Jimmy and Marjorie, a nanny from CHCH traveled to PaP on Monday. They met our lawyer, Robert, and traveled to the immigration office. Jimmy was fingerprinted for his passport. Everything went very smoothly and they returned to Cap that afternoon. We are very thankful for such a smooth trip.
We were told today that they are expecting Jimmy's passport to be issued this week. We are very excited that things are progressing. Only two more steps after the passport is issued and he will be home.
-Visa app is filed, I600 approval, and an appointment to receive the visa in Haiti is
scheduled.
-We travel to Haiti for visa appointment and BRING JIMMY HOME!
Jimmy's 15th birthday is Sunday. I am sad we will not get to celebrate with him. If you would, please send him a message on Facebook; or send a message to me and I will forward it on.
We appreciate your prayers and support and feel blessed that the journey is coming to an end.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Friday, December 14, 2012
Passport Office...Here we come.
God knew that I had reached my limit and needed to be picked up. We received an email last night that WE PASSED MOI!!!! We are now on to passport printing. The last step on the Haitian side. Unfortunately because Jimmy is 14, he will need to be fingerprinted in PaP. That means another plane trip. We are waiting to hear if and when that needs to happen. We will worry about that later. Today, I am going to be happy we are passed MOI.
Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for your prayers.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Golden Ticket
My favorite movie is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I have watched it too many times to count. There is a scene where Charlie goes to see his mom at her night job at the laundry. He tells her that the fourth golden ticket has been found. Her reply is something like oh that's interesting. He wonders who will find the last one and says, "in case you're wondering, it won't be me. Just in case you're wondering." His mother goes on to say something about millions of people in the world and only five tickets. Well, I feel like Charlie this week. "in case you're wondering, it isn't us." Three families adopting from Jimmy's orphanage have gotten I600 approval (the golden ticket) and are just waiting for their visa appointments to come home. It is very likely that their children will be home for Christmas. Two of the boys will even be coming home to Ada. Although I am joyful for these families, it is very difficult to know that their boys are home while my child is still waiting and wondering when his homecoming will be. Knowing that Jimmy will spend another Christmas, another birthday, another new year somewhere else is almost unbearable.
I know I am not alone. I know at least two families feeling the exact same way. I know I have friends and family who's hearts will break because mine is broken. This provides some comfort, but I ask that you pray for the great Comforter to give us some peace and understanding.
I know I am not alone. I know at least two families feeling the exact same way. I know I have friends and family who's hearts will break because mine is broken. This provides some comfort, but I ask that you pray for the great Comforter to give us some peace and understanding.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Done. All good. Headed to the airport.
Jimmy and his Aunt Macienne were finally able to get into the embassy and be interviewed. Rob said they had some questions; but after speaking with Macienne, they were satisfied. She signed the relinquishment or whatever papers they needed. USCIS told Rob to expect an email requesting our dossier from our lawyer. Then, they were done.
Rob's time with Jimmy was a blessing and I'm so glad they had an extra day. Though it was a bit awkward for him being with his dad and his biological aunt, they relaxed last night and were able to talk. I am so thankful Rob was there and know he was a tremendous help and support to the process and Jimmy.
Today was a big success. We are happy this step is completed.
Many are asking now what? One word, WAIT. Robert, our lawyer, said we need another signature on our dossier which should take about a week then we will be out of MOI. He gave us a timeline, but I don't want to share it because timelines are worth about as much the paper I would write them on. We will just trust that God's timeline is perfect and worthy. Here are the final steps.
-Dossier is signed out of MOI.
-Files sent to passport office for printing.
-Passport is issued/reviewed for accuracy sent to USCIS.
-At the same time that the passport app is in the works, the USCIS process must be completed.
-Visa app is filed and an appointment to receive the visa in Haiti is scheduled.
-We travel to Haiti for visa appointment and BRING JIMMY HOME!
Rob's time with Jimmy was a blessing and I'm so glad they had an extra day. Though it was a bit awkward for him being with his dad and his biological aunt, they relaxed last night and were able to talk. I am so thankful Rob was there and know he was a tremendous help and support to the process and Jimmy.
Today was a big success. We are happy this step is completed.
Many are asking now what? One word, WAIT. Robert, our lawyer, said we need another signature on our dossier which should take about a week then we will be out of MOI. He gave us a timeline, but I don't want to share it because timelines are worth about as much the paper I would write them on. We will just trust that God's timeline is perfect and worthy. Here are the final steps.
-Dossier is signed out of MOI.
-Files sent to passport office for printing.
-Passport is issued/reviewed for accuracy sent to USCIS.
-At the same time that the passport app is in the works, the USCIS process must be completed.
-Visa app is filed and an appointment to receive the visa in Haiti is scheduled.
-We travel to Haiti for visa appointment and BRING JIMMY HOME!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Update
USCIS turned them away this morning. The interviewers were in meetings. Whatever that means. They are going to go back first thing in the morning and try again. When Rob visited with the lawyer, he was a little confused and did not have the right documents anyway. Rob explained what we needed from him and set him on the right track. Now, the lawyer is busy gathering the correct documents for tomorrow. I am going to declare today a success. If we had gotten in, we could have been sent away because we didn't have the documents they wanted and not gotten back in. God knows what he is doing and I'm trusting in him. Keep those prayers going up.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Take two & three, maybe
Rob left for Haiti early this morning. His travels were uneventful and made it into Port au Prince around 4:30 Haiti time. Jimmy and his Aunt Macienne made it there around 3:00. They were picked up by the Heartline guesthouse, which I highly recommend if you need a place to stay while in PaP. Upon arrival, Rob called Robert, Chances for Children's lawyer. Robert informed him that Kelitta, the C4C creche director, had received a call from USCIS that the appointment had been changed to December 6. There are a few things weird about this. Number 1: We have not received any communication about such changes. Number 2: If you remember, they did not want C4C to be representing Jimmy and/or us in the adoption. Number 3: Why would they call at all? USCIS isn't known for showing much consideration. Rob got a little excited about it all; but after some phone calls, texts, and emails, everyone has calmed down. They will go ahead and go to the embassy and see what happens. If they inform them of a change, they are going to explain the logistics of traveling to PaP and expense of making the trip. We hope it doesn't come to that. Their appointment is at 10:00 am EST. That is 9:00 am in Oklahoma. I ask that all of you pray for them during that time. However, I would like someone praying continuously for them from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm CST. I still have open spots for 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, and 12:30. Please pray for peace and patience for everyone. Pray for wisdom that Rob will know when to push and when to wait. Pray for those interviewing them. That they will feel the love we have for Jimmy and understand the need for him to come home quickly. I will also ask that you pray boldly for a miracle. That Jimmy will come home with Rob. I had someone ask if that was possible. I said all things are possible with God. I believe in Him and I know that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. He has gone before us and He is in control of tomorrow and our adoption. I have confidence that no matter what happens God will be there in the middle of it all and it will work for His glory and His purpose. That gives me peace. I will update tomorrow when all is said and done. Thank you for your prayers.
Anita 8:00-8:30
Marylyn 8:30-9:00
Marvin 8:30-9:00
Ginger 9:00-9:30
Mika 9:30-10:00
Deanna 10:00-10:30
10:30-11:00
11:00-11:30
11:30-12:00
Jami 12:00-12:30
12:30-1:00
Charla 1:00-1:30
Anita 1:30-2:00
Anita 8:00-8:30
Marylyn 8:30-9:00
Marvin 8:30-9:00
Ginger 9:00-9:30
Mika 9:30-10:00
Deanna 10:00-10:30
10:30-11:00
11:00-11:30
11:30-12:00
Jami 12:00-12:30
12:30-1:00
Charla 1:00-1:30
Anita 1:30-2:00
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Disappointment to Determination
I will start from the beginning. This is the way the trip should have gone. Jimmy's aunt was to travel to Port au Prince Monday afternoon; be picked up by the guesthouse where she was staying; spend the night; a driver we know, Rony, was to pick her up Tuesday morning take her to the embassy; her appointment/interview was at ten; then he was to take her back to the airport to catch her plane by four. Well, this is the way the trip went.
Monday morning I received a message that Jimmy's aunt, Macienne, was already at the airport in Port au Prince. Her flight had be changed and she left early. So, I called the guesthouse in PaP and asked them to please go pick her up early. I received a call from them half an hour later that she told the driver that she was at the big airport not the smaller airport, was this true? Not that I know of. So, she said she would call her back. They were able to find her at the smaller airport and she made it to the guesthouse.
Tuesday morning, Rony picked her up and took her to the embassy. At nine I get a call on skype from Hunter and Jillian. After finally connecting with them, they tell us Macienne is unable to get into the embassy; and they are telling her the appointment is Wednesday. I make about ten phone calls to the embassy and finally get someone. I explain the situation and the lady says yes I have her appointment here as 10 am on October 23. Good, she says she will call the gate and tell them to let her in. I breathe a sigh of relief and hope everything will be good now. That sigh of relief was premature. Oh also did I mention during all of this I am driving to take my mother in law to the airport?
After getting my mil dropped off, I proceed home. We get an email from USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration) saying that they will not interview Macienne because she does not have a proper ID. We later find out she has a work id, and paperwork that she has applied for another id but they will not take either. She will have to return November 28 for her interview. They also requested Jimmy return with her and be interviewed again. ALSO, they will be needing new relinquishment papers. Side note: Jimmy lives at CHCH but we are doing our adoption through C4C (chance for children). Because Jimmy lives at CHCH the relinquishment to C4C will not be accepted. They basically want new documentation for everything I submitted when I filed the I600 in July.
We tried to get our lawyer, agency, etc. to see if we could somehow salvage her trip but that was not possible. She traveled back to Cap Haitien yesterday afternoon. We have since corresponded with everyone and we are all working together to get the documents they are requesting. We will need to gather the documents, have them translated, and resubmit them by the November 28 interview; or they will not interview Macienne.
