What is in a fence?
It keeps things out and keeps things in.
No matter what side you are on it seems greener on the other side. At SP Haiti it is our protection from the
dangers lurking outside, but sometimes feels like a trap. The beach kids that visit see the other side
of the fence as a source of all things good: friendship, food, entertainment
and money. To them the possibilities are
endless. It is easy to allow the fence
to shut out the community. My husband,
Robert, did not let the fence deter him from making friends.
On any given night you would see him talking with several
boys. The beach kids constantly called
out “Robert (with a creole accent – Robear)”.
Three teenagers, Johny, Gladson and Jeancois, constantly sought Robert’s
attention. The boys are 17, 15 and 13;
the latter two are brothers. They would
talk for hours at the fence. Sometimes
Robert and I would go outside and talk and joke with the kids. Other times it would just be the boys and
Robert would stay on the inside. After a
year, Robert felt these boys were like his kids or younger brothers. These children are really looking for
guidance and friendship. All three of
these boys do not have a constant father figure at home. It was an awesome experience for Robert to
fill a need in their lives.
Greatest Journey graduation ceremony:
Johny Gladson
Jeancois
Through our friendship with the beach kids we were able to
see the potential in each child. Johny
stood out above all the others. He is
one of the oldest kids and shows more responsibility and awareness as you see
him interact with his friends. He goes
to school every day and to church on Sundays playing in the band during worship. He knows some English, which was very helpful
at the beginning when we did not speak the language. Johny shares a special place in our
hearts. Getting a good education in
Haiti is difficult, but he has managed to make it to his last year of high
school. Once we helped him pay for a
field trip to a big city several hours away.
This was the farthest away from home he had ever been and said it was
one of the best days of his life; the trip cost about 5 USD. He excitedly told Robert all about the trip
and how much fun he had. Living in the
developed world we take for granted many things like getting an education or
going on trips. Our desire for Johny is
for him to finish school, get a college degree and find a good job in
Haiti. Haiti needs strong Christian
leaders that are willing to take a stand against corruption and dedicate the
country to God. We feel that, if given
the opportunity, Johny could be one of those leaders.
Before coming to Haiti, some of our friends prayed over us
and felt that God was going to give us ‘spiritual’ children. We do not have children yet, but now
understand what God was telling our friends.
God gives us all opportunities and out of those opportunities chances to
grow more like Him. Don’t be afraid to
step out in faith and trust in the plans God has you. We are so thankful for the time spent here
and the friends of all ages we made.
Robert with Tatu, Donnie and Jascoura on the beach in front
of base
