|
As I look at Angelique’s sweat-sad face, our first meetin g floods my mind. It was six years ago on a beautiful sunny day in the parsonage courtyard in LaRomana that I noticed a very quiet little girl sitting on a bench. There were no typical signs of a pre-schooler - no giggles, no wiggling, no jumping or chatter box talking, just silence. She seemed barely alive as Phyllis and I tried to communicate with her. Angelique has no parents, and so it was her grandmother who told us that she won’t eat and she has too many grandchildren to care for a sick one. When she drank the water that Phyllis gave her - and wanted more - we discovered she was dehydrated. The next drink included fruit juice in water, later a little food. A few hours later and Angelique’s eyes seemed to be focusing, she had a small smile on her face and she seemed to be waking from a long sleep. She gave us a hug and emotionally adopted us.
Angelique is basically on here own in a country where there are thousands of children who are on their own. She had many illnesses, but she has captured the hearts of many of the volunteers who are visiting LaRomana to work on building the Good Samaritan Hospital.
The love that I feel for Angelique constantly stirs my passion for the work that needs to be continued with these beautiful, God loving people.
Marietta
Ed
itor’s Note: Angelique died from AIDS before her 11th birthday.
|