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!