Additionally, we heard from Rony late last night. In his words, it was a nightmare. Along with all that went on with Macienne and the embassy, he ran out of gas and his van broke down.
I was discouraged, disappointed, and defeated yesterday. I cried many tears. After lots of words of encouragement and some chocolate from friends, I am better. Like I told Rony, Satan was attacking all of us yesterday. But you know what, he isn't going to win this. We will continue to fight and GOD will win! Our sweet Jimmy tried his very best to help his aunt and to work it out yesterday. I know how I felt so I can only imagine how he was and is feeling. I feel terribly that his aunt's trip was so stressful for her.
*Please pray for us to push past this obstacle.
*Pray for Jimmy to be comforted and be at peace while we battle for his homecoming.
*Pray for Macienne. She has been so willing to help through the process. We do not want her to become discouraged.
*Pray for those at USCIS working our case. That they will have open hearts and minds that can see the urgency and importance of their job.
*Pray for our legal team to be diligent with every document and step in the process.
*Pray for Hunter and Jillian as they work in Haiti on our behalf and with Jimmy and his family.
*Pray for God to provide the funds to carry out everything we need to get done.
*PRAY FOR THE ADOPTION TO BE COMPLETED QUICKLY SO HE CAN COME HOME!
Monday morning I received a message that Jimmy's aunt, Macienne, was already at the airport in Port au Prince. Her flight had be changed and she left early. So, I called the guesthouse in PaP and asked them to please go pick her up early. I received a call from them half an hour later that she told the driver that she was at the big airport not the smaller airport, was this true? Not that I know of. So, she said she would call her back. They were able to find her at the smaller airport and she made it to the guesthouse.
Tuesday morning, Rony picked her up and took her to the embassy. At nine I get a call on skype from Hunter and Jillian. After finally connecting with them, they tell us Macienne is unable to get into the embassy; and they are telling her the appointment is Wednesday. I make about ten phone calls to the embassy and finally get someone. I explain the situation and the lady says yes I have her appointment here as 10 am on October 23. Good, she says she will call the gate and tell them to let her in. I breathe a sigh of relief and hope everything will be good now. That sigh of relief was premature. Oh also did I mention during all of this I am driving to take my mother in law to the airport?
After getting my mil dropped off, I proceed home. We get an email from USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration) saying that they will not interview Macienne because she does not have a proper ID. We later find out she has a work id, and paperwork that she has applied for another id but they will not take either. She will have to return November 28 for her interview. They also requested Jimmy return with her and be interviewed again. ALSO, they will be needing new relinquishment papers. Side note: Jimmy lives at CHCH but we are doing our adoption through C4C (chance for children). Because Jimmy lives at CHCH the relinquishment to C4C will not be accepted. They basically want new documentation for everything I submitted when I filed the I600 in July.
We tried to get our lawyer, agency, etc. to see if we could somehow salvage her trip but that was not possible. She traveled back to Cap Haitien yesterday afternoon. We have since corresponded with everyone and we are all working together to get the documents they are requesting. We will need to gather the documents, have them translated, and resubmit them by the November 28 interview; or they will not interview Macienne.
Additionally, we heard from Rony late last night. In his words, it was a nightmare. Along with all that went on with Macienne and the embassy, he ran out of gas and his van broke down.
I was discouraged, disappointed, and defeated yesterday. I cried many tears. After lots of words of encouragement and some chocolate from friends, I am better. Like I told Rony, Satan was attacking all of us yesterday. But you know what, he isn't going to win this. We will continue to fight and GOD will win! Our sweet Jimmy tried his very best to help his aunt and to work it out yesterday. I know how I felt so I can only imagine how he was and is feeling. I feel terribly that his aunt's trip was so stressful for her.
*Please pray for us to push past this obstacle.
*Pray for Jimmy to be comforted and be at peace while we battle for his homecoming.
*Pray for Macienne. She has been so willing to help through the process. We do not want her to become discouraged.
*Pray for those at USCIS working our case. That they will have open hearts and minds that can see the urgency and importance of their job.
*Pray for our legal team to be diligent with every document and step in the process.
*Pray for Hunter and Jillian as they work in Haiti on our behalf and with Jimmy and his family.
*Pray for God to provide the funds to carry out everything we need to get done.
*PRAY FOR THE ADOPTION TO BE COMPLETED QUICKLY SO HE CAN COME HOME!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Day 608
Today is day 608 of our adoption journey. Some days definitely drag by slower than others. I think we have reached a point where the daily drain of waiting has become normal. Reaching that point, we have also reached a state of restlessness. It is always there. I thought it was just me but a friend that is on the same journey has been having a similar experience. Then, Rob commented yesterday about feeling weird (my word not his). After discussing it a bit we knew what we have been feeling is the same. This restlessness causes a lot of frustration and irritability that is hard to deal with. The waiting, the uncertainty, the drawn out transitioning, etc. makes it seem like your life is in limbo. I never did like to play limbo.
Jimmy is doing well. He started back to school last week. He and Rishard are being tutored. Their tutor, Jude, is a blessing. We are so happy he is able to do this for us and the boys. Jimmy was able to accompany the Haitian Medical Mission team last weekend as a translator. Although I have not been able to talk with him about his trip, one of the team members said he did a great job and was a big help. We are very proud of him. Here is a pic of him translating with one of the providers. Yes, he is getting very big and very grown up.
Jimmy is doing well. He started back to school last week. He and Rishard are being tutored. Their tutor, Jude, is a blessing. We are so happy he is able to do this for us and the boys. Jimmy was able to accompany the Haitian Medical Mission team last weekend as a translator. Although I have not been able to talk with him about his trip, one of the team members said he did a great job and was a big help. We are very proud of him. Here is a pic of him translating with one of the providers. Yes, he is getting very big and very grown up.
We were told last week that our file should be ready to enter MOI last Friday. We do not know if that happened but are hoping it did. I still believe God is in Haiti working for us so I am not going to worry about any of that. I will use my time to prepare him a place here. My wish is that he be here for his birthday on December 23 but God can decide if that is best.
Speaking of preparations, we are trying to sell our house. We would like more room for when he gets here. Please say a prayer that we will have peace of mind as we wait for the right buyer.
We are also preparing for a garage sale to help with the funding. It is October 13, this Saturday. I hope we do as well as we did at the last one. If you have stuff to donate, give me a call or message me. We will pick up (if you live relatively close).
Guess that's it. Please pray for peace of mind and spirit as Jimmy and the rest of us wait for his homecoming.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Here are a few highlights from the journey this past week.
We were able to skype with Jimmy on Saturday and tonight. As usual, it was great to see his smiling face. He got to meet my parents for the first time on Saturday which is extra special.
Jimmy was able to find his aunt and bring her to CHCH to visit with Tabitha about the interview. She is happy to do what she can to help Jimmy's adoption to be finished. She gave them her phone number and will be waiting to hear from them. We also found out that she is within ten minutes of CHCH so that is very good. We received an email from USCIS that we would be getting an appointment for that interview soon. As of today, we have not received any email about said appointment. Please pray we hear from them soon so we can make the preparations. One kink we found out about today is the Cap Haitien Airport is supposed to be closed/shut down until October 15. This was unexpected and unplanned. Of course this will hinder Jimmy's aunt's travel to PaP if we need her to go before then. It also creates problems for CHCH, as they will not be able to receive mail or anything else until it opens again. There are also groups who plan to travel for mission trips and have flights booked for that airport. We are praying that circumstances will change and that they will open back up quickly and business will continue as usual (hopefully better).
We are hearing that dossiers are going through MOI quickly. Not sure if we are actually in MOI yet but we are hoping to hear something soon. USCIS gave us a deadline when we went for our I-600 in which to get all the paperwork they request to them so our petition can be reviewed. That deadline is October 21. Our lawyer said that he felt like he could get everything together and to them by then. However, we believe that we have to be out of MOI to have all of the paperwork they are requesting. Please pray that we can get in and out of MOI in time for our lawyer to compile the paperwork and get it submitted by the deadline. If we miss the deadline, we will file for an extension. We just hope we won't have to do that.
One last thing, we have exhausted all our savings and fundraising monies. We are hoping to earn, save and/or raise about $7500 to complete the process. We will be having a garage sale in October. If you have any items you would like to get rid of, we will gladly take them off your hands. I am still making pies and other baked goods if you need those. We have also recently begun selling AdvoCare products. We truly believe in the products and the company. It has made a huge difference in our lives. We feel better, look better, and have energy to spare. Go to www.advocare.com/120329589 to check it out or give us a call. We would love to help you find more energy or reach your goals. We know you will love the products and it will help us to bring Jimmy home.
So, to recap the prayer requests:
*airport to reopen
*USCIS to give us an appointment for Jimmy's aunt's interview
*our dossier to enter and exit MOI quickly
*our lawyer to have all paperwork completed and ready to submit to USCIS by October 21 deadline.
*we will find a way to gather the remaining money needed to bring him home.
Thank you so much.
We were able to skype with Jimmy on Saturday and tonight. As usual, it was great to see his smiling face. He got to meet my parents for the first time on Saturday which is extra special.
Jimmy was able to find his aunt and bring her to CHCH to visit with Tabitha about the interview. She is happy to do what she can to help Jimmy's adoption to be finished. She gave them her phone number and will be waiting to hear from them. We also found out that she is within ten minutes of CHCH so that is very good. We received an email from USCIS that we would be getting an appointment for that interview soon. As of today, we have not received any email about said appointment. Please pray we hear from them soon so we can make the preparations. One kink we found out about today is the Cap Haitien Airport is supposed to be closed/shut down until October 15. This was unexpected and unplanned. Of course this will hinder Jimmy's aunt's travel to PaP if we need her to go before then. It also creates problems for CHCH, as they will not be able to receive mail or anything else until it opens again. There are also groups who plan to travel for mission trips and have flights booked for that airport. We are praying that circumstances will change and that they will open back up quickly and business will continue as usual (hopefully better).
