June 17, 2008
There are so many needs in Haiti that it is impossible to number them all. The people of Haiti live in crisis mode one hundred percent of the time. Almost every waking moment of their lives is spent just trying to survive. This does not mean that they never enjoy a moment’s peace. The moment, however, is always fleeting.
We first met Benoit in September of this last year. I’m not sure how old Benoit is, but you can see how difficult life has been for him since he was a baby. With one severely withered leg (smaller than most people’s wrists), he still has worked hard to support himself and his family. Many of you know that Joseph Israel is Aslan’s right hand man in Haiti, and Benoit is Joseph’s brother-in-law. Over the past year we’ve been helping Joseph build a home for his family, and Benoit has been there day-after-day helping mix the cement for the construction. We watched ~ often in amazement ~ as Benoit firmly planted his left leg (the bad one) and dragged heavy rock, sand, cement and water together to make a heavy slurry. Hour after hour in the hot Haitian sun, this man toiled with a smile on his face. He is a deeply committed Christian, and his smile in the midst of such adversity showed the depth of his faith. And being older than the 52-year-old life expectancy of a Haitian man, Benoit isn’t a young man by Haitian standards. Before we left in September, our team took up a small offering to buy a bicycle for Benoit (pictured right). We knew he could only peddle with his one good leg, but he had worked it out and was able to get around pretty well.
Then the unthinkable happened. Several weeks ago, as Benoit was climbing stairs into Joseph’s house, his left femur snapped. The break didn’t come from falling. The bone just broke from years of pressure on a withered leg. Joseph was beside himself with worry, because he knew there were three choices for Benoit: 1) do nothing and die from an infection; 2) have the leg amputated and never again be able to provide for his wife and 6 children; or 3) have an operation to set the bone. After taking Benoit to a small clinic 20 miles from Ouanaminthe where they said they could not help, Joseph contacted our dear friend Danita Estrella, founder of Hope For Haiti Children’s Center. Danita told Joseph to discreetly find out how much the operation would cost in the Dominican Republic, and Joseph returned to tell her it would be $1,500.00 US. Out of the incredible generosity of Danita’s heart, she paid for the operation ~ thus saving Benoit’s life and also giving him a hope for recovery.
It will be months before Benoit can walk on his leg without crutches. In the meantime, Aslan is continuing to help provide money for doctor’s visits and for food for his family. I’ll also be taking some calcium supplements to him on my next trip down, in hopes it will help strengthen his bones and prevent other breaks from happening.
Can you imagine struggling your whole life with Benoit’s handicap only to end up losing all hope as you climbed two steps and broke your leg? As I knelt down beside Benoit’s bed in his tiny two room hut (pictured above) a few weeks ago and prayed with him, his eyes were filled with tears of gratitude for Aslan Youth Ministries. He kept saying (in English) “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” It is an honor to call such a humble and dear man my friend.
