We shared about Mika and Mikalange, Daniel and Daniella, and this is David and Davidson (Jonathan). “Whew!” Raising a large family of Haitian children can be rewarding but stressful at times. We have not only the normal teenage things, but also have seven children with major health problems.
David and Davidson Noel almost died when they were born because, as you may know, they nearly died after birth. Their mother died during childbirth. Their father left the twins with “Grandma,” who had no food. She tried to keep the twins alive on “saltwater,” but it closed their throats. When Grandma Noel and her neighbor brought the twins to us, their throats had almost completely closed! It took a long time to get them to be able to drink milk in a bottle!
They were good kids until they hit the teenage “age,” and then, like many, they became lazy. When all the boys were up working, David and Davidson were sleeping… so, they had a “come to Jesus” awakening. I packed up their things and sent them back to the mountains, to the village they came from! They found out that sleeping on a straw mat on a dirt floor was not fun and bugs would eat you. They realized that to take a simple bath, they would have to walk a long way and carry a bucket of water from the river, and much more. When they came back, they did really well for a while. Then, I began having the same problems again… they just wouldn’t get up with the rest of the kids. So, I hired a young tough guy named “Kamy,” and gave him a bullhorn! I told him, “Every morning, at 4:30 a.m. make an announcement on the bullhorn to get up, pray, and let’s get to work!” (Oh yes, I forgot to tell Kamy about that “volume button,” so he had it on number 10, instead of number 2. Ha! No problem getting any kids up in the morning now… the horn goes off 4:30 a.m. and the girls turn up the loud Haitian Christian music!” All the kids are used to it!!
The twins are doing well. They have taken their last test for 12th grade. David is quiet and mature. He wants to be an engineer. Davidson is a little scatter-brained but a good kid!! He loves camerawork and is an expert photographer! Both boys are very respectful, and we love watching them grow up and find their path in life! We love them both!!!! They are now “Zero Stress Kids!”
Sherry