First, I want to thank God for this year that went well. Though Haiti was not good at all, He always protected me.
Now I want to talk about my life from my childhood to now at 18 years old.
On January 12, 2010, I lost my mom.
It was a Tuesday. After a week of suffering, my mom had gone out to get things to feed us.
She received a call that her little sister was sick and in the hospital. My mom, the eldest in the family, went to see her.
It was in this hospital she lost her life.
She went away, and she never came back.
It was the worst moment of my life.
Since that time, I have felt a void in me. From 9 years old to today, the void remains.
Before my mother died, I was attending Grace Emmanuel School and my mom was working there. Everyone knew when my mom died. The mission took responsibility for me and provided everything.
Many people see me smiling. Yes, I smile and when I smile I’m beautiful, but I always feel alone because I’m always thinking about what I will become, how my life will be tomorrow, how Haiti will be.
But all of these questions I leave in God’s hand because He said He won’t leave us alone as orphans. He has never left me alone. That’s why I can leave my life in His hands for Him to take control.
I believe in God. I know that He will not leave me alone.
I have had the patience for everything I’ve experienced—it is a gift from God. I thank Him every day for that. My patience in life makes people respect my personality, and keeps me from acting in shameful ways. The way I handle myself makes many young girls, especially in Haiti, want to be the way I am. I can hold my head up high wherever I go.
To overcome every situation in life, I just remind myself where I came from and where I want to go. I believe in myself and try to learn from everything that happens.
When my life is over, I want to have achieved everything I set my mind on, to see all my dreams come true, so I can be an example to my family of a different life.
Thank you, Lord, for Your plan for my life that I have already journeyed through with You. Thank You for always caring for me since I was born. May Your name be praised.
Kimberly had just turned 8 years old when she lost her mom in the 2010 earthquake. She has lived at the Lighthouse ever since. Kimberly hopes to become a flight attendant after she graduates in 2022.