Pierre Cardin turns 9!

Neither child has celebrated their birthdays before. Parents do know the birthdates of their children but do not go as overboard as we do in the US! They do not have the means to buy gifts and make birthday cakes, but they do find ways to celebrate special occasions such as a relative visiting by having a meal together and maybe adding meat. We wanted Pierre to feel special by celebrating his birthday, which had been August 22nd. I had packed unfrosted cupcakes in a tupperware container and spread on frosting/sprinkles when we arrived. We sang "Happy Birthday" and Pierre "blew" out the unlit candle, with a friend from BRESMA2 who was staying at the hotel.

This trip, Pierre had a more difficult time. He tended to pout and go off on his own when he was corrected (more so by me than by Bruce). He acted much more like our younger son than the 10 or 11 year old we assumed he was, based on his height and full mouth of adult teeth. On the last day of our visit, we invited his birthmother to the hotel. Two American missionaries joined us and willingly interpreted our conversation with her. The information we learned was invaluable! Pierre's birthmother was very adamant that he was born in 2000 and had indeed just turned 9 years old. She explained that his father and two older brothers are very tall (taller than Bruce) and that they were judged as older than their true age also. When asked how best to respond to his pouting tendency, she said that she offers much attention and comfort. The interpreters further explained that mothers in Haiti tend to "serve" their sons, rather than discipline or tell them what to do. THAT, in a nut shell, explained what we had observed for the previous few days. Pierre is just a young boy who is not used to a "mom" like me. :) He is also a very caring, sensitive person...which makes all of this much more difficult. But the fact that he is acting more like himself tells us he is trusting us and bonding well.

Bailey meets Pierre and Ange-Laurette

One of the harder things to put into words is how amazing our teenage daughter Bailey was on this trip. We had no question how she and the kids would hit it off, but we had no idea the joy and energy she would have about it all. She ate up every minute until she crashed at night, at the same early bedtime they seemed to need. They talked to her as if she could understand their quick Creyole, and vice versa. You never would have guessed that they spoke two different languages. Bailey had brought walkie talkies that helped them try out their much improved English as they walked throughout the hotel grounds. That was one of the greatest surprises this trip...that they had obviously been working on their English and were very eager to share as much as they could, right down to ABC flashcards with vocabulary words to match.

The other awesome surprise was how much healthier they seemed. From skin tone, to scalp, to eye brightness, to less bulging tummies, they just seemed vibrant and content. Neither was as famished, as they demonstrated by not eating every morsel from their salads and not rummaging as often through the snack bin. The "super food" they have been receiving is worth every penny any mission group wishes to spend. The difference in just a few months, for all the kids at the orphanage, is life-changing in their learning, their energy, and their health.

One of the things Bailey has been studying up on is all the ways she can do Ange-Laurette's hair. She didn't waste any time getting practice! Pierre joined in! With the heat index of 119 degrees, we spent long days in the pool and afternoons playing games or doing crafts in our room. They progressed from their early fears of the water to Pierre doing canon balls from the side and laying on the bottom of the pool...and to Ange-Laurette teaching herself to do 50 bobs and multiple somersaults underwater. Their determination and courage will come in handy in the years ahead.

Finally ready to share about Trip 2

The delay in sharing the details from our second trip to Haiti are two-fold. One reason is simply the day-to-day things that have kept us on our toes since returning: catching up with Nate, returning to work issues, getting back into tennis/soccer games of the kids, a trip to the Black Hills with my family, etc. But the second reason for the delay in writing is more intentional. This trip was unlike the first. It hit our hearts hard and has been much more difficult to put into words. This photo was taken on our drive to Mnpls where we caught our plane. We prayed then and there and knew God was traveling with us. Still, this feeling lingered that left me concerned about more than the heat we would face in Haiti. As excited as I was to spend time with the kids and as certain as I was that the bonding would only grow stronger....I was sensing how much harder it might be to see the reality of their life there...and how difficult it would be to explain to them that we would be leaving again. And that it was!