Happy 10th Birthday to our "Beloved Grace"

Our Precious Esmée,


Today we celebrate your 10th birthday and all the life you bring to our family! I will never forget the first time I laid eyes on you in person. I expected you to be shy. I thought it would take you a long time to warm up to me. But I didn't know you then. I just longed to. It seems like I've known you forever now. But way back then you found me before I found you. You saw me first and you knew I was your mom. You jumped into my arms and held onto me so tight I had to pry you from me to see who it was that I was holding. I melted when I saw that it was you.You held my heart from the first picture I ever held of you. I looked at your sweet face and I knew that you were my daughter. I loved you with an indescribable intensity from that moment on. This is why we named you Esmée. Because Esmée means "beloved" or "much loved". You are my girl and you now tell me this every day. Yesterday morning I woke up to a sweet letter from you delivered to my bedside saying, 

"We Love my Mom. 
I no (know) my mom Love me.
I no (know) my mom Love my sister.
I no (know) my mom Love my brothers.
We Love my Dad.
-Esmée Karys


You love to say you are mama's girl. You love to hear me say you are mama's girl. You love it so much you have asked to share my name (middle name) Charis (with the Haitian spelling), which is the greek word for "grace". We believe that God's grace is what has brought you to our family and how you have embraced being our daughter and a sister to Elita Marguerite, Ethan, and Evan with everything that is in you. We all feel so loved by you too. Sometimes people think you are shy, but your family knows this is just another one of your silly games. One moment you are a princess that must be carried to her room in high style. The next you are at war with the cockroaches and running laps around the soccer field with guys 5 times your size. You are the bravest, silliest, sweetest, sassiest, prettiest, most precious little girl. You are our little girl. We are so thankful for your life. And we are forever thankful that God gave us you. Today we celebrate all He has done in your life. We think these pictures show that a little. We wish our dear family and friends could see what we are blessed to see in real life. Because they too are a big part of where you are today!

The first picture I held of you. 

This is the oldest picture we have before you were brought to the orphanage.
Your hair is orange (a sign of malnutrition) 
but you still have that 
deep 
thoughtful 
longing 
look in your eyes.
I love that look.

This is the first picture we received of you after we were matched as your forever family.
I freaked out when I saw how small you were next to Marguerite
(whom we were told was the same age).
We asked how much you weighed.
We were told you weighed only 38 lbs.
Your brother Evan was a small 3 yr. old at the time. 
He weighed 38 lbs. too.
We prayed every day that God would grow you in every way. 

I met you 2 months later.
You were such a tiny little girl.
I loved you completely...
My much loved girl.

Your spirit is much bigger than your size.
This is one reason you are alive today.
And because of God's grace.

God has given His life for you.
All those years when you did not have an earthly daddy, you still had a Heavenly daddy.
But God's grace has given you an earthly daddy now.
And he would give his life for you too.

Your sister and brothers adore you!

Our prayers have been answered.
You have grown so much...
in every way.

I am honored to be your mother.
We are honored to be your family.
You are no longer an orphan Esmée Ream.

We have so much to celebrate in our much loved girl!
We celebrate all the years of God's grace in your life!
We are blessed to be in your homeland with you.
We pray that soon we can bring you to our homeland.
And get you a sassy bike like this one...
for a belated birthday present!

You are our Esmée Karys...
Our "Beloved Grace"
And we will celebrate your life every day!

With Us

Just in case we have done a good job of being too vague and you haven't been able to read between the lines on other long posts, we want to clear up any confusion. 

It is with great joy we announce that our girls are now

WITH US, 

their forever family, 

FOREVER. 

They cannot leave Haiti yet, but they are ours and have been with us for the past 3 months. We went through a difficult process to make this possible, but we have felt God's presence with us all along the way. 


Just in case there is still some confusion out there about our adoptions and moving to Haiti, we want to clear that up too. We did not move to Haiti to accomplish our adoptions or simply to be near our girls. We moved to Haiti because God opened many doors to move us to Haiti as missionaries. The fact that we got to be with our girls is a bonus blessing that we will never take for granted. Yet, because we do live in Haiti we longed to have them with us and prayed daily for this to become a reality. 


