We've been very blessed with a great visit this time! We knocked out most of the legal stuff we had to get taken care of the first day and have gotten to just spend some good time with Catrina getting to work on bonding since Saturday. It's kind of sad when you think about it...we spent 3 days trying to get out here and it will take us 2 days to get back....we got to vsit with Catrina a total of 4 days. Somehow that math is not my favorite... :-) We are SO looking forward to that day that we get to take her with us, as these goodbyes get harder each time! Praying that day is soon!
Please keep us in your prayers tonight as today is the last time we get to see Catrina before we head back. This afternoon will be our last goodbye for this trip. We also want to convey to her how important it is that she is well-behaved while we aren't here.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 29, 2012
Praising God in all storms!
Hi All,
I'm going to have to keep this short as we have very limited internet access on the island and I don't want to hog all the bandwidth.
We arrived safely on the island (only by God's Hand!) on Friday evening. What a blessing to see the Edmonds and their smiling, familiar faces! Arrving at the Edmonds is always like arriving home. Praise God for this precious mission family always willing to accept us in their home!
Saturday morning, the weather had cleared and we went to the orphanage to meet with Mme. S to chat, get the full story of where we are, and see where we go from here. Much to our surprise, when we arrived at the orphanage, Catrina, her birth mother, and her sister were awaiting us. We were able to sit down with them all and Mt. Ives to discuss our situation. Within an hour, we had worked through our situation and established the following:
-Catrina owed Mme. S an apology, which Mme. S gladly accepted
-Mme. S was happy to take Catrina back at the orphanage, with a transition period of Catrina spending the weekend with us, then returning to the orphanage on Sunday evening
-Catrina's birth family is welcome to visit Catrina, but they are NOT to take Catrina from the orphanage
-Should future incidents occur, the birth family will go straight to Mme. S first
This is really the very best situation we could have hoped for! Apparently while we were waiting out Hurricane Sandy on the mainland, God was also calming this storm in the hearts of each person involved. Now we are back to waiting on the birth father, which the birth family now understands the full importance of.
Prasing God for peace and resolution! (Also praising Him for giving us the words to say as we discussed everything. There is no doubt in my mind that we couldn't have managed any of this without Him.) Praying for Him to burden the birth father's heart to do the things he needs to do for us to move forward.
I'm going to have to keep this short as we have very limited internet access on the island and I don't want to hog all the bandwidth.
We arrived safely on the island (only by God's Hand!) on Friday evening. What a blessing to see the Edmonds and their smiling, familiar faces! Arrving at the Edmonds is always like arriving home. Praise God for this precious mission family always willing to accept us in their home!
Saturday morning, the weather had cleared and we went to the orphanage to meet with Mme. S to chat, get the full story of where we are, and see where we go from here. Much to our surprise, when we arrived at the orphanage, Catrina, her birth mother, and her sister were awaiting us. We were able to sit down with them all and Mt. Ives to discuss our situation. Within an hour, we had worked through our situation and established the following:
-Catrina owed Mme. S an apology, which Mme. S gladly accepted
-Mme. S was happy to take Catrina back at the orphanage, with a transition period of Catrina spending the weekend with us, then returning to the orphanage on Sunday evening
-Catrina's birth family is welcome to visit Catrina, but they are NOT to take Catrina from the orphanage
-Should future incidents occur, the birth family will go straight to Mme. S first
This is really the very best situation we could have hoped for! Apparently while we were waiting out Hurricane Sandy on the mainland, God was also calming this storm in the hearts of each person involved. Now we are back to waiting on the birth father, which the birth family now understands the full importance of.
Prasing God for peace and resolution! (Also praising Him for giving us the words to say as we discussed everything. There is no doubt in my mind that we couldn't have managed any of this without Him.) Praying for Him to burden the birth father's heart to do the things he needs to do for us to move forward.
Friday, October 26, 2012
God`s up to Something
Just a quick update for our prayer warriors:
We made it safely out to the wharf yesterday...several hours later than intended and on our third detour, but we did finally make it. Albeit a bit surprisingly. We are currently staying at the Wesleyan guest house out by the wharf, as the Port Authority has not yet reopened the ports. Ie. no boats are allowed to go out. Yesterday this was COMPLETELY understandable. I can't say I would have wanted to be in a boat with the water as choppy as it was. So far today the ports are still closed, so still a no go unless something major changes in the next hour or so. Unfortunately there is a mission team on La Gonave trying to get back, as their flight leaves from PAP back to the States at 2:00 today. Please do keep them in your prayers too! Currently neither Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) flights nor boats are allowed to go. So basically they are stuck trying to get off the island and we are stuck trying to get on. The good news is, we've had PLENTY of rest. Emotional stress, yes! Physically though, I feel like we've done nothing but eat and sleep! Seriously, what do you do at a Carribbean beach resort in a hurricane? :-D
In other news, a brief update from the meeting with our lawyer. We have to address some issues with Catrina, preferably on this trip (assuming we can get out to the island). First, her mother and sister should have never taken her from the orphanage on La Gonave. Especially since they have no longer have any legal rights to her (those were signed over to us a year ago). Technically we are responsible for the fact that she is no longer where she is supposed to be because we are her legal guardians. Therefore we need to address this with the birth mother and sister to ensure it doesn`t happen again. Then we need to get her into a creche, preferably back in PAP. We have sent some emails and our lawyer is supposed to be checking on a few that she knows of. This is a little difficult for us, as we have no phone to be able to make the necessary phone calls. We were planning to get a phone this trip, but again, due to the rain, all the Digicel stores are closed. So we`re having to beg and borrow until we can get our own. Another issue that just came up is that our lawyer apparently has no way to get in touch with any of Catrina`s birth family. We expected that she would have asked Mme. S for them, especially since she speaks Creole...we don`t. Anyway, while we already knew that things work quite the same way here, we are slowly learning that pretty much anything that needs to be taken care of falls back on us. This is a little frustrating, as had we known this, the issue could have been resolved a year ago. Instead, now we are running around trying to pick up the pieces. Anyway, it is what it is and we will do what we have to do. Just praying for God`s blessings and wisdom as we continue to do so.
So until these issues are resolved, we will continue to be stuck in IBESR (the Haitian Adoption Authority). Praying that we can get out to the island and start working on a resolution to these issues immediately. We would LOVE to have answers to each of these issues before we head back to the States next week. Again, it will take a LOT of work...work we are willing to do, just hoping we can get some clear weather to begin. If any of you recall last October`s La Gonave visit, you`ll recall that we went into it with the same expectations (just a visit), got here to find that we had a LOT of work ahead of us, God provide in some amazing ways and we accomplished much! So far, this trip has started about the same way....now, we are watching for and waiting on God`s amazing provisions! Such is the story of our adoption process so far; God seems to wait until it seems completely impossible to show us how great and powerful He really is! We are faithful and bold in our prayers that He is going to work this out!
One thing that has really been carrying us this week is a song that Eddie only recently discovered and it has been ringing through his mind for the past few weeks. The lyrics for the chorus are:
God’s up to something
God’s up to something good
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
His plan is working
Everything out for my good
All because I love Him
Go here to check out the full lyrics and see a video.
Pleace and love to you all! Thank you for the continued prayers!
We made it safely out to the wharf yesterday...several hours later than intended and on our third detour, but we did finally make it. Albeit a bit surprisingly. We are currently staying at the Wesleyan guest house out by the wharf, as the Port Authority has not yet reopened the ports. Ie. no boats are allowed to go out. Yesterday this was COMPLETELY understandable. I can't say I would have wanted to be in a boat with the water as choppy as it was. So far today the ports are still closed, so still a no go unless something major changes in the next hour or so. Unfortunately there is a mission team on La Gonave trying to get back, as their flight leaves from PAP back to the States at 2:00 today. Please do keep them in your prayers too! Currently neither Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) flights nor boats are allowed to go. So basically they are stuck trying to get off the island and we are stuck trying to get on. The good news is, we've had PLENTY of rest. Emotional stress, yes! Physically though, I feel like we've done nothing but eat and sleep! Seriously, what do you do at a Carribbean beach resort in a hurricane? :-D
In other news, a brief update from the meeting with our lawyer. We have to address some issues with Catrina, preferably on this trip (assuming we can get out to the island). First, her mother and sister should have never taken her from the orphanage on La Gonave. Especially since they have no longer have any legal rights to her (those were signed over to us a year ago). Technically we are responsible for the fact that she is no longer where she is supposed to be because we are her legal guardians. Therefore we need to address this with the birth mother and sister to ensure it doesn`t happen again. Then we need to get her into a creche, preferably back in PAP. We have sent some emails and our lawyer is supposed to be checking on a few that she knows of. This is a little difficult for us, as we have no phone to be able to make the necessary phone calls. We were planning to get a phone this trip, but again, due to the rain, all the Digicel stores are closed. So we`re having to beg and borrow until we can get our own. Another issue that just came up is that our lawyer apparently has no way to get in touch with any of Catrina`s birth family. We expected that she would have asked Mme. S for them, especially since she speaks Creole...we don`t. Anyway, while we already knew that things work quite the same way here, we are slowly learning that pretty much anything that needs to be taken care of falls back on us. This is a little frustrating, as had we known this, the issue could have been resolved a year ago. Instead, now we are running around trying to pick up the pieces. Anyway, it is what it is and we will do what we have to do. Just praying for God`s blessings and wisdom as we continue to do so.
