It has been a long journey for this beautiful five-year-old Haitian girl named Lonise. She was found in the mountains of Haiti less than a year ago, sick, and with a bloated belly from malnutrition. Like many other Haitian children with similar conditions, it was not clear that Lonise would live.
But the hand of the Lord was on Lonise’s life. From the beginning, this orphan girl stood out. When offered a candy bar by Dan Grady (a member of my congregation here in San Antonio who was on a special mission in Haiti), Lonise immediately broke the bar into pieces and shared with other children. In a world where well-fed, secure American children often fail to share from their abundance, it made an impression that this destitute and starving girl would freely give from what little she had.
Eventually, Lonise was taken to the Haiti Children’s Rescue Mission where she was loved, fed, given medical attention, and brought back to health.
David Birdy met Lonise in the mountains about ten months ago. Today, he is her father.
But for the last month David has been on the ground in Haiti laboring on behalf of Lonise, his other adoptive daughter, thirteen year-old Mikerlange Robert, known as Christelle, and other orphan children in desperate need of family unification with Christian parents in the United States.
David’s efforts were not limited to assisting orphans. Along with the help of his wife Laura, the Birdys have been personally responsible for large numbers of medical relief workers coming to Haiti. The far reaching impact of their help—an effort shared with a network of capable and hard-working San Antonians—has changed the landscape in Haiti for thousands, and is still generating a powerful impact.
The long journey of Haitian adoption—shorter for David, than for many parents—is coming to an end today. David helped to lead his own children and 42 others out of Haiti last night and into freedom on American soil. The picture above was taken in the airport shortly after reaching American soil and moments before the children were taken away for the night from their parents—for more processing.
But the ever-moving wheels of the bureaucracy continue, and this morning more paperwork is being filed.
Soon it will be done. Perhaps by the time you read this story David and Laura will be finally united with their children.
May God make it so.
Stay tuned for more updates.
