Our home in Haiti

Kayla and I returned to Haiti May 26 - the work on our home began the very next day, after we spent the night with Matthew!!! As we drive from the airport my heart always starts to race as we come around the last curve before the mission. It seems like we can't get to the orphanage fast enough. Matthew looked so good, he actually walked to us. His smile even bigger than when we left him in March. How can such a small little child tear at your heart in such a mighty way. Every time we get to see him we are so thankful God brought him into our lives.

The next few days Kayla and I wanted to accomplish alot of the leg work so when Dell arrived on June 2 we would be ready to head to the house and WORK. We went into the city to order the doors and also talk to the tile company for our indoor tile. We had purchased tile before the earthquake however it was in port - couldn't get the tile out. Soooooo - we found a new tile and got that ordered.

The next day we unloaded our truck that Dell had driven down to Florida in March - it had arrived and we wanted to put all the merchandise that was in the truck into a container on the mission so we could use the truck to haul things to the house. It had traveled well - nothing broken, things had shifted but we were very thankful it was all sitting in Haiti. Everything for the house was in that truck. We picked a very hot day (oh yeah, most days in Haiti are hot!!), but we had really great help and it was awesome to hand out blankets and supplies that we had shipped in our truck for the Haiti people. Kayla and I got to see lots and lots of smiles. We heard "merci" alot - thank you in Haiti.

The next day or two we spent time at the mission - worked at the guest house, the warehouse and Kayla got to meet the different interns that she would spend time with and work with the next 5 weeks. I really enjoyed working around the mission and staying right there amongst the teams and the orphanage. Helps a little bit to know that Matthew is right down the hill too!!

Dell and our friend Joni were to arrive the next day. We rested and loved on Matthew. We were ready to start painting, and really get to work at our home in Haiti.

Returning to Haiti - our reunion with Matthew

After much anticipation and a month of "being still" and behaving we finally got to return to Haiti - and what a trip it was!!

The month of February was filled with many hours of heartache watching the news reports of Haiti and the devastation. It was extremely difficult knowing because of my health and no travel into the country I had to sit and "be still." For most of you that know me, well that was not an easy job - but I did succeed and because of that success I have completely healed and feel like myself again. I told one of my sisters that I felt normal again and she laughed out loud and said "You have never been normal". Well, I am feeling as normal as I can be.

On March 5 Dell left Rock Rapids in a 33 foot straight truck filled with household goods for our home in Haiti. It was filled to the brim - furniture, kitchen table, stove, refrigerator, towels, sheets, lamps, beds and just a few things for Matthew!!!! He drove over 1780 miles down to Ft. Lauderdale, no breakdowns, no bad weather and he arrived early to relax. Thank you Jesus. Our family met up with him on March 9 to fly to Haiti on the 10th.

What a trip we were blessed with. We arrived safely and before going to the mission our driver took us around Port Au Prince. The pictures on t.v. were helpful for we Americans to try to comprehend what was going on there - but til you see it with your very eyes - you can't begin to imagine the devastation, the pain in many of the Haitians eyes, the loss and how do they possibly move on, and where do they even begin to rebuild??

We got to Mission of Hope around 3:00 that day and I think I had Matthew in my arms by 3:10!! Dell and I picked up Matthew from the Orphanage and we could not believe how he had changed. He smiled, he hugged, and it was so overwhelming the tears would not stop. I could not stop kissing his little face. The face and eyes that stole my heart in December. He actually had more than skin laying on his bones - he had a little bit of fat!!! We immediately took him up to the guesthouse so our children could meet him. No words that I could write on this page could describe how incredibly awesome it was to watch them with him.

It was a week filled with lots of work, warm/HOT weather, lots of stories told to us regarding the Earthquake, and moments and moments of memories made with Matthew. We dedicated Matthew to the Lord on Sunday March 14. Our work team that we traveled with attended the worship service at the Mission and then returned to the hotel. Our team gathered and we praised the Lord for bringing Matthew into our life. Sharon the founder of the Mission and an ordained Pastor and the woman that was with me when we rescued Matthew in December baptized him, blessing him and asking the Lord to watch over him. God has big plans for Matthew and our family is going to be richly blessed watching him grow into His plans.

January 2010 - a month I will always remember!

Our children were excited, not sure how to feel, wanted to meet him - when could he come here?? After days home I had decided to travel back to Haiti Jan. 11-15 to work at the Mission and be with Matthew. However, as we often learn we are not in control of our lives - God is and my plans were not his plans.

On New Years Eve I was not feeling well so I canceled our annual gathering at our home, and went to bed. Friday seemed like I was worsening, Saturday a.m. I surrendered and had my oldest take me to see the doctor. By mid afternoon we knew that a virus was attacking my liver - yes, I was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. During my December stay in Haiti I had contracted Hep A. We will never know for sure where I got it from and it does not matter - it is just part of my Matthew's World story. I stayed in the local hospital for 3 days getting fluids and lots of rest. Not much more you can do for Hep A!! Late Monday afternoon we thought, remember this word, thought I had reached my peak and went home. Tuesday the vomitting continued and many body aches. Dell brought me back to E.R. for some fluids Tuesday evening, only to find out my liver functions had gotten ALOT worse. I was readmitted.

