Tag Archives: orphan

November 13, 2013 · 6:28 AM

Dream Bigger

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One of my favorite things to do in Haiti is to go to the Roboto feeding center. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and Roboto is one of the poorest areas in Haiti. The further we drove into Roboto, the poorer it got. Paved streets turned into rocks covered in trash. The few buildings that are made of wood lean to the side a bit. The rest are made with rusty tin that has rusted through in many places. People sitting on their porches don’t smile and nothing is done to upkeep the area as if it’s too far gone.

When we arrived to our destination I was shocked at how improved our feeding center was since April. Teams have used paving stones to line ground on the property. The width of the property has increased and a second building has been added. The sound of children learning filled the air. As we walked to the back of the property that backs up to the ocean, we passed several classrooms filled with children in blue and white uniforms. They smiled and waved as we walked through getting a tour and tried to process what we were seeing. Over the fence at the back of the property is a beach that is covered by trash and looks more like a landfill. Fisherman were ashore in their boats cleaning their nets and the smell was nearly overwhelming.

As we broke into our assigned teams, we quickly began to work. The guys began to add swings to the swing set and to make repairs on it. The kids in the classrooms stared at us smiling and waving. They couldn’t wait until recess. When it was time for it, every swing quickly filled up. While we were doing that, the ladies were up front painting the entrance, front wall and principal’s office. The wall outside was painted a stark white and was accented by painting the gates bright green. We chose green because it represents new life and hope which is what we hope to bring.

As the morning continued, it came time for lunch. The truck arrived with three five gallon buckets of rice and one bucket halfway filled with macaroni noodles in a brown sauce. Team members grabbed plates and started putting rice on them. Others grabbed the plates and poured some of the macaroni and sauce on them. Others delivered the food to the classes. Others picked up empty dishes and returned them to fill with food again for other children. Each child waits patiently for their food. For most of these kids, this will be the only meal they get. Their parents are so poor, they can’t afford to feed them. What was just a feeding center in the beginning has evolved into an education center to those who would have no education otherwise. We also share God’s love with them and hope to make spiritual change there as well as the future of Roboto.

After lunch, we got to come back to the guest house to clean up a bit and grab something to eat. After lunch, we went to the orphanage in Gonaives. As we sat outside the gate and heard the story of how Coreluv became involved with this orphanage, the sound of children grew louder on the other side. When the gate was opened, the children came rushing out like water on rocks. They bounced from person to person looking at our faces as if to determine who they wanted to fall in love with them. You don’t choose the orphan you get to love, they choose you. They make you feel special because you are the one that they want to have hold them.

We did crafts with them, brought books for them and played games for hours. The staff got a much needed break and took the opportunity to rest. The sound of laughter filled the house. These children aren’t the sad ones on commercials begging for your money. They live in similar conditions, but they’re happy and well cared for. As a monthly contributor, I don’t sponsor just one child. My money goes into everything we’re doing on this trip. I get to see my giving in action and making a difference not just for the orphans, but for the whole community.

At the end of a long, tiring day our muscles were worn out, our emotions were drained and our minds had tried to comprehend what all we saw. We still walked out on that balcony to meet Jesus and to worship Him for giving us the opportunity to serve and to be His hands and feet. We heard from II Kings 4:1-7 and were asked what all miracles we saw in that chapter. One person said it best when he said the widow was challenged to dream big. God will fill as many vessels as you bring Him. The only limitations He has are the amount that you bring Him and allow Him to fill. After yesterday, our dreams just got bigger.

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November 12, 2013 · 6:25 AM

Bringing Hope to Haiti

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Day two in Haiti started off at Faith, Hope, Love orphanage and infant rescue center. When we arrived, most of the kids had already left for school. The few that remained touched my heart. One child had hydrocephalus, another had lymphoma in his eyes and the other had brittle bone disease. As I saw the little girl with this bone disease laying in her crib, my heart broke. She was so thin and frail. She had no strength to move. As the others walked on to see the rest of the orphanage, I stayed behind to pray for her.

She reminded me of my spiritual state. I was helpless without Christ. I had no strength without Him. He had to come into my life to give me the strength I needed to survive. It was He who pulled me from my broken state where I couldn’t stand, lifted me up and provided the strength to move. It is with proper nutrition that both she and I have a chance. Mine comes from God’s Word and spending time with Him daily. Without that, I would die spiritually. For her, a doctor called yesterday and agreed to give her a feeding tube so we can get her the nutrition that she would die without.