So until these issues are resolved, we will continue to be stuck in IBESR (the Haitian Adoption Authority). Praying that we can get out to the island and start working on a resolution to these issues immediately. We would LOVE to have answers to each of these issues before we head back to the States next week. Again, it will take a LOT of work...work we are willing to do, just hoping we can get some clear weather to begin. If any of you recall last October`s La Gonave visit, you`ll recall that we went into it with the same expectations (just a visit), got here to find that we had a LOT of work ahead of us, God provide in some amazing ways and we accomplished much! So far, this trip has started about the same way....now, we are watching for and waiting on God`s amazing provisions! Such is the story of our adoption process so far; God seems to wait until it seems completely impossible to show us how great and powerful He really is! We are faithful and bold in our prayers that He is going to work this out!
One thing that has really been carrying us this week is a song that Eddie only recently discovered and it has been ringing through his mind for the past few weeks. The lyrics for the chorus are:
God’s up to something
God’s up to something good
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know
His plan is working
Everything out for my good
All because I love Him
Go here to check out the full lyrics and see a video.
Pleace and love to you all! Thank you for the continued prayers!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Praying for guidance and wisdom
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting..." ~James 1:5-6
Praise God for safe travels! We had a fairly uneventful trip into Port-au-Prince today. Tropical Storm Sandy definitely has things a little chaotic around here... SO not what we are used to in North America! Not sure whether we will be able to make it out to La Gonave tomorrow, but we are getting in a taxi at 7:30 am one way or another and heading to the wharf.
Praise God for Carl! Despite the crazy weather, our dear friend Carl took us to meet with our lawyer tonight (as she could not make it to us due to the rain). What a blessing that we got to meet with her! No good news, but at least we now know where we stand and what needs to be done. More details later (when I have an actual keyboard), for now, we are praising God for His Grace and Mercies and praying specifically for:
- Clarity for where to go from here. May God slam shut any doors through which we should not enter and widen those we need to find!
- Catrina's birth father's heart to be burdened to do what he needs to do
- Wisdom (which we have faith we will receive) to know God's Will in each step of this process
- Compassion for everyone involved in this process
- Safety and the ability to travel as necessary. (Jesus is going to calm another storm...how cool!)
Many of you knew I was a little anxious about this trip for some reason...I think it was likely just because I knew we'd be faced with some tough choices while here. Rest assured that anxiety has been relaced with excitement and joy that I get to see in what xool ways God is going to make Himself known over the next week! Praise God for lifting my spirit and keeping my focus on Him!
Praise God for safe travels! We had a fairly uneventful trip into Port-au-Prince today. Tropical Storm Sandy definitely has things a little chaotic around here... SO not what we are used to in North America! Not sure whether we will be able to make it out to La Gonave tomorrow, but we are getting in a taxi at 7:30 am one way or another and heading to the wharf.
Praise God for Carl! Despite the crazy weather, our dear friend Carl took us to meet with our lawyer tonight (as she could not make it to us due to the rain). What a blessing that we got to meet with her! No good news, but at least we now know where we stand and what needs to be done. More details later (when I have an actual keyboard), for now, we are praising God for His Grace and Mercies and praying specifically for:
- Clarity for where to go from here. May God slam shut any doors through which we should not enter and widen those we need to find!
- Catrina's birth father's heart to be burdened to do what he needs to do
- Wisdom (which we have faith we will receive) to know God's Will in each step of this process
- Compassion for everyone involved in this process
- Safety and the ability to travel as necessary. (Jesus is going to calm another storm...how cool!)
Many of you knew I was a little anxious about this trip for some reason...I think it was likely just because I knew we'd be faced with some tough choices while here. Rest assured that anxiety has been relaced with excitement and joy that I get to see in what xool ways God is going to make Himself known over the next week! Praise God for lifting my spirit and keeping my focus on Him!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Catch-up with the Bates
I must admit, I've been putting off posting as things have been just a bit up in the air at the moment. Here are the major updates:
- Eddie and I head to Haiti bright and early Wednesday morning. A trip that we scheduled earlier this month as a replacement for our September trip that fell through.
-Catrina is no longer at Mme. S's orphanage. An odd array of events led to this and we are hoping to work out the details of what this means for our adoption while we are there. The most important thing is that yes, she is safe. She's currently living with her sister again, tough this is only a temporary possibility.
As always, I plan to try to update from Haiti, but one way or another, please do keep Catrina and us in your prayers, especially over the next two weeks. Our specific prayers are for:
-Catrina's safety and health
-God's blessings on this recent development and the entirety of our adoption process (no movement there that we know of...)
-God's perfect Wisdom for any decisions we may face while there.
-God's Peace that transcends all understanding as we move forward and/or wait.
Many thanks to you all for all of the love and support you are so faithful to provide and the ceaseless prayers!
- Eddie and I head to Haiti bright and early Wednesday morning. A trip that we scheduled earlier this month as a replacement for our September trip that fell through.
-Catrina is no longer at Mme. S's orphanage. An odd array of events led to this and we are hoping to work out the details of what this means for our adoption while we are there. The most important thing is that yes, she is safe. She's currently living with her sister again, tough this is only a temporary possibility.
As always, I plan to try to update from Haiti, but one way or another, please do keep Catrina and us in your prayers, especially over the next two weeks. Our specific prayers are for:
-Catrina's safety and health
-God's blessings on this recent development and the entirety of our adoption process (no movement there that we know of...)
-God's perfect Wisdom for any decisions we may face while there.
-God's Peace that transcends all understanding as we move forward and/or wait.
Many thanks to you all for all of the love and support you are so faithful to provide and the ceaseless prayers!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Yard/Bake Sale a success!
To those who came out and helped participate on Saturday, I can't thank you enough! It was a long morning that was CRAZY busy (and most of us hadn't had nearly enough sleep...), but it was SUCH a blessing! We had more stuff than we could possibly sale (thanks so much for all the donations!!!) and the perfect people to get it all set-up and sold! We were seriously selling tons of stuff for about 4 hours before you could even see a dent in it! We were calling it our "Fishes & Loaves" yard sale.
We were so blessed to see our church family and people in the community surround us with love and encouraement! All in all, we had some amazing people pull together this great event, which raised just over $1500 toward our adoption costs! Thank you so much to our Vineyard Community Church family and the sweet Bush family for letting us use their driveway for the morning!
We were so blessed to see our church family and people in the community surround us with love and encouraement! All in all, we had some amazing people pull together this great event, which raised just over $1500 toward our adoption costs! Thank you so much to our Vineyard Community Church family and the sweet Bush family for letting us use their driveway for the morning!
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| Several people generously made donations...even after haggling on prices :) |
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| The driveway was FULL (this in about the 3rd hour of selling). |
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| We even had the front walk covered in yard sale items! |
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| Who can resist yummy baked goods sold by cute kids?! |
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| Yup...still selling...still tons of stuff... :-) AWESOME! |
Friday, September 28, 2012
Yard Sale / Bake Sale Tomorrow!!!
Happy Friday!
Just a quick reminder that we are looking forward to seeing all of you at our Daniel Island Red Balloon Community Yard Sale/Bake Sale Fundraiser tomorrow morning from 7:00 am - noon at 1036 Barfield Street. We've got some great stuff to sell and some great eats too!
Have a great weekend!
Just a quick reminder that we are looking forward to seeing all of you at our Daniel Island Red Balloon Community Yard Sale/Bake Sale Fundraiser tomorrow morning from 7:00 am - noon at 1036 Barfield Street. We've got some great stuff to sell and some great eats too!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, September 24, 2012
Countdown to Yard Sale!
Still praying for news from Haiti...nothing to report yet. In the meantime, we've been busy, busy getting donations gathered and preparations made for our next fundraiser:
THIS Saturday we'll be having a yard sale/bake sale (providing a coffee and baked goods breakfast for all those busy yardsalers) at the Daniel Island Red Balloon Community Yard Sale. We've got some good stuff, so come check it out!
As you can see in the flyer above, it's from 7 am until noon and we will be at 1036 Barfield Street. Ya'll common out and show us some support! :-) Hope to see you Saturday!!!
PS. We are still accepting yard sale item donations, as well as donations of k-cups and baked goods for the breakfast. We can provide a donation receipt upon request and we're happy to come pick up your donations. Just let us know... :-)
As you can see in the flyer above, it's from 7 am until noon and we will be at 1036 Barfield Street. Ya'll common out and show us some support! :-) Hope to see you Saturday!!!
PS. We are still accepting yard sale item donations, as well as donations of k-cups and baked goods for the breakfast. We can provide a donation receipt upon request and we're happy to come pick up your donations. Just let us know... :-)
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Puzzle Update
So as previously promised, here's where we stand with our puzzle:
I particularly love the back view! This was precisely what we were going for! I can't think of a better way to portray how our adoption journey is taking so many different people helping in different ways to make this work. I love the back view so much, I almost want to hang it backwards! :-)
So far we've raised just over $1500 with the puzzle fundraiser. Our goal for this fundraiser was $5000. We still have 333 pieces available for purchase, so ya'll keep spreading the word and keep praying!
Other ways you can help:
- PRAY! We always need tons of prayer. Please pray specifically for Catrina, as I know this waiting game is particularly hard for her.
- Encouragement! I know it seems strange to ask for this, but it is always such a blessing when people post positive comments on here or send us a text or note to say hi and they are praying for us.
- We've had some stuff donated for the yard sale at the end of the month. If you have items to donate, please do call us! We will happily come pick ut up! We're requesting items other than clothes.
- Plan to come to the Daniel Island Community Yard Sale on September 29.
- Purchase an "Adopted" T-shirt to show your love and support, not only to us, but to the entire adoption community.
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| Current Front View of Puzzle |
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| Current Back View of Puzzle |
So far we've raised just over $1500 with the puzzle fundraiser. Our goal for this fundraiser was $5000. We still have 333 pieces available for purchase, so ya'll keep spreading the word and keep praying!
