Belki's Miracle Mar. 5, 2012

Belki has a 12 year old son named Luis. Belki is a good mom, she gets up early every
day to catch a concho (motorcycle taxi) to her job at the Maria Montez Airport. She has always wanted more children, but has not been able to conceive. Belki and her family are Christian and have prayed everyday for years for Belki to have another child. Last year at the age of
42 she learned she was pregnant and everyone in the village was over the moon with happiness! In January she gave birth to Emerson. Her pride and
joy. Her gift from God, her miracle baby, as she puts it.

There are many children in Habanero and sometimes one wonders “why”? Especially since the people are poor andmany struggle with basic daily necessities. But, I learned early not to judge the number of children these people have, for their children are often all they have. Their children are their joy! We may have modern nice homes, cars, boats, conveniences, video games, internet, perhaps we golf or ski as part of our daily joy. But here in Habanero there
is pure joy in combing your daughters hair or washing your son’s clothes out by hand.

In 2004 I met a 12 year old girl and her mother at the clinic I was volunteering at in Barahona. The child was having her tonsils removed. It was in the afternoon and she was one of our last patients so as things wound down I decided to go into the recovery room to see if I could help anyone there. I saw the mother stroking the daughter’s hair while the child was still asleep from the anesthetic. Mom looked worried and so I walked over to reassure her all would be well. As we spoke I asked her how many children she had and she said ten. I kept a straight face, but inside I was saying, oh, my I am so sorry for her. So many children, such a struggle. Then she asked me how many I had and I said I had one son. She looked at me, frowned and put her hand
on my shoulder and told me how sorry she was for me since I only had the one child. I was stunned. I had made the educated decision to have one child. I never dreamed someone would
feel sorry for me because of that. Her words made me stop and think and look at things a bit differently. Every one of her children were a blessing to her they were not a burden.

So when I hear the news in Sept. of Belki’s pregnancy I too was over the moon with happiness. I
literally ran to Belki’s house to congratulate her, hug her and pray with her. And now he is here! Emerson is a blessing and a joy not only to Belki, but to Habanero. Proof that even in this place miracles still happen and love is never a burden.

Movie Night Mar. 2, 2012

Movie night in Comaque-owee (a small sub-division of Habanero (haha) We took the projector and laptop to Comaque-owee and the kids went crazy as soon as they saw us coming. There are not many TV’s here and so this is a big treat for them. Especially since there was no electricity either. Fortunately for us the corner Colmada (store) has an invertor they let us use and we were able to see the whole movie even when the electricity went out. Ah......Life's simply pleasures!

Esmeralda Living The Life Mar.1, 2012

Thursday, Feb. 23. 2012 Esmeralda, one of the children we provide monthly assistance to is shown here getting a bath. Her sister Indirha sits Esmeralda on her lap on a plastic chair with a hose……brrrrrrrrrr……..it’s chilly under the shade of the banana tree!

Habanero is divided by the major highway that runs through the Dominican Republic and luckily for this household they have access to water ...all the time. The government put in a new aqua duct which brings clean water to Barahona. Unfortunately, the government did not see the need for everyone to have this water. So the other side of the highway which is where the school and the mission house is located is still on the old water system. We get water about every 3rd day! But we are thankful for that. Amen!

Baseball Habanero Style Feb. 21, 2012

Organized? Baseball has come to Habanero! A coach is coming on Tuesday and Thursdays to coach the children. There are three teams of differing ages playing baseball and they love it! It is every Dominican boys dream to play for a Major League in the US. They work very hard practicing in the hot sun with very little equipment. They are rag tag teams with big hearts.

The coach has asked us to bring bases and equipment in July. Please search your attics, closets and garages for bats, balls, bases, gloves and cleats that we can take with us for the kids. The coach arranged for a bus to come and take the kids into Barahona (the big city) for a game. They loaded the bus up and then went to the beach afterwards. What a great trip it was for the kids. The icing on the cake was – Habanero spanked Barahona for two games! Go Habanero!

Batey Cinco Feb. 17, 2012

I spent yesterday afternoon looking for a cell phone for Benita’s father, Roberto. I wanted to get the best price, but the phone still needed to play music as he requested. I finally found one for $25 that included activation and FM radio. Today returned to Batey Cinco (5) to deliver the phone and see how the new baby is doing.

A Dominican “Batey” is a small village bu...ilt up around and on sugar cane land. The original inhabitants were illegal Haitians willing to do the back breaking work required to harvest the sugar cane. The villages are poor with very little services available such as water, sewer ad garbage. The people now are 3rd and 4th generation Haitians born in the Dominican, but without proper papers. The villages stay poor and the people continue to suffer. These villages have bad reputations for crime and are not the place one wants to hang out in for too long. They are so ill thought of they haven’t even been named. Just numbers along this sugar cane railroad route…….Batey 1…..Batey 2…..Batey 3.

Wilbur is doing well. Benita is quiet and stays away from both the baby and the adults. I’m not sure what she’s thinking or what’s she’s been through but it’s clear she is not interested in being there. We’ve brought Wilbur a new baby bottle, formula, liquid vitamins and some clothes. We’ve also brought the adults some clothes, rice and oil. Roberto is happy with the cell phone and the mother is happy with the food. Tonight all is well in Batey Cinco.

