Written by: John Tardonia in Disaster Response, Distributed Journeys, Local Sites, Longwood, Online, News and Inspiration on August 12, 2010

Day four may have been one of our most challenging and yet fulfilling days so far. We began the day by arming ourselves with what was needed to attack a scabies outbreak at an orphanage. That orphanage has come to be known as “Johnnies,” in honor of a little boy named Johnny who had a serious hip problem and was unable to walk. Johnny is now walking, getting stronger by the day and is a testimony to God’ s healing power. The ride to the heart of the city in route to the orphanage was quite a bit to take in as we passed by the collapsed presidential palace and other buildings that still remain in rubble.

We arrived safely at the orphanage and were greeted by more than 20 small children who were undernourished and desperate for affection. Our objective for this visit was to do everything we could to eliminate the scabies infestation and bring relief to these suffering little ones. We began by stripping the sheets off their beds and collecting the clothing to be washed in an attempt to kill the scabies. The guys on our team washed all the walls, floors and beds with bleach. The girls filled basins with soap and water to wash piles of the children’s clothing. While all of this washing was going on, the children were treated from head to toe with medication to kill the scabies on their little bodies.

The children now had fresh sheets on their beds, clean clothes to wear and had received medical attention. We felt as though we brought some much-needed relief to these little one’s and that we encouraged the women who have been providing the day-to-day care. We gathered the children for one last time to connect with them and to distribute books that we had brought with us. Saying goodbye was hard and the sight of their smiles and waves of appreciation will forever be etched in our hearts.

We gathered before dinner to debrief from the day’s work, and we all agreed that we had engaged in some real hands-on ministry. We all felt as though we had made a difference in the lives of orphans that are dear to the heart of Christ. That day, we experienced some great teamwork and hard work. We knew we would sleep well that night and rise the next day ready for visitation and evangelistic outreach at a nearby refugee camp.

Continue to hold us up in prayer as we serve our faithful God in Haiti.