My first visit

Dear friends, yesterday I went the first time here in Port-au-Prince to "The Sisters of Charity". We heard about it a long time ago and we were searching for it, and walking up and down the road of Delmas 31, were we heard it would be. But, I found out, it is in a side road and not on the main road, no wonder why we couldn't find it. I have heard so much about Sisters of Charity: it’s a house for the dying, it’s a hospital, it’s a place for babies, children and older people.

I am not sure what is in the other rooms, I have just been in one, one room full of babies and bigger ones. The girls I went with, told me that this building was newly built and opened one month ago. I found three rows of cots, close to each other, probably 30 to 40 in one room. The room was light, which made it quite pleasant. Before the kids were in the basement of a dark room, so whenever they came to feed them, they took them outside to get some light, a bit of sun and fresh air. Some were just lying, some with infusions (probably they are too weak to eat), older ones just sitting and staring.  I tried to touch every one of them. When I started to put my hand on them, some stretched their arms out to be held. When I held them, they were laying so quietly in my arm, so peaceful, but when I laid them down, oh oh, they started to cry. Can you imagine, they were four of us, picking kids up and laying them down? The whole room was filled with crying babies; some were too tired to cry.  Others were too fragile to be picked up. 

Sisters of Charity give their visitors one hour, from 3 to 4 pm, which doesn't seem lots of time with a few rooms and so many kids to feed. In that hour we fed most, cuddled and spoke friendly to them. After they are fed, the sisters change their diapers and clothes.  I spoke to each of them friendly, that Jesus loves them and that they are wanted. Each child has a name tag, which gave me some information about them: Name, Date when they were brought in and how old they are. A few were around 6 years old, but they look like three years old: tiny, skinny and underdeveloped. Their eyes fallen in and totally without any sign of hope or life. My intention is to go back. Sisters of Charity is close to the orphanage which makes it much easier to walk to.  

I've just finished reading an article in a little magazine, my colleague gave me, it is called: 'A Love without boundaries'. It says: letting God’s love flow through us to others. Barbara Warren writes: It’s easy to love God, but it’s not so easy to love all the people who live in our world. Surely God doesn't intend for us to love someone who is disagreeable and belligerent. Does He actually insist that we love the homeless, the unwashed, the sick, and the downtrodden? He couldn’t really expect that from us could He?
Yes, we are expected to kneel in the dirt in order to lift others up, to pray for the sick and to offer hope to the hopeless. No service it too small if it’s done in Jesus’ name.

Let us not get tired of sharing Gods love to the people around us. We are able to do all things through Him who strengthens us. When we reach out, letting God’s love flow through us to touch others, He gives us whatever we need to accomplish the task. It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves, in England, Germany or here in Haiti. People, big and small, old and young, are everywhere the same, longing for fulfilment, acceptance, love, hope and peace. Let us be together, on the place where God put us, be His hands and feet. My friends, God bless you.