Colin… “Dan.”

The kids in our Love A Child Children’s Home give each other nicknames! They don’t get angry over this, or fight someone, or get their feelings hurt! Practically everyone in Haiti has a nickname! Haitians don’t really like long names or long words. They cut everything short. Colin’s nickname is “Dan” or “Teeth.” Colin has some bad overbite teeth, which will be fixed when we get him a passport and visa to the U.S.! Then, the kids will have to find another name for him!

We rescued Colin from his Voodoo father when he was very, very young. His mother was cooking rice in a large metal bowl, a chodia. When the rice was finished, Colin reached into the bowl for another handful. His father caught him and said, “I’ll show you what happens to a thief!” With that, he dragged Colin over to the fire where the hot charcoal coals were and held his hand down onto the hot coals! Someone saw this and told us about him. We took him to the clinic and afterward reported him to the Department of Social Services. He was legally given to us.

Colin gets up at 4:30 a.m., works in the garden, sweeps, mops, and does anything else. He will be in 8th grade and wants to be an engineer! Colin is “very intelligent” and he will go far! We all love Colin and guess what? He is a “mean goalie” on the soccer field!! Wow!

Sherry