365-209-225 Summer wrap up....

I know this post is picture heavy...

But, that is what happens when you don't take the time to post daily.

It has been a busy summer...

and it is coming to an end.

Actually, school started last week for my girlie...

I did not have to pick out any curriculum because the school does it for you! Ha!

It was nice : )

Although, I still miss my girlie, I know this is the right fit for her.

She is my social girl...hmm... I wonder where she got that from : )

The first pic is of my family in Haiti... : ( 

I miss them.

Then we have my girlie's 16th birthday party.  She said she wanted it low key... 

well, it was sort of low key... meaning we didn't rent a room somewhere..

It was super fun but a lot of work for me and my friends.

Two of my besties came out to help and celebrate her birthday.

It was sweet.

I am blessed.

The next group of pics are of my girlie on picture day for Cheer and another day for the heck of it.

She hurt her foot playing volleyball.  

She is NOT playing softball this fall.  First time in years.  I am not sure what I think about it.

She wanted to try for the volleyball team and cheer team at her school. So we let her.

The next pic is of my step momma and my brother...

He has been sick a lot this summer and I had to fly out to my home town a few times.

The next two are of my grandson who comes every summer and the other pic is of the pier that we took him to.

and lastly, we managed to squeeze in a trip to the Ronald Reagan Library while my friends were visiting.

That is Air Force One...

Blessings,

Kim

365-204-208

My last post about Haiti...

maybe...

until I go back again...

I can't believe I have been back in America for almost 3 weeks...

I just can't let myself forget everything I saw and experienced.

The Lord is in control of all circumstances including those babies...

He is Sovereign and on the Throne.

I keep telling myself that...

They are in a much better place being in that orphanage and getting 2 meals a day, having a safe place to sleep and most important... learning about Jesus.

I just don't want to walk away and go back to my comfy life and forget...

I will be printing some of these pics and putting them in frames around my house.  I want to remember their sweet faces and when I see them I want to pray for them.

Also, I am praying about what to do with what I saw...

Maybe a new ministry?

Hopefully return trips in the future...

Blessings,

Kim

 James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

365-199-203 Haiti part 3....

This is Rodna...

she pronounced it Woodna..

She is 13 as well...

Her story is that she has been in the orphanage since October 2014....

Her mom is dead. She did not tell me much and nothing about her father.

She followed me around the entire time and hung out with me.  We played cards a lot... 

btw, they are all very serious about a card came and for the life of me I could not figure it out... : )

But she always took care of me and made sure I was playing right.  I would hold the cards and she would look at them and she would take them out of my hand and help me play.

I apparently won a few times.  I have no idea how?

She also liked to braid my pony tail.

Everyday when I would come in she would take my pony tail and braid it.

Tiny little braids...

One afternoon she fell asleep on my lap...

It was a precious time...

It was a warm afternoon and we had been playing all day so we sat down for a bit...

She laid her head on my lap and fell asleep.

I rubbed her back...

My girlie loves for me to rub her back so I figured she would too...

and she did...

Sweet girlie...

Pray for her...

Also pictured are the desks that the team made while we were there....

The 10 days went too fast...

Blessings,

Kim

365-194-198 More Haiti....

I checked flights today to see if it is possible to go back to Haiti at Christmas..

My heart is so full of love for these babies...

This is Emamie...

She is 13 years old.

She was the second kid to latch onto me and stay with me the entire time I was there...

I love her...

Is it possible to love someone so quickly?

She wants a mommy so bad...

Her story is that she does not know where her mom is...

She has 5 brothers and they are all in Haiti somewhere but she doesn't know where.

She cries for her mom.

For most of the time I was there she was a happy little girl that loved to play cards and draw pictures.

One day, she looked very sad and I asked her why she was sad.

She told me she missed her mom.

She grabbed my hand and she lead me to the swing set and she began to cry and hum softly.

I don't speak the language but I know why she was crying...

I cried with her...

and prayed.

When we left the orphanage, my little sweet Emamie cried so hard she was sobbing.

I can barely think about it without crying again.

She is loved...

I love her and my Jesus loves her...

Her Jesus...

Blessings,

Kim

365-189-193 Haiti Has My Heart!

I am forever changed...

This is not my first rodeo... I have been on several short term mission trips before. In fact, this was my 5th trip out of the country for missions...

This trip, however, was very different...

The entire week was spent in the orphanage, loving, caring, holding, teaching, on these sweet orphans..

Part of my heart is in Haiti...

I met around 70 kids that have no family... 

But three kids stick out in my mind and I will NEVER forget them as long as I live.

I hope they know that. I hope they felt the love I have for them in the short time I was with them.

I want them to feel love.

I want them to know they are important. Important to me and most of all important to Jesus.

I will tell you all about the three of them but I will start with Alfonso first.

Alfonso is the boy in the first picture.  He has a white shirt on.

I can barely look at him without wanting to cry.

When I walked in the orphanage he came up to me after I was in the building about 30 secs.  He grabbed my hand and pulled me around, not saying a word.

He pretty much did that the rest of the week.  

Around Wednesday, I asked him how he got there (through the translator), he answered that he was told by his parents to go to the store and then he couldn't find his way home.  What??? I was dying.  I was thinking "wait, there is a mom out there that does not know where her boy is?? I was dying inside at the thought. Thinking of my own two children and the desperation that I would feel to get to my kids.

I talked with the Pastor that runs the orphanage and he said that was not the case.  That in fact, his parents, probably lost him on purpose. 

Yes, you read that right. On purpose.

Then he tells me that Alfonso was a street kid and that he had been on the street for awhile.  They actually don't know how long. He was arrested for stealing and he was put in jail for a day to be scared straight.  After, they (CPS) brought him to the orphanage.  He has been there since October 2014.

Alfonso is starting to adjust but it has been difficult.  You see, he has been on his own and does not know how to follow instructions from adults. 

Are you looking at the picture?  HE IS A BABY!!!!!! He does not know how old he is... he thinks 9.

I wish there was an easy, simple answer.  There is not.

Adoptions can take years and thousands of dollars. 

The system is convoluted.

Please join me in praying for Alfonso.

Pray that he sees the cross in the midst of all this.

And Lord willing, that I will get to go back and love on him some more.

When we left, the kids all cried.  Alfonso was confused and looked a little lost.  He saw my girlie crying and went up to her and wiped her tears. 

I have a desperation for him to know that he is loved.

I have many stories from my 10 days in Haiti.

I will try to post as soon as I can.

I have seen poverty.

I have seen orphans.

This was a new level...

Blessings,

Kim