Baby Levi - Son of a Voodoo Priest

My last post wasn't received altogether very well, as I assumed would be the case.  So I take a break from highlighting the harm of some foreign-run orphanages to highlighting the safe haven some can be.  Baby Levi's story shows the need for such a safe haven.

Baby Levi was first introduced to the foreign community at a health care clinic.  He was a few months old and very malnourished.  Baby Levi's mother had passed away and his father brought him to the American run clinic occasionally for formula.  However, baby Levi didn't gain sufficient weight, grew very weak, and was near death at his 8-month appointment.  He only weighed 8 pounds and was suffering from pneumonia.  The clinic staff suggested that baby Levi stay in the care of a small, American-run orphan care home for a few months, to gain strength.  The staff suggested that baby Levi stay just long enough to thrive and then be returned to his family.

Baby Levi's father showed up at the orphan care home with not only Levi but also his 6 year old sister Beth and 11 year old brother Philip.  Edith, the home director, spoke with the father, explaining that she was only to care for Levi for a short time.  The father insisted on her taking all 3 children.  Edith simply didn't have room for Philip, realized Beth looked quite malnourished herself, and so made the decision to take Levi and Beth into the home.  However she stressed she wanted the father to visit weekly and that the intent was still to reunite the family after a few months.

The Haitian staff were quite leery of the father visiting.  They were actually quite leery of Edith keeping Levi and Beth in her care.  After much conversation the horrific story was revealed.  Apparently, Levi's father was suspected of murdering his wife shortly after Levi's birth and then subsequently murdering his oldest daughter after discovering she was pregnant.  The community is terrified of this man as he is regarded as a very powerful Voodoo witch doctor in the area.  The community, crippled by fear, chose not to turn the man over to the police. 

Edith and the other foreigners in her circle of friends grieved, and still do grieve for poor Philip.  We all pray that he is safe.  That God is protecting him from physical harm as well as spiritual harm.  We pray that he is protected from becoming the next witch doctor in the community as will probably be expected of him.  I still cry interceding tears on his behalf, though I've never met him. 

There is good news in all this.  Baby Levi and his sister Beth have found a safe haven.  Baby Levi, after months of one-on-one care with a Haitian nanny and plenty of medical exams is doing well.  I'm not certain how much he weighs now.  But I held him last week and he is a strong guy.  He's about 13 months now and cruising around.  He's so strong, and he's safe, and he's loved.  Levi and Beth aren't safe in their biological home and culturally their father is so feared that the community won't care for them.  They need a forever family.  Now's not the time for Haitian adoptions.  But one day, it is my prayer that they will be adopted into a forever family.  And I'm so thankful for Edith, her commitment to promoting attachment between nannies and children, and her commitment to Levi and Beth and the other 20 children in her care.

Ezra's Story - Twice Abandoned

Names are changed in this story of baby Ezra.  And to be quite fair to those reading, I don't know all the details of this story.  I'm quite certain I do not have them all correct.  Furthermore, I am quite certain the intentions of all involved were good or at least not malicious.  

Baby Ezra is the third child born to his mother, Sophie.  I'm not sure of the details of Sophie's life, where she lives, if she's married, etc.  But at the time of Ezra's birth Sophie was taking care of her older two children in her home. Sophie had heard of an orphanage in her area run by foreigners.  After meeting with the orphanage director Sophie chose to give birth to her third child at the orphanage.  Sophie didn't receive any crisis pregnancy counseling, parenting classes, or official intake procedure.  Sophie gave birth to her third child at the orphanage without trained medical professionals or midwifes present.  Baby Ezra entered into the world, healthy and strong.  After spending a couple days at the orphanage Sophie chose to head home to care for her older two girls, leaving baby Ezra in the care of the orphanage.