We knew that it was possible to have our girls live with us in Haiti while in the adoption process because we know many people who have done this in the past and others that are doing this now. The Haitian government approved our adoptions before we moved to Haiti, but we knew our creche director would have to give consent because he is the legal guardian of our girls until their adoptions are finalized and they receive their visas to leave the country and become U.S. citizens. We waited for this consent. We waited for 6 1/2 months. Many people in Haiti asked us why we were not permitted to have the girls full time. We were often asked if we still owed the creche money but this was not the case. We were granted permission to have our girls with our family on holidays and several weekends and we gave thanks for each and every moment we were able to spend with them during those 6 months. However the emotional trauma of coming and going back and forth from the orphanage grew with each parting. Nearly 3 months after we had received our Adoption Decree making us the girls legal parents they were still in the orphanage. We were told by several other creche directors and attorneys that we had every legal right to have the girls with us. We also had received our Permis de Sejour (Haitian residency/work permit enabling us to remain in Haiti legally long term). This had nothing to do with our adoption process, but we later found out that having this permit would eliminate any further excuse for our girls not to be with us. Our creche director did not know that we had obtained this and we wanted to discuss this with him in person as it is hard to communicate clearly over the phone. We knew at this point that the only reason that the creche would need to maintain guardianship over someone else's legal children is if the parents do not reside in the state/country of the children. We understood the concern from our creche director that even if the adoptions are completed in Haiti, there is still the investigation process by the U.S. Embassy that may or may not approve the child's visa to immigrate to the U.S. However, if the adoptive family is living in country and meets residency requirements there is no good reason that the children should remain in the orphanage. We were still met with much opposition in the weeks that followed. We decided to fight for our girls. It was an awful, painful fight. We didn't want that. We just wanted to do the right thing. But what "the right thing"was needed to be sorted out by others as well.  And as history proves, sorting out the right thing usually gets ugly at some point. Most days it felt like the darkness would suffocate and consume us. We had to daily remind ourselves that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places". We knew that God was with us. But Satan was fighting hard too. And while people were involved that both hurt and helped in the situation, we know that it was ultimately the evil one spreading fear and confusion and the Righteous Judge delivering the truth. The "right thing" was for our girls to be with us and Truth eventually won. Since then things have been sorted out and communication has been much better. We praise the Lord for this! We wish that the best interest of our girls, their orphanage, and our family would have been sought through better communication and biblical conflict resolution from the beginning but we recognize that we live in a fallen world that often prevents God's best. We are thankful for reconciliation and grace. We are thankful for prayer partners. We are thankful for those who were willing to mediate in this situation. We are thankful that God is always with us both in sorrowful trials and joyful endings. 


This reminds me of the pain in natural childbirth which some friends and I were discussing last night. You often hear that a mother does not remember the pain of childbirth. I strongly disagree. I remember all too vividly going through that fire. And yet when I remember I know I would do it all over again because of the sheer joy that is to be found on the other side of that all consuming pain. Our adoptions have been a very long and painful labor. But then there is joy. 


We are overjoyed at the miracle of how our girls have been able to bond to our family in their own culture. We know that many adoptive families have many struggles especially with the combination of transcultural and older child adoptions. We can honestly say that while we do have struggles God has been very merciful to our family in this. We know that in this long and painful process God has been orchestrating behind the scenes to bring so much beauty out of so much pain. This is the story of our redemption. Even though we haven't reached the end of the story, we have embraced each chapter fully. And tonight as we embrace our girls who are with us and continue on into the next chapter we will do so in the joy of knowing that God is with us in all our tomorrows. And if God is with us, who can be against us? 

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace...it's truly all we have in this rollercoaster life. Up and down we seem to go between the beauty and the chaos. So much beauty! So much chaos! We long to be steadied. But there is only One who is truly steady, balanced, unchanging. Why do we seek so many ways to catch our balance in the never ending fluctuating circumstanes that present themselves each day? This mornings devotional read, "Make Me your focal point as you move through this day. Just as a spinning ballerina must keep returning her eyes to a given point to maintain her balance, so you must keep returning your focus to Me. Circumstances are in flux, and the world seems to be whirling around you. The only way to keep your balance is to fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes. If you gaze too long at your circumstances you will become dizzy and confused. Look to Me, refreshing yourself in My Presence, and your steps will be steady and sure."-April 25, Jesus Calling 

I thought that was fitting for today. Circumstances definitely are in flux! Confessing right now that not focusing on the circumstances is easier said than done...at least for me. Then I am reminded...

