This week has brought me so much joy as I got to see parents interact with their children at a new level when they were provided with access to resources (toys), see children’s eyes light up as they are able to do things they never thought possible. I taught a girl how to tie her shoes one handed because she had limited use of her other hand.
This week we have completed over 20 evaluations. It has been wonderful having the No Boundaries group here to help with evaluations. The thought of having over 40 evaluations to do between For Jonathan’s Sake and Miriam Home was overwhelming. With there help it has freed me up to have more time to focus on interaction with the families. To talk with them, explain things to them and making sure their concerns are addressed.
In general the parents come and we go back to the education room. I spent time with each family for 20-30 minutes. Working with the child, giving the parents treatment ideas, and educating them. Then we have a time of worship and give each child and their parent musical instruments to play along. Then I do a Bible Study. At the very end the children get weighed and then the parents get food for the entire week.
Monday is my Autistic Group- I had a blast interacting with them. We tried out the swings for the first time. It was a blast.
Tuesday is my higher functioning kids. I had 2 siblings that had Arthrogryposis multicomplex congenital. It was cool because I wrote a paper on this in college. Solely for the fact that I could not pronounce it and they dared me to pick it. Well, got new I needed knowledge of it down the line…BIG GOD This I would have to say was my favorite day. We played parachute games, made a craft, sang and played instruments, had a children’s Bible lesson, and just had fun together. I am excited because with this group we are going to do a lot of prevocational activities with the kids and the kids are excited
Wednesday and Thursday are my lower functioning kids. I did not think I would enjoy this group as much but God blessed me with the opportunity to form a good relationship with the parents and the kids ended up being a lot of fun. I enjoyed finding toys for them and seeing their parents interact with them.
Friday is my group of younger children and baby’s. This group the parents really bonded together which is a big hope for this program. To not only provide the family with resources for the children but also community and support for the mothers.
Tuesday night God woke me up at 3AM and gave me the Bible Study he wanted me to share with the families. The first 2 days I had 4 parents ask me to take their kids and put them in the Miriam Home. Every time a parent asks me this my heart breaks. Can’t they see that their children need them. God laid upon my heart the importance of Protecting the family unit. I talked to them about how we are God’s children and read Romans 8:16 and 1 john 3:1. I wanted them to know that they are God’s children and that we are brothers and sisters with Jesus.
I discussed the dynamics of family specifically the role of parents (provide for us \spiritually, emotionally, physically\, to love us, to comfort us, to wipe away our tears, to discipline us and to teach us. I then talked about how God does the same things to us as his children. God as our father provides for us, loves us so much he sent his only son to die for us, comforts us when we are hurting or sad and wipes away our tears, teaches us where to go and how to live, and also disciplines us when we don’t obey him. I wanted to make sure they understood the family is a safe and nurturing place. I explained to them that the reason I love this program so much is because it is all about providing them with the resources to to keep their family together. I explained to them that when their child is crying they don’t want me to comfort them but that they want them as their parents. There is a special bond and love between a parent and child. I explained that when I am hurting or sad or have exciting news I still want to run and tell my parents.
I had them look at Jesus’ life and how the night before Jesus was crucified scripture says he spent the night in the garden crying out to His Abba Father. I wanted them to know that just like Jesus we as God’s children we can cry out to Him like their children cry out to them. When they are hurting they can cry out to Jesus who is their comforter. When they are sick they can cry out to Him because He is their healer. When they are lonely they can cry out to Him because He is always there. I went on to talk about David and how the Psalms are the cries of His heart to his father. It is amazing that we have a God and Father in Heaven who hears us and waits for us to come and spend time with Him. He hears us and loves us. He is the same Father who wants to provide for our every need.
I went on to talk about how they have not been given an easy life BUT they have been given a BIG GOD and Father who loves them so much. I wanted them to know that I know that having a special needs child especially in Haiti is hard. That is requires more energy and time that they have to poor into them BUT I also wanted to paint a picture for them to see that we are very needy children to God. That all of us are broken, hurting, sick people ourselves. We are pretty needy BUT our father promises never to give up on us and to never leave us or forsake us. Just as Jesus is faithful and never leaves us, we can be faithful to our children and never leave them. I wanted them to know that by loving their children, they were showing their love for God. At the end I told them Lets love our children as Jesus loves us!
I have been having a hard time having peace about spending so much time working with the For Jonathan Sake program because that has been consuming most all my day between preparing for it, running the program and all the paperwork and writing up evaluations and treatment plans. I have not got to spent a lot of time with my kids in the Miriam Home and they know it. Courtney has had to remind me that I can’t do everything and that this is where God is leading my focus to be right now. Once I get all the evaluations done, the activity papers written up, treatment plans written for each child. I will have much more time to spend with the children of the Miriam Home. I have a really hard time keeping balance in my life especially here in Haiti when I feel pulled in so many directions and there is so much I need to do.
God has blessed me with an amazing translator who is passionate and works great with the children. God laid upon my heart to start talking with him. I found out he was in school in PAP but his school was destroyed. They are rebuilding his school. He only has 1 year left to become an accountant. I told him how good he was with children. I asked if he had ever thought about working with children. He said yeah but there are no jobs out there. I told him what if I could offer you a job here working with the Miriam Home. What if I could send you to training to become a rehab technician. I gave him a lot to think about and pray about. I ask for your prayers for the young man as well. Ask God to show him where He is leading and guiding his future. I ask that you also pray that God will bring someone to fill our need for a rehab tech.
I am so excited to see what God is going to do in the next few weeks with For Jonathan’s Sake. Please keep the families, the children, and me in your prayers.
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