Orphans

Today we visited another orphanage in Leogone, a nearby city.  It is run by a couple,  Jasmine and Greg Martinson.  There are 57 kids there!  It is very organized with several buildings and play areas with books, games and toys.  They wanted me to do a PT consult on several developmentally delayed children.  .....pause here for hysterical laughter from my PT friends since I haven't done peds since my clinical in Sioux Falls in 1989!  Let's just say I did my best and leave it at that.   Several of the kids there are in the process of being adopted and many of the families are from MN.  I talked to one little guy who said he was going to build a snowman there:)  The kids are taught English and can speak it pretty well.  It was very sobering to talk with Jasmine to  learn about how most kids are just dropped off by their parents without a backward glance and sometimes moms do it multiple times.  It is not uncommon for men here to get multiple women pregnant and most moms have little means to support them.  The kids are bright, energetic and happy, though and well cared for and loved.  Many volunteers help out and short-term trips often stay there.  Again, we met many people from MN.  I saw one of the kids wearing an Elk River T Shirt and yesterday there was a kid at the clinic in a Favre Green Bay jersey! 
Afterward we went to the beach on a road with crazy traffic!  There are no rules, lots of blaring horns and nary a signal or stopsign to be found.  We had a low tire and had to stop and get air.  Lots of blatant stares at all the white people.  Culturally, it is not considered rude to get quite close and just stand and ogle.  Same thing at the beach.   A group of boys got really close and just stared at us without speaking for about 45 minutes; it was as though they were watching an interesting movie!
I can't believe we're already going home tomorrow.  It sounds weird to say how much I've loved being here.  I had many preconceived ideas about what it would be like and many of them were wrong.  It is a challenging, interesting, sometimes sad, seemingly hopeless and  beautiful place.  It is a fulfillment of a longing that I've had for a long time.  I am sad to leave but look forward to coming back again....and again.  I am glad there are so many others still here doing God's work and answering his call.  Jesus is alive in Haiti....Praise God!