Thessoit standing with her grandson, Gensly, and orphanage director, Widelson

A Divine Appointment in Haiti

God shows off His sovereignty on our first day

Dear Friends,

“I was sad that I had to bring him here, but I knew he would have a better life.” With those words Thessoit Belony, translated through Pastor Wildelson, the director of Mount Zion Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, told me her story.

Mount Zion is a small orphanage crammed into a crowded sea of colorless, half-crumbling cement-block-and-rusty-tin homes on the southwest side of the city. You can see poverty everywhere. You can smell it.

Thessoit and her grandson were easy to spot when I arrived. The expressions on their faces told me something was wrong, especially the blank, fearful face of the 9-year-old boy at her side. His eyes were filled with apprehension as they scanned his new surroundings. Thessoit went on to explain that she and her husband had been caring for the boy, whose name was Gensly, since he was 2 years old when his parents had died, but because of their deepening poverty they could no longer do so.

I then took the occasion to explain to them about how we are reuniting families in Myanmar through Opportunity Loans. I told her that we would like to do the same for Thessoit and her family, and offered to make them a loan to start a small business so that they could provide for Gensly at their home—225 miles away—rather than be separated.

Here’s the awesome part: I was already planning to introduce the concept of kinship care to Pastor Widelson on this trip, but I didn’t expect God to provide such a timely example to help me convince him that it could work, nor had I expected such an opportunity to initiate our plans!

After listening intently, the grandmother began thanking the Lord for His mercy and, with raised hands, shouted “Hallelujah!” Later on I learned that she had originally planned to bring Gensly to the orphanage yesterday, but had been delayed one day. I think there was a divine plan in effect!

I’m so thankful to have met Gensly and his grandmother, as well as the opportunity to introduce the concept of kinship care to Pastor Widelson. Thanks for your prayers for our trip, and the support that makes caring for orphans possible.

This was just Day 1!

Elisabeth Walker
Director of Orphan’s Tear

A few of the precious children living at Mount Zion Orphanage who we hope to eventually reunite with their families…