No More Sleeping On The Ground Feb. 16, 2012

The Sunday school children at Faith Family Christian Center saved up their offerings to get a set of bunk beds for Josue, Estephen and Samuel. We loaded up the truck and took them to the children. The boys immediately started climbing on them and laughing and playing. So much simple joy with something we take for granted. Samuel the youngest had still been sleeping with his parents, but Josue 5 yrs old and Estephen 4 yrs old had been sleeping on the floor with just a torn raggedy blanket. Thank you to the children of Faith Family for providing the beds for these little ones! Isn't it amazing what we can do when we put our minds to it! Together we can relive a lot of the world's suffering. Let's do it!

Benita's Back! Tues. Feb. 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day! A day I will remember always. Benita came home today…………….. Seven of us hopped in the truck and ventured out today to find her in the small village of Bateycinco which is surrounded by sugar cane fields. The locals work cutting sugar cane and loading it onto the freight cars. It’s dusty and dirty, but we see progress coming, the streets are being prepared for paving. We spoke with people and showed them photos of Benita. After a few minutes we encountered one lady who was sure she’s seen Benita and assured us she was with her father Roberto. The woman quickly instructed some children to show us the way.

Batey Cinco is a poor village of 2nd and 3rd generation Haitians who although being born in the Dominican, have no identification papers and are not recognized as citizens. As we followed the children deeper into the village and through back yard paths I was leary of our circumstances. Here we were in unknown territory trying to find a child that was not legally ours. My thoughts races as we walked, would we find her? Was this another dead-end? Are we being lead into a trap? Could we be robbed or the truck be stolen? I said a silent pray for God’s protection as we continued the walk through backyards, pig stys and latrines. Soon we came to a small block house with a woman standing in the door, we inquired and was told no Roberto was not there, we passed onto the next house and then Esau (Yanet’s son) who had looked on the other side of the house cried “Come Mommy come! Benita! We turned around and went back to the house and there she was! Yanet scooped her up and held her close.

Benita looked like she did when I first saw her, sad, timid, shy, quiet with eyes down cast. She buried her head in Yanet’s neck and we all cried. Then Yanet and I went into the dark, dank house which was actually a duplex. There were two small rooms, the first had only a small table the second room had a table, a child’s chair and a mattress on the floor. There we found Roberto’s girlfriend with a 3-day old baby boy, Wilbur. Small, skinny and frail. As I held Wilbur I marveled at how tiny he was and I wondered if he had been born early. Evidently the Mother had no milk as she was soon feeding him something that looked like oatmeal. As we spoke with the Mother she seemed happy to see us and she just said Roberto was “mallo” which means bad in English. As we left the house and began to walk away with Benita, Roberto showed up. Yanet had to use all her diplomatic skills in speaking with him – he did not want Benita to go with us. Yanet talked and talked and Roberto kept saying “No, she cannot go, she is my child, come back for her on Sunday”. Yanet walked a few feet at a time, as we reached the fence Yanet turned and began talking to a couple of women that were standing there. Explaining the situation, pleading our case, so as to build support for our efforts. Yanet told the story of how Roberto had given the Benita away and left her. She explained she had cared for her for two years and then 3 months ago Roberto took her for a visit and never returned her. Over and over and sometimes angrily Roberto responded “Domingo, Domingo, Sunday, Sunday, come for her on Sunday”. It was a very stressful situation to be in, not knowing if we would leave with her or not and not knowing if the crowd that had gathered would turn on us. I knew our hearts were in the right place and hoped that Yanet would be able to convince him to let Benita go with us. Finally Yanet turned to me and said, Roberto says “no, you talk to him”.

I turned to him, put my hand on his shoulder and told him how well Benita did in school, how intelligent she was and it would be good for her to go back to school. I asked him to please let her come stay at my house for just 3 nights and I promised I would bring her back. I was afraid that if we left without her, Roberto would flee with her again. Then Yanet stepped in and began speaking to him again, taking up where I left off, asking if Benita could stay at my house for 3 nights. Finally, Roberto said yes. “Okay, she can go, stay 3 days and then she can go to Yaneth’s house” I was happily surprised by this turn of events. I told him, he would not be out of my memory, I would not forget him, we would help him with Wilbur. He asked us for formula for the baby. As we walked to the Colmado (store) I held his hand and thanked him. We arrived at the Colmado and purchased, formula, rice, oil, salami, catsup, bread, tomato sauce, coffee and surgar. We said good-bye and walked back towards the truck with Benita safe and sound in Yanet’s arms.

My prayer has been only for God’s will to prevail – I prayed that if it was God’s will for Benita to be with Yanet that he lead us to her. And I prayed that if it was His will for her to be with her Father that He protect her and give her the knowledge of our love for her. Glory be to God either way! He knows best – I consider He answered that prayer today and that Benita’s home is meant to be in Habanero. Oh, yes, and on the way to the truck Roberto did ask for one more thing, a cell phone that played music. I promised to bring him one in a few days. I didn’t mind, I thought I got the better part of the bargin. Benita? Cell phone? Easy choice. Benita's back home.