REUNITED! :-)

       Those who know me well will tell you that I am not into facebook drama and it actually frustrates me when people use social media either to seek attention for themselves or to portray only the sad parts of ministry in Haiti (usually just for donations- “Look how bad it is and how much ‘they’ need you!”) Argh!  So, my very vague posts last night were not intended to do either.  I was truly at a loss for words and processing A LOT.  Reality is that life here can be TOUGH.  Not only for those who have no choice but to live in this country because they were born here and are part of a system that makes it very difficult to rise up and/or leave.  But also for those of us who CHOOSE to be here.  (I put choose in capital letters because I am not sure I ever chose to live part time in Haiti, but rather I chose to follow God and HE sent me here.  Not with answers.  Not with solutions.  Not as one who is going to “fix” Haiti.  But rather as an ambassador for Him.  As one who tries to show His love, compassion and forgiveness to all.  And, as one who seeks to point others to His obvious love and guiding hand in all situations- no matter whether we see the results we want or not.)

       Anyway-  back to the story….   Yesterday started like any other day when we don’t have teams.  We had a plan with about 5 different errands and were hoping to accomplish at least a few of those before heading back to the mission base around dinner time.  We left the house a little after 9 am.  First stop:  to buy some items for the orphanage that they had requested.  We were quoted one price by them but the first store wanted about $25 US more than that.  So, we proceeded into the city of Port au Prince to continue our search (at about four other stores until we found it finally).  After leaving one of the stores we rounded a corner and Redgi said that he felt something strange with the steering and that the car was “pulling to the right”.  A few more feet and we realized we had a flat right front tire.  PRAISE GOD there was a tire man right where we stopped to look at it.  He quickly took off the old tire and replaced it with our spare and we were back on the road.  Now we were about 1.5 hours behind schedule.

        Second stop:  To visit a friend of mine.  I had borrowed some things from her earlier in the summer and needed to return them along with some money I owed her.  I got to her place to find there were others visiting her so we had to wait about an hour to see her.  No problem.  I had come unannounced because, frankly, we had been having a bit of tension between us due to a series of circumstances beyond either of our control.  She has been hurt (and I totally understand why) because of another close friend of mine and I have been kind of stuck in the middle.  I love both of them and don’t want the situation to affect the relationship I have with either, but I feared it had.  Anyway- I wasn’t sure how I would be received but needed to go.  And, in her true character she graciously accepted me into her home as if there was nothing wrong between us.  I am so grateful for that and it showed me once again the character she has and confirmed that she is indeed a good friend- believe me, they can be hard to find here (or anywhere).  So…. what I planned into the schedule for about 30 min to an hour turned into about 2.5 hours.  But it was GOOD and my heart was full as I left there- knowing that no matter our differences in opinion on one certain thing, we can still have friendship.  I pray she sees my heart as I see hers .  

       Third stop:  By now it is 2 pm. and Redgi is starving so we decide to stop quickly for a sandwich.  It is looking more and more like we might not get fruit/milk, Nanny pay, finishing letter writing, delivering bags for the Nannies, etc.  done at the orphanage until much later than we thought.  But, we headed off.  That is when Redgi’s phone rang!  

       Had you asked me to guess who was on the other line I would NEVER have picked this girl.  But, a voice on the other end said, “Redgi, it is Betty.  I am trying to get ahold of Crystal.  Can you help?”  He quickly pulled to the side of the road where we sat and talked to her over speaker phone gathering information about the past four years since we had lost contact with her.  I couldn’t believe it.  Of course I remembered her and her sweet Bettina (daughter).  I vividly remember when they left the orphanage vowing to keep in touch…. but we soon lost phone numbers and/or contacts and they were gone.  I thought forever, but God knew differently.  

       Betty had been an orphan at Son of God.  There were two stories of how she got pregnant (at 14 years old). One was that she was raped by her stepfather and when found to be expecting that she was thrown out and someone brought her to Son of God.  The other was that she was raped by one of the sons of the director of Son of God.  To be honest, they probably were both true.  Either way, this girl had her own little one (Bettina) at age 14 and lived at Son of God until it was closed- enduring the horrors that all the children there had endured- not only for herself, but for her daughter.  One of my favorite Haiti photos is of my own daughter, Emily with little Bettina making funny faces at one another after the girls were rescued and brought to Life is Wealth.  Though sick and severely malnourished she was still a little child and loved to play and laugh with my Emily.  They had quite a bond.  

