In Haiti at last!

So, arrived in Haiti the afternoon of the 21^st. We had so many bags (big ones too!) that just getting out of our hotel room and down to the lobby with them on a cart was an adventure.  My (Evan's) bag was so long that it stuck going through the door, so we had to take it off, and I pulled it.  There were more people waiting to catch the shuttle to the airport than you'd think there would be at 4 AM.  Only one driver for the shuttle showed up, and he seemed a little on the grumpy side.  But he got us there, and all our bags out, so we were happy.  Going through customs and the airport went fine, but I discovered that flying doesn't agree with me too well. Too bad. Anyway, I apparently hadn't been drinking enough water the day before, so although I tried to drink a lot at the airport, between that, going to bed a bit on the late side, then getting up at four AM, and motion sickness I was feeling a bit light-headed when we finally arrived in Haiti. Mr. Schmidt met us at the airport, and drove us home.  On the way I saw lots of cattle and goats, some horses, a few pigs, and some donkeys.  I pretty much crashed as soon as we got to the orphanage, and so I'm afraid that I was absolutely no help to the Schmidts. The next morning I felt much better, though still a little dizzy at times, and after breakfast I organized the “pantry”- a shelving unit filled with food and some dishes.

    Before we ate breakfast, we fed the children. There are four of them right now. Jason is the oldest at around 5, then Caleb at about 4. These two were abandoned at a TB hospital, and were taken care of there for about a year and a half. The Schmidts got them a couple months ago, sometime in late October, early November I think. Then there is Maurice, then Betty. Betty is pretty much normal- in fact that is why they have her, so that the others will watch her and try to imitate her. She was severely burned on her legs though. Caleb is definitely the most needy- he is in what is often called a vegetable state. I think that next to him, Maurice needs the most taking care of. He was thrown on a trash heap, were he was found by a pastor's daughter. Jason is pretty mobile, and I think that he'll be walking soon. He is also usually a very happy and energetic fellow from what I've seen. None of them can talk or walk yet.

Last night after eating turkey sandwiches for supper, and of course, feeding the children, and putting them to bed, we talked for a little while, then listened to the first episode of an early Christmas present of JoHannah's, Jeremy's and Josh's- the most recent volume of Jonathan Park.

This morning Mr. Schmidt and the two boys, Jeremy and Joshua, went to give supplies to two other orphanages in a place called Gonaives. I fed Jason, JoHannah fed Maurice, and Mrs. Schmidt fed Betty and Caleb. We girls then ate corn flakes with milk (powdered milk and water that is) and then we read five Psalms. A verse in one of them (Psalm 113) particularly struck me- “He lifteth the poor out of the dust, and the needy out of the dunghill... and maketh him to sit among the princes of his people.” I had just heard the history of Maurice, and was sitting across from him as I read this verse. He certainly was needy, and had been literally lifted out of a “dunghill” or trash heap.

  I'll post photos as soon as possible.