Girls have cooteys (or is it cooties?)

Don't take this the wrong way (aside: when a person starts out like that, there's only one way it can be taken and that's the way they don't want you to take it), but when it comes to children, I have banned girls from our house.   Well, that's the way I used to think.  I only wanted sons and for the most part that probably still holds.  You see the problem with girls is that their dad becomes this mushy substance in their hands...  I've talked about this girl thing before in a blog in a post titled Father of the Bride.  And additionally, I've had a little bit of personal experience through our foster children.  We had one three year old that would cry just because she could.  And, I didn't know what to do with that.  And then we've had a five year old that just stared at me (until she needed help at which point we were best friends and then after that she just stared at me).  Again, I didn't know what to do with that.

But alas, I met a girl that made me wish she was my daughter.  She goes by Daisy (Her real name sounded like "Evon-Dee") and she lives in Haiti in an children's home.   She's 10 and like a number of the other children, she was just hanging out checking out the "blancs" (white people) and me as we worked on what was their church/school building until the January 2010 earthquake.  She didn't do anything but try to help like some of the boys had...  and in an instant she stole my heart and made me wish that I had a 10 year old daughter.

That kind of strange power that girls have is ridiculous.  If she didn't have four older siblings that loved her and would probably never let her go, I would look high and low for how to adopt her (with Kimberly's blessing of course).  Of course the only hangup with that is that Haitian adoption is a miserable process from what I've heard.  I think it barely has an edge on getting a camel through eye of a needle.

Much love!

One Year Ago...

Tonight is January 11, 2011.  Tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of an earthquake near Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti.  The earthquake hit the city and the nation like a ton of bricks.  Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere did not have the infrastructure to withstand the quake.  Thousands died and most structures near the center were either destroyed or severely damaged.  Since that time, there has been very little rebuilding.  Thousands live in tent cities.  They have for months.  As if an earthquake that killed thousands wasn’t enough, in recent months, the country has been ravished by cholera…a disease that could easily be eradicated by clean drinking water and proper hygiene.   My heart aches for the people of Haiti.  I’ve longed to see them and to encourage them, but twice now I’ve thought I would see them and twice the trip has fallen through.  But, I am praying for them.  I read the stories on websites for CNN and Samaritan’s Purse.   I pray for them and I hope to go there soon.

It would be so easy to judge Haiti and say that they deserve what they get.  The country’s government is corrupt.  There is widespread voodoo practiced on the island.  They have mistreated a number of people that have come to their aid.  They have abused and robbed the earth of it’s resources until the country is barren and unable to support itself.  But, when I hear people say things like that, it reminds me of a rebellious and stiff-necked people that refuse the love of God.  Yeah, that’s us.  So, I don’t want to judge because I am them.  Love the Haitians and pray for them.  If you’re able and God burdens you, go to them.

Much love!

(P.S.  Read this article.  It will bless you.)