I remember clearly the first time I saw her… perched nervously on the edge of a chair on our porch; her eyes were wide and scared in her too thin face. She was wearing some old hard sandals, a ragged blue skirt, an ill fitting shirt and had a t-shirt wrapped around head. In her hand she was clutching seven dollars, Haitian currency which is less than one dollar in US. That was the extent of her belongings…
Berta’s story is sketchy but all too familiar- never knew her father, her mother died, she lived with an aunt who turned her over to a friend who kept her until she got sick with cholera. The “friend” then brought Berta to our cholera hospital and abandoned her. One of our Doctors noticed she was alone and questioned her out… That is how she came to be sitting on our porch when I came straggling in the driveway on a hot Sat. in June after spending the morning wading through black slimy mud at the market.
We could not put her out on the streets so of course she stayed!! That first evening was interesting as Dadou and I took Berta through the house and showed her a few basics like how to use a doorknob and lock, proper use of the toilet and shower and what to do with deodorant, to mention a few!! We scrounged up some personal items and a couple clothes she could wear to start her off…
As we got to know her we discovered she is a very funny girl who loves to laugh and tease! She also loves to dance and sing. When we would play Kreol music she would often start dancing around the table clapping and singing then the other children would join in and soon everyone was shouting and having a grand time!! Berta has a beautiful smile and how her eyes sparkle when she is given pretty girly stuff and nice clothes. She carefully treasures everything. It isn’t hard to see that she has never before been in touch with her feminine side or had anyone enjoy her and tell her how beautiful she is. I hope and pray she got a nice tasted of it here…
The next two and a half months were interesting as we struggled to understand her. She had some serious issues. We prayed for her and with her and tried to point her to Jesus as the only answer for the demons she fought with. I believe she genuinely wants to trust Jesus; she read great portions of the Bible and bible story book almost daily but the things she has been taught and the things she has experienced are very strong. Over time it became apparent that our children's home was not the best long-term option for Berta. So to make a long story short -
Last week Berta moved to another place. I personally don’t know very much about it except that its like a boarding school for girls like Berta. It is run by Blue Ridge International which is a mission we know and trust so I know she is in good hands. Please pray for her that she could find true freedom and peace in Jesus!
Here are some pictures of the good bye party:
