“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34-35‬ NKJV)”

 

A few days ago, while we were driving from Miami to ECHO International in Ft. Myers, Elizabeth Vilaire and I were reminiscing about our mission trip to Haiti in 2010. Elizabeth shared a photo with me of a little girl named Angelie with our fellow team member Elba Robles. The photo brought back so many memories of that mission trip and the story of how Angelie and Elba met.

I asked Elba if I could share this photo and the mission trip testimony behind. She agreed. Elba traveled on her first mission trip with that team I led to Haiti in 2010. This trip made a profound impact on her life and the life of a little girl named Angelie.

“Four years ago, I felt called to travel on a mission trip to Mission of Hope Haiti with Trinity Church, shortly after the devastating earthquake that took place in 2010. I had recently completed my education as Certified Nurse Assistant. On this trip to Haiti, I had the privilege to help many people under the supervision of nurses on our team. I never thought that God could use a woman like me to help those in great need. I never thought that I could be a stepping stone for Jesus Christ to help others. In Haiti, I felt the presence of God more strongly than I ever had before. While doing my orientation at the Mission of Hope Clinic where I was going to be working night shifts, I had the blessing of meeting a baby who had been named Angelie by the medical staff. Angelie had been abandoned at the clinic by her father. I could not understand why a father will do such a thing, she was so beautiful and fragile.

At the moment that I saw Angelie for the first time, God spoke to me and told me that she was the reason to why I was there. Angelie was malnourished, dehydrated, and severely fragile. It was impossible to know her age because the father did not leave any documentation. He simply said he was going to use the restroom and never returned. Her body was so weak and in a fetal position. She was unable to stretch her little arms and legs because of how severely dehydrated she was. I took it upon myself to slowly hydrate her and bathed her daily. By God’s miracle, little Angelie soon started to open her hands and stretched her legs and arms. Little by little she started to look back at me and for a brief moment she smiled. I will never forget holding her precious little body and seeing how beautifully God was working within her.

There’s not a day that has passed that I have not wondered what happened to this precious little angel after I returned to U.S., until six days ago! Pastor Linda texted me this picture of Angelie (above) and my heart filled with joy! She looked so grown and healthy. My eyes could not believe that she was the same fragile little girl that I was holding in my arms four years ago. I now understand that it must not have been easy for a father to abandoned such an angel, but he knew that she would be saved by God at Mission of Hope. ~ Elba Robles, RN, BSN”

Elba returned from Haiti committed to becoming a registered nurse and to serving people around the world who are suffering. Elba Robles graduated from Chamberlain College of Nursing with her BSN in December 2013 and will begin her first full-time nursing position as an RN in August 2014.

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” ~ Albert Schweitzer

(Photo credits: Elba and Angelie together in 2010 and Angelie today at the the Mission of Hope, Haiti courtesy of Elizabeth Vilaire. Photo of Elba and I at her BSN graduation in December 2013 in Davie, Florida taken on my iPhone 5.)