Last summer, I left a piece of my heart at Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. However, in July, I was able to spend three weeks with some of the children that had captured my heart. I was also able to meet new little friends, renew friendships with the nannies, and learn a lot from Dorothy, the amazing lady that runs a home of 28 kids and makes sure each child feels loved.These kids have really tough histories; moms have died during childbirth, a child was buried alive with his dead mother during the earthquake, a handicapped child was abandoned, turned away from hospitals that didn’t want to use resources to keep her alive, and then used as a “prop” for begging. Many are ill. Treatments for AIDS, HIV, TB, and malnourishment require trays filled with medications a couple of times a day. Knowing this might make a person expect the house to be filled with sadness, but that would be wrong. This is a place filled with faith, hope, love, and laughter. I was immediately greeted by some of the kids I met last summer, including Rosa, a beautiful six year old. My daughters and I sponsor her schooling and have kept in touch with her throughout the year. The kids called me her “momma,” but I reminded them I am just her special friend. Still, I felt a “proud momma moment” when Rosa was again ranked first in her class. It was wonderful to walk four of the older kids to school, meet their friends, help them with exam anxiety, and celebrate their last day of school for the year.There were challenges. Some were minor; a broken water pump meant no running water, there was little electricity, and nightly rat visits. Some were harder; a baby scheduled to come to the house passed away, kids fought fevers, Emanuella, the handicapped child the hospitals would not take, seemed to be dying, and there was little we could do but pray. Whatever the challenges,   the rewards of this trip were amazing. We praised God when Emanuella rallied and recovered. I thanked God for the chance to see little  Youvendgy, a three year old boy who was terribly ill and hospitalized last year, but is now healthy and running around.The endless laughter, and the hugs and kisses from the kids made every day a true joy. Another piece of my heart stayed with Haiti this summer.Story by Susan O’Neil