The orphanage owner, short on staff and potentially short on funding chose not to hire a Haitian nanny for baby Ezra but instead put him in the care of an American volunteer in her 20's, Leila.  Leila quickly bonded with sweet baby Ezra and after a few months decided she wanted to adopt him.  However, according to the current Haitian adoption laws she wouldn't be eligible to adopt Ezra for another decade, until turning 35.  However, she kept him in her care.

After some time went by Sophie came to check on baby Ezra.  He had bonded with Leila and was doing well.  As Leila chatted with Sophie she was annoyed by Sophie's immaturity, indecisive nature, and seemingly careless parenting of Ezra's sister, Sara.  Leila chatted with Sophie and they decided to have Leila take legal guardianship of both Ezra and Sara.  Ezra was no longer in the guardianship of the orphanage and Sara was no longer with her mother.  Leila took both in her care and planned and hoped to adopt both.

Several months later, 10 months after Ezra's birth, Leila was worn down.  She had very little funding from donors stateside, was single parenting two young children, and was living in a foreign country filled with daily frustrations.  She got very ill with a tropical infection and decided to fly to the states to recover at home, leaving Sara and Ezra in the care of her friends. While stateside she decided that though she felt God had called her to care for those children that God was calling her now to return to the states without them.  Once she felt a bit better Leila returned to Haiti for a brief few day visit to find homes for Ezra and Sara.  Sara went home with Sophie and Ezra returned to the orphanage.  Leila returned to the States.  Ezra and Sara were twice abandoned.

Months later Sophie stopped by the orphanage to check on baby Ezra.  After discussions with the orphanage director Sophie took Ezra home.  Ezra currently is living with his mother and two sisters.  For now.  In times of trouble, that are certain to come, Sophie knows the ease of abandoning her children for a time, just to fetch them later.  Without counseling and parenting skills she may choose that option later.  Without orphanage directors with clear intake procedures, policies, and discernment that may continue to be an option for Sophie.

Unfortunately this situation is not unique.  Orphanages all over the world operate separate from the social services departments in their country.  Here is an interesting article that pulls together a lot of information in one place on different countries and is worth the read.

http://goodintents.org/orphanages/does-funding-orphanages-create-orphans-3

The Least of These

We are back in Minneapolis.  I (Sara) am having a particularly difficult time reentering society here.  There are many unknowns ahead of us, including housing, vehicles, schools, jobs, most things really.  But my reentry difficulties stem from something quite different.  My heart is shattered by what I experienced in Haiti.  Shattered by the injustice, harm, and exploitation of Haitian children.

I am broken. I am an imperfect person, a sinner, and currently an emotional disaster.  This following series of posts is my current reflections and processing of what I've seen and experienced. And I am fully aware that my emotions are raw and my perceptions may need altered as I move through this transitional time.  It is my intent to simply tell the stories of children that I encountered in Haiti.  Some wounded by fellow Haitians, some cast aside by their culture, some harmed by well-intentioned Americans, and some harmed by ill-intentioned Americans.  

But the common theme is stories of vulnerable children.

I am fully aware that blogs with pictures are attractive to readers.  There will be no pictures in this current series of posts.  Why?  Because I want to do all I can to protect vulnerable children. In an age of digital permanence I want to be very careful to not have pictures, names, and stories posted of the children already in such vulnerable positions.  I plan to change the names of those involved as well.

The Least of These

Matthew 25:34-40
"The the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the LEAST OF THESE brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

I'm not a theologian.  And I suppose I need to do a lot more study on this passage before making too many conclusions.  I think this is a powerful passage and I also think this is a passage, when taken out of context, that can cause quite a bit of harm.  I think a lot of well-intentioned Americans with good motivations seek to 1) identify the "least of these", 2) identify what "they" need, 3) fulfill that need.  The danger lies in arrogance and pride, that I myself and most Americans struggle with.  The arrogance to believe we can identify "others" as the "least of these".  The arrogance to believe we can identify what "they" need.  The arrogance to believe we can fulfill that need by the simplest of means without seeking true understanding.