Other ways you can help:
- PRAY! We always need tons of prayer. Please pray specifically for Catrina, as I know this waiting game is particularly hard for her.
- Encouragement! I know it seems strange to ask for this, but it is always such a blessing when people post positive comments on here or send us a text or note to say hi and they are praying for us.
- We've had some stuff donated for the yard sale at the end of the month. If you have items to donate, please do call us! We will happily come pick ut up! We're requesting items other than clothes.
- Plan to come to the Daniel Island Community Yard Sale on September 29.
- Purchase an "Adopted" T-shirt to show your love and support, not only to us, but to the entire adoption community.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
God's Always Provides
Hey there!
Received official confirmation that all is well at the orphanage! Praise God! He also provided just the scriptiure I needed this morning for peace in other areas of our life. God is SO good! :-) Please do continue to keep us in your prayers for peace though...as the silence from Haiti concerning is often deafening!
In other news, our home church (Vineyard) has decided to host a yard sale for us on September 29! This involves YOU in two ways:
1-Do you anything you would like to get rid of? Who doesn't? Just let us know! Eddie and I will be happy to come pick up any contributions to our loot for sale! (Upstate folks, this includes you! We will be up at least one weekend between now and then.)
2-I don't know specifically where just yet, but the plan is to be a part of the Daniel Island Community Yard Sale on September 29. Plan to come out and support us! Just let us know if you'd also like to help out! I'm sure we will take all the help we can get that morning. :-)
Let the gathering begin!
Received official confirmation that all is well at the orphanage! Praise God! He also provided just the scriptiure I needed this morning for peace in other areas of our life. God is SO good! :-) Please do continue to keep us in your prayers for peace though...as the silence from Haiti concerning is often deafening!
In other news, our home church (Vineyard) has decided to host a yard sale for us on September 29! This involves YOU in two ways:
1-Do you anything you would like to get rid of? Who doesn't? Just let us know! Eddie and I will be happy to come pick up any contributions to our loot for sale! (Upstate folks, this includes you! We will be up at least one weekend between now and then.)
2-I don't know specifically where just yet, but the plan is to be a part of the Daniel Island Community Yard Sale on September 29. Plan to come out and support us! Just let us know if you'd also like to help out! I'm sure we will take all the help we can get that morning. :-)
Let the gathering begin!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Praying for Peace!
Wow! Sorry I haven't posted since the beginning of the month! No big news to report yet, but just an update to those of you who have expressed concern about the path of Issac, I haven't heard specifically that Catrina is ok (saddly there isn't really a good way to get in touch with her or anyone from the orphanage), but I have heard that the eye of the storm passed over their town on Saturday morning and other than some missing roofs, everything seemed to have faired surprisingly well! No known casualties on the island. Thank you all so much for your thoughts and prayers and for those of you who reached out to me with your care and concern! This waiting game is SO hard and even harder when things like this happen and you have to await news just to make sure your child is safe! I'll post again when I know more!
All in all, this has been a particularly hard month and I would greatly appreciate prayers for peace while we wait and Godspeed with the processing of our dossier!
All in all, this has been a particularly hard month and I would greatly appreciate prayers for peace while we wait and Godspeed with the processing of our dossier!
Friday, August 3, 2012
"Adopted" in Christ!
Unfortunately no news yet from Haiti. The IBESR was supposed to try to have all dossiers cleared through by August 1, but clearly we aren't the only couple who hasn't heard anything. Still waiting and praying! May it all come to pass in God's timing! Also no news on her birth father, still praying for him to feel peace and freedom and the motivation to want to go to PAP to sign off.
As so many adoptive families often have to do, we've gotten a little creative with our fundraising! If you've been following our blog, you are aware of our "Piecing our Lives Together" puzzle fundraiser. There are still many pieces available to be sponsored, so ya'll just let us know if you want to be the proud supporter of one of our puzzle pieces (and our adoptive journey). I'll be posting an update on that soon so you can see how it's coming along. I am loving how it looks so far!
For our next fundraising option, Eddie and I put our heads and hearts together to design this T-Shirt:
We currently have all sizes from S - 3XL (limited quantities of the largest and smallest sizes, so get them fast!) and only available in black with white writing. We are requesting a $20 donation to our adoption fund per shirt.
For our design, Eddie and I wanted to keep the focus on adoption without being too exclusive. We decided on this design because it unites us all as children of God. We are all so blessed to have the opportunity to be chosen as His children.
One lesson we have truly learned through our adoption journey so far is how similar it is to our own adoption into God's family. Ultimately it's all about focusing on and learning to trust in Him.
If you'd like to purchase a t-shirt to support our adoption journey, please feel free to use whatever means you are comfortable to contact me (comment here, message me on FB, email, phone, snail mail, in person :-). You can pay via Paypal ("Donate" button), check or cash. If you live far away, I'm happy to ship the shirts to you and please consider adding about $2 per shirt for shipping expenses and don't forget to let me know where to ship them. If you live in the upstate or low country, just let me know and we'll get together so I can deliver them.
Thanks again for all of the support and love you all offer us regularly. Please do keep Catrina, us, and everyone involved in each step of the process in your prayers. May God continue to work miracle after miracle before our very eyes!
As so many adoptive families often have to do, we've gotten a little creative with our fundraising! If you've been following our blog, you are aware of our "Piecing our Lives Together" puzzle fundraiser. There are still many pieces available to be sponsored, so ya'll just let us know if you want to be the proud supporter of one of our puzzle pieces (and our adoptive journey). I'll be posting an update on that soon so you can see how it's coming along. I am loving how it looks so far!
For our next fundraising option, Eddie and I put our heads and hearts together to design this T-Shirt:
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| Front View |
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| Back View |
We currently have all sizes from S - 3XL (limited quantities of the largest and smallest sizes, so get them fast!) and only available in black with white writing. We are requesting a $20 donation to our adoption fund per shirt.
For our design, Eddie and I wanted to keep the focus on adoption without being too exclusive. We decided on this design because it unites us all as children of God. We are all so blessed to have the opportunity to be chosen as His children.
One lesson we have truly learned through our adoption journey so far is how similar it is to our own adoption into God's family. Ultimately it's all about focusing on and learning to trust in Him.
If you'd like to purchase a t-shirt to support our adoption journey, please feel free to use whatever means you are comfortable to contact me (comment here, message me on FB, email, phone, snail mail, in person :-). You can pay via Paypal ("Donate" button), check or cash. If you live far away, I'm happy to ship the shirts to you and please consider adding about $2 per shirt for shipping expenses and don't forget to let me know where to ship them. If you live in the upstate or low country, just let me know and we'll get together so I can deliver them.
Thanks again for all of the support and love you all offer us regularly. Please do keep Catrina, us, and everyone involved in each step of the process in your prayers. May God continue to work miracle after miracle before our very eyes!
Monday, July 16, 2012
"Bring Catrina Home" Benefit
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Despite the fact that the timing was rather close to the fourth of July, we had a pretty great turn out of about 65+ friends and family members. There was plenty of yummy food to go around, including pulled pork, hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, broccoli salad, cole slaw, etc... It was all incredible, but I have to admit that the desserts took the cake! HA! (That was for Eddie... :-)
We all had a great time dining and socializing to the sweet piano sounds of John Flanagan on piano (Thanks John!), a beautiful duo of duets by John and Rudge, and wrapped up with some fun tunes by the Rowdy Mountain Boys (thanks ya'll!).
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| John Flanagan on piano |
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| John and Rudge playing Ave Maria |
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| Rowdy Mountain Boys livening up the place! |
Between the t-shirt sales (more to come on that), puzzle piece sponsorships, silent auction purchaes, general donations, and the VBS children's offering, we raised just over $2100! WAHOO! This is definitely a great help! Thanks so much to Mama, Tiff, Rudge, and Pickens View Wesleyan Church for hosting this great event and thanks to everyone who took the time to come out and celebrate with us!
Thanks for all your prayers and please do keep em coming!
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| Puzzle Piece Sponsorhip Table |
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Haitian Adoption News & Father's Day
Since we took our dossier to Haiti, I haven't been nearly as good about keeping up with Haitian news as I should be! Last week Haiti announced that the Haitian Parliament approved the Decree for ratification of the Hague Convention. This Decree still needs to be deposited in the Netherlands for it to take effect, and even after it's deposited, it is another 3 months before that happens. This decree affects ALL International adoptions. However, we just don't really know how just yet. Hopefully it's all good changes, but one never knows. Please be in prayer that this IS a positive change, that we get through IBESR quickly and with all the proper dispensations, and that Catrina's birth father will make the trek to PAP.
So I should have mentioned Father's Day in my last post, but I think it was pretty hard for Eddie. Don't get me wrong, he had a great day (as great a day as I could give him), but he seemed about as happy as I would have been "celebrating" Mother's Day here. It was just extra clear that day that someone was missing. He's strong and he will be fine, but please do say an extra little prayer for him for peace if you think about it.
So I should have mentioned Father's Day in my last post, but I think it was pretty hard for Eddie. Don't get me wrong, he had a great day (as great a day as I could give him), but he seemed about as happy as I would have been "celebrating" Mother's Day here. It was just extra clear that day that someone was missing. He's strong and he will be fine, but please do say an extra little prayer for him for peace if you think about it.
Monday, June 18, 2012
"Bring Catrina Home" Benefit - JUNE 30
Just before I left for Haiti in May, my Mom and my sister informed us that they were in the process of planning a benefit to help us raise money for our adoption! How incredibly thoughtful! When going through the many steps of this adoption, it is such a blessing to know we have the support and prayers of loved ones!