We are hearing that dossiers are going through MOI quickly. Not sure if we are actually in MOI yet but we are hoping to hear something soon. USCIS gave us a deadline when we went for our I-600 in which to get all the paperwork they request to them so our petition can be reviewed. That deadline is October 21. Our lawyer said that he felt like he could get everything together and to them by then. However, we believe that we have to be out of MOI to have all of the paperwork they are requesting. Please pray that we can get in and out of MOI in time for our lawyer to compile the paperwork and get it submitted by the deadline. If we miss the deadline, we will file for an extension. We just hope we won't have to do that.
One last thing, we have exhausted all our savings and fundraising monies. We are hoping to earn, save and/or raise about $7500 to complete the process. We will be having a garage sale in October. If you have any items you would like to get rid of, we will gladly take them off your hands. I am still making pies and other baked goods if you need those. We have also recently begun selling AdvoCare products. We truly believe in the products and the company. It has made a huge difference in our lives. We feel better, look better, and have energy to spare. Go to www.advocare.com/120329589 to check it out or give us a call. We would love to help you find more energy or reach your goals. We know you will love the products and it will help us to bring Jimmy home.
So, to recap the prayer requests:
*airport to reopen
*USCIS to give us an appointment for Jimmy's aunt's interview
*our dossier to enter and exit MOI quickly
*our lawyer to have all paperwork completed and ready to submit to USCIS by October 21 deadline.
*we will find a way to gather the remaining money needed to bring him home.
Thank you so much.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Hurricanes, Interviews, and Stress
I should have posted about Hurricane/Tropical Storm Isaac before now, but better late than never. Here is a map of Haiti.
As you can see Cap Haitien, where Jimmy lives, is on the northern coast of Haiti. Isaac hit the southwestern portion. So, he and the rest of the kids at his orphanage are fine. They were without internet for a few days but faired very well. Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti. There were lives lost and destruction.
Despite the storm and all the worries it brought, Jimmy Rishard and Altagrace were able to make their trip to Port au Prince yesterday. Their travels went well from the reports. Jimmy facebooked us a brief message. I asked if they asked a lot of questions. He answered "they asked everything." I am sure it was nerve racking and stressful. They are back in Cap Haitien today and we hope to be able to skype soon.
Altagrace reported that USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) would like to interview Jimmy's aunt. I believe it is his mother's sister. From what I understand, she lives about two hours from Cap. That could be 15 miles but in Haiti that can take two hours. Not sure her exact location. Anyway, they would like to interview her. It is standard procedure to interview the birth parents and sometimes living relatives. We were really hoping this would be the only interview and not expecting them to request this one. We have not been able to see the paperwork USCIS gave to Jimmy. Tabitha is working on that for us and we really appreciate her being able to help us. We are uncertain when the interview will take place. To be perfectly honest, this turn has sent me for a loop. I was so optimistic about him coming home soon and now we have another task to accomplish on the list. I have no idea how we will contact his aunt to go to PaP. She could decide not to go and I have no control over that. Not to mention another expense added to our total. It is all too much to wrap my mind around.
Did I also mention that Chance for Children informed us that the courts in Cap wanted Jimmy's birth certificate verified in his hometown? That was done, but it means our file has not yet entered MOI (Ministry of the Interior). MOI is taking several weeks if not months to complete the dossier approvals, and our dossier hasn't even gone in yet..
Tonight I am feeling the weight of this process and how draining it can be. I miss Jimmy and I want him HOME! Please pray I can lay all of this at HIS feet and stop trying to help Him. You know when you have a little one trying to "help" you with something and the task ends up being harder to accomplish because of his/her "help". I have a feeling with all my "helping" ie. worrying and stressing; I am really just getting in His way. I need prayers to step aside and let Him do the job of bringing Jimmy home so that He will get all the glory He deserves. Thank you!
Despite the storm and all the worries it brought, Jimmy Rishard and Altagrace were able to make their trip to Port au Prince yesterday. Their travels went well from the reports. Jimmy facebooked us a brief message. I asked if they asked a lot of questions. He answered "they asked everything." I am sure it was nerve racking and stressful. They are back in Cap Haitien today and we hope to be able to skype soon.
Altagrace reported that USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) would like to interview Jimmy's aunt. I believe it is his mother's sister. From what I understand, she lives about two hours from Cap. That could be 15 miles but in Haiti that can take two hours. Not sure her exact location. Anyway, they would like to interview her. It is standard procedure to interview the birth parents and sometimes living relatives. We were really hoping this would be the only interview and not expecting them to request this one. We have not been able to see the paperwork USCIS gave to Jimmy. Tabitha is working on that for us and we really appreciate her being able to help us. We are uncertain when the interview will take place. To be perfectly honest, this turn has sent me for a loop. I was so optimistic about him coming home soon and now we have another task to accomplish on the list. I have no idea how we will contact his aunt to go to PaP. She could decide not to go and I have no control over that. Not to mention another expense added to our total. It is all too much to wrap my mind around.
Did I also mention that Chance for Children informed us that the courts in Cap wanted Jimmy's birth certificate verified in his hometown? That was done, but it means our file has not yet entered MOI (Ministry of the Interior). MOI is taking several weeks if not months to complete the dossier approvals, and our dossier hasn't even gone in yet..
Tonight I am feeling the weight of this process and how draining it can be. I miss Jimmy and I want him HOME! Please pray I can lay all of this at HIS feet and stop trying to help Him. You know when you have a little one trying to "help" you with something and the task ends up being harder to accomplish because of his/her "help". I have a feeling with all my "helping" ie. worrying and stressing; I am really just getting in His way. I need prayers to step aside and let Him do the job of bringing Jimmy home so that He will get all the glory He deserves. Thank you!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Before I knew you...
We met a girl while we were in Haiti who had made several trips over the past few years. She had met Jimmy many times and she said she had younger photos of him. She was kind enough to send them to me. I treasure any pictures I can get of him and absolutely loved these younger ones.
Sorry, I never finished the story.
So, the last post was when I was in Haiti. Here is the rest of the story.
We traveled to Cap Haitien via Tortug Air with little fan fare. Micial picked us up from the airport and we went to pick up Jimmy and Rishard. It was of course great to see Jimmy's face and hug his tall lanky body. He has grown a few more inches since the last trip, making him pretty much eye to eye with Mom. We spent some time at CHCH then headed to the preaching school. We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with the boys and playing board games. We were anxious for our day in court planned for Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we prepared to meet Robert, our lawyer, at the justice of the peace at 10 am. We managed to make it on time and contrary to the norm in Haiti so did Robert. We followed Robert into an old building and into a back room. It had three desks and a handful of men inside. We set down and Robert asked for the power of attorney papers our husbands' signed. We provided the documents. A man behind one of the desks took the papers, turned the page in a spiral notebook and made two X's. I was told to sign for Rob and myself. The same procedure followed for Cindy. It was all very official (she says with an enormous amount of sarcasm).
We then headed to the courthouse. We were told the judge was not there yet, and we were to wait. Luckily there was a good amount of shade in the courtyard. We waited alongside many Haitians waiting for their turn. We visited with Robert, stood and visited with each other, sweated, waited, stood and visited with Micial. Made a trip to the bathroom, escorted by the armed guard who waited. Of course there was no toilet paper and no flush. Thank goodness Cindy had some wet wipes. Back downstairs where we waited some more. It was about twelve-ish when we talked to Robert went to a party the night before and got very drunk. 7 of the 8 judges did not show up for court that day and the one who did was sleeping it off upstairs. Robert said he would wait on the 20% chance our judge showed up with the agreement he would call us. Micial had some errands to run so we tagged along. We went to a very nice guesthouse and met some very nice people who asked if we would like to join them at the beach on Friday. Fun!
So, we headed back to the orphanage to pick up the boys. We went back to the CPB and relaxed the rest of the day. In the meantime, Alex, a friend of the boys met up with us at the CPB and stayed the rest of the time with us. This was a much needed distraction or buffer if you will. The boys are a little more relaxed when it is not just us. They do not feel so much pressure.
On Friday, all four boys along with Cindy and I headed to the beach with our new friends. We spent the day soaking in the bright sunshine, warm sand and cool water. When I am able to be in a situation like this with Jimmy, I try to take it all in. I also miss the rest of my family and really wish they were with us. I think of how much fun we could be having all together. It is always bittersweet. Along with fun and sun, we enjoyed a delicious meal at the restaurant. We ended our time with the group with the kids playing a little soccer.
The girls were talked about how good the boys were at soccer, but little did they know they were holding back. They would not have risked hurting the girls. Not nearly as physical with them as they are with each other.
Cindy's daughter and her friend raised money for another orphanage in town. So, Cindy talked to Fonrose, the preaching school director, about what she needed. He was kind enough to take the money, exchange it, then take us with him to buy food. After our trip to the market, we headed out to Tabitha's new land. A little about Tabitha, she is an amazing lady who had an orphanage in town but IBESR had recently told her she did not have enough room for the kids to play and they were shutting her down. So she moved the kids to a bigger place about five miles out of town. She has since been given land by the government to build on. Not sure how that all will work, but she is optimistic. We look forward to seeing the progress and pray God will continue to bless her efforts. Anyway, she gave us a tour of her land and then we went to her current place. It is always a blessing to love on the kids there. Cindy and I both got to love a little one into a nap. So precious. Makes me long to stay and give them that motherly love they long for. Although, Tabitha does do an awesome job.
