Names and Personalities

I have to admit, every time I see a show or ad on television that shows pictures of children in a third world country, my heart hurts. I get tears in my eyes immediately and wish that I could rescue each and every one of them from their pain and struggles. I can't. The thing that affects me most as I look at these photographs, is that I have a whole orphanage full of children in Haiti whose faces I not only know, but whose names, personalities and quirks I am familiar with. Each time I look into the eyes of those children on television, I am reminded of one or more children at the orphanage in Bercy. They aren't just anonymous faces to me, but they are individules I have come to know and love. And every photo you see on television or in magazines, has a name, a story ...


This is Wanna. Wanna is an absolutely gorgeous little girl who loves, more than anything, to pose for photos. She is outgoing and fun, she LOVES to sing and will always do so on command. Wanna is spunky and silly and is always within a few feet of any American who comes to the orphanage. Her favorite day is Sunday because she gets to go to church and then to the beach. The incredible joy she has inside of her comes out in her singing, in her playing in the water and with the smaller children, and in her beautiful smile. Wanna loves to teach me how to speak her language and we have spent a lot of time in the wee morning hours before many of the children are awake, singing songs together and telling each other how you say this or that in Creole and in English. She repeats phrases I say and practices, she wants to say them correctly. She loves to be read to and will sit with you for hours and color. At the same time, put a pair of roller skates on her and watch her go! She and Lexi even managed to dance on roller skates quite often this past summer!

If I could choose a middle name for Wanna, it would definately be JOY ... The joy of the Lord is her strength!

Meet Roudfaelle. Of all the children that I have gotten to know over the last 3 years at the orphanage, I think Roudfaelle is one that has changed the most. When I first met her, she was one of the "little ones" ... she just wanted to be held and loved. A year later, when I returned, Roudfaelle seemed so quiet and withdrawn to me. She didn't like to play much with the other children and always seemed to be on the sidelines. I kept talking to Lexi (this was summer of 08) and telling her to pay extra attention to her, to involve her in what she and the kids were doing. And she would ... but she was still pretty quiet and withdrawn for the most part. A few months later, when I returned to Haiti for a short stay, Roudfaelle remembered me immediately and seemed pretty connected and comfortable about me and moreso with the others as well. And then we come to this past summer. Roudfaelle has grown into an absolutely gorgeous girl ... who is fun and energetic and always has a smile on her face. She has gotten a little spunk in her and is always with a group of children. What a beautiful thing to see. I miss this face!

Here is Nalda. Lexi calls her the "little stinker." She's beautiful and is another one who loves to sing. She is TINY and looks much younger than she is. She always wants gum and could spend days watching me blow bubbles. She has been known to take the gum right out of my mouth and chew it for herself. Nalda likes to get her way ... and will shove most anyone out of her way to get it. At the same time, she is sweet and tender and loves to sit on your lap and just "be." Nalda was one of the first to start calling me "Mama Shelly" this summer ... and I loved every second of it.

This is Mackenson. There are 2 boys with this name at the orphanage, so they are commonly known and Big Mackenson and Little Mackenson. To me, this is quite funny because Big Mackenson is very very little for his age and I think Little Mackinson is going to pass up his size in no time. This summer, I shortened it and called them Big Mac and Little Mac. Little Mac is Roudfaelle's little brother. He is as sweet as they come and you rarely see him without a thumb in his mouth. Whenever I would get into a project of some sort, he liked to sit or stand or even lie beside me ... just to be close. In November of 08 on a short trip down, my friend Kristie and I organized all of the clothing in the storage room one day and Baby Mac stayed in there with us for hours. Talking a little to himself, playing with a water bottle, and mostly just watching us and feeling close. He's a joy to be around and I miss his little arm around my leg, just letting me know that he is there.

So many more names and faces ... personalities and quirks ... so many background stories that tear your heart apart. I can't share many of their stories in detail, at least not with names, in order to protect them and not to embarrass or hurt them in any way. But just as they all have names and personalities, they individually have difficult stories, things in their past that caused them to be a part of this orphanage. I thank God that they were saved from many tough situations, several from near death, and brought somewhere that they become part of a family and learn about Jesus ...

Nothing matters more.