For all of you in the upstate, please do come out! It's a fundraiser, but also a celebration! There will be plenty of food and live entertainment. Last I heard there are two music sets: an amazing concert pianist (I'm not at all partial...thank you John!!!) and a bluegrass band (I don't know any of these guys yet, but many thanks to them as well!).
It's scheduled for Saturday, June 30 at 6:00 pm at Pickens View Wesleyan Church in Pickens, SC. Tickets are by donation and will be available at the door. We'll also be having a silent auction to sell some pieces of original Haitian artwork and we'll be selling t-shirts that Eddie and I designed. We'll also have the puzzle there (we still have many pieces available for sponsorship) so you can see the progress we've made on that and sponsor pieces if you wish. There are lots of ways to contribute (and all donations made at the benefit will be tax deductible...thank you Pickens View Wesleyan Church!), but most important we are going to have so much fun celebrating this exciting time in our lives and the sweet girl God is bringing to our family!
No news on the actual process. We've officially be in IBESR 6 weeks now, but no news yet. This isn't really uncommon...the IBESR is like a giant black box...you put your dossier in and just wait and pray until it comes back out. We are also still praying that God will change Catrina's birth father's heart and that he will willfully go to PAP to sign off on our adoption. Please continue to pray with us and if you can make it out to the benefit, we certainly look forward to seeing you there!
Many thanks & much love!
For all of you in the upstate, please do come out! It's a fundraiser, but also a celebration! There will be plenty of food and live entertainment. Last I heard there are two music sets: an amazing concert pianist (I'm not at all partial...thank you John!!!) and a bluegrass band (I don't know any of these guys yet, but many thanks to them as well!).
It's scheduled for Saturday, June 30 at 6:00 pm at Pickens View Wesleyan Church in Pickens, SC. Tickets are by donation and will be available at the door. We'll also be having a silent auction to sell some pieces of original Haitian artwork and we'll be selling t-shirts that Eddie and I designed. We'll also have the puzzle there (we still have many pieces available for sponsorship) so you can see the progress we've made on that and sponsor pieces if you wish. There are lots of ways to contribute (and all donations made at the benefit will be tax deductible...thank you Pickens View Wesleyan Church!), but most important we are going to have so much fun celebrating this exciting time in our lives and the sweet girl God is bringing to our family!
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| Flyer for Adoption Benefit |
Many thanks & much love!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Update on Catrina's Room
So sorry I haven't had the chance to post lately! We've both been working like crazy people!
No news from Haiti concerning the IBESR or Catrina's birth father, so please continue praying! No doubt God already has this worked out and will bring it to fruition in his time.
While we wait...Eddie and I got a good bit of progress made in Catrina's room over the past few weeks, so thought you all might enjoy seeing some photos:
Still a work in progress no doubt, but it's definitely coming along! We're ready for our girl whenever God's ready to bring her! :-)
No news from Haiti concerning the IBESR or Catrina's birth father, so please continue praying! No doubt God already has this worked out and will bring it to fruition in his time.
While we wait...Eddie and I got a good bit of progress made in Catrina's room over the past few weeks, so thought you all might enjoy seeing some photos:
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| Chalkboard Butterfly on the door :-) |
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| Bed in the corner by the window |
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| Stacked hatboxes for storage |
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| Those paintings are from Haiti |
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| I love those monkeys!!! :-) |
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| Does the whiteboard/photo holder look familiar? |
Still a work in progress no doubt, but it's definitely coming along! We're ready for our girl whenever God's ready to bring her! :-)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Piecing our lives together!
I love puzzles! Catrina loves puzzles! Eddie...tolerates puzzles. :-) One night while working on a puzzle at the kitchen table (coincidentally just after shopping for a new puzzle to send Catrina), Eddie made the comment that our adoption process is not unlike doing a puzzle. With each crazy doctor's visit or odd test, with the display of one more private aspect of our lives, we find that it's all slowly piecing our family together. In this light, we decided to do a somewhat unique fundraiser so each of you can take a part in helping us piece together our future.
We have a 500 piece puzzle (the one displayed below) and we are asking that you consider funding a piece, or a small section of the puzzle with a donation of any amount. When you sponsor a piece or pieces, we will write your name on the back and add it to the puzzle. Once its done, we will frame it with glass on both sides and hang it in Catrina's room. With this, she will have a visual reminder of how many different people love her and helped get her home. She will have a better understanding of what is means to be a family.
I also plan to post photos of our progress with the puzzle so you can see how it's coming along.
We chose the butterfly theme because butterflies are the symbol for hope and new life! As a beautiful reminder of His hope and the new life He offers, God sends a ton of butterflies to La Gonave, Haiti each spring.
Recommended donation is $10 per peice, but any and all contributions will be accepted and appreciated!
You may sponsor a piece or pieces using PayPal (the Donate Button on the right), or to pay with cash or a check, simply post a comment below (I will moderate it before it gets posted and remove it if necessary so as NOT to display your personal information) so I can get you our address to you.
Don't forget to let me know the name(s) you would like to appear on the back of your piece(s).
Thanks in advance and thank you for your continued prayers! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful network of loving friends and family! May God bless you all as much as you have blessed us!!!
We have a 500 piece puzzle (the one displayed below) and we are asking that you consider funding a piece, or a small section of the puzzle with a donation of any amount. When you sponsor a piece or pieces, we will write your name on the back and add it to the puzzle. Once its done, we will frame it with glass on both sides and hang it in Catrina's room. With this, she will have a visual reminder of how many different people love her and helped get her home. She will have a better understanding of what is means to be a family.
I also plan to post photos of our progress with the puzzle so you can see how it's coming along.
We chose the butterfly theme because butterflies are the symbol for hope and new life! As a beautiful reminder of His hope and the new life He offers, God sends a ton of butterflies to La Gonave, Haiti each spring.
Recommended donation is $10 per peice, but any and all contributions will be accepted and appreciated!
You may sponsor a piece or pieces using PayPal (the Donate Button on the right), or to pay with cash or a check, simply post a comment below (I will moderate it before it gets posted and remove it if necessary so as NOT to display your personal information) so I can get you our address to you.
Don't forget to let me know the name(s) you would like to appear on the back of your piece(s).
Thanks in advance and thank you for your continued prayers! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful network of loving friends and family! May God bless you all as much as you have blessed us!!!
Monday, May 21, 2012
My first official Mother's Day!
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| Please ignore the goofy Lisa in the back ground...she's a chronic photo-bomber. :-) |
Final Update from my May Visit to Haiti
All appologies for the delay in posting an update! I've been quite busy trying to get back into the swing of things back in the states. Yes, I'm back home and of course I miss both Haiti and our sweet girl!
My last post was Thursday of the week I was in Haiti, so I'll go from there. On Friday, I did actually get to meet with Mme. Soliette, but Francesca was sick and couldn't make it. Since we didn't really have any "business" to discuss, I checked in to make sure Catrina's attitude and school work have been much better these days (both affirmative), then just spent some more time getting to know the woman currently raising my daughter. I must admit, she couldn't be in better hands! Mme. Soliette has an amazing testimony and her love for the Lord is the most evident aspect of her personality. Her birthday was this past Thursday and her celebratory plans were to take a meal to the homless shelter (more similar to our Hospice) and spend some time with them! What a blessing! As always, the orphanage has financial concerns and issues with some of the kids, but she simply trusts that God will provide...as He always has! Please continue to keep Mme. Soliette, the kids, and the staff in your prayers!
After our meeting, I headed back to the Wesleyan Compound, where Catrina and many of the other children were playing with the team I had followed over to the island this week. After some good playtime and a snack, the other children headed back up to the orphanage while Catrina and I got to spend a few more hours together before dinner time. We swang (Nou renmen balanse!), Catrina rode bikes with the other kids on the compound, we climbed trees, etc.
In my visit with Mme. Soliette, I also had the opportunity to ask how I could be a blessing to the orphanage and her work there. She apparently had some sort of inspection coming up and needed help getting the building painted, so a few members of the ALIVE team and I headed up Saturday morning and spent a few hours putting a fresh coat on the downstairs of the orphanage. This level was likely the worst, as it is bedrooms at night and classrooms during the day. I must admit this was the first time I have ever painted in which I have been assisted by little boys with no pants! :-) In fact, we had to ask some of them NOT to help because they were getting too far ahead of us. All in all, we managed to get the bottom floor about 70% complete, which I'm sure was a huge blessing to Mme. Soliette!
After lunch on Saturday, we had the younger kids (and Catrina) down from the orphanage to play and had tons of fun again. Once again, Catrina got to hang out afterwards, but this time she got to stay the night! We had so much fun! We watched movies (both in English and oddly she was more interested than I was...lol!), made birthday cards for Eddie, jumped rope, etc. Catrina fell asleep on the couch not too long after dark, which means we were definitely up well in time for Haitian church, then English church on Mother's Day Sunday. Later in the day, Heidi explained to Catrina what Mother's Day was, at which point, Catrina decided to give me a magnet she had painted for Mother's Day and send one to Eddie for his birthday. Gotta love the generosity! :-)
All in all, I had a wonderful Mother's Day and I was SO sad to see it rush by, as this was my last day with Catrina before we had to head back to the states. I spent pretty much all of Monday and Tuesday traveling to get back home, just in time for Eddie's birthday on Wednesday. :-) What a whirlwind it was, but worth every bit of it!
As far as our adoption goes, now we wait... Please pray for peace, please be in prayer with us that God will move mountains and move our application through the IBESR quickly and with few (or NO!) hiccups. Please also be in prayer that God will work in the heart of Catrina's birth father and all other individuals necessary to make this adoption happen.
