Filed under: Uncategorized — laila bechtle @ 10:35 am
I just added some much needed color and cheer to the front porch … summer is coming!
I just realized I have less than 10 days before school gets out for my kindergartner … knowing how much I love the few hours I get each day at home alone … I must also use this time to get ready for the change that is right around the corner! Kids home, free time, pool time, bike rides, library reading program.
Things on my to do list include:
-find a summer bible study (for me and for the girls)
-reading plan for girls (Justin Taylor has put some great reading lists for kids on his blog recently, click here to view)
-organizing plan for girls rooms and attic (and basement too)
BLOGGING .. I hope to do much more regular blogging this summer. I want to experiment more with my camera and share my work here as well as what I continue to learn!
Even though we’re back home in Chicago, I wanted to write about our experience at the orphanage where we spent our last two days. (on a side note, what a privilege it is to type on a computer and not an iphone!)
We were at a wonderful orphanage and creche (which means they also do adoptions) called HIS home for children. They have babies, special needs children, toddlers, school kids and a transition home for girls ages 13-20. This place was amazing. It definitely rounded out our time there and we left this particular place with more answers than questions. You can check out their website for more detailed info on all that they do.
What impressed me most were the director’s answers to many of our questions and how she pointed to God’s sovereignty and goodness in providing for them. We were in awe at her stories and testimonies of all that has happened there. When asked, how? Her answer was that it all started by stepping out in faith. This was such an encouragement to me and I know to our entire team as we think about orphan care moving forward. It will look differently for each of us, and even in different seasons of our lives. But one thing was clear, we will defend the fatherless, and we will step out in faith to do it!
I also wanted to add an update for those who read my earlier posts on this trip and our boy Luke from Tuesday. We are working with the resources here and through other contacts to see about transferring him from his current location to a safe place that will be able to care for him and meet his needs. It was a great vision for our team to realize we can continue to defend these dear ones, even though we are back home, especially with the help of our new friends in Haiti, who have devoted their lives to caring for the orphan. While we were at HIS home, we also had the privilege of leading their chapel service. Here are a few pics!
Little hands and feet is the name of the orphanage we visited today. What a blessing .. in so many ways! This is a small orphanage that takes amazing care of 17 orphans, most of which are currently in the adoption process.
I think what encouraged me most was having the opportunity to hear the stories of the staff.
A young married couple and their 9 month old who have just relocated to Haiti from the US to care for orphans there in multifaceted ways. They have already begun medical clinics, partnering with this orphanage and are working on a retreat center for orphans.
Then there was the dear college student with an amazing testimony of how God literally saved her life by getting her attention through an HIV baby who is alive and well today. You can read her powerful story here.
In addition to American staff are dear Haitian women who love these babies! These kids way preferred their Haitian mamas to any one of us.
I was reminded as I heard their stories of God’s sovereign plan in all our lives. He fulfills His purpose for our good and His glory.
Here are some moments of our day I was able to capture on my phone.
this is our Karis holding their Karis
Our team leader, Emily
Elizabeth working her artistic magic in the boys’ room
this little guy was happiest if we didn’t look at him.. I wasn’t following his rules by snapping this pic
I definitely took more from this place than I gave.
I did not take one picture today, with my camera. I did however have many images etched, and even burned in my mind.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw today.
We visited another orphanage today outside of Port au Prince. Pretty much everything good about yesterdays orphanage did not exist where we were today.
I’ll resist listing all the horrible realities I witnessed today. I will share one moment though. Well, it ended up being more than a moment, but a decision that was made in a moment.
Many of our team members were out on the ‘balcony’ playing with about 30+ kids, waiting for the remaining 40+ kids to be finished with their schooling for the day.
Looking into a ‘bedroom’, the doorway loosely covered with a hanging sheet, I see a naked 3 year old wandering about. No caregivers in sight, I take the opportunity to approach her. Big smiles.. I look around for diapers.. none. Ok, how about a dress? No luck. My eye catches a large pile of clothing on another ‘balcony’ out the other side of this room. Are these clean? Yep, I think so, and find something that’ll do.
Heading back into the room, my eyes glance right and lying flat, in a shaded corner, on a thin mat, is a little boy, unclothed, shaking in the corner.
Wait.. this cannot be. It is. I go grab a teammate, because emotionally I’m about to lose it and I need help with this one. We get him dressed and grabbed one of the older boys who speaks English to give us some answers.