After we left there, we drove out of Port au Prince to the site of the mass grave for all who died in the earthquake of 2010. As we stood on this field, we were reminded of that tragic time in this country when over 100,000 died in one day. We heard stories of bodies being drug into the streets. Trucks would come and get a load of bodies and dump them in this field. Other trucks would come take rubble to the site and pile it on top of them. They did this for days. It was a grim reminder of what had happened. One of the team members asked me, “Could you imagine the memorial in America if 100,000 died in one event? Think of what we did for 9/11 for 3,000.” Here, because of poverty, they just dumped in a field and covered them.

We left there and began our long, bumpy trip to Gonaives. We rode in the back of the truck, sitting on our luggage, enjoying the beautiful Haitian country side. Mountains. Farms. Broken roads. Check points. Markets. They were all on our path. The sites, sounds and smells make this ride so memorable. Where we would place multimillion dollar homes with a view, they have piecemeal shacks with rusted tin roofs not even facing the ocean. What a stark contrast of cultures between theirs and ours. The average Haitian makes in a week, less than most of us make in an hour.

Once we arrived in Gonaives, we unloaded our bags at the guest house, said hello to familiar friends who live here and headed out to Myan where we are building an orphanage. As we drove down the long dirt road and went side to side looking for a smooth surface (which didn’t exist), people cheered and waved. We weren’t just building an orphanage in this rural community, we were bringing hope. The well that was completed yesterday will keep this community from having to walk six miles with a 5 gallon bucket to fetch clean water. The gardens we will plant will supply nutritious food. The orphans will hear about Jesus and change the spiritual landscape of this community. What we are building with concrete and mortar is creating hope.

As we exited the truck, kids came running out of no where. Dirty, half naked and smiling they came and held our hands. They walked us up Prayer Mountain and listened as we shared the vision of this property with our team. They sat in our laps as we prayed over them, their community and the future possibilities of this orphanage. When we finished, the kids sang “This is the Day That The Lord Has Made” in their native Creole. They were singing a song about a God they had never known before we arrived last year.

When they finished singing, the kids instinctively grabbed us by our hands and led us to the orphanage. There were chains of 5 or 6 people long as we made our way down the hill and through the gates. The men at the site worked until there was no more daylight. We checked the well to see how deep the water was and to get a sample. We toured the unfinished buildings and made a plan for how we could help. We told them to come back on Thursday for medical treatment and check ups. We danced and played with the kids before we had to leave. We arrived back at our house in time for a typical Haitian meal, had a church service on our balcony and went to bed. Our hearts are full and the work is just beginning.

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November 11, 2013 · 5:21 AM

Expectations

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I used to have a friend who was an Army Ranger. He was proud of the fact that in any war they were “the first in and last out.” They would go in when there was no back up and then provide back up for those who would come in after them. They were on the front lines. The ones who would go where no one else would when no one else would go. I loved hearing his stories. They fascinated me. I then realized that as Christians we have the same call as Rangers. We are called to be on the front lines in this world. We are the ones who should be the standard bearers leading the way to God.

This week, I’m getting the opportunity to be on the front lines in Haiti. We’ve got a team here who has come with the purpose of defending the orphan according to Isaiah 1:17. Last night, after a very long day of travel, we met on the balcony of the guest house in Port au Prince and discussed what our expectations of this trip were. One by one, each person shared why they came and what they hoped God would do. For some, they were following a dream that God had placed in them since they were children, others had been trying to come and this was the first open door, some had come hoping for direction and others had no expectations and were open to what God wanted to do.

There’s something about sitting around a circle with other believers from all walks of life and sharing what you expect God to do. Each of us have some expectations of God, but we rarely put them into words. We expect God for healing, protection and to be our provider. We expect Him to be there when we call out in prayer or fall down and need help. But what do we expect Him to do today? Where do you expect Him to show up in your 8-5 day and make a difference? Where do you expect Him to use you? Are you giving Him the opportunity to use you to accomplish His expectations?

This is now my second trip to Haiti. I know what to expect from the trip and know there will be unexpected things. I know how a God can move here and at home. My expectations are different this time around because I’ve been here. They’re more focused now. Each time I come back I know that my expectations will continue to be more concentrated and focused. I don’t know what to expect when I get back to the States though. Each time I leave the country for missions, I leave a piece of my heart behind and return with a bigger heart somehow. My life changes every time I follow the Great Commission to go.

