Faces of Haiti: James

One of the biggest impacts of my trip to Haiti was the people I met there. Not a day has gone by since I returned home that I haven’t thought about them. Since most of you reading this didn’t have the opportunity to go and meet them, I thought I’d try to introduce you to the “Faces of Haiti” once a week. This also helps me document and remember their stories, which I NEVER want to forget.

 

This week I want to introduce you to a precious boy I’ll call “James.”

 

James standing with me on the mountaintop.

I don’t know how old he was, but I’m guessing he was 10 or 11. As the week went on, he became one of my constant companions during our afternoon hikes.

One day he and the other children picked a whole bunch of these beautiful flowers for us. It was such a sweet gesture!

On our hikes, he wanted to hold my hand no matter how narrow the path was. He came up with a little game on those walks. He would point to me and deliberately say “BiANca.” He would point to himself and wait until I said his name, “James.” Then he would make the “I love you” sign and say in his Haitian accent “I luuuv you!”

How I miss this sweet boy!