{rice, beans & love}

From my very first trip to Haiti, I remember passing quickly past small villages and seeing forbidden paths of dirt and dust that led to the unknown. Curiosity always led me wondering to what type of stories were hidden in the cracks and corners of these small villages. And now, as I continue to immerse myself into this foreign, yet all-too-familiar place, I try to discover the miraculous stories this place holds.

I recognize now that every crack and corner holds amazing stories. Stories of heartaches, trials and despair. Stories that hold endless possibilities of triumph and hope. Stories just like little Dieucilia.

Dieucilia is a five-year-old in our Preschool 2 classroom. She’s bright-spirited and beautiful. This past week I had the privilege of not only seeing her home, but hearing how she has overcome death herself and is a living miracle. At 3-months-old, Dieucilia was found in a garbage dump, left to die. The couple that is now raising her heard a cry from the garbage and found her as a young infant. They believe the reason she was left to die was because she was ugly and therefore unwanted. They have had no luck in finding her parents, but now she has a family all of her own. A family who takes care of this young life and a family who sees the beauty in her life.

I’ve heard many stories of hospitals dumping children with diseases and disabilities. Mothers dumping their own children because they don’t want or can’t take care of their own. Stories of abandonment, rejection, and ultimately murder. Stories of ultimate heartache and despair. Stories that I wish didn’t have to exist in this world.

How wonderful it is though to know that we can witness these miracles. A miracle of a girl who was left to die and is now attending a school made for such a time as this. A school that wants to tell the stories of the children; children who have overcome the heartaches, defeated the trials and will live to tell the story of a better day.

It’s a hard life, but it’s a beautiful story.

Dieucilia still needs a Touch of Hope sponsor. To start sponsoring her, e-mail me at touchofhopehaiti@gmail.com OR to see all the other beautiful faces with stories all of their own, see the TOUCH OF HOPE link above to get started.

Love from Haiti.