We have a BIG God!

I didn’t sleep much last night. Maybe it was from the 10pm walk to the ice cream shop J, but more likely from being excited and anxious about this day and what we would experience. While sitting outside at 7am, waiting for breakfast to arrive, I could hear the city waking up. The roosters were crowing and the sounds of motorcycles were beginning to fill the streets. We started our breakfast with amazing coffee! Good thing I have room in my suitcase to bring several pounds home with me! We had a wonderful breakfast of pancakes, toast, mango, and scrambled eggs. After breakfast, Bill, our guide, discussed things we needed to know about crossing the border. After a few moments of gathering some of our things back at our rooms, like the essential passport, we met out in front of the hotel to start our walk to the border. (Wait… where’s Jerry? Oh, here he comes!) We had to pass through a crowded market place on our way to the border. Think of the Farmer’s Market multiplied by 100! We walked through the narrow center of it trying to stay out of the way of the motorcycles zipping through. There were so many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, some I had never seen before. Smells of fresh cilantro, charcoal stoves, and motorcycle exhaust. Suddenly it started to rain. We stopped and stood under some of the vendor’s tarps while the rain, which turned into a downpour, passed. The people were nice and didn’t really pay too much attention to us. Someone bought a bag of an unusual fruit which most of us tried. Different! When we got to the border, Blake, another volunteer at Danita’s gathered our passports and took them to the officials. We each had to fill out a form and then we were on our way. Monday and Friday(?) are market days which makes the border very crowded as the Haitians cross into Dominican Republic to buy food and supplies. As we crossed the Massacre River, the scenery changed dramatically. On the Haitian side there were people washing clothes in the river. There were no buildings, just a mass of tarps and people hauling market items any way they can. They loaded them on trucks, busses, wheelbarrows, long heavy carts, and women carried items on top of their heads. There was trash everywhere. Bill led us through this maze of people, trash and goods until we came to a paved road that took us to the Danita’s Children’s Center. The security guard opened the iron gate to let us in. Kariss and many of the boys came over to greet us, shaking our hands, smiling their beautiful smiles and exchanging names. Bill took us into the church which is now used to house about 36 bunk beds for the boys. In one corner of the church we found a group of Haitian women holding many of the special needs children. Our hearts melted as we also held them and played with many of the little boys. Many of their stories are on the danitaschildren.org website. Bill filled us in on others. Our tour resumed as Bill took us through the four floors of the medical center currently under construction. I found myself praying through each room and for the medical staff that the Lord would provide, not to mention the lives that would be saved in addition to the safety of the construction team. It was amazing to see and hear all that God had provided. We went to another building where we met Danita who happened to have just returned from the US last week. We sat around the lounge area as she told us the story of how God began this whole ministry. I hope you can check it out on her website. There probably wasn’t a dry eye in the room. I am in awe of God’s amazing and continuous provisions for the center. We serve a BIG God and nothing is impossible for Him! Later we had another wonderful meal of beans and rice, fresh fruit, plantains and fish. Even Carly, who doesn’t like fish, said it was very good! We talked for quite awhile around the table. Danita kept apologizing that it was raining. We were antsy to get started on a work project, but found the slower pace of talking and playing with the children for the rest of our time there very enjoyable. As we left the gates of the center, the “children on the outside of the gates,” as they are called, swarmed us for any food we had. Some people passed our granola bars. Mark became a target as he tried to pass out candy and was immediately taken over by reaching and grabbing hands. It was quite a sight. How excited these little ones get over a piece of candy! It really makes you think about our own appreciation for God’s provision for us. One last stop was at the girl’s house about 100 yards from the Children’s Center. As we arrived in their courtyard, they came out of the door and immediately greeted us with hugs and smiles. They were all beautiful and very much girly. Their hair was braided, they had necklaces on that they had made and had polish on their toes. We could only visit with them for a short while. We had to walk quickly to get to the border before it closed. As soon as we crossed we heard, “STOP!” Bill was thinking it was Dominican Republican soldier. Actually it was a Major Bennett who was a U.S. soldier who wanted to know if we had been treated well by all the authorities at the border. Bill explained to him about Danita’s Children and the possible need for the security services he offered at the orphanage. Major Bennett gave Bill his contact number. Another God moment and answer to a need at the children’s center. Wow! Did I say we serve a BIG God?! We stopped at a store for a much needed cold bottle of water or soda, then headed beck to the hotel. Wait …. Where’s Jerry? Oh, here he comes! I love how Jerry just greets and talks with anyone! We got cleaned up at the hotel, had devotions, another amazing dinner, and debriefing. We had a guest at dinner with us, a deaf boy by the name of Lubenson. He also has one eye permanently closed. He lives on the streets and has become a friend of Bill’s. We knew the storm was coming in tonight and the thought of him sleeping on the streets was difficult to accept. It was arranged for him to have a room at our hotel. Because he can’t hear, the question was written for him to read if he wanted to stay at the hotel. With a huge smile, he nodded his head. Some of the clothes we brought were given to him. He will be safe and warm tonight. Good night, Lubenson. Good night everyone …

Patti Ruona

*pictures are taking too long to load, we will upload them tomorrow morning.