Friday, January 28, 2011

Little by Little

Prenatal Class in December - "Belly Mapping"

Heather Hendrick wrote about the things that happen at Heartline Prenatal Program each week in detail on her blog. Check it out.

The youngest woman in the program right now is 15 and the oldest woman is 52. (Having her 12th child and happy as can be.) We currently have 27 pregnant ladies in the program with a wait list that often exceeds that number. We give preference to "high-risk" pregnancies, which is kind of like saying we try to give preference to everyone because they are all high risk. 

The next woman due to deliver any day is Dalonne (22) if you'd like to pray for her by name I know she'd appreciate that. 

Enisse (15) (in Heather's photo below) moved into Harbor House on Monday and gained four pounds by yesterday's prenatal class!  :)  She is coming out of her shell and the shy, timid, almost unresponsive girl from two weeks ago now has a bounce in her step and a change in her countenance.  That's what food, love, and prayers can do. We're anticipating more growth (emotional and physical) as she settles into her new safe home.


On Monday we'll be welcoming another pregnant young woman into Harbor House.  Her name is Leoni, she is 19 years old.

(More about the girls and Harbor House updates, challenges, prayer requests and thoughts coming next week.)

Right now we're just so anxious to get things more structured ... or, maybe I should say, right now I am driving Troy completely nuts by feeling and acting very impatient with what is left to do to make it into a ordered, and well run program.  I want it structured yesterday!

Troy just shakes his head disapprovingly and keeps saying "Piti piti zwazo fe nich li". (Little by little the bird builds its nest.)  I need to absorb more of that particular variety of patience.  Ak pasyans wap we tete foumi. (With patience you'll see the breast of an ant - translation of the translation: with patience anything is possible).  
That ends Friday's Haitian Proverb lesson.

Today as we interviewed Leoni and talked her through the move in plan, Jonna kept Lydie and Phoebe busy for us by listening to their hearts.


Hope & Noah this morning before school

Noah and Isaac had a rough day the other day and were at each others throats on the ride home.  (They rarely fight.) We had Harold (from TX) helping us out by driving them home and we were bummed they fought and acted rowdy for a person trying to do us a favor.  I talked to the boys at length and reminded them what their Dad always says - "The world is going to knock us down, so while we are home, while we are able to be together, we build each other up."

I talked much longer than they listened and for sure they were hearing only pieces of the end of my lecture. I forced them to hug, apologize, and claim forgiveness for each other before heading out to play.

That night Troy returned home late and he said to the boys as he tucked them in, "Anything I need to know about your day guys?"  Noah said, "Yeah Dad, I gotta tell you one thing."

Long pause.
Troy waited.

"Dad, today I returned evil with evil." 

Troy said he had to stifle his snort laugh.  Thankfully it was dark in the room and Noah didn't know that. :)

Parenting this crew requires more patience and skill than we possess ... but little by little they're learning.

Little by little we are too.