My last post was Thursday of the week I was in Haiti, so I'll go from there. On Friday, I did actually get to meet with Mme. Soliette, but Francesca was sick and couldn't make it. Since we didn't really have any "business" to discuss, I checked in to make sure Catrina's attitude and school work have been much better these days (both affirmative), then just spent some more time getting to know the woman currently raising my daughter. I must admit, she couldn't be in better hands! Mme. Soliette has an amazing testimony and her love for the Lord is the most evident aspect of her personality. Her birthday was this past Thursday and her celebratory plans were to take a meal to the homless shelter (more similar to our Hospice) and spend some time with them! What a blessing! As always, the orphanage has financial concerns and issues with some of the kids, but she simply trusts that God will provide...as He always has! Please continue to keep Mme. Soliette, the kids, and the staff in your prayers!
After our meeting, I headed back to the Wesleyan Compound, where Catrina and many of the other children were playing with the team I had followed over to the island this week. After some good playtime and a snack, the other children headed back up to the orphanage while Catrina and I got to spend a few more hours together before dinner time. We swang (Nou renmen balanse!), Catrina rode bikes with the other kids on the compound, we climbed trees, etc.
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| The girls taking a much-needed break :-) |
It was very low-key, but also lots of fun! Mme. Soliette didn't want Catrina to stay the night on Friday night, as she had homework to do and chores to do on Saturday morning, so just after dinner, we got Greg to take us back up to the orphanage to drop her off for the night.
In my visit with Mme. Soliette, I also had the opportunity to ask how I could be a blessing to the orphanage and her work there. She apparently had some sort of inspection coming up and needed help getting the building painted, so a few members of the ALIVE team and I headed up Saturday morning and spent a few hours putting a fresh coat on the downstairs of the orphanage. This level was likely the worst, as it is bedrooms at night and classrooms during the day. I must admit this was the first time I have ever painted in which I have been assisted by little boys with no pants! :-) In fact, we had to ask some of them NOT to help because they were getting too far ahead of us. All in all, we managed to get the bottom floor about 70% complete, which I'm sure was a huge blessing to Mme. Soliette!
After lunch on Saturday, we had the younger kids (and Catrina) down from the orphanage to play and had tons of fun again. Once again, Catrina got to hang out afterwards, but this time she got to stay the night! We had so much fun! We watched movies (both in English and oddly she was more interested than I was...lol!), made birthday cards for Eddie, jumped rope, etc. Catrina fell asleep on the couch not too long after dark, which means we were definitely up well in time for Haitian church, then English church on Mother's Day Sunday. Later in the day, Heidi explained to Catrina what Mother's Day was, at which point, Catrina decided to give me a magnet she had painted for Mother's Day and send one to Eddie for his birthday. Gotta love the generosity! :-)
All in all, I had a wonderful Mother's Day and I was SO sad to see it rush by, as this was my last day with Catrina before we had to head back to the states. I spent pretty much all of Monday and Tuesday traveling to get back home, just in time for Eddie's birthday on Wednesday. :-) What a whirlwind it was, but worth every bit of it!
As far as our adoption goes, now we wait... Please pray for peace, please be in prayer with us that God will move mountains and move our application through the IBESR quickly and with few (or NO!) hiccups. Please also be in prayer that God will work in the heart of Catrina's birth father and all other individuals necessary to make this adoption happen.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Hello again from Anse-a-galets, Haiti!
We arrived on the island of La Gonave yesterday and I FINALLY got to go up to the orphanage for about a half hour to see my sweet girl! She totally wasn't expecting us, so she didn't see me coming and didn't come out to meet me, but was certainly happy to see me when she did! She threw her arms around me from behind and wouldn't let go for several minutes! Wow! What a blessing! Her first question to me was "When do you have to go back?" and her second was "Do I get to go with you?" ...saddly I had to tell her no, but at least she's excited about the adoption! :-)
Today, I got to pick Catrina up just after lunch and keep her until after dinner. Today her surprising question was "Why can't I stay the night with you?" I told her that it's because she has school tomorrow, to which her response was effectively "Well, I don't have school Saturday or Sunday." :-) I said we'd have to ask Mme. S's permission, but I don't see why not! Who knows, I might have some fun sleep-over photos to share soon! Eddie, Catrina specifically said she misses you and loves you!
I am supposed to be meeting with Mme. S and Catrina's older sister tomorrow at 2 pm, because apparently we aren't actually Catrina's legal guardians in Haiti until Catrina's bological father signs the decree. We paid for him to go into PAP last October, but he kept making excuses and then apparently got really sick. Now he is just simply refusing to go. Not so much because he doesn't want us to adopt her, but really just because he doesn't want to bother going into PAP to sign it. Please pray that God will change his heart and he will go into PAP (and that he will find the money to do so since we can't really give it to him again or it could be held against us...) Please also pray that our meeting goes well tomorrow.
One additional, somewhat unrelated, prayer request is for the sweet, sweet missionary family who are so kind to host me on La Gonave. They have a LOT going on out here at the island lately and could always use some extra prayers.
Much love to you all!
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| Our first day back together... |
I am supposed to be meeting with Mme. S and Catrina's older sister tomorrow at 2 pm, because apparently we aren't actually Catrina's legal guardians in Haiti until Catrina's bological father signs the decree. We paid for him to go into PAP last October, but he kept making excuses and then apparently got really sick. Now he is just simply refusing to go. Not so much because he doesn't want us to adopt her, but really just because he doesn't want to bother going into PAP to sign it. Please pray that God will change his heart and he will go into PAP (and that he will find the money to do so since we can't really give it to him again or it could be held against us...) Please also pray that our meeting goes well tomorrow.
One additional, somewhat unrelated, prayer request is for the sweet, sweet missionary family who are so kind to host me on La Gonave. They have a LOT going on out here at the island lately and could always use some extra prayers.
Much love to you all!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Hello from Haiti!
So sorry you've all been anxiously waiting! I was SO busy last week I didn't even get a chance to post. I'm sure at some point, I will regale/bore you with all the details, but what it comes down to is that God is good and arrived in Haiti yesterday with a signed dossier! :-) PRAISE GOD!!
As of now, I believe our lawyer got out dossier (formal adoption application) submitted to the IBESR (Haitian Social Services) yesterday, albeit not without some hurdles to overcome. Then I got the first full nights sleep that I've gotten in over a week! A proud 7 1/2 hours! Loved it! I also had the wonderful opportunity to spend some great time with some dear friends in PAP. What a blessing it was to chat and hang out with wonderful people who are of a similar mind and heart.
I am currently at the beautiful home of another missionary couple who live right on the Carribbean with a mission team (literally, I just went snorkeling in their back yard! How cool is that?!). Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head to La Gonave, where I am hoping at some point tomorrow to get to go see our sweet girl!
Thank you SO much for all your prayers and love and support so far! Next, please be in prayer that the IBESR will quickly and properly process our dossier. We need a presidential dispensation (Pres. Martelly has to review our file and sign off on it) and there is also the typical wait time. We're praying boldly that God will continue to bless and move so we can get this sweet girl home as quickly as possible!
Thanks again and love to you all!
As of now, I believe our lawyer got out dossier (formal adoption application) submitted to the IBESR (Haitian Social Services) yesterday, albeit not without some hurdles to overcome. Then I got the first full nights sleep that I've gotten in over a week! A proud 7 1/2 hours! Loved it! I also had the wonderful opportunity to spend some great time with some dear friends in PAP. What a blessing it was to chat and hang out with wonderful people who are of a similar mind and heart.
I am currently at the beautiful home of another missionary couple who live right on the Carribbean with a mission team (literally, I just went snorkeling in their back yard! How cool is that?!). Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head to La Gonave, where I am hoping at some point tomorrow to get to go see our sweet girl!
Thank you SO much for all your prayers and love and support so far! Next, please be in prayer that the IBESR will quickly and properly process our dossier. We need a presidential dispensation (Pres. Martelly has to review our file and sign off on it) and there is also the typical wait time. We're praying boldly that God will continue to bless and move so we can get this sweet girl home as quickly as possible!
Thanks again and love to you all!
Friday, May 4, 2012
"...IMPOSSIBLE things are happening every day!"
In the midst of our chaos last weekend, we were blessed with the opportunity to go see a production of Cinderella that was the work of my high school alma matter, with an orchestra conducted by my brother-in-law. They did a fabulous job (made me wish we'd have done musicals when I was in school there...) and thanks to them, I've had the song the Godmother and Cinderella sing stuck in my head all week. I'm sure that was no coincidence!
Monday and Tuesday we spent going back and forth with our translator, trying to get him to supply everything we need for the Haitian Consulate and he pretty much refused. On Tuesday night, we went to dinner with some dear friends from our new church but our hearts were heavy. The wife of this couple asked me what's going on with our adoption, so I started filling her in on the issues we've been having with the translator and that we're likely going to have to find a new one, but finding a new translator who would comply with these requests was proving to be quite difficult. Out of no where her response is "Let me call my Dad." ???!?!?!?! Huh? Turns out her father is a certified French translator. That was a little TOO much of a coincidence for me...I see it for what it really is...a miracle!
So, Wednesday I gathered all our paperwork from all over the place and do my best to piece it together for him and send it to him late in the afternoon. Just after sending it, I also got an email from our lawyer via our friend who is a misisonary in Hait (God bless her! She spent 2 1/2 hours working through all of this with our lawyer) basically saying that...oh, by the way IBESR will be accepting applications through May 7 before they shut down until June. May 7th...that is Monday and the day I get to Haiti!!! Her plan is to meet me at the airport, grab our dossier, then run to the IBESR and get it submitted. Then we will meet later to discus the details. Miracle #2.
