Return from Haiti (4th Trip)

We arrived in port in Miami last Saturday afternoon after a delayed trip in Haiti. As always, time seems to fly and I’m picking up my pen a little late.

This last trip, we had 17 crew and left Port Mercy in Lake Charles just as news of the oil spill off the coast of Louisiana was coming to the forefront. We spent several weeks in Port Mercy re-prepping the ship and loading cargo for the 4^th trip to Haiti. The oil spill as we were leaving didn’t have an affect on our sail.

One thing comes to mind on this last trip that connected my journey from Port Mercy to Haiti. It was something so small and so seemingly insignificant and yet, that fleeting moment in the warehouse one day left an impression on me.

The City of Lake Charles owns a warehouse near Friend Ships’ port in a shady part of town. The warehouse was unused and unprotected. City officials decided to allow Friend Ships to use their warehouse as long as it remained guarded. The timing was perfect and the warehouse was large enough as an abundance of cargo and donations were flooding in from individuals, businesses, churches, schools, and other organizations to help with Haiti relief. So, the city was happy – and Friend Ships welcomed the chance to put the warehouse to good use.

One day, several members of the crew were requested to help with the inventory at the warehouse. I was assigned to one place and when my duty was completed I began to help with the boxes that would be sent to an orphanage in Mexico. As I was counting the packages on the pallets, one group of boxes caught my attention. The boxes were separated by gender and general age, youth and children. Let me preface this by saying that I’ve never considered myself a missionary or humanitarian and so have never asked for support when I go on trips (though friends and family have supported me).

As I opened the packages intended for an orphanage in Mexico to ensure that each package contained the toiletries needed, I became aware of whose hands these zip-lock baggies would reach. Mentally I envisioned the children, smiling with hands out as each one received their own. These tiny, insignificant little zip-lock baggies that contained a tooth-brush, tooth-paste, girls or boys underwear, soap, berets, a brush or comb, and a toy or stuffed animal, or knitted handiwork would mean so much more than a Birthday or Christmas package almost any American child would receive (I’m aware that there are an abundance of impoverished American children).

I thought of the myriad of orphanages in Mexico, Central & South America, not forgetting to mention homeless children across the world. Beverly (nurse with Friend Ships) whom I was working with at the time reminded me that for the most part, we no longer have “orphanages” in the U.S. because we’ve gone to the Foster Care system. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's Bureau website:

“Historically, orphanages in the United States have been defined as institutional or group care facilities that house children who are unable to live with their parents from the time of their admission until adulthood. While there are still some orphanages in the United States today, child welfare systems are less likely to use orphanages as placements for children and youth in foster care. Preferred placements include family settings and, when necessary, residential facilities that include services to help the children and youth reunify with their families or find other permanent families.” www.childwelfare.gov/outofhome/types/orphanages.cfm

Haiti is different.





An article on Wikipedia alludes to staggering numbers, “The Chambre de L’Enfance Necessiteusse Ha_tienne (CENH) indicated that is has received requests for assistance from nearly 200 orphanages from around the country [Haiti] for more than 200,000 children”. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orphanage

As I stood in the warehouse in Louisiana, then later on the beach in Haiti, my heart melted as children slipped their hands into mine. It was the touch of the Father's heart as I stood in the warehouse that day. It connected me to the touch of a child's hand on that garbage strewn beach. I think I understand.

James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Isaiah 1:17* Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.

Psalm 146:9* The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, But He thwarts the way of the wicked.

New American Standard Bible and the *Online Bible (©1995 )