I had already began falling in love with Haiti several months before the quake (Thank you Kelly). Our small group at church began praying for them as a people group and it grew. Our church was in the works at the time with Global Orphan Project to build an orphanage in Haiti. It's part of the Crazy Love Campaign. When they began talking about the orphanage our church was going to build, I told Tony I had to go when it was built. Of course I'm sure Tony didn't really put much thought into this.......I mean "how" could I go? "How" could I leave them behind for a week, "how" could we afford so much money and "how" would the kids be taken care of while Tony works? But God already had a plan for all of those "how's". And he began showing me the "why". My desire and passion to go only grew more and more over the months. Then one morning in January I woke up to reports on the news of a tragic earthquake having ravaged Haiti. My heart was shattered. I watched in tears, feeling helpless as there was nothing I could do to help right now. As I watched over the next several days, Maekayla tuned in with me. Maekayla began to be very inquisitive about Haiti following the earthquake. She had lots of questions about what we were seeing. I explained best as I could as to how the earth had shook and it knocked down buildings and houses and how many people were without homes or shelter. We talked about how many babies had lost their mommy's and daddy's and how some mommy's had lost their babies. Mae was very upset about this. She began saving her money and whatever she could swindle out of others to save up in her "Haiti bucket". When asked what the money is for, she replies "It's for the babies in Haiti to buy food and cups and plates." She still prays at night "God please watch over the babies in Haiti and don't let them die." And she randomly inserts other things like finding them mommy's and daddy's and getting them some toys to play with so they'll be happy. She melts my heart.
I'm not sure if Mae really understands at 4 years old what she's seen in the pictures we've looked at or what it truly means that they have no mommy's. But I do know that Mae understands selflessness. She even put her $10 her Grandpa sent her for her birthday in her bucket. She informed me that she didn't need it to buy something. She stated that she has "many somethings and the babies in Haiti don't have any somethings." She's wise beyond her whole 4 years.
So here she is with her bucket, saving all her pennies and quarters. I am packing a suitcase with items to take to the children who will be in our orphanage. And Maekayla is going to take her money, go shopping and then help me pack those items away for me to deliver for her. While I am there, I can take pictures of how these items will bring smiles to these faces and she will SEE the difference she helped make. Tony and I pray this will help her to understand more what she has done to help these children.
God bless Mae!!! She's one special little girl. Of course, I'm not biased or anything!!
Read more about the Global Orphan Project and the Crazy Love Campaign here:
www.theglobalorphanproject.org
www.crazylovecampaign.com
No comments:
Post a Comment