"But circumstances tell tales that are prone to change in a moment.

And the truth of the matter is: God never changes. His power to give a future and hope never change. His Word never changes. So when life weaves stories of doubt and hopelessness in God's authority over circumstances, I reread accounts of His faithfulness and redemption. I refer back to the Truth...

All the while Job's family, home, crops and health demolished...God was preparing to give him double of what was killed, stolen, lost and damaged.

The time Joseph was a slave and prisoner...God was planning for him to be second in command over Egypt.

When Ruth was a homeless, barren widow...God was creating a home in Boaz's heart for her to be a wife, and mother, and great, great, great-grandmother to His Son.

As Lazarus was bound in grave clothes...God was forming the breath that'd give him new life.

The moment David laid down in adultery...God was laying the groundwork for him to rise up in repentance.

Every time Saul crucified Christians...God saw Paul preaching the crucified Christ.

With each strike that Sarai beat Hagar with...God saw Sarah beating her jealousy, pride and doubt with the birth of Isaac.

When Esther was an orphaned girl shaking in fear for her life...God made a way for His daughter to shake a kingdom and save His people.

As Rahab welcomed men into the shelter of her bed...God saw her sheltering the spies on her roof.

When Peter lost faith and denied Christ...God saw him bringing many to faith as he proclaimed Christ.

As Moses killed an Egyptian with his hands...God saw him chiseling the Ten Commandments with those same hands.

At the time Mary saw Jesus die...God saw Jesus resurrected and seated on His heavenly throne!

No matter what the dire, dreary circumstances, God turned each into a hopeful future.

None of His plans can be thwarted. Despite what is happening in life, these stories of redemption and hope speak the truth. God can and will reverse, restore, revive and renew. He sees beyond the present troubles and is sparking a fire to light up the future with hope." -Blog post by Samantha Reed

We cling to these truths. We are learning to be thankful for every circumstance. Moments of beauty envelop us in His love. Moments of chaos and even immense sorrow remind us of our utter dependence and His amazing grace. We learn to look for His beauty in the chaos. This is amazing grace. He reminds us daily and teaches us through circumstances, through others, through His Word. Oh but for His amazing grace that carries us even when we loose our balance, when we focus on our circumstances instead of His sovereign control. His grace that reminds us daily, gently that He is sufficient. He has a plan. His plans are good. He is never confused. 

We are confused by circumstances. But that is ok. It does NOT feel ok. But it really is ok. We truly believe that the God of the universe, our God, is good. We truly believe that His plans are good. We truly believe that the goal is His glory and that all circumstances are in submission to His honor and glory. So we can trust Him. We can hope far beyond our momentary troubles, our confusion, our feelings of sadness, and find rest in His amazing grace.

Dreary circumstances in the adoption realm and the weather outside seemed to be in competition today. We don't want to go into detail about those circumstances right now because we are currently confused by them and may get a different story tomorrow. We will say that in this chaos we see much beauty and we are learning many things. We know that all these circumstances are not for nothing. And we have not been left empty handed. Our lives are full. We do not take these blessings for granted. We acknowlege that the blessings of today could be gone tomorrow. But tomorrow is tomorrow. All we can do is today. And today was an amazing grace day. 

It takes a lot of grace to get through a day of homeschooling two formerly orphaned girls going through puberty who have had very little education and limited English. I am not complaining. This has been such a joy. Frustrating at times, but overall a great joy. And the girls are doing very well...considering. But today reading, writing, and arithmetic felt as dreary as the drizzle outside. It was one of those days when not focusing on the circumstances was easier said than done. I did not want the girls to feel the weight of that, so....I broke a rule (to their delight) and snuggled down under blankets in an unusually cool room, with the rain pattering on the rooftop, with my girls on either side, and watched a movie. 

This is the movie we watched which turned into our history, English, and writing lessons.