After saying our goodbyes, we headed back to CHCH to spend a couple of nights. Our attention is greatly divided when we are at CHCH. There are so many kids to love on and talk to, not to mention the boys are distracted and torn between their friends and their moms. I had not slept well the night before and began to feel it Saturday evening. My emotions were right on the service and spilled over a bit. Thankful for Cindy and her listening ear. She is always an encouragement. After a few tears, I felt better and spent the rest of the evening up in the dorm with Jimmy. We even got to skype with Rob, Rylan and Kyndal. It was a good end to a overall good day.
Sunday was a very hot day. Up until then, we had hot weather, but it was bearable. Sunday was HOT! We spent the rest of the morning into afternoon with the boys in front of our fans. We even took a nap. We went out to eat for supper. Then, we had the unpleasant task of packing up and preparing to leave. There were no tears like most trips.
Monday morning we got up early to catch our 6:50 flight to Port au Prince. We left the boys sleeping after hugs and saying goodbye. It was the easiest exit since we began the process. Our flight was on time and we arrived in PaP at 7:30. Unfortunately, my bad did not make it to PaP until 9:15. We waited for my bag at the little airport then went to the big airport to wait on our flight to Miami. We left on time at 1:15. Upon arriving, we learn that Cindy's flight has been delayed and she will not make her connecting flight to OKC. After much hub bub, we got everything worked out and went to get something to eat. Cindy's flight left at 5:30; my plane was scheduled to leave at nine. After several hours of waiting, I finally left at 9:30. I arrived in Dallas at 11:30. I was beat. Rob picked me up. *A HUGH THANK YOU to my sweet friend Mika that stayed with my kids.* We arrived home at three or so.
On Tuesday, it was back to real life. Again, I had left a piece of my heart in Haiti and the spot where it used to be ached. The joy of hugging and loving on Rylan and Kyndal competed with the longing for Jimmy. Our prayer is that our longing will come to an end very soon.
Here are some random pics from the trip. I am missing some because Cindy took those with her camera and I keep forgetting to ask her to send them to me.
We traveled to Cap Haitien via Tortug Air with little fan fare. Micial picked us up from the airport and we went to pick up Jimmy and Rishard. It was of course great to see Jimmy's face and hug his tall lanky body. He has grown a few more inches since the last trip, making him pretty much eye to eye with Mom. We spent some time at CHCH then headed to the preaching school. We spent the afternoon and evening visiting with the boys and playing board games. We were anxious for our day in court planned for Wednesday.
Wednesday morning we prepared to meet Robert, our lawyer, at the justice of the peace at 10 am. We managed to make it on time and contrary to the norm in Haiti so did Robert. We followed Robert into an old building and into a back room. It had three desks and a handful of men inside. We set down and Robert asked for the power of attorney papers our husbands' signed. We provided the documents. A man behind one of the desks took the papers, turned the page in a spiral notebook and made two X's. I was told to sign for Rob and myself. The same procedure followed for Cindy. It was all very official (she says with an enormous amount of sarcasm).
We then headed to the courthouse. We were told the judge was not there yet, and we were to wait. Luckily there was a good amount of shade in the courtyard. We waited alongside many Haitians waiting for their turn. We visited with Robert, stood and visited with each other, sweated, waited, stood and visited with Micial. Made a trip to the bathroom, escorted by the armed guard who waited. Of course there was no toilet paper and no flush. Thank goodness Cindy had some wet wipes. Back downstairs where we waited some more. It was about twelve-ish when we talked to Robert went to a party the night before and got very drunk. 7 of the 8 judges did not show up for court that day and the one who did was sleeping it off upstairs. Robert said he would wait on the 20% chance our judge showed up with the agreement he would call us. Micial had some errands to run so we tagged along. We went to a very nice guesthouse and met some very nice people who asked if we would like to join them at the beach on Friday. Fun!
So, we headed back to the orphanage to pick up the boys. We went back to the CPB and relaxed the rest of the day. In the meantime, Alex, a friend of the boys met up with us at the CPB and stayed the rest of the time with us. This was a much needed distraction or buffer if you will. The boys are a little more relaxed when it is not just us. They do not feel so much pressure.
Jimmy, Funny Rishard, & Alex
On Thursday, we asked the boys to take us around Cap a little and show us some things. Jimmy was hesitant to go if we were taking the big truck. It is very rough to ride in. I told him if he could make other arrangements that would be fine. He asked Job to take us in the little truck so off we go: Job, Cindy and me in the front seat and Jimmy, Rishard, Alex and Jetro (a friend from CHCH) all in the backseat. Did I mention there was no air conditioning. Pretty sure there was some arguing in the backseat about who had to sit in the middle. They took us to the cathedral and the sight of the last battle in the revolution. Then we all went to get drinks. It was a good day. Again, we ended our day at the CPB with a yummy meal and just enjoying being together. We also got to explain to the boys what sunscreen is used for and why us white people need it so badly. Good stuff.
Alex, Jimmy, Jetro, Rishard, Job
Job told us this is "University under the trees".
The boys were desperately trying to hook up the tv to the dvd player. The problem was the tv was too old, but they were convinced they could make it work. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful.
On Friday, all four boys along with Cindy and I headed to the beach with our new friends. We spent the day soaking in the bright sunshine, warm sand and cool water. When I am able to be in a situation like this with Jimmy, I try to take it all in. I also miss the rest of my family and really wish they were with us. I think of how much fun we could be having all together. It is always bittersweet. Along with fun and sun, we enjoyed a delicious meal at the restaurant. We ended our time with the group with the kids playing a little soccer.
The girls were talked about how good the boys were at soccer, but little did they know they were holding back. They would not have risked hurting the girls. Not nearly as physical with them as they are with each other.
Jetro, Rishard, Micial, Jimmy, Alex
I love this picture and all in it.
Cindy's daughter and her friend raised money for another orphanage in town. So, Cindy talked to Fonrose, the preaching school director, about what she needed. He was kind enough to take the money, exchange it, then take us with him to buy food. After our trip to the market, we headed out to Tabitha's new land. A little about Tabitha, she is an amazing lady who had an orphanage in town but IBESR had recently told her she did not have enough room for the kids to play and they were shutting her down. So she moved the kids to a bigger place about five miles out of town. She has since been given land by the government to build on. Not sure how that all will work, but she is optimistic. We look forward to seeing the progress and pray God will continue to bless her efforts. Anyway, she gave us a tour of her land and then we went to her current place. It is always a blessing to love on the kids there. Cindy and I both got to love a little one into a nap. So precious. Makes me long to stay and give them that motherly love they long for. Although, Tabitha does do an awesome job.
After saying our goodbyes, we headed back to CHCH to spend a couple of nights. Our attention is greatly divided when we are at CHCH. There are so many kids to love on and talk to, not to mention the boys are distracted and torn between their friends and their moms. I had not slept well the night before and began to feel it Saturday evening. My emotions were right on the service and spilled over a bit. Thankful for Cindy and her listening ear. She is always an encouragement. After a few tears, I felt better and spent the rest of the evening up in the dorm with Jimmy. We even got to skype with Rob, Rylan and Kyndal. It was a good end to a overall good day.
Sunday was a very hot day. Up until then, we had hot weather, but it was bearable. Sunday was HOT! We spent the rest of the morning into afternoon with the boys in front of our fans. We even took a nap. We went out to eat for supper. Then, we had the unpleasant task of packing up and preparing to leave. There were no tears like most trips.
Monday morning we got up early to catch our 6:50 flight to Port au Prince. We left the boys sleeping after hugs and saying goodbye. It was the easiest exit since we began the process. Our flight was on time and we arrived in PaP at 7:30. Unfortunately, my bad did not make it to PaP until 9:15. We waited for my bag at the little airport then went to the big airport to wait on our flight to Miami. We left on time at 1:15. Upon arriving, we learn that Cindy's flight has been delayed and she will not make her connecting flight to OKC. After much hub bub, we got everything worked out and went to get something to eat. Cindy's flight left at 5:30; my plane was scheduled to leave at nine. After several hours of waiting, I finally left at 9:30. I arrived in Dallas at 11:30. I was beat. Rob picked me up. *A HUGH THANK YOU to my sweet friend Mika that stayed with my kids.* We arrived home at three or so.
On Tuesday, it was back to real life. Again, I had left a piece of my heart in Haiti and the spot where it used to be ached. The joy of hugging and loving on Rylan and Kyndal competed with the longing for Jimmy. Our prayer is that our longing will come to an end very soon.
Here are some random pics from the trip. I am missing some because Cindy took those with her camera and I keep forgetting to ask her to send them to me.
Sleepy girl found her a cozy spot.
Wenchy flying his kite.
Some of the girls at CHCH crochet hats.
Lily pads at the hotel by the beach
Lazy Sunday afternoon
Sassy girl. After I took the pic, she says in very good English "Facebook?"
awwwwww.
Playing church
Sleepy boy
Setting the tv to watch some olympics
Playing spoons or in this case rocks.
Chinalove
Sharing photos on Mom's phone with Frito
My bed at the CPB
A store in town
Monday, July 23, 2012
Blog Post from Port au Prince
I arrived at the DFW airport at 6:30 am yesterday. My flight left on time at 7:35. Cindy's flight from DFW was scheduled to leave at 8:40. What?!? She may not make it to Florida in time to catch our flight to Haiti. What?!? I did not sign up to go on this trip alone! I was a little panicky, but headed off the plane. When I got into the bathroom, it hit me. I was going to have to go to Haiti alone and to my appointment alone. I was tired from my weekend at Advocare Success School, I missed my kids and now I wasn't going to have Cindy with me. So, what did I do? I cried...in the bathroom stall, I cried. Rob called after I texted the news. I cried some more. He said encouraging things and reassured me. I gathered myself together and walked to my gate. Our friend, Dana, texted me and encouraged me with these words, "remember God has already prepared a way for you". I cried again but knew I could do this. I sat and waited. As the time ticked by, I was reassured by the feeling of peace that God gave me. They called those who had no seat number to come to the desk. I overheard the lady at the counter tell another that the plane was still not here and would in all likelihood be late. LATE? Yay! God was working it out. Cindy's flight was delayed but so was our plane to Haiti. At that moment, I knew Dana was right, I was just along for the right. My way was already paved by my Father who loves me and is with me. He is in charge of planes, travel arrangements, and appointments.
