Bendjina, pronounced "ben-GEE-nah", had been abandoned to St. Damien's hospital last December. She is now 21 months old. Because of her abandonment, there is little known about her. It was noted on a sign by her bed that there was eye "tarnishing" and severe skin irritations caused by a Vitamin A deficiency. She does have a small milky spot over part of her left eye but it is not certain if there is compromised vision at this point. She seemed well liked by the staff and some even asked to take pictures with her before her departure. 

This summer, we are getting into the superhero spirit to highlight a few of the people who serve children and families in Haiti in truly amazing ways. Who needs a cape, a mask, or x-ray vision when you have the heart and grit of these men and women? These are the true heroes; using the everyday disguise of sponsors, volunteers, advocates and donors. 

After spending the first two years of our sons lives an ocean apart from them; this past year has been spent making up lost time. It's been a year of teaching them that they belong; a year of showing them how treasured they are; a year of embracing them as SONS and BROTHERS; a year of enduring hardships...

Who doesn't love a field trip?! Last week, our entire student body had the very special treat of going to the Three Angels Farm to learn about agriculture. (There was even a special surprise at the end for the older students… shhhh!)

Being invited to their home was a very big deal for us and for the family. Allemagne proudly told us that her eldest son, Schneider, built their home for them a few years ago. He is only 16, yet serves as the man of the house. The home is a mix of tarps, sticks and sandbags with a plywood door. The ‘kitchen’ is a shelf carved into the hillside where the home is perched. Jovany and Sebastien showed us the one bed they shared with their mom. Schneider sleeps on a mat on the dirt floor.