Sweeter Than Honey, More Precious Than Gold

This is the reason for the hope that is in me:

On Tuesday afternoon, 12 month old Clercineau was admitted from a rescue centre in Cazalle, a rural area, North of Port-au-Prince. He weighed 5lb 7oz.

He was severely emaciated, dehydrated and suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting. The staff at the clinic had been unable to get him to drink, and had sited a feeding tube.

That first night, we worked on stabilizing Clercineau, giving him fluids and electrolytes. By the morning, he was rehydrated, and sucking soy formula from a bottle. His weight had gone up by 7 oz and he looked much, much better.

We hoped Clercineau might live, and we believed it might be possible, yet we also knew that there were no guarantees for such a fragile infant.

Last night, Clercineau's volunteer, Miss Vicky, who works with him one-on-one from 8am-5pm, expressed concern. He would not drink at all. When I examined him, I found that he had a fever and he was slightly dehydrated. We decided that Clercineau needed another feeding tube.

Overnight, Clercineau removed the tube, and began drinking on his own again. I weighed him this morning: 6lb 3.5oz!

As I congratulated our champion on this fantastic achievement, he smiled. 'Wi,' I nodded, 'bon travay ti Gason!' (good work little man!)

Clercineau returned the nod, with a shy grin, and his eyes shone. Oh, my goodness, it was sweeter than honey, and more precious than gold! You see, when a severely malnourished baby smiles, you know that there is a healing on the inside, and a will to live.

We continue to pray that Clercineau will gain weight, day-by-day becoming stronger and healthier. Today, we pray with faith - we know that the God we canot see is at work in this tiny boy's life. Without God, surely, Clercineau would not have survived to be 12 months old, with a weight of 5lb.