Sorlanda

   Meet Sorlanda, one of the children at House of Hope. This sweet and spunky little girl has been my friend since my first day in Haiti (I literally went to HOH about 15 minutes after I arrived in Port-de-Paix). My sister Mackenzie and I had taken pictures with her last year when we visited Sonlight, and I was so glad to find her again this year. After  few visits she started to recognize me, and now comes running when I walk through the door with a huge smile on her face. If she's not in the front room, the other kids know she is my buddy and take me straight to her.

Sorlanda

   During my visits, we play "our" games (peek-a-boo, swinging, and braiding hair), we sing her favorite Bible songs, and we laugh. A lot. Sometimes when I come, she is really quiet, and I just hold her. This is usually after bath time. Bath time is a traumatizing experience for her (I'm not quite sure why), so if I come then, it usually takes a while for her to return to life. But she does every time, and we go right back to playing.

She sometimes get ornery and won't
look at the camera!

   Sorlanda has the most beautiful eyes, big and bright, and they light up when she smiles. She has the sweetest little voice, too. I love listening to her sing. She doesn't mind that I only know a little creole, she is perfectly content to chatter away, even if I have no idea what she's saying. I love Sorlanda.

Nephtali, Sorlanda, and Timata

Swinging!

                                                                                 

   I was really excited to see her today, because I didn't go last week, and I had missed my time with her. When I walked through the door, I was greeted by several of the other kids. I sat down and played for a few minutes, expecting to see my little friend walk in any moment. After a few minutes, I asked the other kids about her. Seeing me look around, Nephtali (one of my friends who usually takes me to Sorlanda) came over to me and said "Sorlanda avek Jemson." Sorlanda is with Jemson. This didn't surprise me, as Jemson is Sorlanda's older brother (and a really sweet little guy), but I didn't see him, either. I asked where they were, and Nephtali said "Ale lakay." They had gone to their house. I was confused, but I thought she might not know what she was talking about, so I asked one of the HOH people. To my dismay, Nephtali was right, Sorlanda had gone home. 

   Her mother had come to get her and her brother two days ago. House of Hope has no choice but to send children home if their parents come, even if the kids aren't ready yet. They told me that her mother almost reconsidered  while she was there, because she said she doesn't have money or food to care for them. But whether or not that is true, she took them. My sweet friend is gone, and I didn't even get to say goodbye. 

   I knew that this could happen.  I knew. I was mentally preparing myself to say goodbye-perhaps permanently-when I left for the summer. But not now. Not now. Not when I didn't go last week, when I'm not ready. Not when she may not have food at home. When I have no idea where she lives, or who her family is. 

   I do know that God knows. I know that He sees her, that He loves her even more than I do. I know that He knows how frustrated I am with this situation and all the others like it in Haiti. Because it frustrates Him, too. I know that He sees how much my heart is hurting tonight, and that His hurts, too. I know that if He wants us to be together again, we will be. I know these things, but it doesn't make it easier. I'm still so, so sad. I still miss my girl. I still wonder if she has food tonight. If I'm ever going to see her again. I still can't stop thinking about her.

   But I'm also thankful for a God who cares. A God who lets me run to Him, holds me through my tears and patiently listens to my endless questions tonight. A God who I can trust to do what is best. A God who will never leave or forsake me, who is there through every hurt, every storm, and who will one day wipe away every single tear from our faces.

My sweet friend.