WATER THERAPY

I spent this morning at water therapy.  OMG.  I can hardly believe how amazing it is.  Because of the networking that Alix has done with Healing Hait, 6-7 kids get to go each week: Maxo, Gabrielle, Christine, Alain, Phonsley, Natalie, Wilcia, and sometimes Jude.  Arrangements have been made for Healing Haiti meet Akix and the kids at the Caribben Lodge on Tuesday mornings.  They now bring all the towels and the flotation devices.  Alix is job is to get the kids easy at the orphanage and bring them.  She is doing a great job explaining what needs to be done with each child, and it is clear that the kids love it.

This week, a group of kids from Grace Village, an orphanage run by Healing Haiti, came to work with our children.  Here's the story of how that developed.  One of the long-term missionaries at Grace Village is missing all her fingers on her right hand.  When she visited last year, the kids made fun of her.  Now, she is staying the long term.  One of the children at Grace Village is cognitively fine, but has CP.  She said the kids are horrible to this girl.  Well, she heard the kids making fun of her, and Kelly just lit into them!  But, instead of just yelling, she decided to take advantage of Healing Haiti's relationship with the kids at Notre Maison!  She brings some of the older high school age kids into play with the kids at the orphanage, and then those who are capable and comfortable with our children, help some with the water therapy.  She wants the teens at Grace Village to have the chance to work with special-needs kids so that they can learn that people are just people.  Pretty cool that connections made and relationships built months ago can have an impact on people today!

I could hardly stop smiling this morning as I watched so many kids get over an hour of 1-1 time with someone away from the orphanage.  That is a great experience for everyone involved.  God has been so good in pulling this all together and getting so many different people involved.  What a privilege it is to be a small part of it all.

I opted to stay after everyone else left so that I could hang out at the Caribbean Lodge for a bit.  I've had the chance to swim, relax, read, and reflect on my trip so far.  It seems weird to be going home on Thursday, but it feels right.  I have needed to be here to bring closure to my trip.  A the same time, it's helped give me focus for the future.  I have two or three things that I want/need to get done in the next couple of weeks, and then I think I will feel as if I have done all that I can for the time being.  I know God hasn't finished with me in Haiti, yet, but I feel better about this trip (that means everything from January on).