I love being a mother. I’ve never experienced such lavish love from God that makes me overflow with joy. I would do anything for my little Luci. When she had her two- month old shots I realized just how hard it is to be a Mom. They had to give her four shots, two in each leg. The nurse asked me to hold her down while she administered the injections. As I gazed at Luci we locked eyes and she gave me a smile. Oh how my heart hurt knowing what was coming. I watched as her little face went from peace to horror with a hint of feeling betrayed by her mom who was supposed to protect her at all cost. She screamed horribly. I knew I had to keep looking at her and talking to her but through my tears I couldn’t. I felt so helpless.

I never want anything harmful to happen to Luci. I want to shelter her from the world. I will do anything to make sure she’s safe and taken care of, loved and protected.

I can imagine how painful it is for mother’s in Haiti to watch their children hurt, be hungry and go without. I can’t imagine watching Luci suffer and not be able to do something about it.  I can’t fathom hearing my babies little belly growl when I laid down at night, knowing it was because she hadn’t had a meal in two days. Interestingly, the vaccinations Luci got will rarely be available to children in Haiti. Watching my baby die of diarrhea is something I can’t even think about. And yet this is a reality for many Haitians due to the lack of available medical care.

I want to love those Moms. I want to love those children. I want to be the gospel, acted out, to the people of Haiti. That’s why I pledged and why I’ll fulfill it. I want a mother to be able to provide basic needs to her children and never have to watch them suffer from lack of physical resources. I don’t want a mother to lock eyes with her dying baby and feel hopeless. I want to give hope.