Day three from Haiti

March 13

We spent the morning digging up a stump. It might have well been concreted into the ground.

After lunch we got to go to the orphanage. I don't really have words to describe the experience. Their campus is about the size of my back yard. Thirty three kids and their adult helpers live in a plot the size of my back yard. They have no grass. Just dirt. They have an outhouse and a trash pile because there is no garbage service. They sleep seven to eight in a room that's the size of Matthew's. They wash clothes in tubs that look like baby pools. They get their water from a well.

The kids just wanted to be held, played with and loved on. A little two year old with a runny nose latched on to me. She just laid her head on my shoulder and then started to sing "this little light of mine." Perfectly. It was really cool. But mainly just wanted me to hold her. She wore no underwear nor diaper. She was as cute as she could be. I could have taken her home.

Then I met a ten year old girl named Shanika. She fell in love with my camera. Most of my pics of the kids came from her. Her english was fantastic. As I was leaving she just came up and cuddled up next to me and hugged me. And wouldn't let go. I could have taken her home too. She was beautiful.

Many of these kids were my kids age. All they wanted was a little love and physical touch. I just needed to be willing to hold them, hug them, smile at them.

These kids are why we partnered with Alex's House. They are now our kids.

I had trouble holding it together.

I can't wait to share pics.