A Lenten Visit to Haiti

Hi Friends,

Today's blog is dedicated to the beautiful children of Haiti and to our Father who loves each of us so much they He sacrificed His one and only Son so that all of us can have eternal life.  

And now the account of Jody Token's( AHG's Public Relations Coordinator) wonderful adventure to Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Home of the Children of God) in Port- a- Prince, Haiti:

 Port-a-Prince is barely an hour-and-a-half from Miami. How can something so stricken by poverty and devastation be so close? Let me just say, despite the history of the Haitian nation, God is an ever-present force in Haiti and in the end, Jesus will overcome, just as promised in Revelation 12, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.  And people like you and me are the hands and feet of this promise.

I traveled to an orphanage in Port-a-Prince in Creole. Maison is home to over 80 children, most of whom have been abandoned since the earthquake in January, 2010, either by loss of parents, or by birth parents that cannot care for them. The stateside organization which manages the orphanage is called For His Glory Outreach http://www.forhisgloryoutreach.org/.

There is a school for the children from preschool through fourth grade. The school is taught in English to help prepare children for their adoptive families. The house is clean and filled with the love of nannies and caretakers that have a great heart for the children. The orphanage ministers to the people in Haiti by employing local Haitian men and women to care for the children and to teach in the school. Every day at noon, the nannies in the nursery would burst into an amazing time of prayer and worship. I sat at their feet with a baby on my lap and soaked in the sound of intercession.

The way these children hugged is beyond the hug even of my own children. I’ve never been hugged like this. I can still feel their embrace. I’ve spent the last few days crying and remembering this hug.

My youngest daughter asked if she could have a little sister (so that she didn’t have to be the youngest anymore. I came home empty-handed, only because most of the children have adoptive parents waiting for them. However, the paperwork sits in a pile in a Haitian government building. A typical adoption takes two to five years in Haiti. 

This breaks my heart.

Yet, a spirit of overwhelming joy exists in this orphanage. Their eyes and smiles are bright. Their words reflect a deep love and trust in Jesus.

I have included a link to a simple video from my trip. In this instance, a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Every face you see, I had the privilege of looking into their eyes. I hugged and held each child. I shared the love of Jesus and prayed over them. Jesus looked back into my eyes and smiled at me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRznXR01sY0&context=C4d49accADvjVQa1PpcFNYsxur-RL00s0gt1GzRhQaw2nujiNj-sk=

I pray that every follower of Jesus will take the time to go out beyond their walls of comfort to pour out the love of Jesus. This is not a casual suggestion. This is a Biblical mandate.  It’s our response compelled by the love of Jesus.

Once we receive the “Christ-died-for-me-while-I-was-still-a-sinner” kind of forgiveness, we should be moved to action. Scripture reveals the appropriate response many times throughout the Old and New Testament. My favorite New Testament Scripture is James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

For HIS glory, Jody

Jody thank you for being His hands and feet.  

Until next time, lenten blessings to you,

Patti 

The Circus

Sunday afternoon, Pat and I went to the "Greatest Show on Earth" with two of our grandsons and two of our daughters.  We were of course, a tad late....did I say "of course?" and the aisles were pitch black as we opened the arena doors.  But the stage, oh the stage.... was as illuminated as the North Star.  My oldest grandson's dark eyes glistened as his wide smile spread across his face -he was going to love this.  And that meant I was going to love it too!

The circus might not have been on the top of my list that day, following a very good but exhausting AHG Strategic Planning Event, but it sure was on the top of Isaiah's list.  And one thing I have learned through the years is that kids' lists are always the most fun and usually the most memorable.

I had laundry and dishes and trip planning and taxes - oh yes, those taxes are due soon, aren't they? - and a phone call to mom in Florida and my husband had the garage to clean and a powerpoint to complete....but Isaiah had a plan - a plan to see tigers and elephants and trapeze artists and motorcycles in a sphere.  His plan was far better than my plan - yes I got to the dishes and the laundry last night - the taxes remain unfinished - but my heart is full as I continually recount his precious countenance and the joy that was reflected in it.

It is so important in this flurry of activity that we call life, that we take time to do the "fun" stuff.  No, the circus was not going to make me a better person, not even a better leader, and probably not a better Christian, but it sure gave me time to act like a kid again - to marvel at the three elastic women who can fit in a pretty small box and the strong man who can lift those women and a ton of barbell weight to boot, and to wonder why those trapeze artists don't vomit all over the place. I even enjoyed my multicolor icee in a cup that resembled an elephant's head and spent money on a Made in China light up toy.  

Acting like a kid again that Sunday afternoon, brought a spring to my step and joy to my heart.   If the Circus did this much for me, I can't wait to see what a week of Disney World is going to do!

Until Next Time,
Patti