It’s out here on the frontline where I feel most at home. It’s where I feel and experience God in a way like no other. It’s where I not only have expectations of God, but He reveals His expectations of me. I wonder how much of His expectations of me I miss in the U.S. because I fail to have expectations of Him. What if I lived my life full of expectation of God in my every day life? How would things change? How much more could God use me? How much more often would He meet me? How much more real would He be in my day to day life? How would my country change? It all starts with a simple daily expectation of God. Take time each day to let God know your expectations of Him and I’m sure He’ll let you know His expectations of you. I promise you it will be life changing.

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October 23, 2013 · 7:30 AM

Live Simply. Give Generously.

At the ReWrite Conference I attended this past weekend, Crystal Paine from Money Saving Mom blog spoke. She shared lots of great insight into writing and growing an audience. While I took notes on all of it, one thing she said resonated with me and I’d put on a plaque if I could. She said, “Live simply so you can give generously.” Those words weren’t just a catch phrase from her either. She donated all the proceeds from her last book to build a shelter for 160 mother’s and children in the Dominican Republic.

It’s crazy how all the little things we spend money on add up each week, month and year. I think about a convenience store run I made this week for junk food. I walked out with a bag full of goodies and spent $12. Imagine if I did that once a week. That would be $48 a month or $624 a year. I could feed an orphan in Haiti 2 meals a day for almost two years with just what I spent on junk food in one year. What I spend on junk food in a week could feed that child something nutritious for almost two weeks.

I’m not living simply, I’m simply living. There are so many other ways to look at this. What about the time I spend in front of the TV or on a device playing games? I easily spend an hour a day doing that. What if I spent that hour investing in someone else’s life who needs a mentor? What kind of difference would that make in both of our lives? What if I spent it at the nursing home being a friend to the elderly who’s family rarely comes to see them? I wonder how our quality of life would improve. What if I volunteered as a Big Bother for a kid who needs guidance? If I was able to change the trajectory of one life, it would be worth it.

When I think of that phrase, I imagine so many possibilities. So many ways I could give generously. Then reality sets in. I don’t want to give up my Kit Kat and Coke. I love playing Minion Rush to give my mind a break. When the need for helping an orphan arises, I’ll say,”I can’t this month.” When someone needs my attention, I’ll say, “I don’t have time.” When an organization looks for volunteers, I’ll say, “I’m booked. Maybe next month.” It’s easier to live in abundance than it is to live simply. It’s easier to make an excuse than an effort. An orphan goes hungry. A kid grows up without a mentor they can look up to. Other’s lives are affected, but not mine.

I don’t want to affect my own life. I’m comfortable if I don’t think about the impact I could have on someone else if I could give generously. All of a sudden living simply is too hard. I’ll console myself that I go to church, put money in the offering plate and help out minimally. I’ll tell myself that I’m a good person and everything is fine. The truth is that I have RYRS. That’s Rich Young Ruler Syndrome. I tell God that I’ve kept His commandments since I was a child. When He asks me to live simply and give generously, I walk away sad because I have lots of things I’d rather not give up.

He asked me to come follow Him and instead I’m walking back into the life I told Him I was willing to give up. When push came to shove, I couldn’t do it. An orphan went hungry. A wayward child went to jail a few years later. Someone’s grandparent died alone. I had the power. I had the choice, but I walked away because I wasn’t willing to let go of the little things keeping me from living simply and giving generously. I wonder how that conversation will go when I stand before God and He asks what I did with what He supplied. How will your conversation with God go?

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October 17, 2013 · 7:50 AM

Rejected By The Church

I read an article yesterday about a teenage orphan in Florida who decided to be proactive in finding adoptive parents. He chose to go to church and address the congregation in order to see if someone would make him their child. He was born to a woman who was in jail and immediately taken into social services. The only thing his mom gave him was his name. He spent most of his life being angry at his situation and pushing people and prospective parents away hoping his birth parents would show up one day.

While searching for them, he found out that they were both deceased. He had to make a choice to continue being angry or to let it go. He chose the latter. His grades began to improve and he began to become the person he knew he was inside. His comments are what stuck out to me the most in this article. He said he had never had a home or felt loved. He said, “I’ll take anyone. Old young. Black, white or purple… I would be appreciative.” And then the article finished with him saying, “I know God hasn’t given up on me. So I’m not giving up either.”

