God has put the desire in me to build an orphanage. That seed was planted in 2017 when I made my first trip to Haiti. My first calling was to adopt Nike. That process took five years of faith, tears and prayers. It was a lot of work and during many times, a full time job. After he was home and transitioning, the question hit me, “Now what?” That calling was fulfilled, now what? I kept asking God that question. For months he told me to just wait and focus on the adjustment in our family from the addition of Nike. Building an orphanage was never an idea that left me. I always joked that I’ll build an orphanage when I sell a best selling book about the story of adopting Nike. That story is truly one miracle after another. With the roles and jobs we are currently in, there is no overabundance of funds to go build an orphanage.

 

Over the summer God gave me a revelation. It is not just the job of Robyn and Jordan Morales to take care of orphans, it is the job of the body of Christ. We didn’t have the money to adopt, but God provided the money. Mostly by people we didn’t even know or didn’t know very well and a painful amount of fundraising. God showed me during those five years that he will provide and there was not one point of that journey that was financially unmet. There were times I thought we might have to take out a loan, but over and over God provided. It was never MY desire to adopt, that was what God called me to do and what he provided for every step of the way. As I was reflecting on all those things, I said, “Ok God, you just want me to take a step, what’s the first step?”

That part seemed obvious to me, I needed to first figure out how much land costs in Haiti and how much an orphanage would cost. I reached out to a dear friend in Haiti who was often my hands and feet through the adoption process and daily the hands and feet of Christ in Haiti. When the seed was planted in my heart to build an orphanage, I knew the people I was to work with and Alin, my Haitian friend, was one of them. During my trips to Haiti, I’d always see Alin and hear of his mission and plans for an orphanage, along with his friends there.

 

I messaged Alin and I asked him how much land in Haiti costs and about how much I would need to raise to build an orphanage. A few days later he called me and told me he had a piece of land for me.

 

“Wo! Hit the breaks!” I was just curious about the price! I had just finished giving up my money to bring Nike home!

 

Alin said that it’s not easy to find land for sale in Haiti and the location is safe and close to a school. He said we have to act fast though because someone else might take it or the owner could change his mind. The seller was offering about 2 acres for $7,500. That’s not bad! BUT I certainly didn’t have a savings account laying around with $7,500 in it.

 

That still small voice whispered, “You have your retirement.”

 

“But God, that’s literally all I have saved for my retirement. I should have something saved for my future and that isn’t going to get me very far as it is!”

 

“I’m your retirement plan,” he told me.

 

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to hear that. I thought since the adoption was finally over we could start to arrange our finances a little better. Of course my mistake was thinking anything is mine when he is my provider. All night I wrestled with God. I asked all the questions.

 

“How do I know this is the right piece of land? Give up all of my retirement? Really God? What do I do after I have the land? I don’t know how to start a non-profit! Are you sure God? None of this makes sense, God.”

 

In the morning, I was listening to praise and worship music and a song came on that gave me complete peace and confirmation and without a doubt I knew what I was supposed to do. I talked to Jordan and he was on board. We took the week to pray about it and confirmation after confirmation came. As we did a little research though, we found American’s can’t buy land in Haiti. The process for that is next to impossible. Do you know who can buy land in Haiti? Haitians. Do you see how God lined it all up? He put that desire in me to build an orphanage, but he said first adopt Nike. Can you guess who bought the land in Haiti; Nike.

 

A few weeks later the woman who owns the property next to the land we bought was talking to Alin and she was happy to hear of the plans and offered to sell her acre of land to us for $2,500.

 

“Ok God, that’s a great deal, but you cleared me out, so now what?”

 

“You have Nike’s savings account,” God reminded me.

 

Anything left over from the adoption I put into a savings account for Nike so he would have something for his future. Guess how much was in there, $2,500.

“I’m his future,” God reminded me.

 

Again we prayed and again God confirmed, so we now have three acres of land in Haiti. Over the past several months we have had workers cleaning and clearing the land. It is almost ready now to build. The next step is creating a non-profit. That part I’ve been working on learning, but it’s a long process with a lot of legal terms that are over my head. I’ve been praying that God will bring the people to be involved that he has chosen. I don’t have answers, I just know it all requires trust and faith. I know God did it with the adoption so he will do it again. I don’t want anyone involved or to donate with the idea of “helping out Jordan and Robyn,” because it has NOTHING to do with us. America is the bank to so many countries. We have so much compared to many other places including Haiti. I don’t know how the money will come or when, but I know God will put it on people's hearts to give. I know we are called to be the body of Christ and I know we are called to take care of the orphans. I don’t have a five year plan or a ten year plan. I have a, wait on God plan.

 

If you think it sounds impossible, that’s ok, everyone thought it was impossible for Nike to be adopted too. I can’t answer a million questions and if you think it all sounds foolish that’s ok. Most would say it was pretty foolish to leave Heaven to die on a cross for a bunch of filthy sinners. I don’t have it all together, I am one of those filthy sinners, I’m just trying to run the race in a way that pleases him. I have spent a lot of years chasing my own way and I’ve learned that it’s no coincidence that the letter I is in the center of sin. Chasing a life of “I” doesn’t keep you on the straight and narrow. I’m working at denying my flesh everyday to try and hear more of the holy spirit's leading in my life. It’s work and it’s sacrifice, but Jesus showed me the way, so as long as I keep my eyes there, it will be a great journey.

 

After the land was cleared, we raised $7,000 to build a well. That is the first necessary step as the building can't begin without a water source. The well is still being constructed. After a few months of working and coming close to completion, a lack of water in that area created an unexpected serious of difficulties and the crew had to start over in another area. Prayers appreciated as everything in Haiti is hard.