”He Could Hold a Heavy Haitian Hoe, but Not a Piece of Chalk!”

Jonas… The first time we saw Jonas, he was up in the mountains, working in the heat of the Haitian sun, in a garden. In his hands was a Haitian “wou,” a large, heavy Haitian garden hoe. He had to work in the hot sun with no water and when he finished, he got very little food. This is what happens in Haiti when a child loses his parents. He goes to live with a relative as a servant. He will be called a “restavek.” He will “never go to school,” and never eat as much as the owner’s children.

When we rescued Jonas, it took a long time for him to adjust. You would not believe what his biggest problem was…  “holding a pencil in his hand to learn to write!” He would often cry with big tears running down his face because he could not understand how to “hold a pencil or a piece of chalk!”

Jonas is in school, but he has to be in a class with younger children. He is such a sweet, humble, young boy, and hard-working. You can see him packing food with the other children. Jonas is a “gift from God,” and we love him very much.

Sherry