Daphka and Ada

Ada is a wonderful person who has come down to Haiti with us for a couple years, but was not able to join us this year. Durning that time she has made a connection with a child at the orphanage named Daphka, who is a sweet little girl of 10 now, but I think 8 when Ada first met her. 

When we first visited the orphanage this trip Daphka came up to me and asked where Ada was because she did not see her. I told her that Ada was not able to come which made her quite sad. In an attempt to cheer her up I tried to call Ada from the cell phone I have with me, but unfortunately Ada was not available and the call went to voice mail. I tried to get Daphka to leave a message, but I don't think the message was more than Daphka saying Ada's name. 

Daphka left and I continued to play and speak with the other children. A while later Daphka came back with a letter for Ada and made me promise to deliver it.  I said I would and gave the letter to one of the people with us who will see Ada when we return to the US.

I received and email from Ada saying that she saved the voice message so she could hear it when she wanted and she wrote a letter to Daphka using Google to translate it. This letter was attached to the email and we were able to print it out. 

Tonight when we visited the kids at the orphanage after a very long medical clinic day, I took the letter with the intent to read it to her, but as a now 10 year old it turns out that she was able to read it herself, which I think is really better. She was overjoyed to received the letter and read it out loud a couple of times I think. 

While the letter was greatly received, Daphka was still sad as she misses Ada. But as someone pointed out it was a better type of sad than before she had the letter. While Daphka was reading the letter I was able to call and reach Ada on the cell phone and they talked for a while as a tear dribbled down Daphka's cheek. Just as Daphka handed the phone back to me my international minutes ran out. Praise God for his timing. 

Durning the prayer time before the children go to bed I was standing with Daphka and at one point 

the children are told to pray their individual prayers. This is a time when all the children pray at the same time and it is actually a wonderful time of prayer as all the different thoughts, hopes, dreams, and fears are lifted to God is a twisted ball or overlapping words that only God could possibly understand. 

Right before this praying started Daphka reached up and whispered into my ear to "pray for Ada".

So tonight I pray for Daphka and Ada and the wonderful relationship they have formed over short weekly visits and continued thoughts and prayers of and for each other.  May God continue to watch over and care for this relationship and may it blossom for many years to come. Amen.