Disclaimer: This blog is supposed to be an account of my regular activities in Haiti. I've come to realize that I'm not the greatest at putting my thoughts into words on paper, so this is a poor man's attempt at trying to explain to you that the photo above is about more than just the paint you see.
The home was nice. It had a couple of bedrooms, two bathrooms bathrooms, a kitchen, a nice yard, and even a roof to hang out on. I remember standing there thinking, "Wow, this is amazing. These boys are going from living in a tent to living in a house with a roof over their heads, food to eat, clothes to wear, and an education to gain. What else could they possibly need?" I came back for another week in December 2010 and was glad and thankful to see the boys living in this house. It was clear that they were well cared for and their basic needs were being provided for everyday. I experienced the tent city of Canaan for the first time this week and saw families living in extreme poverty firsthand, so again, I left this week thinking the same thing, "What more could these boys need?"
It wasn't until this summer, after spending significant time with the boys that I began to see what they needed through eyes that weren't my own. The needs of these boys began to hit me like a ton of bricks. At the time, the ages of these boys ranged from nine to fifteen years old. It started becoming clear to me that, while their physical needs were taken care of, most, if not all, of these boys had emotional needs that were buried layers and layers beneath the surface. Remember that just one year earlier, the boys' home did not exist and they lived in tents with whatever family they had. These boys, the older ones in particular, remember exactly what it was like to live at home with family. As much as I love these boys and care about each of their futures, I will never know what it's like to be them. I can't imagine the extraordinary amount of pain and suffering in knowing that your mother, who may have shown love to you in the years leading up to this, "abandoned" you because she was unable to provide for your basic needs. Although I will never be able to put myself in their shoes, I can tell from spending time with them that there is a cloud of confusion sitting over each boy's head, wondering WHY? Why did this happen to ME? I believe with all my heart that God has a beautiful answer to their disheartening questions. I have no idea what these answers are exactly, but I hope and pray that He will use AWAKEN HAITI in some way to help these boys see through this confusion. As we continually seek His wisdom in helping these children to see the light, He has given us the provision that we've requested so far.
Part of the vision that God gave this ministry is to take the Good Samaritan orphanages and start transforming them into the Good Samaritan homes. Max and Margarette, the owners of these homes, decided from the beginning that they would not put these children up for adoption. Because of this, these orphanages have essentially become permanent homes for these children until they are old enough to transition into the real world. That means that they have become more than just roommates and friends. They have become family and the buildings they are living in are becoming their homes. We've had two great teams come down the past two months who have began the physical transformation of the boys home, painting over its white walls. I'm reminded that this isn't just a makeshift shelter that feeds and clothes these children. This is their home. This is family. I see God at work in this because while I will have no idea what it's like to be Jamesly, it's okay because they are able to share their brokenness with Wilguens, who knows exactly what he's feeling. So that's my prayer for this home. I pray that the transformation of turning this orphanage into a home will one day lead to a place of healing, where these boys can experience the true, unending love of Christ in a very real way.
