Bold Love: Let the little children come

“They remember me, they really remember me.” This is what ran through my head as I sat on the hot dusty ground, while little Haitian children crawled over me, leaned against me, and climbed on my back. That day was my second time to this clinic in Tapio, Haiti, but it was nearly 4 months since that first trip when I became friends with these little boys. I had not learned their names, because we spoke different languages, and they did not seem to understand the little bit of Creole I had learned. I still do not know their names, but it is their beautiful smiles and faces, that have stayed in my mind and on my bedroom wall.

It was late in the afternoon when I decided to take a break from my triage station. I spotted some kids hanging out below a tree, and I wandered over to “talk” to them for a little bit. When you speak different languages talking with kids consists of a lot of smiles, high fives, and great big hugs. The little boys mentioned above came down to where I was a couple minutes later. The first one came up and slowly started to recognize me. We hugged, and took a couple pictures. Then the second boy (I should really come up with names for them) came halfway down the hill we were on. Once he got within eyeshot of me, he came running down the hill as fast as his little feet would carry him. He grinned from ear to ear, and as soon as he was close enough he jumped into my arms, almost losing his pants that were too big for him. I held him tight to me, and my eyes filled with tears. These were the boys I had been hoping I would see. The boys I had thought about every day since I left Haiti in September, and the boys I had prayed for and wished I could have taken them home with me.

We eventually sat down and played on the dusty ground, like I’ve already mentioned above. One of the older boys grabbed one of “my” boys’ head and shoved his scalp in my face. He was trying to show me the scabs that were on the child’s head. I realized that they thought I was a doctor. The older boys started to laugh at the expense of this little one. He looked up at me, and shame seemed to fill his eyes. I had no words to say, but just pulled him close to me and held him for a little bit. He pulled away from me and the biggest smile graced his face. At that point I’m pretty sure that he knew that I didn’t care whether he had scabies or some other infection. I was still willing to hold him and love on him. More than anything I hope those boys went to sleep that night, wherever they sleep, knowing that I love them. Maybe they replayed the scene in their head over and over again before they fell asleep; I know that’s what I did. I went to sleep that night, praying for them, asking God to protect them and to hold them close to them. My prayer is that they come to know the saving grace of Jesus, and that they grow up to be strong young men seeking to serve the Lord.

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14