Heart for Haiti

Kait was so excited to receive her welcome letter in the mail today, that she was awake and on the couch in record time!

 

A week or so ago my oldest daughter, Kaitlynne sponsored a child from Haiti. She had been talking about it for a long time. She figured out how much she needed to earn each month, crunched some numbers and talked it over with all of us. She invited the younger kids to sponsor a child with her, they weren't really excited to tie down their chore money like that, which is okay. I believe sponsoring a child is a matter of the heart, and if God hasn't placed that on your heart, you shouldn't feel obligated to do so. She searched for weeks to find just the right child. She narrowed it down to a boy, because they don't get sponsored as often. After weeks of deliberating she finally decided on a five year old boy named Ruth, or Rit in Creole, his native language. I only know that is his name in Creole because Kait started learning a little bit of it in hopes to write to him in Creole and bigger hopes of going on a mission trip to Haiti the summer after next.

I must say her heart to show the love of Jesus to a little boy she has never met, yet loves so strongly has really made me reevaluate my own heart. When is the last time I truly sacrificed to show someone else God's goodness? Ashamedly, I can't remember. I went on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico when I was about her age. I worked at an orphanage. I came home early, it was gross and the food was gross and I flew home early. Not exactly what I'd call sacrificing. Let's see, I went on Saturday's to feed the homeless in Detroit when I was a little girl. Not thinking that counts either. I have come to realize in the last couple of weeks that I am doing my children a major disservice by not encouraging them to serve the Lord in a way that would require their time, talents or money. Again, I don't feel it should ever be forced, but if their world hasn't been opened up to serving how will they ever know if it's where God is leading them? Serving alongside them is going to be one of my goals for 2013.

She is willing to give up her entire allowance, do extra chores and babysit her siblings so she can change the life of one little boy. She shared with me tonight that anything she is able to earn beyond her sponsorship she is going to give to Ruth's family. You are able to donate to the family or directly to the child. She wants his family to be able to have clean drinking water, medical care and other needs, that we see as rights, met. It has left me in awe, how can one child change a families life? Only through the love of Christ. She doesn't realize of course but she has inspired a heart refocus in me.

The night she sponsored Ruth!

 

She received a booklet with all Ruth's information in it!

That's Ruth, on the cover of the booklet. Isn't he precious?