All are precious in His sight

Mother Teresa said “When we handle the sick and the needy we touch the suffering body of Christ and this touch will make us heroic; it will make us forget the repugnance and the natural tendencies in us.  We need the eyes of deep faith to see Christ in the broken body and dirty clothes under which the most beautiful one among the sons of men hides.  We shall need the hands of Christ to touch these bodies wounded by pain and suffering.  Intense love does not measure – it just gives.” 

Monday afternoon we settled in to our home for the next seven days.  After dinner we gathered and discussed why we had decided to make this trip.  The answers ranged from deep convictions to some not being sure why they had decided to make the trip.  Overall the group agreed that we all felt “nudged” by God in some way.

Tuesday - This is our first full day in Haiti.  We woke to sounds of roosters and for some the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.  Morning time is a slow time to let sink in where we are and what we have in store for our day.  We spent time in devotion reading Mathew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”  To me this means that we are all commanded by God to go into the world, use our own unique gifts and talents to be the Body of Christ.

After a wholesome breakfast we left in our favorite tap-tap to travel to the Home for Sick and Dying Children.  As we arrived we were struck by the number of moms holding their children waiting in line with hope that they could bring their child into the Home.  Once inside we were greeted by a child who set the stage for a heartwarming couple of hours of sharing God’s love and being transformed by the “least of these”.

After leaving the Home for Sick and Dying Children we bounced to Darre’s Orphanage for Disabled Children.  We were again transformed by “the least of these” or as they are viewed in many cultures “the least of the least of these”.  The smiles from children who don’t get the attention they deserve brought many of us to tears.

          

 

We finished the day by visiting the Apparent Project.  This program is an employment program for parents who may be unable to afford to keep their child(ren).  This is the best answer for reducing the vast number of children who are in orphanages in this wonderful country.

Many words describe our time today…..One thing is certain, God knows each of these children and calls them by name - the children in metal cribs with big eyes, children running around in the playground smiling and laughing, children clinging to their mom or dad who is there to visit, children laying on the floor because their legs don’t work, children with open arms to be held…..all beautiful and special in His sight and in our sight!