It was because of these children and God’s love for them that I looked forward to each day that I would get to spend with them. However, playing with the children in Haiti was only part of our ministry. The first week we moved huge rocks to form a foundation next to a church for some rooms for an orphanage. Pastor Woodman, our contact, was very thankful for all our hard work. The other part of ministry was building onto some of the buildings at the orphanage in the area we stayed. This was a little bit harder to help with as the construction guys didn’t want the girls to help directly so all we could do was move cinder blocks every now and then. Sense we had more then enough help for that job and God really put the children on my heart I would play with the kids. In spite of only being able to say hello, goodbye, how old are you and what is your name, some good friendships were made. We also used a little bit of Spanish even though they spoke French and Creole they understood a some Spanish. As the week went on the children taught me my colors and numbers. It’s a really humbling place to be when you can’t say anything and found that I would constantly pronounce things wrong and make a fool of myself yet they would laugh and it helped in building these relationships.
I awoke one morning and left the concrete clinic building that we were staying in to walk across the way to where the orphanage was, as we shared their outhouses. The sun was coming up and I could hear the sound of the children talking and every now and then the rooster crowing. I loved the mornings because not only was the weather a reasonable temperature, but also everywhere was very calm and peaceful. The area that we were in was very dry and pretty much a desert, yet we could see the ocean a short distance away. I enjoyed my walk to that outhouse every morning because I would get to watch all the little kids going about their morning routines caring for one another carrying big buckets of water from the tank for bathing. Even though there was adults that would care for the kids, 250 and only 15 or so adults makes them have to look after one another. This morning as I approached the kids instead of hearing them call out “Bonswa” or “Natlie” everyone who saw me said “Magalu” (pronounced Maganly). It made me smile, as Magalu was one of the girls who had become very attached to me. The day before I had been playing with her and kept calling her Natalie pretending to be confused about her name and my name being switched. All the other little girls soon joined in and it made others laugh. The word spread over night that I was calling her Natalie and I was going by Magalu. Pretty soon little kids that I didn’t even know and adults who worked there who I hadn’t ever spoken with were calling me Magalu. It made me laugh. This morning became what every morning and time I stepped foot outside the building that we were staying in was like. Every child I saw would yell “Magalu!”
This was the first time I had ever seen an orphanage and it won’t be the last. I had been dreaming about going an orphanage most of my life. I can’t put into words how alive I felt when I was with these orphans. I didn’t know the stories of why each was there. I couldn’t communicate but in small words and lots of charades yet, some how I had deep friendships with many of them. The Lord gave me the ability to learn many of their names and I was amazed at how much their faces would light up when I would use their names. It was normal to have at least 15 girls around me at all times and sometimes I would have 3 on my lap and the rest gathered around playing with my hair and looking at my veins on my hands. The fact that my veins could be seen surprised them. They also couldn’t understand my freckles, zits and sunburned face. They were always so kind to point out all of these all the time with worried looks. These moments were sometimes awkward but it was all done in innocence. I loved these children so much and it was once again very hard to say goodbye. There were lots of tears shed as we said goodbye but I find comfort in the fact that God has been watching over them and loves the orphans much more then I ever could.
