.The Amazing Spider-Men .
Black Spider-Man tauntingly circles the compound on his bicycle. His mischievous laughter bounces off the walls. Little Spider-Man grabs my hand and pulls me closer to the ground, ensuring that I have shelter underneath the bench. The third Spider-Man comes running out of the house to join the battle, calling my name. Spider-Man, Little Spider-Man and I team up against Black Spider-Man. We are armed with semi-deflated kick balls and, of course, our ability to shoot webs. One after another we fire kick balls at Black Spider-Man as he continues to ride in circles around the front of the compound, shooting webs at us as he passes by. Spider-Man and Little Spider-Man make valiant dashes to recover kicks balls that have been thrown. Both insist that I remain in the safety of our makeshift hideout. As I sit and watch Little Spider-Man sprint after a thrown kick ball, dodging Black Spider-Man’s webs, I think to myself, I could do this everyday and never grow sick of it.
I would never grow sick of it because the Lord blessed me with the ability to form an unimaginably strong bond with three incredible boys. I don’t fully understand the very sincere love I have in my heart for them. In my time in Haiti I was able to spend everyday with these three. Able to play with them, read with them, worship with them, pray with them and love on them. While it is generally unacceptable to reveal the identity of a superhero or super villain, for the purposes of this blog it is necessary. Necessary because these boys have beautiful stories of redemption. The Lord has used the women who run Grace So Amazing, Kellie and Beverly, to save these boys from immense heartache. They have taken them into Grace House, their orphanage, where the boys are loved on, poured into and shown Jesus daily. Their stories are heartbreaking, but their resilience is inspiring.
Without further ado…here are my amazing spider-men:
Black Spider-Man- Jean Claire
This kid, talk about a charmer! He has one of the most charismatic smiles. Jean Claire is friendly, brave, smart and loving. He has lived at Grace House for about a year and a half. Prior to living at Grace House, he was a restavek (child slave). An unfortunate phenomenon that plagues Haiti is the frequent use of restaveks. Restaveks are children whose parents either sold them or gave them to another family under the pretense that the new family would give them a “better” life (provide education, food, etc.). The reality is that the new family ends up misusing, abusing or neglecting the child. Jean Claire was given to a family and expected to care for their newborn daughter. At the age of seven, he was unfit and unable to properly care for the baby. He was frequently told that he was a horrible restavek, stripped of any sense of self-worth and blamed for the horrific shape that the baby was in. One day, Jean Claire and Kellie’s paths crossed. Jean Claire, being the charmer that he is, stole Kellie’s heart. When the truth of Jean Claire’s home life was brought to light both he and the sweet babe he was responsible for were brought to Grace House. It is unfathomable to me that anyone could look into his beautiful eyes and tell him he is anything short of amazing. Jean Claire has such a beautiful heart. He has a zest for life that is inspiring. Now, Jean Claire is free to be himself. He is free to be a child. He is constantly reminded of the truths that Jesus says about him rather than being fed lies about who this family said he was.
Spider-Man- Aslen
Sweet Aslen. He has me completely wrapped around his finger. Aslen is the kind of kid who requires you to earn a right in his life. He is timid when he meets new people and takes the time to feel them out. He has walls and is guarded, but once you are in, he is fiercely loyal. He is intelligent, energetic, caring and hilarious. Aslen grew up in a home where he was heavily abused by his stepfather and his grandmother. His grandmother, a Voodoo Priest, used him in various Voodoo rituals. I cannot allow myself to even think about what all that may have entailed. The trauma that this sweet boy faced growing up is heartbreaking. Aslen’s mother brought him to Grace House to save him from the life he was stuck in. To know Aslen is to love him. The thought of someone raising a hand against him makes me nauseous. At Grace House Aslen is able to be his jokester self. He is shown kindness, grace and love. Aslen does not have to live in fear, but has security and peace of mind.
Little Spider-Man- Jacob James (aka JJ)
JJ has the most infectious laugh you will ever hear in your entire life, or at least top ten. He and his younger sister, Sarah, have been living at Grace House for less than a year, but I could not imagine the house without them. He is compassionate, goofy, joyful and kind. He has a HUGE heart and loves to go on home visits. When JJ arrived at Grace House he had a horrible respiratory infection. His grandma did not know where else to turn for help, in desperation she brought him to the house. The staff at the house literally saved his life with the quality of care they provided. JJ and Sarah, like most of the children who step into the house, were welcomed with open arms and quickly became family. JJ was the first child I met when I walked into the compound. Cheesy, I know. The whole, “you had me at hello” thing. Truly though, it was that immediate. When I arrived to Grace House and stepped through the gate I was quickly greeted by this sweet boy. A boy with a smile that goes from ear to ear.
I will always be grateful for my time spent at Grace House with these three boys. No amount of words or pictures will ever fully express the love I have in my heart for them. They are so near and dear to me. After only a month. I never would have thought I could feel such a strong connection with anyone in such a short amount of time, let alone three Haitian boys. As we go through life we are fortunate enough to meet people, usually when we do not expect it, who have an internal impact on us. These three boys undoubtedly had this kind of impact on me. Despite the deep pains they have felt they are able to choose joy, love and faith. I can think about them and sing praises to the Lord for His goodness. Friends, He is SO GOOD! These boys are a testament to that. Even in the darkest time, when life feels unbearable, the Lord is there with us, working and moving in ways that we cannot even imagine.
All my love,
Bekah