The honest truth is that this was probably more about meeting my need to not do math, the girls need of physical affection/snuggle time with mom, a welcomed escape from thinking too much about circumstances, and a way to pass the wet and dreary day away. But it became so much more than that because for me the message in this movie was yet another reminder (like the 15th one today) that even when there is pain and suffering all around us and we can't escape it or fix it, when we have done everything we can do, when we are completely worn out, when it seems all hope is lost, that is where God's amazing grace finds us. Just like it found John Newton who wrote...

Through many dangers, toils and snares

I have already come;

'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far

and Grace will lead me home.

Grace will lead me home. Our girls are home with us in Haiti. This is only by grace. All other circumstances are grace too. If we look hard enough we can see past our confusion to the potential beauty in the chaos. Grace has brought us safe thus far. Grace will see us through. One day grace will lead us to our home where there will be no more chaos and confusion ever again. Won't that be amazing? 

I'm pretty sure the girls didn't glean all any of this from the movie. I'm pretty sure their inability to get past all the men wearing wigs in the 18th century setting was just about the height of the history lesson for today. I began to really regret breaking our no movies on school days rule when I was asked if one of my all time history heroes William Wilberforce was "Michael Jackson"? Seriously?!!!!!!! I must have given them the crazy eye, cause Marguerite said, "What you look at me like that for? He have black pants, white shirt with that (pointing at the frilly collar) and hair just like Michael Jackson!" I said, "remember that I explained to you before we watched the movie that this was about 300 years ago? Do you really think Michael Jackson lived 300 years ago?" Does that count as logic class too? 

So this was a bust as far as the girls sharing my love of this movie. However they did love our snuggle time. They also loved hearing the story about how John Newton who wrote the song Amazing Grace was once a slave boat captain that brought slaves from Africa and how Jesus changed his heart. The movie ended with us singing this song. We sang the song into the kitchen where we began to prepare lunch. Navilla had just arrived and joined our singing with the Creole version of Amazing Grace. We all just stood in the kitchen and sang. Beauty in the chaos. Frantz came for the girls English lessons. Navilla was still humming in the kitchen. I heard Frantz singing a little bit too. Beauty. Chaos. The girls were not very cooperative after Frantz showed up. It appears they assumed my rule breaking was going to continue throughout the day. "Um, no. No more Michael Jackson today. Today you can discuss with Frantz what you saw and heard in the movie and then go over the song lyrics to Amazing Grace with Frantz in English and Creole so you can understand it better. Then you can write the words of the song for your writing lesson." More chaos commenced. Yet, in the background I could still hear Navilla humming Amazing Grace. Beauty. So thankful for amazing grace!

The Lord has promised good to me.

His word my hope secures.

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Hair

I used to think my hair was hard to manage. I still sort of think that. I used to think that taking nearly one full day to drive to the salon and pay to have my crazy curly hair permanently straightened once every 8 months was quite the hair extravaganza. By the way it's been 8 months and I am in desperate need of another drive to such a salon. This is why none of the following pictures have me in them. My mother, sisters, and husband used to refer to my once every 8-9 month hair day as "high maintenance". My husband should be rethinking that label about now considering his hair observations of the past 8 months...which did not occur in only one trip to the salon once but about every single Saturday...a Saturday like today. Today the fastest and best hair fairy showed up at our house on Saturday sleep in day and woke up girls at 8:30 am to commence hair day (certain such persons would sleep in until 10 every day). She left at 7:30 pm. Only ONE head was accomplished all that time and the entire time (other than very quick bathroom and food breaks) was spent doing nothing but HAIR. Thinking that is some kind of record. The poor child whose head was not accomplished has stated at least 5 times that she is not going to church tomorrow. I asked her if she didn't like going to our church and if she would like to visit a different church. The answer was "no...just no church". I know that she loves going to church. So later on I got down to the nitty gritty of the issue as I was putting her to bed. The truth came out that she simply did not want to go to church without her hair day being accomplished. I told her she could pick out one of my hats or one of my headbands and she said, "ok". 


I remember being a fairly particular little girl. I remember getting a bad haircut once...actually maybe more than once. Think I am just remembering the very worst one and nothing can compare to that! Never ever give an 80's layered and feathered cut style to a 9 year old girl with already uncontrolable kinky-curly-wavy hair! Thanks alot Mom. I looked like I had a mullet with wings. Sweet Esmée darling, I totally know how you feel (because surely a mullet with wings looks worse than an afro with a cute headband right?) 


