A random update

We've had 4 new kids this week. Two babies and two toddlers. It's a strange thing... "getting new kids". I was sad at first... imagining where they came from & how their parents got to the stage where they knocked on GLA's door. But then, as I tucked one of the new toddlers in last night she hugged me & wouldn't let go. My sadness quickly disappeared and I thought of a peom that I read when I first got here. To be honest, I thought the poem was cheesey when I first read it (& still do a bit) but hugging that little girl somehow gave it a face.

You are who you are for a reason.
You're part of an intricate plan.
You're a precious and perfect unique design,
Called God's special woman or man.

You look like you look for a reason.
Our God made no mistake.
He knit you together within the womb,
You're just what he wanted to make.

The parents you had were the ones he chose,
And not matter how you may feel,
They were custom-designed with God's plan in mind,
And they bear the Master's seal.

No, that trauma you faced was not easy.
And God wept that it hurt you so;
But it was allowed to shape your heart
So that into His likeness you'd grow.

You are who you are for a reason,
You've been formed by the Master's rod.
You are who you are, beloved,
Because there is a God!

By Russell Kelfer

Ok, now for the random update:

I've had an eye infection this week so I've resorted to wearing glasses. I don't know if it's just me but I'm a clumsy glass wearer. I hit them...which jabs me in the eye... every hour or so. Hopefully I'll be back to wearing contacts in a few days.

Sunday was a relaxing day. The time change was supposed to happen but the word didn't circulate so it didn't happen... that's Haiti for you! As we were an hour early for church we decided to replan our day. We took a tap-tap into town & then walked up a mountain to Boutillier, which is a look out point where vendors gather. It was 4 hours round trip. Lots of walking but lots of fun! I've almost walked thru my first pair of sandles already :)

As we were driving to church yesterday a guy approached the car & gave us a painted plate. We tried to refuse it at first, b/c we didn't know who he was, but he insisted it was for "ebecca"... he was just the messenger & the plate was from Amil, one of the kids that I went on the feeding with last weekend. It's cool too, the map of Haiti is painted on it.

It's a steep 15 min walk from the toddler house (my house) to the baby house and I fell down the "mountain" today... haha. It was pretty embarassing. I could hear people chuckle behind me. It's not unusual for people to fall tho. Just a few scratches.

Exciting news - Matthew likes me!!! He's been playing with me all week & tonight he cried when I left him. I'm not happy that he cried but you get the picture... and maybe I'm a little happy that he cried :)

I was walking between houses at night last week... after a knitting lesson... and one of the older girls (16) was hiding outside, in the pitch black, to scare me. Well, it work. I freaked out and smoked her in the face with the book I was carrying. I thought at first that I had hurt her, b/c she crumpled on the ground but it didn't take long to realize that she was just laughing to hard to stand. Good thing I didn't still have knitting needles in my hand!!

Well, this is probably too long for most of you to read, so I'll add a few pictures for those of you who just scrolled down in hopes of a few.

Haircut day when the clippers are broken... she's actually really good at it!!



Cute:



Out on the Nursery patio at feeding time:



Just playing around w/ my little guy:






The is the "small" dog. I don't get close enough to the big one to take a picture.