Our interpreter, Bhen, was an extraordinary young man. He was thirty three, married with two children. He is studying to be a preacher. In fact he was to preach on Sunday at the Lifeline church. We would be attending. He helped us as we met with the sponsored children. Wanda and her school children sponsor Tamara by sending her thirty dollars a month and sending her toys, clothes, school supplies and food.

Meeting Tamara and her sister, Johanne, was one of the highlights of the trip. What a beautiful teenager Johanne is. Her ebony skin and her very detailed hair style made her stand out among the rest. Her spirit was gentle and kind and she accompanied her sister to the compound because her mother was working. They have no father in the home and their older brother is twenty one. We asked if we could visit their home and they were delighted to show us the way. We did ask how far they were from the compound. From the story Judy Rand had told us about her trip to see her sponsored child we thought it would be wise to have an idea of how much time it would take. Judy’s interpreter said it wasn’t far but after walking three hours over the mountainous terrain, she thought she would have a heart attack. Then she had to walk three hours back to the compound. Plus, she did not know if she was in a safe environment.

The girls lead us down a narrow dirt path through a small neighborhood of houses that were put together with twigs, cement and patched roofs. There is no running water or electricity. There are windows with no glass and doors made of shower curtains. Little children ran around with no clothes on. We passed a toddler with a shirt on but no pants. He reminded me of my grandson, Hayden. I am sure he was being potty trained and there was no use to put underpants on him. Once in awhile I would get a whiff of fresh urine and be reminded of my grandparent’s outhouse on the farm.

Just as I was getting used to seeing people going nowhere and living in despair, we walked by a broken down hut where a woman was sitting in her chair reading a book as she watched the food cooking on the outdoor stove. A few houses later was a man listening to music as time passed by.
When we made it to Tamara and Johanne’s house we were greeted by several of their relatives. A man was holding what appeared to be an infant of no more than three months while several toddlers were watching us with anticipation. The father didn’t care if we took pictures and Diane went over and asked to hold the baby. It was so precious. When the American missionaries visit from Lifeline they bring gifts of food and clothing and more important to the children are toys.

Haitian children love to go to school.

When we got back to the compound we were able to go through the school. Starting at the school kitchen where three ladies were working hard getting lunch ready for the children and ending walking through the school to the playground. Lunch looked like a thick yellow soup that would be poured into the bowls the children brought from home. The children crowded the window and gave us big smiles. Some sat patiently on the ground talking, laughing and you would not know that for many this may be the only meal they would receive for the day.

The school was an open air building; literally. It was basically a roof over 4 poles with hard benches and a blackboard. And the children didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact they seemed thrilled to be at school and eager to learn how to read and write. The girls had green bows in their hair and both the boys and girls wore uniforms. They carried book bags just like the school children at home except of course, they each had their own bowls for lunch.

Our tour ended at the toddler nutrition clinic on Lifeline’s compound. The parents brought their toddlers to the pavilion and listen to a devotion. Peggy, the only African American with the group, was a beautiful woman who spoke to the Haitians about God’s love. She used John 3:16 and Wanda and Glenda did the hand signals they taught our children. The children sat so still and listened. Then the awaited moment came when the parents took their empty buckets and stood in line for what looked like porridge. It was a thick soup filled with nutrients. Before the mother could take her child and leave the sight of the missionaries two things would happen. First, the child had to eat a good portion of the soup; it was for their benefit. As soon as they left the pavilion they joined the rest of the families and sat underneath the tree sharing the food.

Second, they were prayed over. It didn’t matter that they did not know what we were saying for they understood "in the name of Jesus". I had to hold back the tears. There were times I didn’t know what to pray or say. I felt incapable of knowing what their needs were. I prayed they would know the love of Christ. Now I know why Paul prayed for us to know the love of Christ…some earthly needs may never get met. Some will go hungry night after night. Some will die from malnutrition. Malnutrition, when there is a food surplus in the United States. WHY!!?? Maybe this will get me fired up to do something about it.

A young mother stopped me and wanted me to take a picture of her two little boys. They each had on white sock caps, which surprised me because it was so hot. Then she pulled off her youngest son’s hat and his air was orange. I really didn’t know until later that the little guy was malnourished and that is why is hair had turned orange.

After the toddlers were fed their parents had to attend a class where a local nutritionist taught them about the feeding their children. Most do not know their children need food regularly or if they nurse them the child rarely gets the nutrients because the mother’s can’t produce enough milk because of their own malnourished bodies. There was a very young mother who brought her twin infants to the clinic. The nurses were teaching her how to feed them. She looked young but so did the nurse and she was thirty three and just getting married. Diane picked up one of the twins. It was so awesome to see Diane’s heart.

At lunch, I felt bad eating so much food. It just doesn’t seem fair that I should have plenty, while those around me have so little. I have some extra weight because of eating too much and moving too little. I noticed the other missionaries were in the same boat. There were a few ladies that were thin, but not many. In Haiti if someone comments on how thin you are, it is not a compliment. If you are heavy, you are blessed.