I used to think I would adopt a black child "one day". Eric and I used to talk about this "one day" and I don't ever remember "black child" referring to "little girl" and certainly the plural of that did not enter into my mind. Oh. No. It. Most. Certainly. Did. Not. And why is that? I'm pretty sure it was the hair. Actually, it was the fear of the hair. Little black boys hair...no problem right? But little black girls hair? 

Now why did I ever fear that?

This smile was totally worth the hours and hours I spent doing this precious head!

As was this one!

And this time when Daddy told her she looked very beautiful and she wanted to take her pic with Dad. 

This is cute but not at all worth it...as far as time goes.
Bonding.
Yes.
Pic with Dad.
Yes.
Time.
Um, no.
Because the hours it took were completely undone after 2 minutes spent with swings outside. 

This is not the before shot.
It is the after shot of 3 hours undoing what was previously done.
And don't think I am getting her to go anywhere until at least another 3 hours are spent.

This doesn't take 3 hours.
Also doesn't stay put for more than 3 hours.

This is what we do when we don't have 3 hours or even 1 hour. 

 This is what we do when we are feeling like fun people.

Fun hair might last all day but won't hold after bedtime. 

As if two little black girls heads weren't enough....

Other heads are being done constantly! 
But not by me. 

Sometimes they are being done by my friend Audrey.

Audrey's the hair fairy for the non-black skinned scalps in our house. 

While this is a common sight you see after cutting hair...
Please BEWARE
 (and please excuse us and don't think we are just super gross)...
because it is also now a common sight at all times in all rooms of our house...
Thanks to our beautiful girls.

Getting used to that.  

Oh Audrey! What shall I do without you when you leave Haiti next month?

I would rather do little black girl hair all day than deal with this picky fellow! 
Not that he would let me. 

Sometimes glow in the dark beads are necessary when the power goes out at night. 

Sometimes I just don't have this many hours and have to call the hair fairy...

This is Elita Marguerite's natural hair...to be compared to strange phenomenon below when extensions are put in by same hair fairy and don't look much different than this. 

Last weeks style...

It took one full day to do both of their heads.
I cannot take credit.
I only participated in attaching one strand and that was enough for me.

Actually this was the last two weeks style except that after one week they kept telling me how very bad their roots looked and that they needed to get it done again!
What? I paid $20 for those extensions. They better last longer than a week! 

Here is what became of the last two weeks extensions today.
And no that is not all of them.
The others are strewn all over this house and we'll be picking them off the floor for weeks to come!

This was our first experiment with extensions.

We shall see if I can get used to the aftermath or not. 

This is the poor dear who took out her extensions prematurely.
The mean hair fairy had to leave after only 11 hours of doing sisters hair!

Glad she seems happy.
Cause I'm not super happy that these "extensions" look just like her real hair only shorter and with weird straight ends that look totally unnatural.
But I told her she looks beautiful. Cause she is.
But also asked why hair fairy spent 11 hours putting in hair extensions when her hair is already this long?
I said I didn't understand.
I got a shrug.
I asked again.
Another shrug with explanation that I needed to give more money for longer extensions.
I still don't understand.
The ones that were purchased for this hairdo were 3 ft. long in the package.
Once they were secured to head they came to her shoulders.
Not as long as I thought, but longer than shown picture.
Then hairfairy decided to give them a trim.
To my horror.
But, of course it's my fault that I didn't pay for the longer ones. 

11 hours and many, many movies later.

I have a long history with hair. Not just my own hair. My mother you see (as evidenced by my mullet with wings) has no idea how to do the hair thing. She is the most wonderful mother who is good at many things. But hair is just not one of them. Dear mom has had the same exact hairstyle for at least the past 34 years I have been alive. My late grandmother (her mother in law) would claim many more years which is probably the reason mom's hairstyle never changed. 