First thing Thursday morning, I got a call from the translator (who had just looked over our documents) who just wanted to inform me that what we were asking of him was nothing short of impossible. Basically for him to complete all this and get it in the mail to us in time for us to take it to Atlanta will require a third miracle. We've been working closely with him and his wife over the past 26+ hours to get this ready. One minute we think there is no way it's going to happen, then the next there is a glimmer of hope. The emotional aspect of this feels oddly similar to spiritual warfare... We're praying for Miracle #3. Fed-ex is scheduled to pick up our packet today at noon in Tulsa, OK (1:00 pm our time). Please be in prayer with us that this mircale will happen! I know God is able!
Please also be in prayer that the Haitian Consulate (we have another appointment at 9:00 tomorrow morning) will sign off on our dossier and that the IBESR will accept it on Monday. Also in the midst of all of this, I found myself at the doctor's office Wednesday night with an ear infection and a sinus infection. If you don't mind, I would appreciate your prayers for that too and for safe travels this weekend and to/from Haiti over the next week and a half.
Peace and love to you all!
Monday and Tuesday we spent going back and forth with our translator, trying to get him to supply everything we need for the Haitian Consulate and he pretty much refused. On Tuesday night, we went to dinner with some dear friends from our new church but our hearts were heavy. The wife of this couple asked me what's going on with our adoption, so I started filling her in on the issues we've been having with the translator and that we're likely going to have to find a new one, but finding a new translator who would comply with these requests was proving to be quite difficult. Out of no where her response is "Let me call my Dad." ???!?!?!?! Huh? Turns out her father is a certified French translator. That was a little TOO much of a coincidence for me...I see it for what it really is...a miracle!
So, Wednesday I gathered all our paperwork from all over the place and do my best to piece it together for him and send it to him late in the afternoon. Just after sending it, I also got an email from our lawyer via our friend who is a misisonary in Hait (God bless her! She spent 2 1/2 hours working through all of this with our lawyer) basically saying that...oh, by the way IBESR will be accepting applications through May 7 before they shut down until June. May 7th...that is Monday and the day I get to Haiti!!! Her plan is to meet me at the airport, grab our dossier, then run to the IBESR and get it submitted. Then we will meet later to discus the details. Miracle #2.
First thing Thursday morning, I got a call from the translator (who had just looked over our documents) who just wanted to inform me that what we were asking of him was nothing short of impossible. Basically for him to complete all this and get it in the mail to us in time for us to take it to Atlanta will require a third miracle. We've been working closely with him and his wife over the past 26+ hours to get this ready. One minute we think there is no way it's going to happen, then the next there is a glimmer of hope. The emotional aspect of this feels oddly similar to spiritual warfare... We're praying for Miracle #3. Fed-ex is scheduled to pick up our packet today at noon in Tulsa, OK (1:00 pm our time). Please be in prayer with us that this mircale will happen! I know God is able!
Please also be in prayer that the Haitian Consulate (we have another appointment at 9:00 tomorrow morning) will sign off on our dossier and that the IBESR will accept it on Monday. Also in the midst of all of this, I found myself at the doctor's office Wednesday night with an ear infection and a sinus infection. If you don't mind, I would appreciate your prayers for that too and for safe travels this weekend and to/from Haiti over the next week and a half.
Peace and love to you all!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." ~Romans 8:28
I'm not really even sure what to say right now, but I know so many of you are curious, so I'll give you the facts and elaborate later.
-Got the doctor's note on Wednesday
-Got our translated packet from the translator; found that he had used the same notary (whose commission expires July 2012...this will likely not be valid when the IBESR reviews our dossier, so it would be sent back), so the notarized summary page had to be redone
-Received updated translation summary on Thursday, only to find that the new notary expires in October 2012, so this is still not a good idea...going with it for now, for lack of a better option
-Drove packet to Columbia to have the Secretary of State validate the 4 major components
-Drove packet to Atlanta to have the Haitian Consulate authenticate the 4 major components
-Standstill!
While at the Haitian Consulate, we were told that no only did we need the 4 major components of our dossier authenticated, but that they needed to authenticate EVERY document that was translated into French. We scrambled around trying to get all of this together (which by some miraculous turn of events, we managed to do...although we hadn't expected to need it all). Then while going through the paperwork with the Haitian Consulate, we found that:
1 - Apparently the French copy all of the our translated documents must be notarized. We are currently trying to figure out if this is even possible, as our translator says it is not...
2 - We need to have EVERY document translated (and therefore notarized...AND legalized); including our tax records and bank statements...
3 - In addition to my letter from my doctor, I also need to have a new physician form completed, and translated, and notarized, and legalized...
4 - We need to get a new copy of Eddie's SLED report since we only have a copy because the original had to be sent to the US. So, again, new copy, then translated, then notarized and legalized...
5 - In addition to our letter to the IBESR saying that we want to adopt Catrina and accept full responsibility, we also need to write a letter saying we accept financial responsibility and have it notarized, then translated, then notarized again, then authenticated at the Secretary of State, then legalized...
We are currently in the process of tracking all of this down and trying our best to figure out the resolution to all of this so we can head back to Columbia and Atlanta this week to have our dossier ready to go to Haiti when I head down one week from today. We realize this is an ambitious goal, but we also realize the same God who created the Heavens and the Earth in all of existence in 6 days can certainly supply some signed paperwork in that same amount of time. He reigns over all thrones!
Please be in prayer with us that HIS will be done in each situation necessary to get this dossier to Haiti as quickly as possible. Please also be in prayer that He will guide us and give us His clarity and wisdom in all decissions along the way.
We know and trust that in some way God is working this for good!
-Got the doctor's note on Wednesday
-Got our translated packet from the translator; found that he had used the same notary (whose commission expires July 2012...this will likely not be valid when the IBESR reviews our dossier, so it would be sent back), so the notarized summary page had to be redone
-Received updated translation summary on Thursday, only to find that the new notary expires in October 2012, so this is still not a good idea...going with it for now, for lack of a better option
-Drove packet to Columbia to have the Secretary of State validate the 4 major components
-Drove packet to Atlanta to have the Haitian Consulate authenticate the 4 major components
-Standstill!
While at the Haitian Consulate, we were told that no only did we need the 4 major components of our dossier authenticated, but that they needed to authenticate EVERY document that was translated into French. We scrambled around trying to get all of this together (which by some miraculous turn of events, we managed to do...although we hadn't expected to need it all). Then while going through the paperwork with the Haitian Consulate, we found that:
1 - Apparently the French copy all of the our translated documents must be notarized. We are currently trying to figure out if this is even possible, as our translator says it is not...
2 - We need to have EVERY document translated (and therefore notarized...AND legalized); including our tax records and bank statements...
3 - In addition to my letter from my doctor, I also need to have a new physician form completed, and translated, and notarized, and legalized...
4 - We need to get a new copy of Eddie's SLED report since we only have a copy because the original had to be sent to the US. So, again, new copy, then translated, then notarized and legalized...
5 - In addition to our letter to the IBESR saying that we want to adopt Catrina and accept full responsibility, we also need to write a letter saying we accept financial responsibility and have it notarized, then translated, then notarized again, then authenticated at the Secretary of State, then legalized...
We are currently in the process of tracking all of this down and trying our best to figure out the resolution to all of this so we can head back to Columbia and Atlanta this week to have our dossier ready to go to Haiti when I head down one week from today. We realize this is an ambitious goal, but we also realize the same God who created the Heavens and the Earth in all of existence in 6 days can certainly supply some signed paperwork in that same amount of time. He reigns over all thrones!
Please be in prayer with us that HIS will be done in each situation necessary to get this dossier to Haiti as quickly as possible. Please also be in prayer that He will guide us and give us His clarity and wisdom in all decissions along the way.
We know and trust that in some way God is working this for good!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
One thing after another...
So exciting news is I'll be going to the Doctor's office tomorrow at 1:45 to meet one of my co-workers (also a notary...God bless him!) to get a new letter. Then planning to drive to Columbia Thursday afternoon to get all our paperwork authenticated by the Secretary of State. If all goes well, Eddie and I will go to Atlanta this weekend to visit hte Haitian Consule for the final step of completing our dossier!
Next road block...I heard this morning that the IBESR has stopped accepting dossiers until June 1. This will hold us up about 3 weeks, as we have been working so hard to have ours together for my trip down in two weeks, but I'm choosing to look at this from a positive perspective. I'm praying that the IBESR will get much accomplished in the next 5 1/2 weeks and will have our dossier at the front of the line on June 1! Then they can focus on getting our little girl home to us! Not to mention the blessings all the families getting processed in this time will receive! These are likely families that have been waiting a long time...
Please be in prayer with us that the IBESR gets much accomplished in the next few months and keeps the momentum going with new dossiers in June!
Next road block...I heard this morning that the IBESR has stopped accepting dossiers until June 1. This will hold us up about 3 weeks, as we have been working so hard to have ours together for my trip down in two weeks, but I'm choosing to look at this from a positive perspective. I'm praying that the IBESR will get much accomplished in the next 5 1/2 weeks and will have our dossier at the front of the line on June 1! Then they can focus on getting our little girl home to us! Not to mention the blessings all the families getting processed in this time will receive! These are likely families that have been waiting a long time...
Please be in prayer with us that the IBESR gets much accomplished in the next few months and keeps the momentum going with new dossiers in June!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Here we go again... :-(
So we FINALLY got our last documents on Friday! Getting ready to send them to the translator today. That's great news! However, I just realized the notary commission on my doctors letter expires THIS November. BAH! I doubt they even have access to another notary... Please be in prayer with us that we will get that worked out so we can get this dossier wrapped up and ready to go to Haiti TWO WEEKS from today.
Had a great weekend though! Hope you all did as well!
Had a great weekend though! Hope you all did as well!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
One down, one to go!
