Posted by Scott Olson
Visionary Wednesday -
Our adventure began this morning with a stop at an ecole (school) that Healing Haiti has helped provide a great deal of support. This was where some of the school supplies that many of my 5th graders donated found a useful and grateful home. It was eye opening to witness how genuinely excited these children were to have the opportunity to learn. As we were driving to our next location, I began to notice more and more schools along the way. It gave me the feeling of hope for the future of Haiti through the power of education.
It was nearly lunchtime when we arrived at an orphanage for children with special needs. By the time their lunch was ready, I had latched onto a little fellow who would spin himself around while throwing back his head in a manner often associated with blind people. I would later discover that he was born with cataracts in both eyes, would soon be having surgery, and is expected to gain his vision. Hallelujah! I sat with him in my lap, and fed him a bowl of a white rice and bean concoction. Since I was his server, he was given the opportunity to become a member of the clean plate club. He readily accepted and proceeded to enjoy bite after bite until every spoonful was gone. The experience of spending time with so many of these abandoned children opened my eyes to how often these poor unfortunates are cast off as being ones that through no fault of their own make us feel uncomfortable. I grew deeper in my admiration for those individuals with the heart to provide care for these children on a daily basis.

May we all be filled with the spirit to make attempts at pushing our comfort zones in order to stretch the limits of what acts we are truly capable of performing.