My mind wants to go in so many ways with this. His whole life, all he’s wanted is what all of us want, to be loved. He wanted it from his birth parents, but now that’s not a possibility. He now will take it from anyone. Thankfully he reached out to a church. Sadly, no one offered to adopt him. I’m hoping at least someone there had a burden to show him love, to accept him for who he is, and to begin to fill the void in his life. He knows he’s going to be on his own in a couple of years and would love having the support of a family. That’s something most of us take for granted.

He said that he’d take anyone. He’s like a lot of people in this world. They’re broken and hurt. They’re looking for a place to belong. Are our churches a place where people like him can find refuge from their pain? Or are they a clique for the self righteous who feel they’re better than others? Have we become like the Pharisee in Luke 18 who looked up to Heaven and said, “I thank you, God, that I’m not a sinner everyone else. For I don’t cheat, I don’t sin and I don’t commit adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax collector. I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income”? Have we become so caught up in our traditions and rituals that we’ve turned a blind eye to those reaching out to us?

This kid found rejection where he should have found acceptance. He found doubt in a place of faith. He was looking for love and walked away empty handed. May God forgive us for all of the times people like him have walked through our doors and walked out alone. May He open our eyes to those who come in this week and give us the courage to be His hands and feet. May we be His expression of love and acceptance to those the world has rejected. May we be a safe haven for those who need to find a refuge. If God hasn’t given up on them, neither should we. Let’s open our eyes today and find someone who needs love and offer it to them. Both of your lives will forever change.

If you’d like to read the article I referenced, you can read it here.

Update: Over 10,000 people have now inquired about adopting this young man! See that article here.

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May 2, 2013 · 7:32 AM

Counting the Cost

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I saw a headline yesterday from the USA Today that said the average cost to feed a family of four. I had never really paid attention to anything like that before. In March of 2013 for a family being very thrifty, the cost was $146.40. For that same family, if they were on a liberal plan, the cost would be $289.40. Those prices are for a week of food to feed four people. What I saw in Haiti was completely different.

I mentioned before that we went to a feeding center in Roboto, Gonaives, Haiti. One of our partners runs that feeding center. There are about 150 children who come there six days a week for what may be the only meal they get for the day. It’s not an extravagant meal. It’s rice with some beans on top and it’s warm. We asked Pastor Gnada how much it cost to feed those children each day. He said, “It costs about $30.” That’s $180 a week to feed 150 malnourished kids. Just barely above what a thrifty family of four pays here.

I realize that costs here are way different than there. I’m not making the argument that we should be more thrifty or we need to feel bad about the blessings God has given us. I’m thinking what if we could give a dollar a day to something like this. How many more kids could be fed? How many more could be rescued from the brink of malnutrition? The missionary that took us to this site pointed out the orange in a few kids hair. He told us that orange hair is a marker for malnutrition. He also pointed out that it was now on the tips of their hair and not at the root.

As these kids came and ate regularly, their bodies got the nutrition they needed and normal hair began to grow. Where there was once starvation for kids living in the poorest area of Gonaives, now they were not only receiving physical food, but spiritual food as well. Before the kids eat each day, the Gospel is shared with them, songs are sung with them, games are played and a prayer is given. I believe that since that center has opened, the signs of spiritual malnutrition are going away.

I was talking to a pastor friend of mine who went with us and runs a church in our inner city. I asked her what her thoughts were about the feeding center. She said, “You know, Chris, we spend so much time and effort in the church trying to get a program ‘right’ before we launch it. We disregard all the good we can do while we argue over how to make it work. This is simple and effective. The things we do don’t have to be complicated. We just need to start them and make them better as we go.” I couldn’t agree more.

What has God asked you to do? What excuses have you given to prevent starting it? While we try to get things right and to make it a success from the get go, people are starving spiritually all around us. If God said, “Do it,” then it’s time to do it. If you wait until it’s perfect and fool proof, it will never begin and you’ll miss so many opportunities. Today is the day of salvation. Begin the steps of putting into motion what God has called you to do. Don’t delay.

If you’d like to give to the organization that feeds these kids and houses the orphans we visited, you can go to www.coreluv.org/donate

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April 30, 2013 · 8:15 AM

True and Undefiled Religion

On day four of our trip to Haiti, we got up early because we had a lot to do. We ate breakfast and split into two groups. One group would head to the market for an experience they’ll never forget and the other went to the hardware store to buy the supplies we needed. All around us were a sea of people who continuously walked by like waves coming on shore. Busses, taxis, motorcycles, trucks and cars added to the madness as they weaved in and out of the people.