Cindy made it to the gate about 10 minutes before we boarded. We arrived in Haiti at 6:25, almost 3 hours late for our schedule, but right on time for the schedule God had arranged. We made it to Noah and Nathan, the representatives from Chances for Children who had been waiting a very long time for us to arrive. We drove to Fermathe to the guesthouse where we are staying. The creche manager, Kelitta, greeted us and prepared dinner. It was very good. After dinner, we sat down and opened our files that we brought with all our paperwork. We went over our checklists and double checked everything. We headed to bed around eleven.
We woke up at six, dressed, ate a yummy breakfast, and headed to our 9:00 appointment at the embassy. We arrived fifteen minutes late which worried Cindy and me. Turned out not to be a concern. We waited outside for the person who lets adoption and visa appointments into the embassy. While we waited, Kelitta translated all the amusing conversations around us. We went into the embassy and waited and waited. We were finally called to the counter. Gave them our paperwork, answered a couple of questions and returned to our seats. We again listened to Kelitta translate the creole around us. We were fascinated by the interview of a married couple trying to get the wife a visa. Long story short, you will be denied a visa if you tell lies to the interviewer when interviewed separately and your stories do not match up. Anyway, we were called up again, answered a few questions and returned to our seats. We again waited and watched as adopting parents were called up. We watched the workers gather the trash and sweep the floors. When we were the only ones in the room, we were called up to the counter to have our interview. Nothing too painful. In the end, we were given a checklist of things they need and a date for Jimmy and a rep from the orphanage to come in and be interviewed. We left about 3:00 pm.
We stopped by the store to buy a treat for the children at the Chance for Children creche and headed toward Kenscoff. We had a minor hiccup in the form of a flight tire which we were able to get changed quickly. We got to the creche just in time for naps. :( We were given a quick tour and headed back to the guesthouse. We took a little rest and are now enjoying a little time online.
Thank you for your prayers. We will fly to Cap Haitien tomorrow to see the boys. Can't wait. Hoping to go to court on Wednesday. It has been a good day. I am looking forward to the rest.
Cindy made it to the gate about 10 minutes before we boarded. We arrived in Haiti at 6:25, almost 3 hours late for our schedule, but right on time for the schedule God had arranged. We made it to Noah and Nathan, the representatives from Chances for Children who had been waiting a very long time for us to arrive. We drove to Fermathe to the guesthouse where we are staying. The creche manager, Kelitta, greeted us and prepared dinner. It was very good. After dinner, we sat down and opened our files that we brought with all our paperwork. We went over our checklists and double checked everything. We headed to bed around eleven.
We woke up at six, dressed, ate a yummy breakfast, and headed to our 9:00 appointment at the embassy. We arrived fifteen minutes late which worried Cindy and me. Turned out not to be a concern. We waited outside for the person who lets adoption and visa appointments into the embassy. While we waited, Kelitta translated all the amusing conversations around us. We went into the embassy and waited and waited. We were finally called to the counter. Gave them our paperwork, answered a couple of questions and returned to our seats. We again listened to Kelitta translate the creole around us. We were fascinated by the interview of a married couple trying to get the wife a visa. Long story short, you will be denied a visa if you tell lies to the interviewer when interviewed separately and your stories do not match up. Anyway, we were called up again, answered a few questions and returned to our seats. We again waited and watched as adopting parents were called up. We watched the workers gather the trash and sweep the floors. When we were the only ones in the room, we were called up to the counter to have our interview. Nothing too painful. In the end, we were given a checklist of things they need and a date for Jimmy and a rep from the orphanage to come in and be interviewed. We left about 3:00 pm.
We stopped by the store to buy a treat for the children at the Chance for Children creche and headed toward Kenscoff. We had a minor hiccup in the form of a flight tire which we were able to get changed quickly. We got to the creche just in time for naps. :( We were given a quick tour and headed back to the guesthouse. We took a little rest and are now enjoying a little time online.
Thank you for your prayers. We will fly to Cap Haitien tomorrow to see the boys. Can't wait. Hoping to go to court on Wednesday. It has been a good day. I am looking forward to the rest.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Paperwork, Packing, Passport Photos, and 1 Pitiful Little Girl
I have been pretty stressed about getting all the PAPERWORK done for my trip. Forms, copies of the forms, blank ones,filled ones, notaries, translations...it all gets to be a little much. I am happy to say that the paperwork is ready to go, I think. I will send it to our agency tomorrow for them to look over, but I am pretty sure what I need I have. I am so relieved and getting excited. But before I can get too excited, I must start PACKING. I really should have this down by now. It is easier than the first time I traveled to Haiti because I know a little more of what to expect. However, there is always an element of the unknown when you go and you want to be prepared. I am sure I will be ready to go, prepared or not.
One of the things we had to get for our I-600 appointment was a PASSPORT PHOTO of Jimmy. Jillian was nice enough to take Jimmy and Rishard downtown to get one taken. We received a scanned copy of the photo tonight. My first reaction..."Where did that young man come from?" Oh my he looks so grown up. I am really loving the jacket the photo place put on him.
Last but not least in this post, 1 PITIFUL little girl. Kyndal is very sad that I am leaving. She and Rylan will be going to my mom's family reunion for the weekend then to their house until next Friday. I was trying to pack her tonight. Every time I asked if she wanted to pack something she would say "I'm not going so I don't have to pack." I said well I am practicing packing. Her response was "ok but it will be your responsibility to put it all up." So, I would say "do you want to pretend pack this?" She would answer yes or no but refused to say she was going anywhere. It makes it very hard to leave when I know she is struggling with me being gone before I even leave. Please pray for my sweet girl and Rylan too. 10 days is a long time for mom to be away, especially when Dad isn't with them for most of that time. Prayers for Rob too since he will be home alone. If you live in Ada, take pity on him and invite him over for a meal. Poor thing will probably starve with no one to cook his meals. :)
One of the things we had to get for our I-600 appointment was a PASSPORT PHOTO of Jimmy. Jillian was nice enough to take Jimmy and Rishard downtown to get one taken. We received a scanned copy of the photo tonight. My first reaction..."Where did that young man come from?" Oh my he looks so grown up. I am really loving the jacket the photo place put on him.
Last but not least in this post, 1 PITIFUL little girl. Kyndal is very sad that I am leaving. She and Rylan will be going to my mom's family reunion for the weekend then to their house until next Friday. I was trying to pack her tonight. Every time I asked if she wanted to pack something she would say "I'm not going so I don't have to pack." I said well I am practicing packing. Her response was "ok but it will be your responsibility to put it all up." So, I would say "do you want to pretend pack this?" She would answer yes or no but refused to say she was going anywhere. It makes it very hard to leave when I know she is struggling with me being gone before I even leave. Please pray for my sweet girl and Rylan too. 10 days is a long time for mom to be away, especially when Dad isn't with them for most of that time. Prayers for Rob too since he will be home alone. If you live in Ada, take pity on him and invite him over for a meal. Poor thing will probably starve with no one to cook his meals. :)
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
It changes from one day to the next.
Since my last post, my trip to Haiti has changed about a million times in a million different ways. Yes, I am exaggerating but it is the way we feel. We, Cindy Hoover and myself, finally have a plan for our trip. We are so excited to go with the expectation that little will go the way we are planning. I was telling a friend today that isn't that one of the lessons we get to learn from this journey. The lesson of letting go of our idea that we have control over something, anything. Cindy and I are letting go and letting ourselves follow God and what he has planned for us on the trip.
We leave on Sunday. She will fly from OKC and I will fly from DFW. We will meet in Florida and fly onto Port au Prince. Our I600 appointments are at 9:00 am on Monday morning at the US Embassy. We will fly to Cap Haitien on Tuesday morning. We were told that our cases will be heard in Cap Haitien instead of PaP. Court is a little more unpredictable than PaP but really everything in this process has been unpredictable. So, nothing new there. We hope to go to court on Wednesday. Notice I said hope. We will more than likely go and sit and sweat and pray our name will be called. If Wednesday doesn't work out, we will try again on Thursday or Friday or both days. We will spend from Tuesday through Monday morning with our boys. Soooooo excited about seeing them. It has been since December that I have been to Haiti. That is too long. We will be staying at the CBT (preaching school) half of the time. It is so nice there and will give us some quiet, private time together.
Prayer Requests:
>Travel to be safe, on schedule and uneventful.
>Our I600 appointment and that all our paperwork is correct and accepted.
>Our court date will happen and be quick and painless.
>Lastly but most important, pray for our time shared with Jimmy and Rishard. We know God will bless our visit but saying goodbye will be the worst. Every time it is harder. Cindy and I would love to hear that we can just take them home, but that would be a miracle. So, if you feel moved, pray for a miracle. We wouldn't complain if God had that in mind. :)
We leave on Sunday. She will fly from OKC and I will fly from DFW. We will meet in Florida and fly onto Port au Prince. Our I600 appointments are at 9:00 am on Monday morning at the US Embassy. We will fly to Cap Haitien on Tuesday morning. We were told that our cases will be heard in Cap Haitien instead of PaP. Court is a little more unpredictable than PaP but really everything in this process has been unpredictable. So, nothing new there. We hope to go to court on Wednesday. Notice I said hope. We will more than likely go and sit and sweat and pray our name will be called. If Wednesday doesn't work out, we will try again on Thursday or Friday or both days. We will spend from Tuesday through Monday morning with our boys. Soooooo excited about seeing them. It has been since December that I have been to Haiti. That is too long. We will be staying at the CBT (preaching school) half of the time. It is so nice there and will give us some quiet, private time together.