I am the oldest of five children (another explanation of why mom had no time for hair). Three of the other children are girls as well. I taught myself how to french braid on my cornsilk cabbage patch kid Genevieve's hair at the age of seven. My sisters would benefit from these lessons as well. I made sure they never had mullets with wings. I cried for days when Erin let a friend buzz her head like a boy at the age of four. I put a bow or bonnet in Erin's hair every day (she would let me) until it grew out. I burned Eleisha's forehead with the curling iron more times that she would care to remember. I also cried when mother decided to take Eleisha to the salon without my consult (when I was 10) and give her a poodle perm that was almost as bad as my winged mullet. This tragedy happened the day mom went into labor with my baby sister Emilee. Emilee was my prize and took much attention away from poodle perm. Nothing bad would ever happen to her hair. I would make sure of it! Emilee was born with the most beautiful hair I had longed for all my life. She was my real live doll. I brushed, and braided, and fluffed to my hearts content. It stayed beautiful...and sometimes she still lets me braid it. 

All that to say...some people ask me how I know how to do hair being previously a mom of only two boys?

Now you know how. 

But speaking of the boys...

How did they end up with fairly straight easy to manage hair when both Eric and I have curly unmanageable hair? I don't know other than that I prayed for that before they were in my belly. Perhaps God was having mercy on me since only He knew what was to come. However, the history of hair did not let me rest just because my boys have easy to do hair. Oh. No. It. Did. Not. 

Just ask anyone who knew us during this stage of life!

Do you see that "thing" in little Evan's hand?
Not the pacifier.
The other hand.

Here he has TWO of those "things".
This was a common sight in our house back in those days too.
But instead of pieces of hair, it was hairpieces all over the house!

A little background here. Evan had a hair fettish. He loved to hold my hair since he was one day old. He would not go to sleep unless my hair was hanging over his crib and he could fondle it. His crib was lowered with age and my hair simply was not long enough. This was an "issue" for our bonding. 


But it was actually Ethan that started with the hair business. 


More background. One day Ethan and I were shopping in one of the many Dallas, TX Walgreens stores and I ran into a friend. We struck up a conversation in the personal care isle. Baby Ethan was being oh so good while sitting in the shopping cart during our lengthy chat and I later found out why. I had parked shopping cart right next to the hair accessories where lo and behold there was a "hairpiece" that immediately caught my #1 hair loving baby's eye. He reached for it and was successful. By the time I realized that what was keeping him quiet was not a needed nap, the hairpiece was not returnable to the shelf. That was the first hairpiece. It cost $13 at Walgreens. It was the last of its kind for Ethan, but was a true gem of a find because its rememberance saved my head when it came to Evan. The Ebony Fashion black hair store run by the Chinese couple in Mexia, TX was also a gem of a find. The hairpieces as seen in pictures above and below only cost 99 cents at the Ebony Fashion. I stocked up weekly. And people thought I was crazy when I said I was moving to Haiti!
One day the Chinese man asked me why I needed so many of these hair pieces when he never saw me wearing any of them? Hahahahaha! I told him they were not for me. He looked confused. Then I said, "They are for my baby"! More confusion followed.
One day I took Evan in with me to pick out his own hairpiece after I told him they had run out of mommy's brown hair so he could see for himself and stop throwing a fit about it. Chinese man no longer confused after that. Well, maybe still confused. But he seemed more amused by crazy white people and what they let their kids play with. Surely I'm not the only one who allowed her babies oh so strange vices? Right? Please tell me I'm not the only one. 

So one day we were at toddler playgroup. I see postings on Facebook and hear my sister talk about such things these days and remember, "Oh yeah. I used to live in a cookie cutter neighborhood and do that too." But it seems like another lifetime ago. Babies grow up too fast. Maybe that's a good thing in Evan's case. Tangent. Back to toddler playgroup. A new family had moved to the neighborhood and mom had not yet been introduced to Evan's hairpiece. I rushed out when she informed me my son was playing with a dead squirrel. I arrived at the dreaded scene and said out loud, "Oh that? It's ok. It's just his hairpiece".

Fear of little black girls hair? So over. 

God is so good.
When I don't understand
the why?
the what the?
the will my child ever be normal?
I will remember the days of the hairpiece were indeed preparing me for today! 
And today is preparing us for tomorrow! 
When life gets hairy...we will remember!


--------------------

The sequel...

one week later. 

Hairfairy returns. 

Esmée is happy.