Upon arriving at the orphanage, we said our hellos to the staff while the kids were in school. It wasn’t long before word got out that we were there. Kids and locals started showing up quickly. We began to work on the things that needed to get done. Not long after, it was time to go to the Roboto feeding center. We packed up and headed over knowing what we were going to, but not understanding what we were about to experience.

As the trucks drove through Gonaives, it was clear we were moving into an area that was so poverty stricken that it made the place where we were working look like a good part of town. Houses were no longer built out of concrete and mortar. These houses were built from scrap wood, tarp and tin. People stared at us as we slowly made our way through the broken roads.

When we arrived at the feeding center, the sound of children singing filled the air. You could hear the joy and anticipation in their voices. The building was simple, yet sufficient. We walked in to see around a hundred children piled on top of each other. Many were seated at a long table while others were stacked three and four deep around the table against the walls. They were excited, but patient as they waited until it was time to eat.

All of the children bowed their heads as the prayer over the food was prayed. A shout of “amen” came from the children and the food began to be distributed orderly. Plates with nothing more than beans on top of rice were handed to the kids. They quickly ate and made way for the next group of children to eat. Children with their brothers and sisters fed their siblings first even if they never got a bite. This could be the only meal most of these kids would eat that day.

We headed back to the orphanage with our hearts full. We finished building a cabinet for the kitchen, leveled a table in there too, built a stool, poured a slab of concrete in the stairwell and did various other maintenance. At the end of the day, it was time to say goodbye to these children who had captured our hearts. We gave them pillows, food, supplies and new underwear as we left. The ride back to the guest house was full of tears.

God was able to do exceeding and abundantly more than we thought we could on this trip. I’m not sure whose lives were changed more, theirs or ours. We saw God move and plant seeds on this trip. We got a taste of what God calls true religion. It’s hard to go back to religion as we knew it. This was pure and undefined religion we experienced. Anything less simply won’t do.

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April 29, 2013 · 12:44 PM

Spiritual Poverty

On day three, we went to a remote area outside of Gonaives. After traveling down a dirt road for a while we finally arrived at Myan. We hiked a small hill that allowed us to see the entire area. One of the first things that hits you is the stark contrast between the beauty of the land and the extreme poverty that almost overpowers it. As we began to pray over the orphanage being built at Myan, several locals hiked up to meet us.

After praying we went down, got a quick tour of the orphanage being built and then started helping out where needed. They were pouring the footings and part of the foundation on the third building. I saw a guy carrying two 5 gallon buckets full of water. I took one from him and hauled water the rest of the day. Some of the other men moved mounds of dirt and others moved rocks.

As all of that was going on, the rest of the group disappeared into the cactuses that surround the property. A couple of hours later, I went to check on them. There were more than 30 kids from the community around them singing songs and hearing the Gospel preached. Different members from our group would get up and share from their heart about God’s love for the kids. One of our drivers, Kinson, helped with the translating.

The workers at the site wrapped up around 2 since it was a holiday. With nothing more to do there, we went to the other orphanage in Gonaives to love on the kids. We also worked on a plan for the next day to get a lot of the maintenance that needed to be done. We got a list of what supplies we needed and went back to playing with the kids and the locals. After wrapping things up, we headed back to the guest house for dinner and devotions.

God came down and met us that night like only I’ve experienced a few times in my life. We had a powerful time there on that balcony that attracted a crowd of people who wanted to see what was going on. Each of us called out to God on behalf of Haiti that night. We warred for the lives of those orphans and for the people of that country. When people live in poverty they often think that God has forgotten them. We want them to know that God loves them and has not forgotten them.

I’ve learned that even in a land of plenty, there is spiritual poverty. There are people all around us every day that are suffering from spiritual malnutrition. That malnutrition leads to the belief that God has forgotten them too. It’s our responsibility as Christians to show them God’s love. We need to be the channels that spiritual change comes through to those who cross our paths every day. Just as we met the physical needs of the children in Haiti, we need to meet the spiritual needs of those around us.

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April 26, 2013 · 6:18 AM

Where Do You See Jesus?

We made the five hour drive from Port au Prince to Gonaives yesterday. The trucks aren’t big enough to house the entire team so many of us rode in the beds. I prefer to ride back there since it helps me to take in the sights, sounds and smells. It brings me closer to the country when I see the people interacting in their daily lives. There is something particularly humbling when you drive through tent cities.

