I believe in fate. That God has plans for me. In this world where miracles and good news are scarce; believing that God has a plan for me and my family is reassuring, comforting and exciting. Since the day the earthquake occurred I have been wrestling with a tremendous sense of calling. Many were. Many still are.
On my trip to Haiti I made many new friends. Some people I felt a connection with during the trip but lost it others I didn’t make a connection with until after the trip. One person in particular was a college student from Ohio, driven by her heart to help my people. She met a woman on an 8hr bus ride from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. This woman's story moved her so much that she was determined to return and help her with her cause. Her inspiration soon became my inspiration. I reached out to this woman. She is a teacher and business woman from St. Petersburg, FL. Her faith and sense of purpose have inspired and humbled me. What drives such a person? The young college student reminded me of such faith and determination. I stand between them like a small person looking up to giants. This woman invested over 200K of her own money into starting an orphanage in Gressier. It was an 8,000 square foot building, 15 rooms, 5 baths and plenty of storage...all leveled and lost in the earthquake. The organization kept its doors open with funding from her own pocket. Thousands of dollars. Monthly. They had just gotten the place to where it were looking up after the devastating hurricanes of 2008. They were going to start a school in the area and then the earthquake happened.
She is a business woman with a lot of personal friends and contacts in Haiti. She has a van and a few containers that are being held up in customs. One container is full of lumber and building materials for her orphanage. Customs has yet to clear the materials.
She was down and discouraged and fighting feelings of giving up right before we reached out to her. She and her co-director are convinced that God allowed everything to be destroyed so that he could rebuild it his way. Her faith just floors me. She works with the community to help women and also encourages native Haitians to not sit around waiting for aid but to become the aid and get out and help. Her clinic is run entirely by volunteers. She has 3-4 doctors that do rounds regularly at her facility. She needs help more hands, more bodies to help her.
Is it that we never meet people like her or that we just ignore them when they speak? She made a huge impression on me. Her sincerity for the children, the women and the people of Gressier. Was I looking for something to believe in or was there really something to it?
I called my mother's cousin just to let her know I would be going to Haiti in July. I told her that I would be going to help an orphanage in Gressier. She says oh...you know that is where your grandmother is from? Your mother and your grandfather are from Leogane just a hop and a skip from Gressier. How is it that of all the places, of all the people, that I would be lead to my grandmother's town? Helping friends and descendants of my family? I got off the phone with my late mother's cousin and I just wanted to cry. Until God shows us otherwise, we will press on. I know we can't fix the entire country, but for now, we will take a piece of the problem and make it better...as best we can.
