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. 

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.