the children

The hills were much more dramatic than I thought; particularly the one the orphanage, God's Littlest Angels, sits on. A four wheel drive is likely the only vehicle that can negotiate this gravel and dirt road.

Upon arrival at GLA, we were greeted and given a tour of the place. About 100 children are housed at this facility and they also care for 3 to 10 year olds at a "toddler" house. When we walk in a room, children surround us, some with arms raised, some with hugs, and others grasping our legs or crawling between them. They are all seeking attention, care, and love. Each child here is supposed to be attended and held individually for one hour a day. Our job this week is to do this for between 4-8 children each day. Each baby has information about their development and sometimes and item or two that needs work. It seems like a simple task, but it's pretty daunting to walk through rooms to identify the kids on our list.

Before receiving our group of 8 kids for the week, we had some time to settle in and unpack a little bit. We all needed it. Lunch was a traditional Haitian affair with some sausage meatballs and rice with vegetable sauce.

Right after lunch we started picking up our kids. As tired as we were, we were relieved that many of them just love to be held. By child number four, I didn't have much left from our 4:30am morning!

We had French food for dinner with mango slices and a pasta dish. We spent some time together, talking about our day and reflecting on God's purpose for us here. By 8pm, we were all in bed!