Some pictures of my boys Belgarde (9) and Bidley (15).
I was once on an inspection tour of our facilities. I sat on a porch late one December evening in 95 degree heat playing Christmas tunes in the tropical dark on a Hamilton Practice Flute. Belgarde came out and sat down by me on the porch and started belting out the words to the carols in Kreyol at the top of his lungs. The little guy knew a ton of songs. After our “session” he turns to me and says “Eske ou vle se papa mwe?” Rough translation: So, how would you like to be my dad? I told him in Kreyol that I didn’t know if I could be his dad but that I sure liked being his friend. He smiled his huge smile and said “Wi! Bon zanmi mwe!”…Yeah! My good friend! Then we did a few more tunes.
When I got back to the states we started the adoption process…'Cause, you know, we needed more kids.
Bidley was a good friend too but was slated to be adopted by another couple. When one of those parents tragically died, we added him to our docket as there wouldn’t have been time to start from scratch with finding a new family. These things have to be done by the time the kids are 16 or Haiti won’t let them go.
Anyway, just a couple of smiles I thought you might like to see.
It’s gratifying to know, though, that the Devil has replied in person to Pat Robertson, and doesn’t seem overly happy with his earthly compatriot’s intervention. Here’s the reply, courtesy of a wonderful, inspired lady from Minneapolis: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/01/the_devil_writes_pat_robertson.html
A plane-load of goods will be leaving Orlando tomorrow for the orphanage.
We’re going to try to re-locate all the kids to the now orphanage site as it’s much safer in the country than in Port au Prince. Need to get a well dug and the building habitable…lots still to do.
Flutes and whistles from a number of wonderful Chiffn’fipplers have started arriving at The Irish Flute Store to be sold for the kids at the orphanage.
We’re also getting monetary donations from folks who’ve been busking, doing benefit concerts or just passing the hat in the pub or at their church choir practice.
Thank-you so much for all of your support.
I got another load of food and tents down yesterday. Looks like about 40 of our kids will be coming to their adoptive families in the States on humanitarian parole. That will give us 40 spots to save other kids form the streets.
I noticed this had slipped off the Pub’s first page and wanted to give it a bump. Perhaps Doc can give us an update on how the kids are doing. It doesn’t say much about our attention span that the only Haiti-related story on CNN’s front page today (February 3rd) is about ten Americans in jail there.