Prayer Requests:
>Travel to be safe, on schedule and uneventful.
>Our I600 appointment and that all our paperwork is correct and accepted.
>Our court date will happen and be quick and painless.
>Lastly but most important, pray for our time shared with Jimmy and Rishard. We know God will bless our visit but saying goodbye will be the worst. Every time it is harder. Cindy and I would love to hear that we can just take them home, but that would be a miracle. So, if you feel moved, pray for a miracle. We wouldn't complain if God had that in mind. :)
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Girls Night Out Fundraiser
We are postponing our fundraiser on July 14. Summer is a tough time to catch everyone home at once. There were just not enough "yeses" to have it. Please keep looking for the new date.
I-600 appointment
Call the US Embassy this morning. It has been two weeks since we requested our appointment to file the I-600. Just FYI, the I-600 is the petition to make an orphan your immediate relative. It is on the US side of the adoption. It must be approved before we can bring him home.
Well, I called this morning expecting to place numerous calls throughout the day and hoping to get through. God however knew I needed to get through this morning. The first call placed was successful. I was able to get an appointment for us and the Hoover family. July 25 at 7:00 am. Our agency will now coordinate our court date with our lawyer. Cindy Hoover and I will be traveling to Port au Prince that week. I am excited, scared, nervous, exhilarated, and so many other things.
Prayer requests:
*Travel plans: all our flights, hotel stays, etc will be able to be coordinated easily at a reasonable price
*Appointments: our appointments in Haiti will be easily coordinated and go smoothly
*Finances: we will have enough money to cover the trip and expenses that we will incur.
Well, I called this morning expecting to place numerous calls throughout the day and hoping to get through. God however knew I needed to get through this morning. The first call placed was successful. I was able to get an appointment for us and the Hoover family. July 25 at 7:00 am. Our agency will now coordinate our court date with our lawyer. Cindy Hoover and I will be traveling to Port au Prince that week. I am excited, scared, nervous, exhilarated, and so many other things.
Prayer requests:
*Travel plans: all our flights, hotel stays, etc will be able to be coordinated easily at a reasonable price
*Appointments: our appointments in Haiti will be easily coordinated and go smoothly
*Finances: we will have enough money to cover the trip and expenses that we will incur.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
500 plus
It has been over 500 days since we submitted our first application in the adoption process, and today I am filling out MORE paperwork. When we thought I would be filing our I-600 in December, we filled out the paperwork, got everything notarized, and all ready to go. We were not able to file then, so guess what. We have to redo everything. I am so overwhelmed by the papers and the copies and the notaries. I don't even like my name any more after filing it in and signing it so many times. Please pray I can stay sane through the rest of the process because today I am hanging on my a thread.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
GIRLS NIGHT OUT FUNDRAISER
LET'S PLAY BUNCO!
Come and join us for a fabulous Girls Night of fun, food, and fundraising.
$20 for seat at the bunco table or $75 for a table of four.
*DOOR PRIZES
*RAFFLE
*SILENT AUCTION
To view the evite, click here.
We hope you will come and help us bring our Jimmy home.
We are looking for donated items for our door prizes, raffle, and silent auction. If you would like to donate items or services, please contact me at
580-399-2562 or raschlup2007@msn.com. We appreciate your help.
Moving Right Along...
I suppose all of you have discovered that I do not like to blog when I don't have anything new to tell. I think it is because it puts it in black and white that the process is moving so slowly. That being said, I have a reason to be posting.
We received a phone call from our agency yesterday. Our lawyer picked up our dossier from IBESR. The agency wants us to be prepared to travel to Haiti the week of July 22 to go to court, file our I-600, and one other big step. I would rather not talk about the last step in this post because we haven't discussed it with Jimmy yet.
I know the question that you are thinking is "So what does that mean?" Well, we hope to pass court quickly. After passing court, we will wait on his passport and visa. We are trying not to look passed court and we dare not speculate on a time table. We just continue to pray that God will continue to hold our hand and guide us through the next step. We ask you to pray for safety in our travel and stay in Haiti, that the adoption will fly through court and we can move one step closer to Jimmy being home, and that Jimmy will handle everything in the process without fear or anxiety.
Things are moving forward and we are thankful that we can see progress. Just about the time I begin to feel desperate, God gives me reassurance that He is working and to rely on Him. I am so thankful for that reassurance and the knowledge that God loves me and takes care of me.
We received a phone call from our agency yesterday. Our lawyer picked up our dossier from IBESR. The agency wants us to be prepared to travel to Haiti the week of July 22 to go to court, file our I-600, and one other big step. I would rather not talk about the last step in this post because we haven't discussed it with Jimmy yet.
I know the question that you are thinking is "So what does that mean?" Well, we hope to pass court quickly. After passing court, we will wait on his passport and visa. We are trying not to look passed court and we dare not speculate on a time table. We just continue to pray that God will continue to hold our hand and guide us through the next step. We ask you to pray for safety in our travel and stay in Haiti, that the adoption will fly through court and we can move one step closer to Jimmy being home, and that Jimmy will handle everything in the process without fear or anxiety.
Things are moving forward and we are thankful that we can see progress. Just about the time I begin to feel desperate, God gives me reassurance that He is working and to rely on Him. I am so thankful for that reassurance and the knowledge that God loves me and takes care of me.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Sigh
I have been missing Jimmy so much lately. We have not heard from him in almost two weeks now. We messaged with his friend and asked him why he is not messaging us anymore. He said Jimmy is afraid he will lose his phone. I know you all do not know the situation but I don't think it is necessary to repeat. Basically, we are stuck thousands of miles away from Jimmy. He is acting out at the orphanage and we have no input or control over the situation.
I was going to write "all we can do is rely on God to take care of it"; but just as I was thinking that, I knew that that is all we can ever do about anything. We have no control over anything. Guess who just got another lesson from God about giving it all to Him. This adoption road is lined with lessons from God and growth toward Him.
Anyway, back to Jimmy. I am asking that you pray for Jimmy and the administrators at the orphanage. Pray that God will touch all of them and guide them into a situation of peace and understanding. Please pray for us that my anxiety about the situation can be eased and I can focus on what God wants me doing. Also, continue to pray for the adoption process to be OVER! We want our son home. We want to be dealing with the teenage attitude and drama right here in our home, where we can be guiding him and with God's help sculpting him into the man he is supposed to be, where we can love him through whatever comes. I know the journey is not over once he comes home but we are ready to start that leg of the trip.
I was going to write "all we can do is rely on God to take care of it"; but just as I was thinking that, I knew that that is all we can ever do about anything. We have no control over anything. Guess who just got another lesson from God about giving it all to Him. This adoption road is lined with lessons from God and growth toward Him.
Anyway, back to Jimmy. I am asking that you pray for Jimmy and the administrators at the orphanage. Pray that God will touch all of them and guide them into a situation of peace and understanding. Please pray for us that my anxiety about the situation can be eased and I can focus on what God wants me doing. Also, continue to pray for the adoption process to be OVER! We want our son home. We want to be dealing with the teenage attitude and drama right here in our home, where we can be guiding him and with God's help sculpting him into the man he is supposed to be, where we can love him through whatever comes. I know the journey is not over once he comes home but we are ready to start that leg of the trip.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Must be a really big desk.
We talked to our agency yesterday. Our dossier is still sitting on "the desk" in IBESR along with many others I am sure. We know we have been approved and that we were published in the Monitor. Robert, our lawyer, said that once he is summoned to pick up our dossier it will be about a month before we go to court. Chances 4 Children, our agency, was not so sure about that. We will just pray and wait. We hold no hope in timelines or predictions. Our hope is in God's timing, which as know is PERFECT!
In other news, we ask that you specifically pray for Jimmy. Rob and I had a small disagreement with the administrators at CHCH. Unfortunately, it involved the phone we gave Jimmy for Facebook communication with us. Since then, Jimmy has not had any communication with us. I am guessing he is upset with the whole situation. The more time that goes by without communication, the more we regress in our bonding. There have been times that for one reason or another the lines of communication have been down and our relationship was affected dramatically. It is such a delicate thing. In a perfect scenario, bonding would be one step forward, two steps back. When we are unable to communicate, it is one step forward, ten steps back. I am frustrated, sad, and helpless. We need at least a step forward.
In other news, we ask that you specifically pray for Jimmy. Rob and I had a small disagreement with the administrators at CHCH. Unfortunately, it involved the phone we gave Jimmy for Facebook communication with us. Since then, Jimmy has not had any communication with us. I am guessing he is upset with the whole situation. The more time that goes by without communication, the more we regress in our bonding. There have been times that for one reason or another the lines of communication have been down and our relationship was affected dramatically. It is such a delicate thing. In a perfect scenario, bonding would be one step forward, two steps back. When we are unable to communicate, it is one step forward, ten steps back. I am frustrated, sad, and helpless. We need at least a step forward.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Signed Off
President Martelly signed our dossier! He had actually signed it before my last post. Proof once again that God is in control and His timing is perfect. He has it all in His hands. Why do I keep forgetting that?
The adoption was placed in the Monitor, a Haitian newspaper. The next step is for IBESR to summon our lawyer to pick up our file. We will then make plans to go to Port au Prince for family court and to file our I-600. This is by no means the end of the process, but we are making progress. Basically, here is a run down of steps in the process. Family court, Courts (2nd legalization), Ministry of Interior, Passports, Visa, JIMMY COMES HOME!
Please pray all the steps are done quickly and efficiently so Jimmy can come home.
Rob had a great trip. He said Jimmy talked and talked and talked. We are so happy about that. His English is amazing and improving every day. We know this will help him greatly with his transition.
