OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I’VE BEEN GOING TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO WORK WITH VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON ORPHAN CARE AND VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING. FOR THE LONGEST TIME I’VE WANTED TO MOVE OUT OF COUNTRY, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL RECENTLY GOD OPENED THE DOOR FOR ME TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO ONE VISION. IT’S BEEN A MONTH NOW SINCE I MOVED TO HAITI TO BE APART OF IMME. THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST EXCITING MOVE I’VE EXPERIENCED. I FEEL THE MOST AT HOME HERE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE. LIFE IN HAITI IS FULL OF ADVENTURE AND UNEXPECTED TURNS. YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU WILL FACE, IF THE PLANS YOU MAKE WILL FOLLOW THROUGH, OR IF YOU WILL MEET SOMEONE WHO BECOMES APART OF YOUR STORY AND CHANGES YOUR LIFE IN A WAY YOU DIDN’T KNOW POSSIBLE. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED A FEW WEEKS AGO. INSTEAD OF IT BEING ONE PERSON IT WAS NINE PRECIOUS CHILDREN.
THIS STORY ACTUALLY BEGINS OVER A MONTH AGO. WE MET A DOCTOR WHO HAD TAKEN 9 CHILDREN IN TO FEED THEM AND GIVE THEM A HOME. WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME WITH THE KIDS, GET TO KNOW THE DOCTOR, AND FIND OUT THEIR STORY. IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE THE TRUTH CAME OUT THAT HE WAS ONLY TAKING KIDS IN TO MAKE MONEY, WHICH IS VERY COMMON HERE. THOUGH THE KIDS WERE GIVEN SHELTER AND FOOD, THE DOCTOR WAS DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD. WE COULD SEE THAT THEY WERE SEVERELY ABANDONED AND ABUSED EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY. ONE MORNING WE RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ONE OF THE MOTHERS WHO INFORMED US THE DOCTOR HAD DROPPED THE KIDS OFF AT AN ORPHANAGE AND ABANDONED THEM. OUT OF THE NINE KIDS HE HAD, SEVEN WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR FAMILIES. TWO GIRLS WERE LEFT WITH NO WHERE TO GO. WE DIDN’T THINK TWICE BEFORE WE LOADED UP TO GO GET THEM.
WE WEREN’T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN WE GOT THERE. WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT CONDITION THEY WERE IN PHYSICALLY/EMOTIONALLY OR WHAT THE ORPHANAGE WAS LIKE. OUR HEARTS WERE STIRRED AT WHAT WE DISCOVERED. THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT WALKING IN A BEAT UP BUILDING THAT SMELLS OF URINE AND SICKNESS THAT MAKES YOUR STOMACH DROP. NOT MUCH WAS IN THE ROOM EXCEPT TWO TABLES AND WOOD BENCHES. THERE WAS 40+ KIDS SITTING AROUND LOOKING ROUGH AND LIFELESS WITH BLOATED BELLIES. IT WASN’T HARD TO PICK OUT THE CHILDREN WHO NEEDED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE. AS WE SPOKE WITH THE DIRECTOR WE CAME TO THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SHE CAN ONLY FEED ABOUT 30 KIDS A DAY DUE TO THE FACT SHE HAD MORE CHILDREN THAN WHAT SHE COULD PROVIDE FOR. SHE ROTATES THEM TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE GETS FED. WITHOUT HAVING TO DISCUSS MUCH, WE KNEW WE WERE LEAVING WITH MORE THAN TWO KIDS. WE PICKED THE ONES WHO WERE CLEARLY MALNOURISHED AND NEEDED ATTENTION. AS WE ARE FINISHING UP, I SAW TWO WOMEN BRINGING OUT INFANTS FROM THE BACK ROOM. WHEN I SAW THE FIRST INFANT, TAINA, MY HEART SANK. I STOPPED WHAT I WAS DOING AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER. SHE WAS NOTHING BUT SKIN AND BONES AND DIDN’T LOOK LIKE SHE WOULD MAKE IT MUCH LONGER. THE OTHER INFANT (GERMIMA) WAS IN THE SAME CONDITION, JUST NOT AS BAD. AS I HELD TAINA I FELT EVERY BONE IN HER BODY. SHE WAS THE MOST FRAGILE CHILD I’VE EVER HELD. WE ALL KNEW WE WOULD TAKE THEM. WE HAD FRIENDS AND SOME OF OUR STATE-SIDE STAFF IN SO EVERYONE TOOK A CHILD IN THEIR ARMS AND WE LOADED UP WITH NINE PRECIOUS GIFTS.
IT’S BEEN WEEKS AND WE HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE CHILDREN. THE FIRST TWO DAYS THEY WERE DOWNCAST AND SCARED. THEIR FACES EXPRESSED DEPRESSION, HURT, LOSS, AND ABANDONMENT. THESE ARE THINGS NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO FEEL. NOT ANYMORE. WE ARE SEEING LIFE FILL THEIR EYES! WHEN THEY LAUGH THE ROOM FILLS UP WITH JOY. THEIR SMILES MELT YOUR HEART. WHEN THE MUSIC IS TURNED UP, THE DANCE MOVES COME OUT. WE ARE SEEING THESE KIDS WALK IN A FREEDOM THAT THEY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED. THEY AREN’T SUBJECT TO A PRISON CELL OF REJECTION AND ABANDONMENT. THEY ARE ACCEPTED, LOVED, CARED FOR, AND BELIEVED IN. THE FIRST COUPLE NIGHTS, SOME OF THE KIDS WERE HAVING NIGHT TERRORS. THEY CRIED OUT WITH SO MUCH FEAR. IT MADE YOU WONDER WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH. NOT ANYMORE. NOW BEDTIME CONSIST OF CUDDLES, GIGGLES, AND EVERYONE FALLS ASLEEP IN PEACE.
CURRENTLY WE ARE FOCUSED ON GETTING THEM HEALTHY, FINDING OUT THEIR STORIES, AND INVESTING INTO WHO THEY ARE. IT’S TRUE WE ARE IMPACTING THEIR LIVES, BUT THEY ARE IMPACTING OURS. I HAVE FOUND MYSELF UNDONE AT THE GOODNESS OF GOD IN THIS STORY. I HAVE SEEN THE FATHER’S HEART IN THESE KIDS. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE YOU CAN LOVE A CHILD SO MUCH THAT IS NOT YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD? WE HAVE ALL FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THESE KIDS. WE ARE POURING INTO THEIR LIVES AND LOOKING OUT FOR THEIR BEST INTEREST. EVEN WHEN THEY ARE HAVING TO BE CORRECTED AND TAUGHT BASIC PRINCIPLES, THEY KNOW WE LOVE THEM. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF THE FATHER. THIS IS FAMILY. THIS IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. IT’S SO FUN TO SEE THE PERSONALITIES OF THESE KIDS COME OUT. THEY HAVE BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AND COMFORTABLE TO BE THEMSELVES. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE ALL ABOUT. WE ARE SEEING LIVES TRANSFORMED IN FRONT OF OUR EYES. WE ARE SEEING HOPE RESTORED. THIS IS WHAT FAMILY LOOKS LIKE. THIS IS WHAT FAMILY DOES. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU ARE ACCEPTED FOR WHO YOU ARE. YOUR PAST OR SITUATION IS NOT HELD OVER YOUR HEAD, BUT INSTEAD YOUR PASSIONS AND DREAMS ARE AFFIRMED AND CALLED OUT. THE ADVENTURE ONLY CONTINUES!
– Lauren Anzivino