This precious one cannot move his arms or legs, (or any part of his body) they are rigidly bent in position. He cannot hear or speak, but appears to respond visually. The older boy tells us this is where he stays. Not today! Today we will hold him. His name is Luke.
We took turns holding him till he fell asleep and then placed him on a new ‘clean’ mat indoors.
At our team meeting tonight there was much discussion about Luke. We plan to investigate getting him into another facility, that can care for him. We may get no where, but we will work every connection and resource we have here.
Today we were at La Maison. This is a Christian orphanage that also does adoptions. The way I understood it, all the available children here are in process being adopted into families.
A bit about it… many kids, ages birth – thirteen-ish. There’s an infant room with about a dozen babies. The bebe due room where they go once they walk.. another dozen here. Then the toddlers.. age 3-4 easily 15-20 of them, and all the rest in the boys or girls bunk rooms out back.
I think it was a nice orphanage for Haiti. A large staff. The children clothed, fed, changed, held, even schooling for the older ones.
I loved being there. It was hard to be there. Truth is, I was choking back tears all day. I had to ask myself what the tears were for, why was I sad?
My favorite part of the day was also the
most emotionally challenging. In the afternoon it was time for the two year olds, walking babies, to come in for their bath. One by one they were filed in for their quick shower. I had the great job of drying, powdering and diapering each and every precious one of them.
They knew the drill … they came out one by one and waited for their turn to be wrapped up in the towel. I took my time. I wrapped each one and snuggled them up, head to toe, drying every inch. I looked deep into their eyes and my heart asked,
‘who are you previous one?’
‘what’s your story?’
‘how did you get here?’
‘why are you so tiny?’
‘so weak?’
Then they went to one of the nannies who had their clothes in hand, ready to slip on.. boys got the t-shirts, girls got the dresses.
My eye caught a verse on the wall…
Proverbs 16:9
In his heart a man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.
How and why did God direct these little ones here? While my heart broke to see them without a mom & dad, I also had this confirmation that today, God was caring for them here. I was pleased to be part of that today.
I so wish I could capture all the sights and sounds and smells. My attempts to do that here will be lame at best.
It feels like we’ve been here a week already. Perhaps that has something to do with the fact that of the over 48 hours that we’ve been gone, I’ve clearly been awake for over 40 of them.
This morning we rose much before the sun to travel to the church where we’d be worshipping and serving today, a World Orphans partner church. Don’t ask me the name, I couldn’t pronounce it or spell it correctly, so we’ll just leave it out.
Here’s a peek into the service from the side
We arrived quite late, but when the services are over three hours, it’s not a big deal.
The singing was beautiful. And even though I don’t understand French, the heart felt worship was undeniable!
After church we visited several homes where orphans were living, something like foster homes as we no them here. (without DCFS of course). Getting to these homes was no simple task. We easily climbed over a mile up rocky terrain, around corners, up steep hill, through narrow passage ways, into home after home to meet these precious ones. These were indeed their homes, but many of us would hardly consider them a tent. A canvas ‘roof’ was the main feature and many of them housed upwards of 10-12 people.
A few photos here…
This is steeper than it looks, don’t tell my pt.
Don’t miss the ocean in the background.
So much more I could say from a ‘how it’s impacting me personally’ standpoint. I’ll hope to do that soon.. doing all this from my phone.
A Prayer about the Joy of Being Completely Known and Loved
by Scotty Smith
“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”John 4:29
Lord Jesus, I wish I could have been present to watch this liberated Samaritan woman recount the tale of her collision with the gospel—her story of meeting you and coming alive to the transforming power of grace (John 4:1-42). Water from Jacob’s well was superseded by the water you alone can give—the living water that alone can slake our death-doling thirst.
You exposed her sequential affairs—her penchant to look to men to satisfy the deepest longings of her soul. Yet instead of ridiculing her, you redeemed her; instead of condemning her, you cherished her; instead of shaming her, you saved her; instead of sending her away empty, you sent her on her way full—full of peace, hope and love.
En route to the nations, you brought the gospel to the dark continent of this broken woman’s heart. I wonder if some of the six men with whom she’d been heard her proclaim, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” Standing vulnerable in the public square of her community, she’d never been so free. The gospel dealt a fatal blow to her need to pose or pretend.
