Windy

   This is Windy. He’s somewhere between nine and twelve. (I got different answers every time I asked). Either way his face is that of someone who’s seen a lot more than a twelve year old should. He’s got this smile that’s infectious to everyone around, and I think he knows that. Just like all the other children at Son of God orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he’s starved for attention. He desperately desires someone to hold him and play with him. But unlike some of the other kids, however, he doesn’t show his desires at first.

   The first time I walked into the orphanage I was overwhelmed by how small the facility was. (Smaller than a lot in a normal American neighborhood) And yet this tiny building housed one hundred and thirty orphans and counting. When you walk in your instantly ambushed by tons of kids who just want to sit with you. But not Windy. He was very individualistic and stayed to the side, just watching. I had heard his story from one of my co-leaders, so the first day I was there I intentionally sought him out.

   We don’t know to much about Windy’s mom but shes certainly not there now. His dad (if you can call him that) was always around. His dad was one of the most powerful gangsters in all of Haiti. Windy’s father was ruthless and has killed tons of people. His dad allegedly forced him to participate in illegal activities, possibly even murder.. Windy has seen things that many of us could never dream of. When the police finally caught them, they put both Windy and his father on death row. The government had pity on Windy and let him go on the condition that he remained at the Son of God orphanage under house arrest.

   Knowing his story, I decided from the first day to seek him out. I spent most of that first day with him just sitting there. The second day he ran up to me and we just laughed and played and had fun. I thought that I wasn’t gonna be able to come back so I grabbed our translator Ci-ci and had her tell Windy that I loved him. He said to me, “I don’t have a mom and I don’t have a dad, but I love you and I want you to be my dad.” That totally surprised me. I’ve never heard anything like that. I know God commands us to care for the orphans and the widows:

Isaiah 1:17
“learn to do right!
Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed.
Defend the cause of the fatherless,
plead the case of the widow.”

   But what does that look like? How do I defend the fatherless when all they want is a father? I cant be a father to them. My gut reaction was to say to him, “You already have a father, and it’s God.” When I said that I felt like I had just wasted my breath. There are one hundred and thirty kids here who only desire a father. They have been told over and over “God is your Father,” but does that even mean anything to them?

   I left the orphanage that day feeling really broken and useless. It sucked. I know that God is my Father and yet it was hard for me to see how he was a father to these kids. We found out that we would be going back to the orphanage and it was really hard to commit to going back, but I felt like I needed to go. As soon as we showed up, Windy ran up to me and hugged me. Something was different about him that day. He seemed so joyful and excited. We had a dance competition and the two of us danced and laughed and just had a good time.

   We got ready to leave and I knew how hard it was gonna be. I grabbed Ci-ci again and I told Windy, “that I love him and wish that I could take him with me but that I just can’t.” He said to me through tears, “I love you so much and I will pray for you.” My team and I walked outside and I looked around at everyone wiping their tears on their shirts. Everyone was so broken. These kids at the orphanage had nothing.

   We turned to walk home, and the door to the orphanage opened and out Windy ran. He said, “before you leave I wanna pray for you.” His entire prayer was for blessings. That God would continue to use us. For safety and protection. I’ve never heard or seen anyone more spirit filled than this young kid while he was praying for us. God spoke to me and said, “Don’t question my ability to be a Father to the fatherless.” Before that point I was able to hold back the tears. But God totally broke me and I started weeping. Wow God is awesome. I see him redeeming all of this brokenness in Windy’s life and using it for his glory.

   Needless to say, Gods still got a lot to teach me about what it means for him to be my Father. It’s a journey and I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand how this thing works, but I’m so excited to learn.