Fransos

One of the most special moments in October was one I experienced only through pictures, but it was still a dream come true kind of moment.

The first time I went to Haiti in 2011, I met a boy named Fransos.  I met a ton of kids that week, but he was one of the ones that permanently resides in my memory. I can talk about Fransos forever but here is the original post about this sweet boy.

We still pray for him by name and have pictures of him all over our house. So when my friend Emily was going to Haiti and would be at the same orphanage, I sent a letter from me to Fransos along with pictures from when I was there all for her to deliver to him. I was trying to manage my expectations. Who knew if he would still be at the orphanage? Or if it would be OK to give him the pictures and letter?

And then the week Emily was there and I turned into a compulsive Facebook stalker looking at all of her Haiti pictures, this beauty appeared...

Just knowing he received the letter was enough and a dream come true. And then seeing a picture was even better. But a beautiful picture like this. No need to guess what kind of crazy, happy, ugly cry was going on when I saw it.

I must have looked at this picture over 100 times. I'm positive my heart swelled. But not in a swelling of pride. But a swelling of knowing that in that moment, this sweet boy felt loved. He felt valued. He felt remembered. Every child deserves that. And to see on his face this expression. Hard to even put into words.

She said he walked around with it in his little hands all day long asking for the interpretor to re-read the letter. This is the letter that took me maybe 10-15 minutes to write. The pictures that cost me less than $5 to print. All of those together connected an American suburban stay-at-home mom and a 15-year old boy living in an orphanage in Haiti providing a memorable moment for us both.

Oh how I wish the situation would be different, so that I knew I could have ongoing dialogue and communication with him. I hope and pray for more of these moments of connection with him. In person hopefully in the future and with others who will allow me to Facebook stalk them when they travel to Haiti. :)

Until then, I am thankful for the video Emily took, so I can see and hear his voice whenever I want. And I'm thankful for the gift Fransos gave to me. When Emily was back in town, she gave me the letter he wrote. I have it folded and in my wallet to see every single day.  :)

I can't thank Emily enough for this treasure. And I continue to be so grateful for how this boy and this country have changed me. I'm thankful that I will never be the same.