It's Only the Beginning....

I have been quite busy for the past week working on several different projects and trying to stay focused on my purpose here. The two main concerns were trying to see about getting help for our roads and learning more about the laws regarding adoption in this country.
I took a two day trip to Port Au Prince and back this week with Actionnel and three students. I needed to go to the Haitian Immigration to see about getting my Visa and they were there to visit. Divine intervention made it possible for us to find the perfect place to park (close and in a shady spot) and to get in and out of the Immigration office in a matter of minutes without any problems at all. That is not too common in any large city of millions. The woman that assisted us was very pleasant and helpful. Also not so common. She gave us a printout for the list of requirements and explained each one to us. But, as one woman said, "You only really need it when you are leaving the country". So, since I am planning a short trip to Texas in mid August, I need to take care of it soon.
I described the road conditions to Gonaives in my earlier blog and I am sad to say that the road to Port Au Prince is twice as bad. It is the same road that I originally came in on but it has sustained more damage as well. Since we have had so much rain in the past few weeks, it is a huge challenge to make the trip in a vehicle and especially on foot. Some of the holes are three to four feet deep and twice as wide. Full of water and very soft earth. It is also necessary to cross the river two or three times when leaving or coming into Bayonnais. Again, when it rains, it is extremely dangerous. I was constantly thanking God for the fact that we were in a Toyota truck that sits high on the ground and also has four wheel drive. I just don't see how people do it everyday. When we got out on the "good road" we still had to use a lot of caution with the sudden dips and loose gravel. We drove on whatever side of the road that was driveable and also had to watch for other vehicles. There was so much dust it looked like a snowstorm. All the trees were covered in it. I was very grateful for the fact that the truck had air-conditioning (something I have not experienced in over two months) so we were able to stay cool and keep the windows rolled up. It was actually a very nice trip there and back in spite of the bruises and whiplash.
We stayed at a wonderful place called the Walls International Guests House and I felt so at home and comfortable there. The place was very clean and the staff was helpful and polite. It had a small swimming pool, which we did not use, and also had a couple of conference rooms. The property was surrounded by a tall concrete wall and had a large solid iron security gate. They also had 24 hour guard protection. We were provided with dinner and breakfast the next morning and everything was really delicious. I especially enjoyed the french toast. My room had an A/C unit as well as an oscillating fan. I felt so spoiled but I was loving every minute of it.
While we were there, I met a woman from Canada that had just adopted a little 19 month old Haitian girl and they were waiting for the girl's passport to come through so she could go home. I asked her a lot of questions because we currently have a couple that are interested in adopting the twins, Cardina and Carjina. One of the men that came to visit last month expressed an interest while he was here and we have been staying in touch. So, I am doing what I can to get some information to them. Thanks to God, I was able to meet this woman from Canada. She said it took her almost eighteen months for the process from start to finish. I hope to see this through before I leave.
During breakfast the next morning, we met a gentleman from Indiana that talked about a new concept for repairing the roads in Haiti. I was very interested and fascinated by his ideas and with the work he has done to reach the right people. I told him we would be willing to be his guinea pigs in Bayonnais if he wanted to start experimenting somewhere. He gave us his card so I hope to continue to stay in touch with him.
I have had enough "coincidences" in my life to know that there is no such thing. I was right where I needed to be and I thank God for his divine guidance. I was able to move a little further on the two most important concerns. It is only the beginning.
When I returned home from PAP, the kids were so excited to see me. You would have thought I had been away for a month. It will be tough when I leave in August for two weeks and even harder when I take a month in December. By then, we will be much closer then we are now. The only thing that makes it okay for them is knowing that I will come back and I will also be bringing some great gifts, specifically the DVD's for them to watch.
Yesterday, Lucner spent most of his day working on the files for our children and having the kids measured for their school uniforms. Since the orphanage opened in March, a few of our kids did not have a uniform. This year, they will all look so sharp. Lucner also went to visit all of the family members of our orphans. Even though they have one parent that is still living, their living conditions are so bad that they are unable to care for their children. All of the parents said that they have put their children in our hands and they hope that we will be able to find homes for them. The fact that our budget only allows us to take in eleven children and our house is set up to accommodate only 12 at this time, we are very limited in being able to help the hundreds and hundreds of other children here in Bayonnais who have the same needs. Nearly all of our orphans have siblings and the parents are begging us to take the others. It is very heartbreaking to know their circumstances and to have to say no and walk away.

And now for my public service announcement:
With the new school year just around the corner and eleven souls to take care of, we truly need your help. If you would like to sponsor a child, we are asking for $30.00 per month to help with their needs. The children are fed three hot meals a day and we have four staff members in addition to Lucner, Saint-Victor and myself (volunteer) to watch over and care for them.We also have about 150 other students that attend school on our property and many of them cannot afford their tuition. The children in Haiti are required to pay to go to school, otherwise, they do not get an education. The tuition covers the salaries of the teachers and the replenishing of supplies .We also will need to add on to our current school building and build more benches to accomodate the additional children that will be joining us this year. We could have as many as 200+ when school starts. We still have many that cannot afford their uniforms, their books and other school supplies. We are not set up as of yet to serve lunch during the school day for our students. For most of them, this is the only meal they get. If we are not set up for it, then most of our students will go hungry day after day. We hope that by having sponsors or more funding, we can enlarge our kitchen and add more staff to make it possible.
If you are seriously considering adoption, I would like to be able to help you accomplish that dream. Every state has its own rules so research would be necessary in order to have the proper information and speed up the process. It would truly be a blessing for these children to have a place to call home and to be cared for by a loving family.
If you have a place in your heart for children or have been led by God to do your part in helping, please contact me at VJPierce@gmail.com. We will be happy to give you all the information about the child and keep you posted on a regular basis about their needs, their health and their progress. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and Bayonnais is the poorest region in Haiti. Please do what you are lead to do to help. We will be forever grateful and especially the children whose lives will be changed for the better.

Many of you who have been keeping up with my blog know most of my kids and the faces that go with them. Next week, I plan to post their pictures along with some information on each child so that you can know them a little better. They are all really good kids and I have come to love them very much in the eleven weeks that I have been here. I hope that you will come to love them as well. Thank you for caring and for your continued prayers. God Bless!

Health update: For those who are wondering, all visible signs of my Shingles rash have disappeared but I am still experiencing the strange prickly feeling on my skin in all parts of my body. Whether it was the Amoxicillin or the Haitian antibiotic cream, I don't know for sure? I am just happy to be rid of the itching and the painful rash. I have an appointment scheduled with my doctor in August and hopefully all will be better by then.