Many of you have been following the story of Jonas, the little boy that we rescued in the mountains while we were having a feeding program. It was discovered that Jonas had no mother or father, or any relatives at all. When his parents died there was no loving relative to care for him. He had been working in the heat of the sun in gardens that belonged to other people. If you have ever seen someone in the States with a sign that says, “I will work for food,” then you have no idea what this really means, unless you know Jonas! He was “working for one meal a day” if he was lucky!

He was working along with older men and using a Haitian garden tool called a “wou,” which is extremely heavy. He had no place to call home, no bed, nothing, so he slept in the “bushes.” He had never been “a little boy.” He had never slept in a bed, never kicked a soccer ball, and never held a pencil or a pen!!! We brought him to our Love A Child Children’s Home, and everything was strange to him!! He was so afraid when they put him in the shower, so he started screaming that “it’s raining on the inside!”

Since the doctor thought he was about ten years old, we decided to try to give him some school lessons at home. He had “never held a pen or a pencil” in his hand! We have a schoolteacher that gives our children lessons, Madamn Raphael. She has great patience and tried all week to have him draw the letter “A,” but he could not do it! Early this morning at 5:30 a.m., I saw Madamn Raphael standing with Jonas. She had her teacher’s uniform on and he had a “school uniform” on too!! She said, “Every day he goes to ‘school’ right here at home! That way I can get him used to ‘going to school!’”

The children told me that they had a hard time trying to get him to put his plate “on the table” instead of “on his lap!” Oh yes, he still tries to “water the plants” in the courtyard, instead of using the toilet, but “he’s making progress!” Jonas loves to work! He is a “gift from God,” and we all love him!! Sherry