Last weeks purchased hair extensions are magically much longer this time around.

Mom is happy.

The End...(hopefully) for at least a month!

We Know He Hears Us!

Back in September we posted the following list. Praise the Lord we have been able to cross off some pretty significant steps since then!  We will continue to choose to dwell on all God has done to get us to this point and pray for the remaining steps to be completed. We can never say enough thank you's to all our dear friends, family, and even those we have never met who have prayed with us in this process the past two years. Please choose to praise the name of Jesus with us! Prayer request for what is left at the bottom of the list! Our biggest praise is that our girls are now our legal daughters and that they are now at home with us in Haiti! Praise be to God for this unspeakable gift! 

We know He hears us!

BASIC OVERVIEW OF HAITI ADOPTION PROCESS
Get your homestudy done.
Notarize documents for your adoption package to be sent to Haiti.
Send notarized documents to Secretary of State to be authenticated.
Get notarized, authenticated documents translated into French.
Send I-600A and supporting documents to USCIS.
Send French and English documents (adoption package) to Haitian Consulate to be legalized.
Send your adoption package to Haiti.
Send first payment of Haiti adoption fee to Haiti to begin adoption process of a particular child.
Orphanage director compiles child’s documents.
Haitian lawyer reviews adoptive parents’ and child’s file.
File enters IBESR (the social services dept of Haiti).
IBESR director approves this adoption. 

Send 2nd/final payment of Haiti adoption fee after exiting IBESR.

Haitian court appearance before the judge who also has to approve the adoption.

Some people (like us because we have bio kids) have to get "Presidential Dispensations"...meaning the President of Haiti has to sign our waiver allowing us to adopt and continue the process.

Dossier goes to Parquet Office  (or Commissary)
a.  Homologation
b. Parquet
c. Justice Palace
d. Exequature
e. Civil Register
f. Authorization for signature of Adoption Decree
g. Parquet Legalization  (This is the  second “First Legalization”)
More Courts
a. Ministry of Justice (Second Legalization)
b. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Third Legalization)
c. Attestation of Signatures on Adoption Decree

Archives (THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW...MARCH 2012)

Immigration submits papers to Minister of Interior to get approval to make child’s Haitian passport.

Minister of Interior gives passport authorization to Immigration.

Immigration prints passport.

DHS 

Adoptive Parent files I-600

DHS interviews birth parents 

We file more USCIS forms (File I-864W, recent Employment letter, past 3 years tax returns, etc. to prove our adopted child will not become a public charge.)

US Embassy approves visa application.

US Embassy prints child’s US visa.

The good news (out of the bad news on the last post) is that we will not have to go through the Haitian system of IBESR, etc. once again to obtain the documents the U.S. Embassy is requiring to approve visas for our girls. We have been told that the Haitian father (the one that failed the DNA test) will have to go to court (once again) in order to now obtain documents stating he was the "legal guardian" instead of the father and at least 4 other valid witnesses must attest to this as well. This just needs to get done and then we must show these documents to the U.S. Embassy. The fact that he was the father listed on the paperwork in no way undoes anything already completed in our adoption process. We had to do this "guardianship" paperwork for Marguerite through her aunt that relinquished her to an orphanage 8 years ago, so we are somewhat familiar with this process. The Embassy is also requiring further "proof" of Marguerite's mother's death and a baptismal certificate on Marguerite. So our first prayer request is that this new required paperwork for each of our girls will get done as quickly as possible. We are praying that these things can be accomplished by the time we are out of the Minister of Interior and that the visas will then be approved so we can bring the girls to the states (and once we touchdown in Miami they will be U.S. citizens!). The U.S. Embassy has given us an extension deadline of June 4th, 2012. Our HUGE prayer request is that we will be able to come home to the states as a family of six in mid June (preferably on June 12th returning with home with our 4 friends visiting from our hometown who already have their ticktes returning on that day). That would be just the best! Please pray for best! We know God's timing is always best and we are trusting His timing for the completion of all these things! 

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, 

that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 

And if we know that He hears us, 

whatever we ask, 

we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." 

1 John 5:14-15

"But certianly God has heard me;

He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 

Blessed be God,

Who has not turned away my prayer,

Nor His mercy from me!"

Psalm 66: 19-20