Happy Birthday Hugues!

Hugues is our only male live-in staff member... we often jokingly refer to him as our manny. But really, more than a staff member or a manny, Hugues is our family.

Today he turns 26 years old. He's mentioned to me probably 2 dozen times that he's not happy about turning 26 because it means he's closer to 30 than he is to 20 and he thinks he's getting too old. I tried to tell him that 30 is the new 20 (cause that's what I tell myself), but in Haiti where life expectancy is 52, I don't think I have much of a leg to stand on-- he's middle aged. :)

One quick story about Hugues that I love--

***
About a month before Hugues came to work for us, Madam Placide (the pastor's wife) came up to him in church one day and said, "Hugues. I have something to tell you. Today when I was praying in church, I feel like God revealed something to me. I fell like he told me that you were going to be very happy and have a big, beautiful family with lots of children."

Hugues told her thank you, but in his mind, wondered how that would happen, as he was already in his mid 20's and didn't have any prospects for a job, hadn't finished school, didn't have a house, didn't have a girlfriend or a wife. While that idea that Madame Placide said to him sounded good, he didn't think it was possible.

Several months ago he came to Nick and I and he shared that story that Madame Pastor had told him. And as he told it, he was emotional and said, "I just realized that everything Madam Pastor told me was true and has happened. I am in a big new family where I am very happy and I am surrounded by lots of children. This is exactly what she was talking about. Everything she said would happen has happened."

***
We absolutely consider Hugues a part of our family and one of our best friends. He works extremely hard every single day, but he also sits and eats meals with us (none of our other staff members do), he goes to the beach with us every week (our other staff members RARELY do) and he hangs out with Nick and I in the evenings. He may be the most servant-hearted person I've ever met. And he loves our children (especially Josiah, who he will unabashedly admit is his favorite) nearly as much as we do.

Everyone who meets Hugues loves him-- sure, he's a bit quirky and walks around making weird clucks and clicking noises. Sure, he repeats himself 20-30 times when telling a story and it's kind of irritating.

Help us say Happy Birthday to Hugues-- leave a comment saying Happy Birthday and I will pass it along to him! Or you can friend him on facebook-- ("Hugues Pierre") and tell him yourself.