An "I love being able to help" story

The Story of Ricardo
Wiskey accompanied Ricardo to Port Au Prince

Nixon and Ricardo, after he got scrubbed clean

Ricardo brushing his hair, after being ordered around to look decent (poor baby)

Ricardo came to the house looking pretty "iffy". Nixon then

decided he just could not go anywhere looking like a

homeless boy, it wouldn't be safe.

This is a "tap tap". It is public transportation. When a person has

reached his/her destination, he/she can tap anywhere to be let off.

Ricardo

Last Friday I was walking back from church with Mandy. I ran into a boy who walked along with us as I was talking to Mandy (it often happens). Haitians find it amazing to listen to two foreigners speaking English. Go figure. Anyway, I turned to the little boy and said Bonswa, and reached out to give him a love touch. He immediately caught my hand in mid air and did not let go as we continued to walk together. I was halfway home so I decided to chit chat with him. I asked him if he was gonna start school soon, I don't remember his response. Then I asked him where he lived since I had not seen him before. He said he was with a woman in order to not go through misery. I asked if she was family and his response was no. I asked him if she treated him well, he said no. He said he was only with her in order to not go through misery. Then I asked about his parents and family and life. It turns out his mother had died, either in Gonaives or Jacmel and now he was just staying with a lady. I told him to wait out in front as I would go get him some food and then I sent Nixon out to investigate further.

Ricardo is 11 years old, from Gonaives, and wanted to head back to Gonaives where he has family. Nixon used the next few days to check out his story and even went out to where he was staying, in a little half built church not too far away. The Pastor of the church had gotten the same story from Ricardo and so Nixon agreed to give him money to send him back to Gonaives.

He showed up on Wednesday morning, as planned. Nixon came and told me that he did not want to send him as he was, in dirty clothes. I told him to give him a bath and I started searching around for clothes. I headed downstairs when I found some clothes, a little oversized but clean.

It seemed all Jon Robert, Wiskey, and Nixon were working together to scrub Ricardo down and get him ready to go. It was hilarious.

Nixon gave Wiskey and Ricardo money and Wiskey accompanied him to the Port Au Prince where he would put Ricardo on a tap tap to Gonaives, to the north of Haiti.

It is just one of those "feel good" stories that makes us glad to be able to be used.

We continue to pray that Ricardo is doing well in Gonaives. He has our phone number in case he should need to get a hold of us.