision to invest in Moses. She volunteered to watch him frequently, she supported Paige and asked occasionally if she could take over for a while. She loved on him and purposefully interacted with him. Seeing her leave her comfort zone to become a part of his story was touching to all of us. She changed. She saw him as valuable. She reached out to him with love.
Geronne was invited to join us as we moved Moses. When we got to COTP they graciously welcomed us and gave us a choice of which room Moses would be placed in for the time he waits on his family. They were kind to Paige and understanding about her desire to fill them all in on what medicine he takes and what she had found to be workable things to help him when he had pain. Their hearts and love for Haiti and orphans was obvious to us as we visited and toured their compound.
The entire Heartline family felt blessed, challenged, and changed by their interactions and time with Moses.
Moses pointed us toward our Healer and Provider. While caring for Moses we faced our own impoverished attitudes. His presence made it abundantly clear to us that we each come to Christ with our own "disability" and with our own deep need of His love, grace, and mercy. Jesus sees us in our inability and doesn't look away from us. He loves us with an everlasting love. He stands waiting to receive us. He sets us free.
Free and grateful,
tara
Those interested in inquiring about adopting Moses can find that information here.