The adoption was placed in the Monitor, a Haitian newspaper. The next step is for IBESR to summon our lawyer to pick up our file. We will then make plans to go to Port au Prince for family court and to file our I-600. This is by no means the end of the process, but we are making progress. Basically, here is a run down of steps in the process. Family court, Courts (2nd legalization), Ministry of Interior, Passports, Visa, JIMMY COMES HOME!
Please pray all the steps are done quickly and efficiently so Jimmy can come home.
Rob had a great trip. He said Jimmy talked and talked and talked. We are so happy about that. His English is amazing and improving every day. We know this will help him greatly with his transition.
Monday, April 23, 2012
May I have your autograph Mr. President?
We are still waiting on President Martelly to sign the presidential dispensation. We have heard that he signed several last week and our friends, the Pirtles, were among them. However, we still have not heard anything about ours. So, again we wait.
Rob will be traveling to Florida on Thursday and on to Haiti on Friday. He will return on Monday. We are very happy he is able to go and visit as well as help the group that is going. If you know Rob, he is not the "farm boy" type. So, the sheep vaccinating and fence building he will be doing should be interesting. I would love to be there to watch. I am always so proud of the hard work Rob does and all the things he is willing to do while he is Haiti. I love that he is willing to go out of his comfort zone to serve others.
Jimmy is doing well. Skyping has been infrequent so it will be good for him to see one of us. Hopefully Rob will be able to reassure him. Please pray for Rob and the group traveling. Pray for safe travels, good service, and that God's love will be shown to those they come in contact with.
Ok as I was writing this I was also searching Martelly and found out he was taken to Florida last week for a pulmonary embolism. He can't sign dispensations from Florida! Please pray he makes a fast recovery and can get back to Haitian business.
Rob will be traveling to Florida on Thursday and on to Haiti on Friday. He will return on Monday. We are very happy he is able to go and visit as well as help the group that is going. If you know Rob, he is not the "farm boy" type. So, the sheep vaccinating and fence building he will be doing should be interesting. I would love to be there to watch. I am always so proud of the hard work Rob does and all the things he is willing to do while he is Haiti. I love that he is willing to go out of his comfort zone to serve others.
Jimmy is doing well. Skyping has been infrequent so it will be good for him to see one of us. Hopefully Rob will be able to reassure him. Please pray for Rob and the group traveling. Pray for safe travels, good service, and that God's love will be shown to those they come in contact with.
Ok as I was writing this I was also searching Martelly and found out he was taken to Florida last week for a pulmonary embolism. He can't sign dispensations from Florida! Please pray he makes a fast recovery and can get back to Haitian business.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
News Flash
After I posted the last update or lack there of, we received an email from our agency. Our file is progressing. Here is what they told us.
Our Haiti legal teams tells us that your file is at Presidential Dispensation level (which means we are awaiting the final signature so that it can be reported in the Monitor--Haitian paper and then it will officially be signed out of IBESR).
We are thrilled to see that some progress is being made. So updated prayer request: Pray for the president to sign our dossier quickly and for the file to move out of IBESR.
After our dossier leaves IBESR, it will be sent to parquet (court).
Our Haiti legal teams tells us that your file is at Presidential Dispensation level (which means we are awaiting the final signature so that it can be reported in the Monitor--Haitian paper and then it will officially be signed out of IBESR).
We are thrilled to see that some progress is being made. So updated prayer request: Pray for the president to sign our dossier quickly and for the file to move out of IBESR.
After our dossier leaves IBESR, it will be sent to parquet (court).
Friday, March 30, 2012
Giving you all an update today or any day recently is kind of difficult since we have no update. We have gotten no word from Haiti. Our dossier has been in IBESR for six months and three weeks. Jimmy's homecoming seems to be moving further away rather than closer. We are still skyping weekly with him and enjoy seeing his face and hearing about his week. We can tell that his optimism is waining and he doesn't really understand the reason for it taking so long. Trying to explain the delay to a teenage boy waiting to come home when you don't even understand it yourself is not the easiest of tasks.
Please pray for God to move our family closer to being united under the same roof. We were sitting at the table the other day talking. We were discussing some family that we don't see very often. Kyndal said "they are like Jimmy. They are family but we don't really know them." I am so eager for my children to know each other. I look forward to the day when they will play, bicker, and just BE together.
We are in the process of planning a couple of fundraiser events. Recently we were blessed to receive a large donation. We are so deeply touched by the generosity. We are getting so much closer to our goal. Please stay posted for more information soon.
Please pray for God to move our family closer to being united under the same roof. We were sitting at the table the other day talking. We were discussing some family that we don't see very often. Kyndal said "they are like Jimmy. They are family but we don't really know them." I am so eager for my children to know each other. I look forward to the day when they will play, bicker, and just BE together.
We are in the process of planning a couple of fundraiser events. Recently we were blessed to receive a large donation. We are so deeply touched by the generosity. We are getting so much closer to our goal. Please stay posted for more information soon.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Mission Sunday
Today our church had Mission Emphasis Sunday. Along with songs and sermon about missions, we also had scripture readings in several languages. Scripture about spreading the Word were read in Chickasaw, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Haitian Creole. Then the congregation read them together in English. Jimmy agreed to read a scripture and Hunter and Jillian videoed it so we could share it in worship today. Of course, I am partial to the sound of my child's voice, but all of the readings were beautiful. I am struck often by the eloquence of scripture but audibly hearing the words spoken in another language was moving. When Jimmy read, I was moved to tears.
Up until October 2010, my experience with mission work was small. I went on a couple of trips in college; and Rob, Rylan, and I went to Japan in 2002 with Let's Start Talking. However, I don't think my heart had been truly broken for the lost. When we traveled to Haiti, God broke my heart. And I will never be the same. My perspective changed. I think it changed from the perspective of me, my, and mine to God, His and God's. I pray my heart will never heal and I will continue to seek His purpose, spread His word, and show His love to His people.
Here is our sweet boy reading.
And here is a video that says it all perfectly.
Up until October 2010, my experience with mission work was small. I went on a couple of trips in college; and Rob, Rylan, and I went to Japan in 2002 with Let's Start Talking. However, I don't think my heart had been truly broken for the lost. When we traveled to Haiti, God broke my heart. And I will never be the same. My perspective changed. I think it changed from the perspective of me, my, and mine to God, His and God's. I pray my heart will never heal and I will continue to seek His purpose, spread His word, and show His love to His people.
Here is our sweet boy reading.
And here is a video that says it all perfectly.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
The Winner Is....
KIM HILL!
A Great big
THANK YOU
to all of you who bought quilt squares.
We appreciate your generosity and support.
Monday, February 27, 2012
News of the Day
We finally got to skype with Jimmy on Thursday. It was soooooo good to see his face and hear his voice. I knew I missed him but seeing him really made me realize how much. He was in great spirits. He just returned from a church retreat.
There really isn't much news from Haiti. We did learn that adoption laws etc may change but it will unlikely affect us. While that is "good" for us, we ask you to continue to pray for current and future adoptions as well as the Haitian government.
We have received no news on Jimmy's adoption. The IBESR, as far as we know, has not proceeded with our file. We really would like to hear something soon. Please pray progress will be seen sooner rather than later.
We are also closing the quilt fundraiser. You have until midnight Wednesday, February 29 to buy a piece of the puzzle. We will announce the winner on Thursday. Thank you to all who have helped us by purchasing a piece.
There really isn't much news from Haiti. We did learn that adoption laws etc may change but it will unlikely affect us. While that is "good" for us, we ask you to continue to pray for current and future adoptions as well as the Haitian government.
We have received no news on Jimmy's adoption. The IBESR, as far as we know, has not proceeded with our file. We really would like to hear something soon. Please pray progress will be seen sooner rather than later.
We are also closing the quilt fundraiser. You have until midnight Wednesday, February 29 to buy a piece of the puzzle. We will announce the winner on Thursday. Thank you to all who have helped us by purchasing a piece.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
How old is he?
I know there are those who think that we are crazy or somehow ignorant to even contemplate adopting a teenager. I have heard some say things like "you know it will be difficult" or "he is already half grown". There are many more things people have said but I won't bore you with them. Rob and I did not go into Jimmy's adoption thinking everything would be easy. We did not and do not expect us to live happily ever after once he comes home. We expect there to be highs and lows. We expect there to be moments that we will only get through by the grace of God and his guiding hand. We are trying to educate ourselves the best we can on how to lead our family through the transition. I know God brought Jimmy into our lives because it is in His plan. I trust Him to give us the tools and support we need to parent all of our children.
Right now, we are doing our best to parent and help Jimmy through the waiting. Although it is hard to parent from this far away, we are sensing he is growing increasingly anxious to get home. It has been a year since we asked him to be part of our family. Think about when you were fourteen, how long did a year seem to you? Well, imagine having to wait a year to be with the family you have so desperately wanted, then after that year feeling no closer to the end than you did when the process started. Please pray for Jimmy and his waiting and his ability to wrap his mind around this long, drawn out process. Pray for his relationships at the orphanage with his friends and the administrators/teachers. I know he needs your prayers and appreciate your support.
Only ten more days to buy a piece of our puzzle quilt! $25/piece and a chance to win the finished quilt. But most importantly a chance to help our family bring Jimmy home.
Right now, we are doing our best to parent and help Jimmy through the waiting. Although it is hard to parent from this far away, we are sensing he is growing increasingly anxious to get home. It has been a year since we asked him to be part of our family. Think about when you were fourteen, how long did a year seem to you? Well, imagine having to wait a year to be with the family you have so desperately wanted, then after that year feeling no closer to the end than you did when the process started. Please pray for Jimmy and his waiting and his ability to wrap his mind around this long, drawn out process. Pray for his relationships at the orphanage with his friends and the administrators/teachers. I know he needs your prayers and appreciate your support.
Only ten more days to buy a piece of our puzzle quilt! $25/piece and a chance to win the finished quilt. But most importantly a chance to help our family bring Jimmy home.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Quilt Puzzle Fundraiser Coming to an End!
