Many of us have seen profile photos of children in sponsorship programs; they are often solemn, sad and sometimes down-right angry looking. I know I have thought at times, “Wow, that poor child must be so unhappy!” But then I come across a video from the same organization in which the children are playing and laughing, and I scratch my head wondering what the difference is.
I recently had the opportunity to visit our children’s sponsorship program in Vernet, Haiti. In advance of the trip, one of the tasks I was preparing to tackle was taking updated photos of the children. Because I had experienced this aforementioned phenomenon with our program kids, I was a little daunted by the thought, but also determined to get cheerful photos if I had to stand on my head (not really–but you get the point) to do it.
While pondering how to go about this, I remembered a conversation I had with a friend. I was remarking that even though we try to model smiling for the kids and say things like “show your teeth”, we often end up with toothy grimaces instead of genuine smiles. She then shared something I had never thought of: Many children don’t understand the concept of smiling (especially on cue) because they don’t know what that looks like on them. The next thing she said caused the light bulb to go on–”Children often don’t know what they look like because they have never even seen themselves in a mirror.” I knew then what I would do!
When I met our Haiti kids I was elated by how full of joy they seemed–and I was encouraged that I could capture that in my photos. Over the course of the next two days I started playing and making silly faces at and with them. I smiled A LOT, stuck out my tongue, rolled my eyes and invited them to do the same. We just had fun. Then I whipped out my cell phone and started taking photos and showing them what they looked like–they couldn’t get enough, and soon my phone was more popular than I was.
All of this was going to culminate in a lesson and activity I would lead the next day which I hoped would help my cause. The topic was being made in the image of God–and while it was a great biblical teaching in its own right, I had an underlying motive. During the course of the lesson we played the mirror game, I did a funny skit with a mirror, and we finished with a craft in which each child made a mirror of their own. We looked at ourselves, made funny faces, smiled big smiles and thanked God for making each of us unique and in His image.
Then, (wait for it…) it was picture time! I would love to say that after all that practice every child smiled, but some didn’t–at least not without a little cajoling. However, the majority of the kids smiled easily straight-away, and I was thrilled; I could see the image of God in each of their sweet faces.
This exercise was a good reminder to me that there is usually more behind what we see on the surface, and sometimes it takes looking from another’s perspective to discover the truth. The reality may often be more innocent than we judged it to be, and can be transformed by a little understanding and encouragement.
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It started with a simple nudge—a last-minute feeling that I was forgetting something important. Rushing through the airport, I couldn’t shake the urge to buy a Bible. I didn’t know why, or who it was for, but I trusted the feeling. A week later, in a small village in Ghana, that Bible found its way into the hands of Talata, a girl who had never heard of Jesus. This is the story of how God’s quiet whispers and a small act of obedience became part of something much bigger than we could have imagined.
16 yrs. old
Entered the program: September 2023
Theo lives with his mother and sister in a one-bedroom apartment that they own. The family lived for many years in a rented apartment but the owner was always threatening to evict them as they couldn’t pay the rent regularly. Theo’s uncles and some cousins gathered enough money together to buy them the apartment they’re in now. Theo’s mom sleeps in the kitchen and he and his sister share the bedroom.
Theo's parents are divorced. His dad visits sometimes and tries to bring food to help out. Theo’s mom tries to make some money sewing traditional clothing in the summer when there are tourists. She receives government assistance but it doesn’t even cover the utilities; her siblings try to help with money for food and firewood, and hand-me-down clothes for Theo and his sister.
Theo's sister, Leona, is also in the Corner Stone program.
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