Tuesday, May 26th

Today we finished up giving shoes to the other 7 classes of school children. One of the girls around Odette's age that is another class was asking who was Odette's mama. I got teary later realizing that she has been talking about the adoption with other children at school. While giving out shoes, I went upstairs for something and when I came down the little boy from the day before was on that side of that church by himself just looking at me again so I got him a pack of crackers and he gave me the biggest smile. I loved on him as much as I could then I went back inside. Later one of the other team members brought him in and found him a new pair of spiderman shoes that made his face light up. We then took him upstairs and found him some new clothes, a new hat, and made him up a bag of little toys and snacks to take home with him. He looked like a new little boy that day, not just because he had on new shoes and clothes but because he finally had a smile on his face and his eyes were no longer sad. We found out his name is Andre and he has been in my thoughts many days since we have been back.

Later that day we went for a walk in the community. We first went to the Laurient house where Atanie and Linia's family lives. Then we went onto to Odette's house. I was looking forward to stopping by their house this time because I was such a wreck when I was there last time and I was looking forward to seeing her family. I really thought I would keep it together until Odette's papa saw me and got a big smile on his face & said "Mama Odette" and gave me a big hug. So again I started crying. I was able to pull it together though & this time when Odette went inside her house I followed her in. Their house has two rooms. The back room has two beds and the front room has one bed and a very small table and a few chairs. Odette seemed more comfortable this time and spent more time talking to her siblings inside the house. All of her siblings except her two older brothers were there. I meet her sister Ronette who is 16 for the first time. When I walked in the house she was holding a picture of me with Odette from the first trip. I also got to meet a few of her cousins that were there that day. As much as I would like to think going to her house in the future is going to be easier I don't think it ever will. It is hard to see the conditions that she grew up in and her brothers and sisters continue to live in (although it is much nicer than some other houses we have been to) and I am always overwhelmed seeing her parents and knowing how much they have given up for their little girl to have a better life.



We then continued our long walk to the house of Madame Gaspard's sister and her family. This is a family that most of the team got to know in February. When we got to her house her little boy was by himself. He is four years old but doesn't look much over one year old. We were able to give him snacks and also gave worm medicine to him an all the other children in the house next door.

That night the truck did not get back to take us to Kamatin until after 9:00 so we had some time after our walk to hang out with the girls and they sang for us. That is always one of my favorite parts of the trip.