She loves to play with dolls and she loves to draw… but she doesn’t like to play soccer, and never has. Sometimes, she pretends she’s a “teacher!” (She is always threatening to beat some of her “students!” Ha!)

Betchina was brought to us after the earthquake. Her parents had completely abandoned her! She knows nothing about siblings and never asks. Social Services brought her to us… We just took her right in and we became her “mother and father.” She never had any problems adapting to her new family.

Betchina wants to become a teacher… She is now 11 years old and in the 5th grade. She loves “playing school” and taking care of smaller children, helping the ladies in the laundry, learning to cook, and learning to do a new “hair-do!” She is always “up to something!” The kids call her “monkey” as her nickname… but she doesn’t care. Everyone has a nickname… They probably call her this because she loves to “swing high,” and get up on the bars! She is not afraid of heights!!! I never have any trouble with Betchina! She is a real sweetie!  Sherry

THE CALLING OF GOD

“Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.” 2 Peter 1:10

There is a difference between a desire and the true calling of God. A lot of people have a desire to be a missionary, but when they come here and face loneliness, a different culture of people, the heat, lack of finances, and of course now the gangs and no fuel… everyone is afraid. Many people never leave their house. Just yesterday, two people who live here in Fond Parisien were kidnapped.

I’ve seen many people come and go here in Haiti. Many realized they were not truly called of God. Yet God used this experience in their lives.

The true calling of God means, “All the demons in Hell cannot stop you!” You may be a missionary to Africa, South America, China, or Haiti. You know the calling of God is in your life.

Many people ask me, “How can you and Sherry ever live in Haiti?” I always tell them this… “It’s not a sacrifice, but a joy to say yes to Jesus!”

Is the Lord calling you to go into the regions beyond for him? “Yes, Lord, here am I, use me.”

Missionary Bobby Burnette

Fritzner was just four months old when a mountain pastor, Pastor Justin, brought him to Love A Child, which saved his life. His mother had died of the “child-birth” fever, as it’s called in Haiti. Fritzner is in 6th grade and at the moment, he is studying for some lessons. He is sweet, quiet, and gentle… He is one of our sweetest boys! He loves to help the moms in the kitchen… in case there is any extra food! Ha! Fritzner is a good worker and gets along with everyone… I wish all the boys were like him! He will always do anything that is asked of him!!! He wants to be a teacher at our Love A Child School! “He’s already hired!” Sherry

Each day here in Haiti, the first thing when we wake up and the last thing of the day is always “bad news.” The three major gangs that control Haiti are still at work. One of them has confiscated all the huge fuel trucks. These are the same trucks that bring fuel to us here at Love A Child, for all our projects. We run on “diesel fuel” because Haitian electricity is not something we can count on… so, we have big generators. They run our Clinic, our Orphanage, our Birthing Center, our Malnutrition Clinic, and all the housing for our Haitian employees. But now, there are no more diesel trucks coming!

We used to be able to go to a grocery store on Sunday after Church and eat in a restaurant. (A little small thing to get away from the pressures of the week.) But now, we cannot go there due to the gangs, and of course, no fuel. We can no longer bring in missionary teams to help us. We used to be able to go much further into Haiti to do Food Distributions ourselves… but now, we have to stay back and let our Haitian teams go. Tomorrow, we have a small village to go to, and there are some military guys with guns that will go with us. But they don’t have much fuel, and cannot assist us in other areas.

We used to be able to take all our Haitian children to the beach on a weekend, and have a picnic. But we cannot do that anymore… Now, we pray over all our older children who are going to college, that God will take care of them and not let them get kidnapped!

People have asked us, “Why don’t you just leave Haiti and go back to the States for good?” The answer is found in God’s Word… Jesus said, “No man, having put his ‘hand to the plough and looking back,’ is fit for the Kingdom of Heaven.” Luke 9:62

“Haiti is not a country… it is a Calling.” Everything happens in the timing of God… so for now, we have our “hands on the plough,” and eyes on the Lord… Thank you for your prayers, that cover us day and night, here in Haiti. Sherry