Just got the phone call that my doctor's letter is ready to be picked up today! YAY! Praying the other doctor's letters will be done today as well!
...then only to get them translated, then off to Columbia for validation, THEN off to Atlanta for authentication...
Praising God that we're moving again! We have a LOT to do (especially the two road trips...) before I leave for Haiti in 2.5 weeks...
...then only to get them translated, then off to Columbia for validation, THEN off to Atlanta for authentication...
Praising God that we're moving again! We have a LOT to do (especially the two road trips...) before I leave for Haiti in 2.5 weeks...
Monday, April 16, 2012
Weekend Update
This weekend I got the opportunity to spend a little more time working in Catrina's room, so I thought I'd post photos of my accomplishments. :-) Eddie and I also put together her desk, but it's kind of boring as of yet...I'll post a photo of it once it's decorated. In the meantime, a new and improved ceiling fan:
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Simple Gifts
I've always felt it is SO important to stop and appreciate the simple gifts God gives us as we walk through life. There's no huge advance in our paperwork (which we'd really hoped there would have been this week), but God certainly gave me one of those simple gifts this week. You'll recall in my previous post that I booked my next trip to Haiti for May. I wanted to book that trip as soon as possible, but as with our October trip last year, things just weren't workign out! So, I ended up booking my trip for May. Turns out this was necessary, as it's looking like we'll JUST have all our paperwork ready to go then. The simple gift I am referring to came a few nights ago when I was entering some mundane event on my calendar and realized that the Sunday I will be in Haiti (WITH CATRINA) is Mother's Day! I hadn't even thought about the fact that Mother's Day was coming up and now I get to spend it with my daughter! I can't think of a better gift for that day! Praise God for simple blessings! :-)
Monday, April 9, 2012
Leaving on a jet plane...
Hope you all had a great Easter! I have always just loved Easter for all of the obvious reasons...hope, life, salvation! (Notice a distinct lack of eggs and chocolate bunnies...though I have to admit that I do appreciate those in their own context... :-)) This Easter was particularly special for us. Easter is Catrina's favorite holiday, so that alone had her on our minds alot. Then we had some friends bring their sweet little girl home from Haiti on Friday night (a Good Friday indeed...) and we were invited to meet them at the airport to help welcome her to the US. What a beautiful experience! It was such a blessing to be a part of this, and while at the airport the new father took the opportunity to reflet on his own correlations between the beauty of the Easter story, particularly pertaining to adoption. Basically, Christ's death and resurrection happened so that we can be adopted into God's family. What a perfect opportunity to celebrate adoption! Then as has become almost second nature to us these days, we find ourselves musing at each family get together that maybe this will be the last time we celebrate Easter without Catrina.
So specifically pertaining to our adoption, we are wrapping up the loose ends of our dossier (the formal application to Haiti to adopt Catrina)...for real this time, we hope! :-) We got the first draft of our Psych Evals last week, so now we are waiting on the final notarized copy. Once we get that I'll be road-tripping to Columbia to get some of the major parts signed by the Secretary of State and either this weekend or next weekend, we'll be road-tripping to Atlanta to get the whole packet authorized at the Haitian Consule. Few additional things that are in the works and will need to be completed before this are the final transaltions of all of our documents, my letter of recommendation from my doctor, and our 2011 tax return. We will welcome any and all prayers specifically concerning all of this. It seems like a lot of loose ends to tye up, but in reality compared to what has already been done, this is small potatoes...especially for God!
I officially have tickets to leave May 7 (hence the title...) to take our dossier to our lawyer and visit Catrina. I'll be there through May 15. Saddly Eddie can't make this trip, so ya'll give him a call of encouragement during that time if you can. :-)
In less exciting news, I heard from a friend of mine that the IBESR has absolutely refused to take some other couples dossiers if they do not meet certain criteria. Criteria that we are a little in the gray area on. Please also be in prayer in the upcoming weeks that the IBESR will not only accept our dossier, but that it will process with God-speed. And we'll give Him the glory!
Again, hope you all had a blessed Easter!
So specifically pertaining to our adoption, we are wrapping up the loose ends of our dossier (the formal application to Haiti to adopt Catrina)...for real this time, we hope! :-) We got the first draft of our Psych Evals last week, so now we are waiting on the final notarized copy. Once we get that I'll be road-tripping to Columbia to get some of the major parts signed by the Secretary of State and either this weekend or next weekend, we'll be road-tripping to Atlanta to get the whole packet authorized at the Haitian Consule. Few additional things that are in the works and will need to be completed before this are the final transaltions of all of our documents, my letter of recommendation from my doctor, and our 2011 tax return. We will welcome any and all prayers specifically concerning all of this. It seems like a lot of loose ends to tye up, but in reality compared to what has already been done, this is small potatoes...especially for God!
I officially have tickets to leave May 7 (hence the title...) to take our dossier to our lawyer and visit Catrina. I'll be there through May 15. Saddly Eddie can't make this trip, so ya'll give him a call of encouragement during that time if you can. :-)
In less exciting news, I heard from a friend of mine that the IBESR has absolutely refused to take some other couples dossiers if they do not meet certain criteria. Criteria that we are a little in the gray area on. Please also be in prayer in the upcoming weeks that the IBESR will not only accept our dossier, but that it will process with God-speed. And we'll give Him the glory!
Again, hope you all had a blessed Easter!
Friday, March 23, 2012
Slowly but surely!
Just a heads up that we got our I-171H last night! WAHOO!! This is one of the two remaining items we had to have to submit our dossier. So now, we're only waiting on our Psych Evals.
For those of you who don't speak the lingo, that basically means that we have been approved by the US to process an adoption abroad. Once we officially adopt Catrina in Haiti, we'll have to apply again to the US to specifically bring her to the US.
This is great news and one more step in the right direction! Praise God!!!
Hope ya'll have a great weekend!
For those of you who don't speak the lingo, that basically means that we have been approved by the US to process an adoption abroad. Once we officially adopt Catrina in Haiti, we'll have to apply again to the US to specifically bring her to the US.
This is great news and one more step in the right direction! Praise God!!!
Hope ya'll have a great weekend!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A work in progress...
I have been working on the transformation of Catrina's room since late December (slowly, so keep your expectations low). Some of you have been interested to see photos, so here ya go!
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| The walls in Catrina's new room |
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| Painting the letters to hang "Catrina" over her bed |
One of my favorite creations yet:
This is a whiteboard/photo holder that I made this out of cheapo photo frames, pretty paper, and some heavy duty glue. Glued on the spirally paper clips to hold photos in place and threw on some funky flowers for fun. I am really please with how well this turned out. :-)
Baby Steps
So, again, I haven't really posted lately because we haven't had an awful lot going on. We've recently been in one of those hurry up and wait phases. However, last week, we finally got to do...something! Last we knew, we are only missing our psych evals and our I-600A approval (approval from the US to adopt). We submitted our I-600A to the US and had to wait on the only psychiatrist we know to be able to work us in. Last Tuesday, I finally managed to have my psych eval and on Thursday we had our biometrics done for the FBI. Next, Eddie's psych eval is this Thursday morning and we're waiting to hear back from the US. Please be in prayer that these will go smoothly and quickly.
We have some friends who are going to pick up their little girl from Haiti in early April. It's always a blessing to see other adoptions finalizing from Haiti! Praise God for this sweet child and her new family! They are dear people!
We have some friends who are going to pick up their little girl from Haiti in early April. It's always a blessing to see other adoptions finalizing from Haiti! Praise God for this sweet child and her new family! They are dear people!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
We're scheduled for fingerprinting!
Yay! We got our letters last night to schedule our FBI fingerprinting. We are scheduled to go March 15, with the added blessing that it was not scheduled when I have to be out of town for work.
That's one more babystep in the right direction. We may be crawling along, but it's nice to know everything is at least headed in the right direction!
Overall update: Home study is complete and has been approved by the state of SC. We've submitted our I-600A for approval by the US to persue our adoption.
Next: We are gathering the final paperwork (we think it's all that's left, anyway) and we have to wait on our official approval from the US (typically 4-6 weeks), then get it and all remaining paperwork translated, then authenticated, then validated.
Again...at least we're headed in the right direction. :-) Please be in prayer for us to know everything we need and be able to get everything together as quickly as possible. Please also be in prayer for Catrina, as I know how hard all of this is for us, but I can only imagine how hard it must be for her!
That's one more babystep in the right direction. We may be crawling along, but it's nice to know everything is at least headed in the right direction!
Overall update: Home study is complete and has been approved by the state of SC. We've submitted our I-600A for approval by the US to persue our adoption.
Next: We are gathering the final paperwork (we think it's all that's left, anyway) and we have to wait on our official approval from the US (typically 4-6 weeks), then get it and all remaining paperwork translated, then authenticated, then validated.
Again...at least we're headed in the right direction. :-) Please be in prayer for us to know everything we need and be able to get everything together as quickly as possible. Please also be in prayer for Catrina, as I know how hard all of this is for us, but I can only imagine how hard it must be for her!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Most recent update email (11/18/2011)
Thank you all for your continued prayers! What a blessing you have been to us! Sorry for the long delay since the last update. Between work and running around getting paperwork together in our off time, we've been crazy busy in the past month or so! I appreciate your patience!
Just a quick update on our adoption status. We are officially in the process of getting our Home Study done in the US. Our social worker is great! From the moment we met her, we instantly felt like she was an old friend. That certainly makes it a lot easier to spill your entire life & history with someone. :-) Our second meeting is Dec. 2. We have lots of paperwork to complete before then, so please be in prayer about that!
