I Have Heard About The Orange Hair but Had Not Seen it Until Now

Sunday was the day I would say was so far the hardest for me as a mother...

We had to drive back down to the airport to return the car with the break fluid leak and also pick up another member of our team flying in today. I really didn't want to have to go down into that crowded area again if I didn't need to but had no choice.

I had been warned by some here about what would happen. The children who beg, of which there are way, way too many come not up next to the cars and literally sprawl themselves with their arms spread out wide like an eagle across your side of the windows and their faces are pushed against the glass. They cannot speak anything but Creole but the actions speak for themselves. They take their right hand and make a signal to you toward their mouths and then rub their bellies. Myself and another guy had to wait with the car parked for about 30 minutes while my husband Paul, Michelson and 2 TV crew wanted to go back in with them to the entrance to wait for our incoming team member. You know here to always lock the doors and always keep the windows up.

7-8 boys, maybe 5-10 years old, very thin, dirty kept coming right up beside me pounding on the glass for food and money. God made me a mother and I have my own children, but I also have always loved all children. I sponsor 8 children, I am a Compassion International Advocate. To have these children standing there, pounding on my windows was too much. It was just too much. You learn you must look away. But even then, they keep coming back relentlessly. My instincts are to feed, nuture and love those who have less or who cannot defend themselves. I just kept asking God why must I hold back this way and be so cold? The problem is there are too, too many and it also promotes this behavior. But what other options do they have? None. Absolutely NOTHING...

We also ate at a gas station that had a little side restaurant. I know, I know, be careful what I eat. Well, let's see, the menu had probably 10 things on it. Each time I tried to order something, they don't have, they don't have. 2 things only. The lady at the register laughed at me when I tried to order pizza fron the menu and just shook her head basically saying, "Pizza? Do you know the last time we had pizza here? The menu is a joke". So we go to sit down. We had booths. I was right beside the window. Again, a boy, maybe 12 lays down on the pavement sprawled out right below me, using his right hand motion to his mouth and then rubbing his stomach. His eyes, his eyes were like a looking glass where you can see through to the other side. I could see through his eyes and I will never forget those light brown beautiful eyes just staring into mine asking for food and money. His hair was orange. Not brown but orange. This is a distinct sign of malnutrition.

Again, when we were driving and one of the TV crew wanted to film a boy with his lips pressed against the window. That bothered me honestly. It's too harsh. Please I am thinking. Please stop filming him. He had no expression, bright orange hair and was weak from the lack of food.

We then left there after getting our team member and stopped in front of a tent city. The TV crew wanted to film. Akward, very, very hard to sit their in the car as I looked down the hill at the tents. Standing at the bottom right below us were very small children. Very dirty, no adults anywhere to be seen just wandering and staring up at me in the car. The TV guy got his shot he needed but my heart didn't get what it was looking for. I wanted to run down that hill and take those children into my arms and save them all. Save them from this life which is nothing short of simply existing in a world of corruption and poverty.

I need to mention that here is NO ASSISTANCE here now. It is almost non-existent. What we are told and what is happening are two very, very different things. Yes there are UN cars around, a handful of Columbian soldiers but other than that, it's a lie and the money is no where to be seen except in the high ranking officials pockets.

As we headed back to the clinic, we drove down hilly, bumpy dusty roads. EVERYWHERE you turned, no matter how poor, they would have TV'S set up under tarps somehow watching The World Cup. Usually anywhere between 10-50young boys to men motionless watching their beloved Brazilian team. Our Haitian team member asked then the score. Brazil was playing Cote de Ivoire. Haitians always will love Brazil and Argentina.They are the underdogs and they feel that is just like what they are here in Haiti. They say, "the score is 0-0 but Brazil is winning! LOL!

When we stopped by the clinic, we were standing up on the balcony of the second floor. All of the sudden you could hear a HUGE screaming and applause because Brazil had scored! The tents, the shacks, it didn't matter. They were gathered together as fellow Haitians to route for the guys like them.

We stopped to photograph an area. If you know anything about Haiti, over the years they have stripped all the mountains bare of trees to sell off. That results in mud slides, no wood for building and a lack of charcoal to cook with. There was a mound of dirt with just cut grasses piled up smoking. Michelson told us that it in about 2 days, that pile would become charcoal. I never knew they could do it this way. Houses that had fallen from the quake were now worse. Tents are set up not only in large areas but also in 2-3 tents at a time where there are fewer people around. My son Andy's friend he met last time who translated was living in a tent where we stopped. Andy had bought a pair of shoes and 3 shirts for him. He is gone now we were told and they are not sure where he went...

The rest of the day went more smoothly back here at the orphanage but the next day, Monday changed all our plans in a split second that no one knew was coming....