I want more of that freedom, Jesus, much more. Freedom from the approval of men. Freedom from wanting to look better than I am. Freedom from minimizing and marginalizing my present need of you.
Nothing but the gospel can free us for being thoroughly known without fear. Jesus, your love is unlike anything else we can experience in this life. In fact, your love is better than life itself. We adore and praise you this day as the Christ—the Messiah, our Lenten Lord, the heart-knower, our holy lover, our righteousness from God, our only hope of glory!
You know every vain, foolish, and evil thought we’ve ever conceived; every lustful, greedy fantasy in which we engage. Only you hear every grace-robbing, grandstanding, gossipy word we speak. Only you know the broken cisterns of our choices—our idols, the many things to which we turn to find life other than in you. Yet you pursue us, you welcome us, and you love us… and you are changing us.
What a wonderful, merciful Savior you are, Jesus. Life—temporal and eternal, can only be found in you. So very Amen we joyfully pray in your transcendent and transforming name.
I’ve taken a long break from writing here … I’ve been busy with other things.
This weekend I travel to Haiti with our oldest daughter and a team of 15 from our church! We’ll be there for one week. I plan to write a bit each night and post here, updating those interested about our journey.
I’ve been enjoying the artist Audrey Assad as of late.
One of my favorite songs of hers is Known.
As the dew falls on the blade
You have touched all this fragile frame
And as a mother knows her baby’s face
You know me, You know me
As the summer air within my chest
I have breathed You deep down into my breast
And as You know the hairs upon my head
Every thought and every word I’ve said
Every thought and every word I’ve said
Savior, You have known me as I am
Healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known me, yeah, You know me
Oh, and as the exhilaration of autumn’s bite
Oh, You have brought these tired bones to brilliant life
And as the swallow knows, she knows the sky
This is how it is with You and I
Oh, this is how it is with You and I
Savior, You have known me as I am
Healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known me, yeah, You know me
From the fall of my heart to the resurrection of my soul
You know me, God, and You know my ways
In my rising and my sitting down
You see me as I am, oh, see me as I am
And as a lover knows his beloved’s heart
All the shapes and curves of her even in the dark
Oh, You have formed one in my inward parts
And You know me, You know me, yes
Savior, You, You have known me as I am
Oh, healer, You have known me as I was
As I will be in the morning, in the evening
You have known
You have known me, in the morning, in the evening
You’ve known me, God
In the morning, in the evening You have known me
Yeah, You’ve know me
You have always known me
You know me, God, You have known me
You have always known my heart
[The older brother] was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!” And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.” Luke 15:28-31
Heavenly Father, unlike the older brother, I’d never boast about my many years of serving you and I’d never even think of boasting in my record of obedience to your commands, nevertheless, there are times when my ingratitude matches his. I’m in one of those seasons and I want to repent before it gets any worse.
I do my best repenting not by groveling and beating myself up; not by ratcheting up my ill power and rededicating myself to you. No, my deepest repentance comes from preaching the gospel to my heart—remembering who you are and every good thing you give us in Jesus, so here goes.
Father, you are constantly running to us in the gospel—welcoming us to the dance floor of your grace, inviting us to enjoy the music of your mercy, imploring us to make merry to the glory of God. It’s a rich relationship, not a set of rigid rules, into which you’ve called us. To avoid you is to avoid oxygen, for you give life. To hide in my pouting, rather than Son-bath in your presence is the definition of crazy. I am so glad that you’re just as tenacious as you are tender. You incessantly say to our grumbling, discontented, self-righteous faces,
“My son, you’re always with me because I’m always with you. Nothing will ever separate you from the everlasting love I have for you and all my children. I greatly delight in you. I rejoice over you with singing. With my love I intend to quiet your restless heart.Everything I have is yours.
All your sins are forgiven, including your gross ingratitude. I’ve declared you to be righteous in Christ. I’ve hidden your life in his. I’ve begun a good work in you that I willbring to completion. I’ve made you a co-heir of the new heaven and new earth. You are destined for an eternity of perfect relationships—perfect everything. Come, let us rejoice and be glad.”
Father, I do repent this morning, but don’t relent. Keep beating down my ingratitude with love offensives of the gospel. By the Holy Spirit, compel me to delight in you today and dance to your glory. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ peerless and praiseworthy name.
I wasn’t following his rules by snapping this pic
