Be encouraged

Click here and be encouraged by the enormity of our God.  Your fortune cookie says, “Be inspired to take a big leap of faith in a new area of your life.”

Routine

Here is a typical day at the orphanage for Naomi.  I don’t think a child could dream up a better day….unless maybe this exact schedule was performed at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

Schedule:

6:00AM                Wake-up
6:00 – 6:30          Bathe & Get Dressed
6:30 – 7:00          Breakfast
7:00 – 8:00          Brush Teeth, Massage, Indoor Play
8:00 – 9:00          Playdough, Swings, Monkey Bars, Trampoline
9:00 – 9:15           Snack
9:15 – 11:00         Books, Blocks & Puzzles, Balls, Chalk, & Bicycles
11-11:30                Lunch
11:30 – 2:00        Nap Time
2:00 – 2:15           Snack
2:15 – 3:00           Video
3:00 – 4:00          Outdoor Play: Swings, Trampoline, Bicycles
4:00 – 4:30          Baths
4:30 – 5:00          Indoor Play: Reading & Free Play
5:00 – 5:30          Dinner
5:30 – 6:45           Inside Play
6:45 – 7:45           Bedtime: Praise Video, Singing, Bible Story, Prayer
7:45 – 8:00          Brush Teeth
8:00PM                 Bed

Our Daughter’s Home

Written by Beth McHoul in the October monthly Heartline Haiti News update (go sign up).  John and Beth have been missionaries in Haiti for over 20 years and they run Heartline Ministries, of which Naomi’s orphanage, Maranatha Children’s Home, is a part of.   We just wanted to share with you a little about our daughter’s home and family in Haiti.

“I must tell you that we have the greatest kids and nannies at the children’s homes.  Although we have two houses and we could easily double the amount of children we have in the homes, we will not exceed twenty kids.  The reason for this is we want to keep a family style atmosphere and for each child to have a mother figure.  A family network is created where each child has siblings, aunties and a mom.  This sets a foundation for bonding with their new family and a life where they can attach and trust.  There is no substitute for this relationship.  Big orphanages can’t maintain these close types of relationships.  Babies and toddlers need a mom.  Children need someone watching them, caring for them and instructing them at all times.  For this reason, we choose quality over quantity.  Haiti has thousands of orphans.  We choose to help a few who will be able to live in a family, love a family and attach to their family.  We try to do it right and the results are eternal.  Children can love.  Children can function as family members.  Our kids are really close to each other and because adoptions take so long adoptive families are now friends.  Many of them have committed to keeping the kids in contact so they will grow up knowing their “Haiti Maranatha Family”.  We intentionally stay small , we provide many nannies on purpose and we purpose for happy, healthy kids going to a home they can be a family member in.

We with twenty children are better able to give close and personal care and love during the two plus years that they are in Maranatha Children’s Home.  Adoptive parents can be assured that their waiting children are not left unattended, but rather as you can see in the schedule listed below the children’s days are quite full.”

Insanity?

Viewing Pleasure

YOU. ARE. CALLED. TO. GO.

YOUR. VIEW. OF. THIS. WORLD. WILL. CHANGE.

YOUR. UNDERSTANDING. OF. YOUR. CALLING. WILL. CHANGE.

YOUR. NEED. FOR. THINGS. WILL. CHANGE.

YOUR. LOVE. (or lack thereof) FOR. PEOPLE. WILL. CHANGE.

YOUR. DESIRE. TO. SERVE. WILL. CHANGE.

GO. SOMEWHERE. OUTSIDE. YOUR. COMFORT. ZONE.

AND.

LET. CHRIST. REVEAL. TO. YOU.

WHAT. HE. CAME. AND. GAVE. HIMSELF. UP. FOR.

watch this storyframes: hope in haiti, and be inspired

and when I say YOU and YOUR, I mean ME and WE.

Connected

Orphanage Update – May 2009

From time to time we get general physical/social development updates regarding Naomi from our orphanage.  Below is the last one we got in May.  I am going to start posting these on our blog when we receive them.

May 2009

Height: 35.5 inches

Weight: 29 pounds

This little kiss-able cutie pie loves to sing ALL THE TIME and talks nonstop. She loves to play with blocks, run, swing, and jump on the trampoline. She is always very happy and has the most fun little giggle when tickled or bounced especially high on the trampoline.

Naomi continues to be a sweet and happy little girl. She is engaged with her world and those within it, smiling and laughing. She is not afraid of strangers, but she is appropriately cautious around them. She enjoys attending church and is even part of children’s church where she is well-behaved. Naomi is rarely angry, unkind or disobedient.

Naomi has full control of her bladder and bowels, rarely having an accident. This includes nap and nighttime as well. While she is not excited about laying quietly at nap time, she does sleep everyday.

During our morning play stations Naomi especially enjoys the reading and block stations.  She likes to watch the other children and nannies play with the puzzles and play dough. She is starting to be bolder about experimenting with the play dough herself. When Naomi has free play she enjoys playing with her dolls, last week I found her in the playroom bathing her baby in the sink of the little kitchen. It was beautiful! Will try to catch her again when I have my camera.

Naomi is a good eater, who is always willing to try new food. While she eats her Haitian dinners, she prefers her American lunch. She loves milk, bananas, cookies and mangoes.  Naomi enjoys her baths.

We continue to struggle with Naomi’s skin. She has been treated for scabies and has been given antibiotics as well as creams, but it has not cleared up. All of the children were treated for malaria three weeks ago, and are on a weekly preventive medicine to avoid malaria. Naomi continues to be healthy.

We are currently working through the resurrection eggs with the children at night. They are listening and we are praying that we are planting seeds in their little hearts. We will follow up with an Easter egg hunt on Easter weekend.

I do not have any concerns about Naomi at this time. She is growing and developing well and we thoroughly enjoy her.

Daddy make it better

Said our goodbyes to Naomi tonight….lots of tears from everyone except Naomi. She could tell something was up and started distancing herself from us….almost like she was mad at us. Self preservation/survival instincts are an amazing thing. We all held our tears until we walked out the door, then Claire lost it, she was crushed, and then reality hit me hard. Sarah somehow held it together and I did too until we started to pray as a family…then I felt just like Claire….crushed and looking to my Daddy to make everything make sense, make it better, make it perfect….because it seemed like my world was crashing in. My Daddy didn’t have the answers I wanted to hear just like I didn’t for Claire. But He was there to listen and remind me that better days are yet to come….that’s all that I could pass on to my daughter as well.

Good times – Time flies. Tough times – Time stands still. Tis the journey that we walk. But I can assure you, God is good and I am grateful for the adventure. Grateful for the chance to live by faith so recklessly that I get to see His miracles played out in my life.

PS. More cheerful updates with pics of Naomi will be coming soon once we return to the states tomorrow. She is beautiful and our time with her was amazing! Still to come…..stories about running out of video camera tape and filling up my camera memory card (and finding out I couldn’t empty it onto my computer) all on the first day…..good times.

Carry-on Luggage

My thought, “I bet she would fit in a large backpack….I wonder what that would look like on the security monitor?”

Naomi’s thought, “I sure hope he doesn’t think I can fit in a backpack….Momma help!”