Absence Makes the Stories Pile Up!

Hello from Haiti! My apologies for the long absence from the world of blogging. I have had an extraordinarily busy and eventful several weeks, hosting many visitors, celebrating NPFS milestones, taking a little vacation, at which I was admittedly unsuccessful, and finding my way back to a routine. I will gladly catch you up on the multiple events and happenings here over the next few blog entries. Here is a little glimpse into my heart for now...



Ti Erline

As we pull into the driveway of Saint Anne, the little faces emerge onto the porch and the voices grow louder. I step out of the car and look intently for the little girl with hair finally long enough to twist and braid. I meet her eyes as she toddles out to the porch in her cotton sundress, and waves as I sing her name. Her eyes grow bright and her smile grows wide as I kneel down to greet her. I gingerly lift her and she settles immediately into my arms, hers encircling my neck as she continues to smile and talk quietly. She laughs as I talk, and nods her head in reply to my questions. As I hold her close and examine her now-healthy physique, my mind travels back to our first encounter on my first day in-country  six short months ago. 

The tiny girl I met in August had very little hair, and a smile was a rare find. She was, in my best description, like a cat – she could not be approached, but had to do the approaching. She did not like being held, and she screamed in discomfort.  She could not tolerate food, often vomiting minutes after eating and suffering from watery diarrhea. Traumatized by sudden separation from her mother and family, she cried and was not active in playing with the other children. My heart broke as I racked my brain for causes of her misery, and over the next several weeks we ran a battery of tests, frightened by the implications of the potential results. I was dissatisfied with the hospital doctor’s diagnosis of psychological trauma, but we commenced with giving her extra nutrition, treating her parasites and instructing the women looking after her to give her extra love and care. And, as time did reveal, this precious little one was suffering the effects of a broken heart. The extra calories and parasite medication did their job of filling her tummy and energizing her physically, and the showers of love and attention provided by her caregivers transformed her emotionally.

Ti Erline is among my favorite little ones here. In reaching out to her, I have been changed. I have long believed that one of the greatest diseases of our time is the poverty of the unloved.  To witness the metamorphosis of a child who is carried by love is an extraordinary experience.  She now runs, plays, talks and sings in her tiny voice, saying my name delicately and hugging me fiercely. She trusts the children and staff who love and encourage her, and does not hesitate to be paraded around by the older girls when she visits them on Parent Day, or to give me a kiss. She laughs when I tickle her and give her raspberry kisses, and offers to share her lollipop with me.  She is what this life is about, why I am here.