The tents are made of tarp and are duct taped together. Thousands of them side by side in a field or on the side of a mountain. Their homes were destroyed by the earthquake a few years ago and they can’t afford to get a new house. The unemployment rate here is astronomical. Those who do work make less than $5 a day. People walk the streets selling what they find or grow. Doing what they can to make a living.

We stopped at the mass grave site where tens of thousands of bodies are buried. So many died during the earthquake that they couldn’t embalm or bury the dead. They drug the bodies into the street, burned them to prevent the smell and carried the bones to this site. As we stood there, I couldn’t help but wonder, “How many knew Jesus?” Who had come before to tell them of His love? Who had obeyed?

When we arrived in Gonaives, we stopped at the guest house to drop off our luggage and then headed to the orphanage. When we arrived, the gate was closed. TJ, the missionary with us, looked through the hole and knocked on the gate. As they came to open it, the children were shouting his name. It has been months since he was here. He ran and hid behind the truck. The gate slid open, a rush of kids came pouring out and their smiles quickly went away. They couldn’t find him.

When he appeared from behind the truck, 30 kids attacked him with huge and smiles. They climbed over each other and on us to get to him. For several minutes they poured out their love on him. They sang him a song they had learned just for him. It was beautiful. After the song, they instinctively crawled into our laps and hearts to get a refill of love. Each person on our team had several kids in their laps.

Loving them turned into playing with them. They playing spilled over into the street. There is a basketball court nearby and we all ended up there. Several locals showed up too. The next thing you know, we’re locked into a game of hoops. As one person from our group noted, there were people from Haiti, the US and the Philippines playing a game together without being able to speak each others languages.

At the end of the night, God came and met us on the balcony of our guest house. TJ asked us to share where we had seen Jesus throughout the day. Each person had seen Him somewhere and in different places and ways. It got me to thinking, “How often do we Jesus in our daily lives?” Better yet, how often are we looking for Him? He’s involved in our lives daily, but we’re so distracted by our busy lives that we fail to see Him.

Today, start your day with the intent of looking for Him. It could be in any encounter at work, school or at the store. It could be in someone you don’t know, but you see what they’re doing and God points something out to you. This is something we should all be in the habit of doing. God is not far off. He’s working for you and in you each day. Keep your eyes open, you may even look in the mirror and see Him there because you were His hands and feet to someone.

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April 25, 2013 · 6:27 AM

Peace. Hope. Love.

As I’m sitting on the roof, watching the sun rise in Haiti, I’m reflecting on yesterday. We arrived to chaos which, if you’ve ever been to a third world country airport is normal. Horns blaring, cars weaving in and out of people, others are trying to carry your bags for you and all the while follow the leader through this crazy maze. We get to our vehicles, load up all our luggage into the back of these quad cab trucks and half of us climb on top of the luggage to ride in the back.

As we make our way through Port au Prince, we are a sight to be seen. Some people wave and others have a look on there face of “Did that just happen?” Red lights and green lights don’t matter. Stops signs are just a decoration on the road. Horns are the language of drivers here. It took me back to my time in Egypt. We fought the traffic for what seemed like more than thirty minutes. I was enjoying it. I must have had a huge grin because the dust in the air caked my teeth.

All of a sudden, we arrive out our first destination. An orphanage for babies and toddlers with HIV and AIDS. Peace. The chaos stopped. I didn’t hear the horns anymore. My heart began to fill with love. My eyes with tears. As I sat down, I was talking with another person from our group. A little boy named Alfred came over and sat in my lap. He grabbed the phone out of my hand and started moving my apps around. Still in conversation, I hadn’t realized that my mind had made no distinction between he and my own son.

He soon ran off and another child climbed on my lap. I kissed her on the cheek, hugged her tight and tried talking with her. French Creole is not a language I speak. While I couldn’t speak the language, I could speak love and life to her. One after the other, the kids came up, climbed on me and it was as if I were home. There was love. There was peace. There was hope. There was life.

There was a book with several of the kids in it. Each page had a picture and a story. One little girl’s mother had died. Her father, who has HIV, went away to live in a tent city. The girl was given to her grandmother who was using her to beg and get money from strangers. A pastor came to her rescue and took her to that home. She’s getting food and the medical attention she needs now.

It’s a lot like us. We were abandoned in our sin. But God came and rescued us from that place and brought us into a place of peace, hope and love. He looked past our terminal disease of sin and brought us in. His Son’s blood provided the ointment for our spiritual healing. While we live in a world of chaos, He brings order and meaning to our lives. He is the One we can trust in a cruel world.

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