When Jean stumbled through the gates of the Haiti Rescue Center, she was desperate for someone to help her 2-year-old daughter. She had no idea that little Chaina wasn’t the only person who would be rescued that day.
Jean had spent the past two years fighting to keep Chaina alive. She had done the best she could, but the small income she made from selling vegetables in the market simply wasn’t enough to feed her children.
Jean had given up her own meals many times to make sure her children had enough to eat. But malnutrition was a constant threat … and Chaina suffered most of all. The little girl wasted away until she was just 15 pounds — half the weight of a healthy child her age.
If Chaina didn’t receive help soon, she would die. So Jean prepared to make the long journey across Haiti to the city of Ouanaminthe, where she hoped a doctor could save her baby.
Jean was determined to get Chaina the help she needed before it was too late. So with the baby clutched tightly to her chest, she struggled onward. When she arrived in Ouanaminthe — hungry, exhausted, and discouraged — she had spent four days on the road.
God guided Jean’s weary steps to the Haiti Rescue Center … where physical help and spiritual hope were waiting.
The medical staff rushed to help Chaina. The long trip had take a toll — the little girl was severely swollen and in terrible pain, but she didn’t even have the energy to cry.
While the doctors worked quickly to put Chaina on a feeding tube so she could receive critical nutrients, staff members reassured Jean that her child would receive the care she needed. They offered to take Jean to a women’s Bible conference at the center while she waited for the doctors to finish.
Reassured that Chaina was in good hands, Jean agreed to go. As she listened to the teaching of God’s Word, Jean discovered a comfort even more powerful than knowing her daughter was going to be OK … she discovered the kind of comfort only Jesus can give. Jean gave her heart to Christ that night.
Over the next two months, Chaina’s body grew stronger, and so did her mother’s newfound faith.
During Chaina’s stay at the Rescue Center, Jean also was able to earn an income by helping out around the campus. She thanked God for the wages she earned and the promise of a better future the money represented.
When the day finally arrived for Chaina to return home, Jean thanked each staff member for helping save her daughter’s life. With tears streaming down her face, she promised to get involved in a local church and to teach Chaina and her other children about Jesus.
Because of generous donors who made the Rescue Center possible, Chaina’s life — and Jean’s soul — were saved. What a powerful impact!
And you can have that same kind of impact.
When you invest in rescuing children like Chaina, you do more than just save lives. You also change hearts for eternity.