So in these following posts I am not questioning the motives of those involved.  And I am aware, that I too, at many times in my life may have caused harm when my intentions were good.  My heart just aches for the children who are so deeply hurt by misinformed people.  My heart hurts for those wee ones and I just want to give them a voice.

Breaking the Silence

We've been pretty quiet lately, purposefully.  Yet that is not our common state.

  

We value authenticity and yet we also value reconciliation, harmony, and respectful communication.

January was month full of prayer, counsel, and communication while we sought wisdom as to how to proceed with our relationship with ReachGlobal.  After much reflection and wise counsel we chose to resign from our position as missionaries with ReachGlobal Haiti.

We recently spend a week interviewing with a few different organizations in Haiti that we admire and respect.  While we received a couple offers, after more reflection we felt the Lord leading us back to Minneapolis.  And so we will return on March 5th.

Our hearts our heavy.  We love Haiti.  We love Haitians.  We love Haitian Creole and our ability to learn language (especially Luke's!).  We love this place and will miss it very, very much.

What's next?  We don't know.  But there are a few things that we do know, that we cling to...

Our God is Good

Our God Sovereign

Our Family is Missional

We have no clue what that looks like a few months from now, or really even next week for that matter.

We value your prayers.  And your encouraging words sustain us.

Thank you for continuing on this crazy journey with us.

Belated Christmas Post

So in the States it seems that Thanksgiving to Christmas is the main Christmas season.  But here, with no Thanksgiving celebration, Christmas Eve through New Years (and a few days past, I've heard) is the main Christmas season.  And my family seems to be following suit.  There wasn't much of a ramp up to Christmas this year until Christmas Eve.
On Christmas Eve we had a wonderful dinner with friends from Haiti Health Ministries.  Great food and great fellowship.  Then as a family we watched Home Alone - a Christmas classic.  Christmas morning we opened gifts.  Luke got my used ipad, the girl's each got one Haitian - made American Girl bed and a wardrobe for their dolls to share.
My mom flew in early evening on Christmas Day and since her arrival we've been playing a lot of Caring and Sharing Bingo (a family game) and introducing my mom to our many friends here.  Yesterday my mom and I walked a Haitian mile to Madanm Christians orphanage.  The children were excited to meet my mother and put on a great (and extremely long) Christmas program for us.  Here is a wee clip.

Teresa's family flew in yesterday and today my mom was reunited with all 5+ of her grandchildren.  Oh Happy Day!  Then, I've heard there is some fun New Years celebrations.  We shall see.

Eloise the Poet

Eloise has been writing quite a bit since we've gotten to Haiti.  We find her journals all over the house.  Last night Chris and I discovered this poem she wrote and that it was worth sharing.

he doesn't like you

she doesn't like me

evry time you look at him you get angry

evry time I look at her I get angery

this song dosen't have a happy ending rite now

so let's make this a song that has one

folloe your dream's and desstenies

come and let's see the thing's alaround you and me

then you can make lot's of friend's

and do thing's that youve neve don before

this song is coming to a end 

I have to say good bye

oh, make freind's with . . . he and she and I

By: ELOISE Thmpson

Treehouse

Last week over 500 volunteers with Habitat for Humanity were here in Haiti.  They came with Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter as well as Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood.  We got to enjoy a lovely (yet a bit extravagant) dinner of sea bass and real veggies in an air conditioned dining hall.  Then we got to listen to the Garth Brooks concert as well.  It was quite refreshing.

When Habitat departed they were encouraged to leave their tools and extra supplies with Christianville, where my sister lives.  Uncle Ryan took all the kids "shopping" at the Habitat leftover "store".  My kids were thrilled to actually shop and "shop for free even" as Eloise said.  They picked out hard hats, hammers, tape measures, rope, and more.  The experience got them all geared up to build something.  After much planning they decided they wanted a treehouse.  So we started it yesterday and got quite a bit further today.  Hoping to finish this weekend.

Chris sawing plywood with a hand saw.

The girls testing out the support system!