This is Lomene. As many of you know, she was a “restavek slave child.” The first day we saw her in the mountains of Fond Parisien, she was about 7 years old and was caring for two families. She cooked and cleaned the yard and washed the dishes and took care of the younger children, for two families!

When we realized she was a slave child, we took her out of the village and to our orphanage quickly. We legally put her in our care.

We at first thought she may be “slow,” but perhaps she was just shy. She passed her Philo exam (12th grade) and then she decided she wanted to be a “professional cook!”

So, her dad, Poppie Bobby, tried her out on making “fried eggs,” and she failed! We were almost ready to take her out of that “cooking school,” and find something else for her… but, she was determined!

However, we found out that although she wasn’t good at “frying eggs,” she was good at pastries and decorating wedding cakes!! Everyone has a talent and with all these kids, we have to find out “what do they love to do?” We told them, “If you love to do it, it won’t seem like work!”

Missionaries Bobby and Sherry Burnette