Good News!

We are excited to share with you that the money for Nadine's family's house has been raised!

Nadine's birth mother in front of current house

We are hoping to begin demolition of current house after the Easter holiday.

This family is responsible for helping out on their house project also. We love how they take pride and ownership into the work that goes into building their new house...this is what makes it a HOME. 

They have already carried all the large rocks that will make the foundation of the house up to the job site! They are ready to begin!

Thank you for your generous donations given to fund this project!

 

More Crafts

 Friends learning to make friendship bracelets.  This was a great way for us to talk about the qualities of a good friend. Some of the bible verses we discussed included:

Proverbs 18:24

"Some friends may ruin you,
    but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother."

1 Corinthians 15:33

" Do not be fooled: “Bad friends will ruin good habits.”"

John 15:13

"The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends." 

 

 Designing their earrings

 Kathleen, age 15, modeling her handmade earrings!

 Souvline (Nadine's younger sister), pictured here proud of her creation!

Group of girls modeling their work

These hands-on craft activities provided opportunities for kids in the village of Peredo to express creativity. There are not art programs in the schools and most of them are too poor to buy the resources themselves. This also helps them with fine motor skills. 

Then they have a project to take home to remind them of the discussions we had in the program that day. 

Real friendship is so important to us all! Especially the friendship we can find in a relationship with our Savior!

This post is one that has been heavy on my heart for some time. I don't expect it to be well received.

Here in Haiti by orphanages and children's homes. I believe they were meant for children who are orphans. But the truth of the matter is, most children I have met in orphanages in Haiti are NOT orphans. Most have a living parent.

So why all the orphanages? Why all the adoptions? Why all the child sponsorship programs available for any first world person to support a child in an orphanage? For $30/month you can help provide housing, meals, education and medical care to one of these children.

I challenge you to ask about the children in other countries you are supporting. Here in Haiti each of them are required to have a file. (Also as a side note, here in Haiti the parent(s) can come and take their child back at ANY time from an orphanage or creche-provided an adoption isn't finalized. This just shows how the parent(s) still have rights)

Is there a living parent?

If so, what is the organization doing to try to reunite and help the family be able to provide for all the members in it?

If not, is there a living relative, who with the right aid, is willing to raise their niece, nephew, sibling, cousin?

Poverty should not be a reason parents give up their children. If the parents are dead, then that is one thing but that is not the case with most kids in orphanages in Haiti.

How can we as Christians think that God does not want a family to stay together? How many of you would chose to place your child in an orphanage if there were other options to help you care for your child? Why aren't we putting more effort and funds towards keeping families together?

Social Services here in Jacmel have asked David and I several times to open an orphanage or children's home. But we have another dream. A dream of a Haiti filled with families. Families of all types. Which is one reason why we have enlarged our family fostering 2 teens. One is a true orphan with both parents deceased and we work with the mother of the 2nd child in hopes of reuniting them one day in the future. This girl goes home for regular visits ans her mother comes for visits also.

This dream is possible. I believe the funds will be harder to find than funds for children who are labeled as orphans in orphanages.

Imagine to HOPE we can give a family in helping them stay together. In coming along side of them and helping them taking care of their own children.


I think this change has to be made by you. The supporters of these non-profits helping take care of "orphans". Yes, some are true orphans. But not has many as fill the orphanages and children's homes to the max here in Haiti.