There was no school today so we headed down to the orphanage after their breakfast time, but it turns out they had a problem with the gas, so breakfast hadn't been prepared yet. The kids eat two meals a day, which is normal in Haiti and for both meals today it looked like beans and rice, which is a Haitian staple; but I have to admit it looked like rice sprinkled with a few beans.
We di make bead fish with the children in the morning. This is a craft where you string together bead in the shape of a fish. The children were quite good at it one they learned the concept and soon their were bead fish, necklaces, bracelets, and other things.
I should mention that there are a mother and daughter team down here as well for this week. They are from Virginia and this is the third trip for the daughter, but the first trip for the mother. The daughter teacher 1st grade and the mother is retired. They brought craft supplies and ideas, I have some supplies and toys.
The Pastor's oldest daughter is going to university in Oklahoma and his next oldest daughter just finished high school and is looking to go to school in New York for business administration. She wanted to practice her English so we spoke a bit. I think New York will be quite a change for her if she gets accepted. I was able to find out more about Sunshine's progress. She said Sunshine is always hungry and loves food. She said that she is strong, but just doesn't want to walk and that the family has to work with he to walk even if she cries to be carried sometimes.
I also found out a bit more about the money the boys make for selling crafts. Apparently they sell to groups that come to the orphanage as opposed to selling on the street and they get to keep the money if they want or they can give some to the orphanage. The boys use some of the money to buy supplies as well as they. Have bought a radio.
Not sure if I mentioned or not, but there are new children at the orphanage to year. They have added two young no girls about age 7. The ceiling in the boys rooms has been fixed and there are dividing wall in the rooms now to divide the children's living spaces a bit. The older children bunk in one area with the younger children in another.
I brought with me this year pictures of the kids from last year as well as pictures from several years ago. The kids seemed to enjoy seeing the older pictures. I would really like to capture the history of the children so that they can understand from where they came and understand their family. I know that some of the children have tough backgrounds, but I think that is part of them and having that history will give them a basis for understanding themselves.
The older boys have become quite musically talented. The girls have always been able to sing well, but the boys have sort of a band now and have even started writing some of their own songs. Be sure to check out the Facebook page for the Source of Light (https://www.facebook.com/centresourcedelumiere/) to see some examples.
Tonight I prayer for the children living at Source of Light. I pray that they discover their past and that they achieve their dreams. I pray that they understand their value as children of God and grow top make a stronger, independent Haiti.
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