“He took me from a bad place and put me in a good place.”

Just look at little Jonas, lifting those rocks and smiling ear to ear!! He had been working in the yard with our other boys, but no one could smile like Jonas!! This little boy has never stopped smiling since we rescued him a little over a year ago. We first met Jonas in the mountains when he was working in a large garden, owned by a big, evil, nasty woman!

Because Jonas’ parents had died, he was taken in as a “restavek slave.” Restavek means, “to live with.” So, when a poor Haitian child loses his mother and father, he goes to stay with a relative or someone who needs a “slave child,” usually to work in a garden or tend animals. Unfortunately, the lady who “owned” Jonas was mean and hateful. When we rescued him, he had never been to school, and could not hold a pencil in his hand. He had never had three meals a day, and most times, nothing! He was often beaten because “he had not worked hard enough.” Worst of all, he had never had a hug.

It took a while for Jonas to understand “love” and hugs! No one was ever going to call him names or beat him, or treat him like an adult, instead of a child, again. Jonas is now in school, although he struggles, but, he loves his family, loves working, and loves Jesus… because, he said, “Jesus took me from a bad place and put me in a good place!!” We all love Jonas, Sherry