During this time Dell had been conversing with Bob, the couple we had traveled to Haiti with, he stated that his wife, Sharon, had not been feeling well. Dell suggested he take her in and tell the doctors what was going on with me. Hours later we found out she too was diagnosed with Hep A. One out of every 1000 patients that are diagnosed with Hep A turns into acute Hep A - well Sharon and I were 2 out of 2000!!!! Our Hep A had turned into acute.

On Thursday morning my liver functions got into a dangerous area in which my doctor and the doctors in Sioux Falls were not comfortable taking care of me. I was air lifted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN that evening. While Sharon was taken to the University of Kansas hospital in Kansas City. I was having to put my favorite scripture to work again "Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding but in all my ways I needed to acknowledge Him and he would direct my path." I was frightened, my family was frightened - my liver functions showed hours from a transplant.

We got to the Mayo clinic safely through a winter snow storm and was introduced to the transplant doctors and team on Friday morning. They were preparing me for a transplant. Tests were run and we waited - we waited to see what the numbers were going to do. Prayers were being sent from all over - Friday afternoon friends came to the clinic and prayed over me and for Sharon - asking for our numbers to stop rising and that a transplant would not be needed. We had both contacted family and friends to pray for the same thing. We were boldly asking God for miracles.

Saturday morning the doctors came in along with the transplant doctor and these were her direct words "I am confident that you will not be needing my services!!" My liver function numbers had quit rising - I was not going to need a transplant! I told her "it was nice to have met you but I hope I never have to see you again!" We all smiled and we were in need of some smiles and laughter. Later that morning - Bob phoned Dell and the same thing was going on with Sharon. There was no real medical reason except that our prayers had been answered. Sharon and I knew we had alot in common but as we have watched all of this unfold - WOW - our stories are so similar it is quite scarey. We call each other the Hep Sisters!!

Needless to say I did not get to go on my flight to Haiti Monday morning - but as the week continued my family realized that it was best that I was not in Haiti - the earthquake hit that Tuesday afternoon. We cried with sadness and fear as we watched the reports come in. We immediately got ahold of Bob and he informed us that evening that MOH was safe, the children were all safe - Matthew was safe. We can not describe all the feelings that have come since that night and over the weeks to come except that God is good, he is faithful and he will see that nation through - he will pull countries together and maybe, just maybe Haiti will recover like never before.

Sharon and I are recovering and our liver functions are back to normal. My doctor said I was normal - my sisters laughed!!! We are all planning on returning to Haiti March 9-17 to be at the Mission and of course, love on Matthew. I will be bringing my family along to meet him and baptize him in the church. To be a faithful servant of God can be difficult at times - we question him - we try to control things - the sooner we learn to Trust Him and to let Him control our lives the better off we will all be. He continues to direct my path.

Getting Him Settled

On Monday morning we knew we had our work cut out for us. Dell and I were scheduled to return to Iowa on Wednesday morning. We arranged a meeting with the founders, who had traveled with us, and Marc Lubin, the gentleman that heads up the finances at MOH. At this point we wanted to sponsor Matthew and keep him at the mission. The problem was - the orphanage was full!!


We watched Matthew change right in front of our very eyes. Saturday he could not hold his head up, Sunday we got him food and antibiotics and fed him every couple hours. On Monday, he was holding his head up and crying when he wanted something. He wanted to stay at the Mission of Hope!!!!


Our meeting went very well - they all knew God wanted us to take care of this child. We sent Rachel - who runs the orphanage - into Port Au Prince to find a bed, and other supplies. We sent someone to the other orphanage where we removed Matthew from and asked the madame to allow us to keep Matthew at the orphanage. She knew he was sick and needed attention - she sent someone into the mountains to find the mother and bring her to MOH. On Tuesday Madame and the mother came to the MOH and signed forms to allow us to keep him there. We had rescued Matthew - the God we serve is so good!!

While all this was taking place we were spending the days with Matthew. Falling in love with this adorable little human being that for some reason God put into our path!! What was he thinking and what would the three children that we have at home think?? They had spent a week in Haiti with us in June and their lives had forever been changed along with ours.

Wednesday morning came, the picture above shows how strong he was by that a.m. - 3 days on food and being loved!!! Our bags were packed and we needed to head home - we knew Matthew would be safe and taken care of - but to say goodbye. We handed him to Rachel and prayed over him that God would protect him and watch over him. That he would provide love and food for him and keep him healthy. All of Matthew's test have come back that he is a healthy boy. He is growing and being loved upon by the mommies, the other children at the orphanage and volunteers that come to MOH to be God's hands and feet every day.

We are thanking God everyday for using us to rescue him and waiting to see what he has in store for our family and Matthew's life.

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??!!??!!