Dorothy's update

I thought i would paste Dorothy's email updates that she sends out on here so that you can all hear things through her eyes sometimes. She is such an ecouragement and example to me. I am blessed to be living with her and all these beautiful haitian children.

"January has been an incredibly busy month. Here is a brief outline.

January 2, 2008, my first grandchild was born in Washington, D.C. Cole John Valcourt Pearce was 6 lbs. 15 oz, 20.25 inches long. His father, my son, is deaf. His mother is hard-of-hearing. We weren’t dismayed when he failed his first hearing test but were glad that he passed the second one. Courtesy of my son’s mother-in-law, I was able to fly north and spend 2 weeks with the new family. All are doing well. Thank you, LORD!

As much as I loved cuddling my beautiful new grandson, I missed my Haitian babies and was glad to return to Haiti January 19th. Thanks to Nancy Brickell’s excellent care, all of our children were in great shape when I returned.

Remember JJ, the 15 month old boy from Gonaives who was 9 lbs., 25 inches long, and had kwashiorkor malnutrition when he came to live with us on December 22? He is now 14 lbs. 4 oz and 26 ½ inches long, up from 9 lbs. and 25 inches on December 22.

January 23, 2008. Natasha Rae Taylor (“Tasha”) came to live with us for 6 months to help with the children. She is a joy! A sweet spirit, cheerful, energetic, organized, loving, helpful, ... That doesn’t quite describe her but it gives you a good idea. Thank you, Lord, for Tasha!

Good guests often bring gifts when they come. Tasha has great manners and brought very special gift: a baby girl! She was abandoned somewhere near Cabaret, up the coast from Port au Prince. The police, a judge, and UN soldiers brought the baby to the JBA orphanage. They asked us to keep her here for a while because we specialize in malnourished infants. She will return to the JBA orphanage when she is stronger. She is negative for HIV, TB and syphilis.

They named the baby Emily Marie Francois. If she were an American baby we would guess her age at 7 months. With a Haitian child abandoned out in the countryside it’s anybody’s guess. I doubt that she is more than 12 months and probably not that. She ‘talks’ to us, tries to take away the spoon to feed herself, and ‘dances’ to music. She cannot sit up without help and can only turn from stomach to back. Her thin, wispy orange hair and her hemoglobin of 8.1 confirm long term malnutrition. She weighs 7 lbs 10 oz. and is 22 ½ inches long. Tasha has fallen in love with her and is her primary caregiver.

January 26th. Jovani Zaricklimeau Fava, 18 month old boy, was brought by his mother. He is almost as big as his name, 15 ½ lbs. and 31 inches long. He cannot hold up his head, possibly has cerebral palsy. His mother cannot work and care for him. They are homeless. She could not afford the neck brace recommended by doctors, or physical therapy. We are allowing mother and child to stay here fulltime temporarily. Nancy will drive them to the rehabilitation doctor today to see what can be done for him. In return for food, housing and medical care, mom is helping the nannies care for our growing family.

January 27. Nephthalie, a 2 month old baby girl, was brought in from the countryside just as we were leaving for church. Nephthalie’s mother died in December. Her family has been feeding the baby whatever they can find. Sr. Lucien, one of our night nannies, heard about her plight and recommended the family bring her to us. She is negative for HIV, TB and syphilis, is slightly anemic, and has scabies and a bacterial infection. Her measurements: 7 lbs 3 oz, 20 ¾ inches long.

January 29 Karen brought a mother and 6 week old baby boy, Jamson Lundy. Jamson is the 5th child of a family living in Cite Soleil, one of Port au Prince’s most notorious neighborhoods for poverty and crime. Mother has no breast milk to feed the baby, probably due to her own malnutrition. We will care for him until he can eat table foods. He appears healthy but we are suspicious of mother’s cough and will watch for tuberculosis.

So! In one week we have added 4 babies, a long term American helper, and have hired 2 additional Haitian staff members. We have been very busy! Praise God for providing help for these babies. In the eyes of the world they mean nothing but God deems them important enough to give them His personal attention.

We now have car insurance and can legally drive around town. (It wasn’t fun getting it. It took 7 men 1 ½ hours to verify that the number on the motor matches the number on the registration.) Thank the Lord! (and Nancy for driving!) The car has already taken two of the babies for blood tests and will take the others soon. Today it took Poutchino and Jovani to Healing Hands to be evaluated for physical therapy. Poutchino got a walker!!!!!! He will go twice a week for physical therapy. (Thanks to the Episcopal Sisters of Charity for sponsoring Poutchino’s therapy and seizure medicine.) Jovani will see the doctor once a week for two months. Then he will be fitted for a neck brace and re-evaluated.

In December I mentioned that we had been having a hard time financially. Thank you all very much for your donations (cash and goods) and prayers. We are now current on payroll and medical care and are able to care for additional children. A team from Crusades for Christ visited this week and brought formula, oatmeal, powdered milk, diapers, clothes, and much more. Mary Dekoter took me shopping at Megamart to buy baby supplies and food on behalf of Hope Christian Reformed Church in Ontario. We are SO blessed!

I have to share with you that even when we had nothing in the bank and not enough food in the cabinets, God always provided. On occasion we skimped but we never missed a meal or any crucial care the children needed. He never promised us that we would always be rich or would never have hard times. He did promise to always meet our needs and that He did! I love Him with all my heart. How could I not! I pray that you know the extent of His love for you.

Love and blessings,
Dorothy Pearce"