Three Years

Three years ago today this little boy joined my home. He stole my heart and I think it's safe to say he still has it.  He sat on my lap as we listened to a sermon about joy at church today and I couldn't help but reflect on how much joy he has brought to my life and our home. You are so loved, W!

Three years ago...

Now...

Now his teddy bear wears the clothes he
wore the day he came home from the hospital

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Third Birthdays

I may have gotten just a *few* months behind on the birthday posts. There are officially two three-year-olds in this house! It is such a blessing to get to celebrate these milestones with them. I can't wait to see what this next year brings for both of them!

The theme for S's third birthday was her favorite thing in life, Chris Tomlin music. She had music, friends, and lots of bubbles to celebrate her big day.

We celebrated W's third birthday with a train theme and went with our nanny and some of his special friends to a hotel in Cap Haitien for a day of swimming. He had a blast!

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Relationship

We’re highlighting the value of relationship this week. Of all of our values, to me, this one seems like the core value behind our vision and model of care in our child homes. Here at COTP, the hard reality is that each of our kids come to us with broken relationships. Kids come into our care for a variety of complex reasons when it’s no longer an option for them to be raised by their birth families. Those first relationships in their little lives were broken and that comes with an immense amount of pain, trauma, and loss. That is why our child homes are so critical, offering kids from tough places a few key consistent loving relationships from their houseparents and nannies to help them begin their healing process.

When one of my kids came into my home as an infant he rarely cried. I quickly realized that it wasn’t just because he was a super content baby, it was because at such a young age he had already learned that people couldn’t be trusted to meet his needs. He hadn’t had any consistent relationships in his life to care for him. He cried when he was hungry or scared or wanted to be held, but nobody came, so he learned that there wasn’t any point in crying and making his needs known. This is the critical point for so many of our kids when our houseparents and nannies have the chance to step in and to make a lifelong impact in our kids’ lives. I began carrying this little guy constantly, whether he cried for me or not. When he was hungry I responded to him. When he was scared I went to him. When he just needed snuggles (or I just wanted to snuggle him) I rocked him. His nanny did the same. Through his relationships with his nanny and I, he started to heal. He learned that he was loved and valued, that his needs mattered, and that the adults in his life were relationships he could depend on. Now, not only does he feel secure to make his needs known but he is the happiest little boy. He is well attached to me and he absolutely loves his nanny and lights up whenever she comes to work.

It is an immense honor as a houseparent to care for each of the little ones who has been entrusted to us for this season of their lives; a season when we’re not only teaching them what healthy relationships look like to help prepare them for their forever families, but even more so to point them to their Heavenly Father, who demonstrates perfect relationship in every way. It is an incredible privilege to be able to play a small role in this beautiful work of redemption. 

It's so beautiful where we live...

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Christmas 2018

Merry Christmas from the Manna House!

Jwaye Nwel!

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

Then and Now

Over the past week the kids had a couple sleepovers in my room, which made me think back on the days when they were so tiny that they always slept in my room due to oxygen, feeding pumps, and frequent night time checks.  I looked back at a few pictures and could not believe how much they've grown!

S then...

and now...

W then...

and now...

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.

And Then You Were Two...

Dear W,

Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I tell people “the days are long but the years are short”.  It not only sums up life in Haiti but also life with small children, because somehow here we are a year later celebrating your second birthday.

You have endured so much this past year; an EEG, CT scan, surgery, feeding tubes, medications, SO many medications. This has not been an easy year for you and it hasn’t been an easy year for me watching you struggle.  We clocked so many hours in the rocking chair during long days and sleepless nights when you were in so much pain and discomfort.  Yet somehow, you’ve come out on the other side of it all as one of the happiest kids I know.

My two favorite parts of the day with you are first thing in the morning and right before I put you to bed.  When I get you out of your crib in the morning not only does your face light up but your entire body lights up.  Since you’re the early bird and S likes to sleep in we usually spend some one on one time in the morning.  We sit on the porch and you drink your milk while I drink my coffee and read Psalms to you.  At night I used to have to rock you to sleep every day.  But now you don’t really “need” me to.  I still do it anyway though, because you are the best snuggler and it’s my other favorite part of our routine.

You love the water whether it’s the pool or the beach or the shower.  With your new lifejacket you can float in the pool and you always have the biggest smile on your face as you just love to kick your legs and splash in the water.  Your favorite foods right now are yogurt, potatoes, and just about any fruit.  You recently had a breakthrough with the sippy cup, so strawberry milk is one of your favorites now too.  You love to be read to and even though you are usually getting fussy at bedtime you will instantly calm down and get a big smile on your face when it’s time to read from the Jesus Storybook Bible.  You also get very excited whenever it’s time to pray and I help you to fold your chubby little hands.  You always always get a big smile on your face when we say “amen”.  Your new favorite song is Unstoppable God.  There’s a line in that song “Impossible things in Your name they shall be done” that always reminds me of you because you are already doing things that doctors told me would be impossible for you to do.

I'll keep praying for God to accomplish many more impossible things in and through your life W.  And maybe now that you're two I'll stop calling you the baby, but I'm not making any promises...

Children of the Promise has given permission for the posting of the photos on this site. Photos take of the children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise.