We had not long arrived in the Dominican Republic from Haiti. It was obvious that this was God’s doing; we never intended to leave Haiti, but here we were in Bani, DR expecting our fourth child. By the mercies of our Father, I did not miscarry him, though while I was expecting him, I had a terrible car accident in Haiti. And now, excited about our first ultrasound, though already very far along in the pregnancy, we headed to town. The doctor laughed and joked with us and was very cordial. He began the ultrasound chatting freely all the while, until he abruptly became solemn. He continued very quietly and then without looking in our eyes said that everything was fine and sent us on our way.

This disturbed me greatly, and I asked my husband if we could do a second ultrasound in the Capital. He agreed and the next week we walked into a very friendly doctor’s office and were greeted with the same friendliness and chatting. As the ultrasound progressed, this doctor too became solemn and quiet. Instead, however, of abruptly sending us away, he showed us where our unborn baby had fluid on the brain, and a protrusion out of his back. He explained that our baby had spina bifida and would be in need of major surgery upon his birth.  

Devastated and numb, we left the office very quiet and unsure about our future. Should we leave the mission field and go to the States for such a major surgery? Should we stay? The church in Haiti began to pray, the newly founded church in the DR began to pray. Friends in the States began to pray, and in our little home we began to pray.  

One morning as I poured my heart out to God, I thought about a time when we lived in Haiti and the ladies with their starving emaciated babies would bring them to Madam Pastor (me) to help or to feed. Ladies would bring their babies to me, Madam Pastor, for medicine. One lady who had miscarried her baby the night before, brought the tiny baby to me the next day in a baby food jar. All these mamas’ faces came to my mind with their babies as I cried that morning, “Father, I do not have a Madam Pastor to whom I can take my little baby in his need. Please Father, heal baby Steven”. And as I cried out all my pleadings, the Holy Spirit gave me a promise:

Psalm 50:14-15 “Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

Unbeknownst to me, the Lord was also dealing with my discouraged husband. An Haitian American who was very fed up with his own people, in prayer one day the Lord gave him a choice: serve these people with all their spiritual, mental and social handicaps or serve a handicapped son. Which would it be? By the mercies of God, Bismaille Lerisse recommitted himself to the Lord to serve the Haitian people.

By faith we decided to stay put where our God had placed us. On January 10, 2013, a very healthy and whole and beautiful baby Steven Ray Lerisse was born.