It was many years ago that we were doing Mobile Clinics in the village of L’Estere, Haiti. It is located in the L’Artibonite Valley, where the majority of the poor work for wealthy land owners “growing rice.” One day while in a Mobile Clinic there, someone called out, “Come quickly. A lady is dying!” We were so far from any clinic or hospital, and since I was not a doctor or nurse, I was frightened. The poor lady was laying on a mat on the dirt floor, barely breathing. She said, “Madamn Sherry, I have no husband and four children. Promise me that when I die, you will take care of my children.” I promised her… but at the same time, I was praying, “God, please don’t let her die!”

A short time later, we returned to the village and there was the group of “villagers” standing in a “wad” with four little hungry children in front of them. Sheline was the oldest, then Barry, Julianne and Jonise. All the villagers said, “You must take them! You promised their mother!” There was an elderly grandma standing with them and she said, “I’m giving you two white ones (two light colored children) and two black ones!” Then she said, “This is Barry! You need to beat him every day! He is DEZOID!” (BAD!!!)

When we got ready to leave the village, we loaded up the four children, who had never ridden in a “machine” and off we went. We did not even have an Orphanage to take them to; we soon found a rented building and that was the first step in our Orphanage! All the girls were easy to raise, but Barry… he was from “a different planet!”

But with a lot of patience, as Barry grew older, he became a good worker at our warehouse! He watches over all the food, and he is responsible for getting the food to far away villages, and over some dangerous roads! If he hadn’t been such a tough kid, it would be very difficult to find someone to organize all the feeding programs and make sure no one steals food! We came to find out that “God may not always give you what you want, but He will always give you what you need!!!”

Sherry