Catrina has had all of her necessary exams, in Haiti. She traveled to PAP around the beginning of last week and all of the results of her various exams and tests show her to be in good health and completely adoptable. Praise God! We also received an email last night to let us know that EVERYTHING is ready in Haiti. They just need translated copies of the rest of our paperwork (which is mainly the Home Study and reference letters) to be able to submit it to the IBESR for approval.
God is blessing and things are moving along nicely at the moment! Please be in prayer that He will continue to bless this process and that we will be able to get all of our paperwork together and submitted as quickly as possible.
Thanks so much for your love and support as we go through this process. It is so nice to know we have such great loved ones praying for us! Hope you have a fabulous Thanksgiving! I know we have even more to be thankful for this year than in years past!
Blessings In Christ!
Update email after our October trip to Haiti (10/19/2011)
Thank you all for your patience! I have been swamped since we returned last week, but have also been waiting on official news to share, which I have not yet received. Even so, I wanted to update you on most recent happenings.
As most of you know, on our trip to Haiti, Eddie and I intended to obtain two pieces of information: 1 - Is Catrina eligible for adoption; 2 - Would Madame Soliette give us her blessing to begin the adoption process. However, through God's grace, guidance, and the amazing friends He has provided along the way (Jenny, Gilles, & Edmonds - you all are wonderful!!!), we were able to accomplish far more than this!
Because our trip had been postponed from August, we had the opportunity to meet with an adoption lawyer on our first night there. At this meeting, we were able to establish a relationship with our lawyer, get answers to many questions we had about the whole process and develop an ambitious plan for our visit. At this point, we thought Catrina had only a living mother from whom to obtain permission for the adoption.
The next morning (EARLY Thursday morning), we got to fly to the island of La Gonave with one of the MAF pilots we had already befriended on our first trip to Haiti. We had so much fun on that flight! (It wasn't ALL work, no play...) Then what we thought was to be a day of liesure resulted in two long meetings. The first impromptu meeting was with Madame Soliette. In this meeting, we got her blessing to begin the adoption process, and we found out that Catrina does have a living biological father, which makes it all a little more difficult, especially considering no one really knew where he was and we'd have to track him down to get his permission, too. After our meeting with Madame Soliette, we were taking her and some of the children back to the orphanage and arrived to find Catrina's biological mother and sister waiting on us at the door. So, we took the opportunity God laid in front of us to invite them back to the Wesleyan church compound (where we were staying) to chat. At the end of this meeting, we had explained to Catrina's mother our intentions. She had the opportunity to ask about us and was going to think about our request and would let us know something Friday morning. Her very first question was "Are you Christians?" We took that as a pretty good sign!
On Friday morning, we met with Madame Soliette and Catrina’s biological family again. In this meeting, Catrina’s mother decided that she would, in fact, sign for us to begin the adoption. This was truly a bittersweet moment. Part of me wanted to jump up and down while the other part of me mourned this mother’s loss. It certainly takes a lot of love to give your child up to a better life; not knowing when/if you’ll ever see them again!
As it turns out, Catrina’s mother actually had all of the necessary paperwork with her (birth certificates for both Catrina and herself and her social assurance card) for us to be able to go to court and sign for guardianship. This would be a feat in America and was certainly more than a coincidence in Haiti! Since the older children from the orphanage were coming to the compond after lunch that day, Madame Soliette gave us permission to keep the Catrina a little later and tell her about our plans to adopt her. I’m not sure our friend and translator Jenny was expecting this responsibility, but God gave her the exact words to say. At first, Jenny asked Catrina if she knew what was going on, since her mother had been there at a time she wouldn’t normally have been and there had been many meetings with us. Catrina did not. So then, Jenny asked Catrina if she knew what adoption was. At first Catrina’s response was a heartbreaking “It’s when they take you away.” After some more discussion, she made mention of getting a new family, so we think she understood. For the next half hour or so, we got to converse with Catrina through Jenny and get to know her a little better. Then we spent a few hours playing with her and the other kids around the compound before taking her back to the orphanage for the evening. When we dropped her off, Catrina asked if we would be back the next day. Jenny told her we had to go take care of some business in Port-au-Prince, but we would be up to see her in the afternoon.
On Saturday morning, we took the 5:30 AM fly boat with Jenny (did I mention she’s a saint?!!!), Madame Solietete, Catrina’s mother, and Catrina’s sister, Francesca. T-Prince, a co-worker of Jenny’s, met us at the wharf to drive us into Port-au-Prince where we met with Catrina’s older brother James, who is a tap-tap driver in Port-au-Prince. For the next 2 hours, we sat in a small, crowded room in the courthouse with no electricity (so it was hot and the fans weren’t working) while the judge handwrote the necessary paperwork for us to sign to become Catrina’s legal guardians. This was certainly another bittersweet moment, but oddly I felt nothing but peace all around.
After meeting with the judge, we were rushed to get back to the island on the last ferry, so we had lunch in the car while T-Prince drove us back out to the wharf. Once back on the island, we had a late lunch. Then, I headed up to the orphanage to get Catrina. We spent the rest of the afternoon playing, jumping rope, drawing all over our front stoop with sidewalk chalk, and showering Catrina with lots of love. While walking through the yard this afternoon, Catrina put my arm around her, looked up at me and said in perfect English “I love you Bethany!” Oh wow! That was one of the sweetest moments of our whole trip! That alone makes all of the paperwork and adoption struggles worth it!
After church on Sunday morning, we got Catrina just before lunch and got to keep her until after dinner. We also received great news from Madame Soliette: she had managed to track down Catrina’s birth father and he was willing to approve of the adoption! We are still waiting on Madame Soliette to be able to bring him into Port-au-Prince to sign the necessary paperwork.
On Sunday, once again, we just spent lots of time playing with her, spending time with her, and just showing her as much love as we possibly could! We went swimming in the ocean, where she and Eddie really got to spend a lot of good time together. Catrina, Haley, and I baked peanut butter cookies, we danced, we sang, we colored, we had so much fun! Then after dinner (where I found out that Catrina does NOT enjoy chicken noodle soup J ), we had to try to explain to Catrina that we would not be back the next day, but that we would be back. Once again, our dear friend Jenny got to take on this task. As I prayed and tried my best not to cry, Jenny explained that we had to go back to the states and would not be around for a while, but that we would certainly be back for her. The entire drive back to the orphanage (where we were a little late…praise God for Madame Soliette’s forgiveness!), I held Catrina close and kept promising myself I wouldn’t cry in front of her. Once we got back, I hugged her and told her how much I love her before walking up the hill to the orphanage. At the top of the hill, Catrina pulled away from me and ran into the orphanage, where she ran to a corner and started sobbing! I broke my promise…I went after her and just held her, both of us crying until she calmed down. Leaving my child at that orphanage was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and I long for the day that I will never have to do it again.
Back in the States, Eddie and I immediately got to work on filing for our Home Study and gathering the necessary documents for both the US and Haiti. We have also found out since our return that there is another reason we need to put a rush on things. The US is pushing Haiti to pass additional adoption laws that would outlaw private adoptions. Since we aren’t yet eligible to go through an agency, this would put a hold on our adoption and by the time we are eligible, Catrina would likely be too old to be adopted internationally. God has blessed us beyond measure and we praise Him for all the mighty works He has accomplished so far and will no doubt continue to provide. Please keep us in your prayers that our Home Study will go well (I’ve heard some horror stories, so we’re a little anxious), that the Haitian authorities will approve our adoption, that the US will approve Catrina’s visa and that this adoption process will continue to move with the same momentum we experienced in Haiti.
Please don't hesitate to let me know if you would prefer not to receive these emails, as I intend to send out regular updates so you all know how to pray specifically for this process.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers!
How it all began...the Reader's Digest version... :-)
In May 2009, we made our first visit to the beautiful nation of Haiti. While there, we had the opportunity to work with Haitian youth in by taking part in an afternoon youth retreat on the beaches of Jacmel and visiting a Boys and Girls Home. It was on this trip that we both discovered that we had a heart for Haiti and that God had something special planned for us concerning this country.
It wasn’t until January of 2011 that we discovered what that plan was. I visited Haiti once again as part of a construction mission team to La Gonave. After two days of long travel, I arrived on La Gonave and had the opportunity to visit the local orphanage. As several children began to sing, I looked over and saw the beautiful little girl I would later know to be Catrina. The moment I saw Catrina, I felt God tell me, this child is my daughter. For the next few days, I prayed about this idea and received more and more confirmation each time I saw Catrina during the mission trip.
After I returned home, Eddie was looking at pictures from my trip and he knew instantly that I wanted to adopt and was even able to pick Catrina out without any guidance from me. For several weeks Eddie contemplated this idea and prayed over it and he was led to the same decision. Since then, we have seen several signs pointing us toward bringing Catrina to the US and welcoming her into our family and our home.
Last October, Eddie and I made a trip to Haiti to 1-find out if Catrina was even eligible for adoption and 2-to ask Mme. Soliette for her blessing to start the adoption process. After a VERY busy weekend and God's hand over the entire situation, we returned home 5 quick days later as the legal guardians of Catrina in Haiti. We had managed to speak with her birth mother and get her blessing, and her birth father (whom we didnt' even know existed until we got there) had been located and contacted for a verbal approval as well. We also have a trust-worthy lawyer who we met with for the first time on this trip:
It seems that everything always takes longer than expected and the "rules" are very unclear at this point. However, God is so amazing and has been working this out so far. We will certainly continue to trust in Him, and ae appreciate all prayers along our journey!
So far, we've certainly had our ups and we've had our downs. I can't go back and mention them all, but I'm sure I'll allude to them and explain them in future posts. Moving forward, I plan to post any updates here so you can all check back and know what's going on at the moment.
Thanks again for all your love and prayers!
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