Here’s a powerful story about a young girl who touched many hearts and saved many young lives. Meeting this teenager was a blessing and a privilege. I was moved to tears.
When the earth shook with violence in Leogane, an orphanage of 46
girls erupted in screams. A house mom threw her body across the three
nearest girls as the walls and ceiling collapsed on her, taking her
life, but saving the girls.
Two of them escaped, but one named Mange remained stuck in the rubble next to the house mom who had sacrificed her life.
Trapped in the rubble, Mange cried out: “Please don’t leave me here to die! I don’t want to die this way!”
Two young boys from the church heard her cries and began digging.
The structure looked like a concrete pancake, but they dug and cleared
a hole through. Mange was saved.
All
46 orphans gathered together, but now they had no house mom.
Eighteen-year-old Geesula sprang into action. Not only was she the
oldest of the group, but she had been around longer than all but one of
the other orphans. Geesula now became the protector of orphans. The
surrounding community came in and stole all their remaining food, but
Geesula saw to it that the girls were safe.
A month later, Geesula continues to be housemom for her 45 orphan sisters. She knows what the girls need each day.
Before the quake, the orphanage was part of the Dezman Fleury Foundation that
included a bakery, guest house and medical clinic. All of those
collapsed and their vehicle was demolished.
There
has been enough death in Haiti. Now is the time for life. God is giving
us an opportunity. While orphans live in tents and we still live in
houses, God invites us to do more. Like those young boys who dug out
Mange from the rubble, lives are saved when we hear the cries of the
poor and hurting and respond.
Right now, living conditions are very primitive – tents and no
electricity. Rainy season arrives next month, so there is no time to
waste. The time for Haiti is now and the time for Haiti’s orphans is
today.
This amazing young woman showed more courage and confidence January 12th than I can even comprehend. Not only did the house mom die, the other staff member was so shaken up that she took off after the quake – which left Geesula all alone with these other precious orphans – her sisters.
Her joy was buried deep within when I met her. I knew we could not walk away without praying over her and for her and the things to come. What she must have seen, felt and went through the past month would be enough to make anyone fearful, yet faithful. As we prayed, the joy of the Lord began to fill her. The smile that was hidden from her face an hour earlier was now beginning to shine. She was radiant. I fell in love with her and only hope that if I am ever in a situation like that, where I am called to act in faith, that I will not be afraid to do the unthinkable.
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PRAISE THE LORD!!! I just found out tonight that
Childrens Hope Chest is going to do all they can to adopt the orphans and find sponsors for them all. God is at work. Please continue to pray for the orphans as well as the staff and volunteers as they clean up from the earthquake and try and set up a temporary home for these girls. As of now, their food supply is diminishing and the Marines have pulled out (who were helping and blessing them with food and water). They still have no mattresses or sheets or adequate shelter, but they keep praising Jesus. They are concerned about surviving the rainy conditions – but we are hopeful and prayerful that help is going to get there in time.
