The Rescue

As Saturday came to a close I prayed. As the Sunday sun was coming up I prayed. As we worshiped at the Mission of Hope Sunday morning service - my heart was heavy. Why had God shown me that little boy - why was he laying there for me to see?? While we sang praise songs at church, I watched families and children from the orphanage parade in to worship our faithful and loving God. All the while my heart and mind kept going back to that little boy. Whispers throughout the entire service, "go back and get that baby". After the service I went to the founders that had traveled with us on this trip. "Bob and Sharon - I have to go back and get that baby and get him some help today!!! I can not let him just lay there and die."

We lined up a driver and an interpreter and headed for that orphanage. The madame that runs that orphanage knew that baby was sick and so when we asked her if we could take him to get medical attention she did not fight us. That Sunday all I knew for sure was that I needed to take him to get some help, some food, and love him up!!!! We bundled him up and headed back to Mission of Hope. As we drove toward the Mission I sang lightly in his ear, prayed for him and was so deeply in my heart and soul wondering "what kind of plan does God have for this child and what do I have to do with HIS plan?" Again my life verse came to my mind "Trust in the Lord with ALL thine heart and lean not on your own understanding, in ALL your ways acknowledge HIM and HE WILL DIRECT THY PATH"

When we got to the Mission we contacted the doctor that lives on the grounds and got him formula and an antibiotic. Her first words were "this is the baby!!" I said "what baby??" She then told me that in October a photographer was in Haiti wanting to take pictures of children and had taken this baby's picture. (picture on front page of blog)The photographer had at first refused because he knew that baby was very sick, they felt maybe a few days from death. Our doctor had felt there was going to be a survivor story with this child, so she left formula and had treated him in October. Now I realize the beginning of Matthew's story really began back that day.

I fed him as often as he would take something that night. We all believed he was again just a few days away from death. He would hold my finger as he ate, watching me very closely.(working his little way right into my heart!!) He sucks his thumb because so often when they cry nobody listens so they calm themselves with their thumbs - I would just pull it out and get some more food in there. Dell and I had fallen in love with him by Monday a.m. We could not return him to that orphanage - we began the next part of this journey to try to keep him at Mission of Hope - they take care of the children there - they are doing God's work there - they are God's servants there, they treat each other like family there, he just had to stay there!!! Some how we wanted him to be a part of the Grooters Family, the Mission of Hope family. He is a fighter - oh what fun it is going to be to watch him grow into a Godly, mighty man!!!!!

The Day Our Journey Began!

December 5, 2009 is a day that has changed our family's life forever. Dell and I were in Haiti to finalize some details on a home that we are finishing there. We had wrapped things up in Port Au Prince early so decided to stop at an orphanage that Mission of Hope works with. As I walked through the orphanage something was pulling me around a corner. What I found there - well let's see how I can best describe it to you. There laid this very sick, malnutritioned baby on the cement floor. He had skin that laid on his bones. Many of we Americans might see something like this in our barns with our animals. As I sat there I could see he was trying to cry - but nothing came out of his mouth. I had blankets along from a church that sends them with me as we travel. I instantly placed the baby on it and there he laid. Limp, no strength, he could not sit up, nor hold his head up but continued to look at me the entire time I sat there. My heart ached, bugs were flying around his bottom, he was so dirty - what was I to do for this child?? Why would God allow this?? The awesome mighty God that we serve - why would he allow this??



We had a Haitian driver along with us that day and he knelt down beside us and prayed over every inch of this little child's body. He cried out loud as he started at the top of his head down to each one of his toes. Praying in creole over him - protect him, watch over him, save him.




I left the orphanage that day wondering why the Lord had brought me here to see this - I had come to Haiti this trip to work on our house - but did He have a much bigger, greater plan for me??!!??!!