       We found that Betty is now living in a tin shack on land that is not hers though she has paid $150 US to “squat” there and still owes another $150 to get an agreement for so many years.  She had been in a tent community but an organization gave them money to relocate and this piece of land was all she could find.  She has had two more children (she is  22 years old now- younger than any of my own daughters).  Twins.  All three are in an orphanage that only allows her to visit once per month.  A Haitian orphanage far from where she is living now.  She desperately wants them with her.  I know she would be a good mother because she was always so close with Bettina at the orphanage.  Bettina is now EIGHT years old- crazy for me to even believe.  

        After talking on the phone for a while we hung up.  Redgi and I looked at each other.  We happened to be sitting more than halfway to where she is living now (she is about 1.5 hours from our mission base in Carrefour).  There was no question.  I could feel the Holy Spirit saying, “You must go see her.  She reached out for a reason.  She needs to know you love her still.”  So…. we called her back and asked if we could meet.  She gave directions and we were off!  We met her on the side of the road for safety reasons (we don’t want a foreigner to show up and put her in an unsafe situation).  We hugged and talked and were so excited to see one another.  I showed her photos of SO MANY PEOPLE she asked about. I was shocked to see how she remembered them. 

        **Note:  If any of you wonder if you made any impact, this is the answer!  It was like looking at a living example of that saying, “People may not remember your name, what you wore, etc… but they will always remember how you made them feel.”  To watch her light up as I brought up photo after photo on facebook and she had recognition and then would ask personal questions about many of you or tell stories of what you had done at Son of God.  

       Finally, she asked if we would like to see her house.  We were hesitant but it was really important to her.  So, we drove as far as we could, then hiked down a ravine to a river bed, trekked up the river a bit (it was mostly dry) and then climbed up to a shack on a hillside overlooking the river.  There was a little shack with one room.  It was covered with tarp that leaks.  She had little potted plants (in buckets) around the outside for decoration.  She was proud of her little home.  But…. she is alone there on the hill.  She misses her girls.  She asked us to take her to see her children and I pray we can do that before I leave.  Otherwise, she asked for nothing though I already plan to bring her a few things next time we go.  We have an extra solar lamp here and some other things she can probably use.  She NEEDS a new tarp to cover that roof.  

       There is so much more I could write but this post is way too long already.  I could tell you about how she found her way all the way to Carrefour and searched until she found the old Son of God building. There she found Max and Marie and asked if they have information for any of the former children.  They gave her the phone number for the Marcials (the girls who make bracelets) so she contacted them.  They, in turn, got her Redgi’s number.  Just the thought of her going back to that place breaks my heart.  It must have been SO TOUGH but her desire to reconnect with SOMEONE who may still love her and care was greater.  I thank God it was. 

       So… where do we go now?  I wish I had all those answers.  I held it together until it was time to say goodbye.  Then, in Creole I told her I never forgot her.  GOD never forgot her.  And that I have prayed for this day when I could see her again.  That she is a daughter of the King and that He loves her.  That I WILL be back.  I don’t know when.  I don’t know what the future holds.  But, to know that I am so glad she called us.  The tears began….. and they still have not stopped. 

       I have three beautiful, intelligent and BLESSED daughters at home in the USA (and now 2 granddaughters).  But,  in October 2011 God gave me 37 more….   As Emily and I lived at Life is Wealth with those girls after they moved from Son of God I promised myself and Him that they would know how much He loves them and that I would do all I could to see to that.  We have set up the sponsorship program for those still at Life is Wealth.  We have helped the girls in Mirebalais learn to make bracelets to sell.  Just this past week we took one girl to stay with missionary friends of mine until she turns 18 so she can hopefully move to Africa with another missionary friend of mine.  We are doing our best to fulfill that promise.  But, it can be TOUGH.  Please remember to pray for those girls who have left the orphanage.  They too are not forgotten.  I still pray for them (as I did for Betty all these years)- that God will make Himself known PERSONALLY to them and that He can use me (and Hearts United) to show them that love in a tangible way. 

       Thanks for reading.  It helps to pour out my thoughts sometimes.  I also know many of you want to hear this story because you too knew Betty and Bettina and have wondered about them.  God is still writing this story and maybe you are still a part.  If not, know that He is still using you in Haiti to bless people.  

(PS- on the way home from seeing Betty we were stopped by police who said it is illegal to have tint on our windows in the Montero even though it was there when we bought/shipped it to Haiti.  They took Redgi from the car and I had to sit for 20 min. in the dark in Port au Prince not knowing if they arrested him or where he was.  Finally, he came back, but that was just one more part of our “Haiti day”.  Understandably, I am exhausted today but we are off in about an hour to Bas-Citronniers for a meeting about this upcoming school year.  Please keep the prayers coming for strength- physical and emotional.  It has been a summer full of these kinds of stories)

Hiking up the river

Up the hill to the house

In front of Betty's house

Inside is a small bed and table. (You can see light through the tarp on the side)