Worth a Thousand Words

The following are pictures that Dr. Noel, One Vision's director in Haiti, snapped with his camera. Below you can see the children and caregivers on Wednesday, the day following the earthquake. They are gathered under one tarp on the property of the orphanage. All of the buildings were structurally damaged by the quake, leaving no building safe for their shelter.

Dr. Noel stands surveying the damage to the orphanage. Here, he looks upon the former kitchen, which has completely collapsed.

This structure shown in the next photo holds the former school rooms, where the children both studied and ate their meals during the day. If the earthquake had struck any earlier, I would be writing a very different story. Praise God the children were not inside these rooms at the time of the quake.

As these children and caregivers know, better than any of us, life goes on. Here, the caregivers prepare a meal for the 120+ children.

Two days after the storm, you can see that the shelter is improved somewhat. It's amazing how the caregivers can manage such a large group of children with so few resources. In the following photo, you can see the children sitting neatly and enjoying one of their daily meals, provided by One Vision and the generosity of their sponsors.

It is amazing to consider what these young children have endured in their short life: hurricane, homelessness, grief, hunger, disease, and now an earthquake. As I look at these pictures, I can see their sweet faces, as if they are standing in front of me eager for their turn with my camera. They have bright eyes and wide smiles, and they are full of life and hope and longing.

I pray that God will continue to protect them and that someday we can know the affect that each of their lives has on Haiti. I believe that they will grow to know God, love Him, and change their world with their story.