We will be closing the quilt fundraiser at the end of the month. There are only 20 pieces left! Consider purchasing your piece today.
Give Me Your Eyes
The first verse and chorus really hit me and make me think about Haiti. I pray you see through God's eyes today, hear through his ears, and love through his heart.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Serving alongside
Rob returned home late last night (or early this morning however you want to look at it) from Haiti. He had a a great trip with great people. He was there for only four days which made leaving even harder. We just pray we will not have to come back home too many more times without him.
We have been very blessed to be able to tag along with the medical mission teams going to Haiti. A medical team goes every three to four months to conduct medical clinics. They care for the Bethesda Widows Home, the Cap Haitien Children's Home, usually one of the feeding programs, and many rural area churches. I really love heading out into the rural areas around Cap Haitien and meeting all the wonderful people. We get to see beautiful things, ugly things, amazing things, interesting things, gross things, sweet things, but most importantly we get to see God working through all of these things. It is also a blessing to take Jimmy along with us. Jimmy has translated, helped in the "pharmacy", escorted people to the doctors, and even held a flashlight while one of the nurses dug around a foot wound (it was yucky). I just love watching him on these trips. I get to learn who he is by watching him serve.
Please pray for the Haiti Medical Missions. These teams do wonderful work that affect many lives in profound ways.
We have been very blessed to be able to tag along with the medical mission teams going to Haiti. A medical team goes every three to four months to conduct medical clinics. They care for the Bethesda Widows Home, the Cap Haitien Children's Home, usually one of the feeding programs, and many rural area churches. I really love heading out into the rural areas around Cap Haitien and meeting all the wonderful people. We get to see beautiful things, ugly things, amazing things, interesting things, gross things, sweet things, but most importantly we get to see God working through all of these things. It is also a blessing to take Jimmy along with us. Jimmy has translated, helped in the "pharmacy", escorted people to the doctors, and even held a flashlight while one of the nurses dug around a foot wound (it was yucky). I just love watching him on these trips. I get to learn who he is by watching him serve.
Please pray for the Haiti Medical Missions. These teams do wonderful work that affect many lives in profound ways.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Dancing the Night Away
Hunter and Jillian recently returned to Haiti after a trip back to America to visit family and report to supporting churches. They brought back a wii with them for the kids including a dancing game. Jimmy loves any games or competition. So, this was right up his alley. Check out his smile.
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So they say
A Haitian adoption website recently posted an update on the adoption processes in Haiti. The word is that dossiers are beginning to go out of IBESR again. They had pretty much stopped since the government transitioned to a new president. The news is that dossiers should leave IBESR within two months of entering. They are also signing presidential waivers, which we will need because we have two biological children. We hope this is good news and means we will actually see progress soon.
Rylan began writing in a prayer journal. He lets me read it. Every prayer includes "Please let Haiti stamp our papers so Jimmy can come home". Please pray this prayer with us.
Rylan began writing in a prayer journal. He lets me read it. Every prayer includes "Please let Haiti stamp our papers so Jimmy can come home". Please pray this prayer with us.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Rethinking
1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Since my last post, I have been thinking about what I wrote and how I was feeling. God really put it on my heart to reevaluate my outlook. These two verses kept coming to the front of my mind. Was I really behaving in a way that was glorifying God? Maybe. Was I rejoicing and giving thanks? Maybe. Does God want me to maybe do what he wants? No! He wants me to do life and the adoption journey His way. So, I have committed that I am going to rejoice, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, and do all of it for the glory of God. I am still human and will faultier. Even in the times of disappointment and distraction, I know that God's will is better than mine.
For an update:
We continue to pray for our dossier to be approved by IBESR. It has been in the IBESR for 4 months and 8 days. If you remember the timeline says 4-6 months. Please join us in our prayers that God will allow us to move on to parquet.
We are thankful for the internet. I know we all can't imagine what life would be like to be disconnected. It is so great to be able to skype and message through facebook with Jimmy and his friends.
We give God the glory for bringing us to this point. Although we have felt sadness and stress, it has been nothing we can't handle. I know God's hand has been on us throughout. Never in a million years would I have believed ten years ago that we would be on this journey today. I am so amazed and thankful to have a God who loves me enough to push me until I am out of my comfort zone and into his.
We are rejoicing that God is providing another opportunity for Rob to travel to Haiti and serve the people there. He leaves on February 2 and will return on the 6th. He will be blessed to serve alongside good friends and our son. I cannot think of a better way to bond than through service.
We still have 28 quilt blocks to sell in our fundraising quilt. Only $25 dollars per square. Paypal, personal check, or cash. Let's get this quilt finished! We can't do it without you.
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Since my last post, I have been thinking about what I wrote and how I was feeling. God really put it on my heart to reevaluate my outlook. These two verses kept coming to the front of my mind. Was I really behaving in a way that was glorifying God? Maybe. Was I rejoicing and giving thanks? Maybe. Does God want me to maybe do what he wants? No! He wants me to do life and the adoption journey His way. So, I have committed that I am going to rejoice, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, and do all of it for the glory of God. I am still human and will faultier. Even in the times of disappointment and distraction, I know that God's will is better than mine.
For an update:
We continue to pray for our dossier to be approved by IBESR. It has been in the IBESR for 4 months and 8 days. If you remember the timeline says 4-6 months. Please join us in our prayers that God will allow us to move on to parquet.
We are thankful for the internet. I know we all can't imagine what life would be like to be disconnected. It is so great to be able to skype and message through facebook with Jimmy and his friends.
We give God the glory for bringing us to this point. Although we have felt sadness and stress, it has been nothing we can't handle. I know God's hand has been on us throughout. Never in a million years would I have believed ten years ago that we would be on this journey today. I am so amazed and thankful to have a God who loves me enough to push me until I am out of my comfort zone and into his.
We are rejoicing that God is providing another opportunity for Rob to travel to Haiti and serve the people there. He leaves on February 2 and will return on the 6th. He will be blessed to serve alongside good friends and our son. I cannot think of a better way to bond than through service.
We still have 28 quilt blocks to sell in our fundraising quilt. Only $25 dollars per square. Paypal, personal check, or cash. Let's get this quilt finished! We can't do it without you.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
December trip
My friend, Cindy, and I left for Haiti Tuesday, December 6 early morning. We drove to Dallas to catch a plane to Miami. When you fly to Haiti, all the flights leave in the early morning. So, we got to Miami in the afternoon and stayed the night. We got up early the next morning and headed to the airport, full of excitement and nerves. We got to Cap Haitien about 11:00. I am not sure how to explain how it feels to be in Haiti and see Jimmy again. There is usually a period of awkwardness to actually be in each other's company. I am so thankful to have Cindy there. It makes it easier on us and the boys.
It is so hard to find the words to express how the I feel when I get to Haiti. It is a mixture of exhilaration and dread all at the same time. I am thrilled to be there and to hug Jimmy and spend more time bonding with him. I also dread the awkwardness that comes with the getting reacquainted. I dread the idea that always lingers over that the time will go by quickly and we will have to say goodbye once again. The bonding and leaving is like gluing two broken pieces together then dropping it on the floor and they break apart again. Just when being together feels sweet and natural it is time to leave again. I am very ready for the leaving to stop. For the bond to be permanent.
Anyway, here are a few pics from our trip. We had a great time and had lots of fun. The pictures are kind of out of order but you will get the idea.
It is so hard to find the words to express how the I feel when I get to Haiti. It is a mixture of exhilaration and dread all at the same time. I am thrilled to be there and to hug Jimmy and spend more time bonding with him. I also dread the awkwardness that comes with the getting reacquainted. I dread the idea that always lingers over that the time will go by quickly and we will have to say goodbye once again. The bonding and leaving is like gluing two broken pieces together then dropping it on the floor and they break apart again. Just when being together feels sweet and natural it is time to leave again. I am very ready for the leaving to stop. For the bond to be permanent.
Anyway, here are a few pics from our trip. We had a great time and had lots of fun. The pictures are kind of out of order but you will get the idea.
Jimmy and Me on the roof at Children of the Promise
At the beach.
We had a great time going to the beach this time. Richard and Jimmy each brought a friend. We went to the beach at a very nice hotel. We played in the water, ate, and lounged. It was wonderful!
Jimmy and Biverly. I noticed this time how much Jimmy loves the little kids. He is very patient and loving toward them.
More beach pics.
In the toy room at CHCH. This is Chinalove.
This is where we stayed. It is the guest dorm.
Jetro, Me, Jimmy
The boys
Richard, Jimmy, Jetro, Rosemond
We visited the infant care center, Children of the Promise. This was the room where the very sick babies lived. Jimmy was checking this little one up close.
We also went to another orphanage down the road from CHCH. Love this baby. I could kiss these cheeks all day.
Another pic from Tabitha's orphanage. This little boy would laugh so big. When I would put him down, he would immediately want back up. These babies are starved for one on one contact.
At CHCH with Wenchy.
The boys were in school taking exams while we were there. Here they are all dressed up for school. They get up very early. The night before, I had told Jimmy I wanted to take his picture before school. So, he woke me up (at 6:30) so I could take it.
I brought Jimmy Christmas and birthday gifts. I guess US customs needed to take a look at the tshirts and letters from our youth group. They were nice enough to wrap it back up with this pretty green tape. It matched the wrapping paper though.
Guinness book of world records
Puzzle time with some of the other boys.
The little ones were stringing beads.
I can't wait to go back. Rob will go on a medical mission in February. Jimmy is counting the days. I asked him if he liked me coming to the orphanage or going on the trips to the medical clinics when we come. He said medical. So, I am sure he is looking forward to not only seeing Rob but also participating in the medical clinics. He gets the opportunity to use his English while translating and finds all the medical stuff interesting. He takes it all in. Please pray for the whole team going. I know their work will glorify God and help the Haitian people.
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