Merry Christmas Haiti
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45
2010…What a year this has been! We are so very thankful that He has crossed our paths and that you are a part of our lives and His story. 2010 has revealed His story to us in ways that we pray we will never forget. This time last year we began to pray seriously about adoption, and adoption has certainly been the theme of this year. Nearly one year ago we began the process of adopting two precious girls from Haiti. Our adoption story is long and complicated and we ask for your continued prayers. Many have asked us, "Why are you doing this?" Adoption is a beautiful picture of what Christ has done for us. He paid our ransom, gave us new life, and is preparing our forever home! We don’t have to adopt, and we don’t expect our sacrifice will always feel worth the cost. Yet, how much did Christ sacrifice for our ransom? “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Why would He leave His home in Heaven, come to earth, be born to serve and to die, just so that we can experience life? Our adoption experience has enabled us to see the true meaning of Christmas in deeper ways than ever before. We pray that we will never again take for granted the life that has been given us. We have learned more than anything this year to “wait on the Lord”. 2010 has almost come to an end and although we wish we were also at the end of our adoption journey, this reminds us that in our earthly life we will always be left longing and waiting for our forever home. We do not know the times and dates that He has set, but we are trusting in the One that knows (and is) the beginning and the end…and everything in between.
Adoption and the Gospel go hand in hand in such an unmistakable way that it is almost difficult to be part of one without the other. We praise our Lord for the many adoptions (both physical and spiritual) we have been blessed by in 2010. We cannot begin to count the opportunities to share the Gospel and the love of Christ this past year both in Haiti and at home. We have seen many of the youth we are honored to work with come to Christ this year, and many in turn leading others to Christ. What joy we have in seeing the next generation seeking and serving our Lord! Our most precious of these times has been experiencing the salvation of our own son, Ethan, who was adopted as God’s son June 25th, 2010. We are so proud of both of our boys who are hungry to learn all they can about God’s Word and His world. They have been our biggest supporters throughout our adoption process, and we are forever grateful for the grace, love, and support we have experienced from our family and many friends. We were blessed to experience our 10th year of marriage in 2010, and we are so grateful for the gift of each other. Most of all we are thankful for our Savior who came to earth to give us the hope of eternal life, and has blessed us with all these things. Thank you Father for giving us the One who gave it all. “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13).
Because He first loved us,
Eric, Elisabeth, Ethan, and Evan Ream (and our Elita Marguerite and Esmée in Haiti)
Ti Fi Mwen (my little girls) & Haiti Happenings
"Love is an ever-fixed mark
that looks on tempests and is never shaken."-Shakespeare
"Ti fi mwen" as I affectionately call them are so ready to come home, and we still have no idea when this hope will become a reality. We still have no definite timeline although I am told their paperwork should move to the next step this month (December). This month has only brought more devastation to Haiti, so we are not expecting much progress in the very near future with many delays due to the posponed electoral process. We could really use a miracle about now and pray for this constantly! We do have great expectations from our great God that holds Haiti in His mighty hand!
 |
| My "Little Miss Maggie" Our Elita Marguerite is growing up! |
 |
| My "Little Laughing Pill" Our Esmée is growing up too! |
Elisabeth's 3rd trip to Haiti December
5-14, 2010
Answered Prayers...
Safety is not the absence of danger; it's the presence of God.
I was just reading over my last pre-trip post asking prayer for "safety and sicklessness", and a great bonding time with my girls. We have prayed for these things in general on every trip, but for some reason I felt this trip required more intense prayer for these things...Now I know why.
I had such a precious time with my girls and I can't imagine us bonding (at this point) more than we have (more on that below...) I was unexpectantly blessed by a new friendship in Betsy the visiting nurse at HCRM. We laughed and cried together over the children, the dangers surrounding us, and the reasons our Lord had brought us to this place at this time...and we were so thankful that He brought us together there at the same time!
I had such a precious time with my girls and I can't imagine us bonding (at this point) more than we have (more on that below...) I was unexpectantly blessed by a new friendship in Betsy the visiting nurse at HCRM. We laughed and cried together over the children, the dangers surrounding us, and the reasons our Lord had brought us to this place at this time...and we were so thankful that He brought us together there at the same time!
 |
| Me and Betsy (Kids got a hold or our hair...obviously!) |
No one knew that the results of the elections would provoke such riots. And I had no idea that the current President's home is two doors down from our orphanage, and so became a hot spot for the ensuing danger. We could hear gunshots and rioting during the night, and see and smell the smoke in the morning. There was much talk of the Embassy coming to airlift us American's out of Haiti, and the crew I traveled with was more than ready to leave the danger zone. I honestly felt such peace and protection each day and actually found most of these events quite exciting. I suppose the Lord prepared me for such a time as this by giving me Indiana Jones for a Dad! The others all had their plane flights canceled or bumped when the airport closed down and they all decided to buy flights on a different airline fearing it may be their only chance to get out of Haiti. Praise the Lord I was able to leave on my original departure date on my original ticket (though the airport was another story...dropped off curbside (alone) in the middle of the roaring chaos of everyone trying to get out of Haiti was not exactly exciting after having just left my precious children behind.) I also was very thankful to stay "sickless" despite the fact that both of my female traveling buddies became ill and I was with many sick children each day. So thank you for your prayers during my trip...God was very gracious to me!
Click to watch a report on what was happening in Haiti during my trip.
Click to watch a report on what was happening in Haiti during my trip.
The following is a synopis written by our friend Pierre (from another orphanage in Haiti) about why all this violence is occuring. Please pray for the final results of the elections in Haiti to bring healing and hope, and for laws to be passed that will make adoptions in Haiti more efficient.
Elections in Haiti by Pierre Alexis, Orphanage Director Elections are always one of the most difficult times in Haiti, and this year is no exception. Outside the gates of the orphanage there is a mounting storm of violence as the people of Haiti react to results of the election. After a year marked with such tragedies as the earthquake and Cholera, our country is feeling hopeless, trapped and angry. The current violence in Port-au-Prince and the larger rural towns has gone beyond the point of police control. The riots have completely shut down the airport and eyes are turning to the international community to bring some solutions. Let me explain why this is happening. The Haitian government struggles in organizing elections with transparency and objectivity. On November 28, the Haitian people went to the polls to choose Deputies, Senators and a President to lead their country. The electoral council that is responsible to organize the elections has been facing a lot of opposition since the beginning of the process. In Haiti, the President in power always does whatever he can to control everything to ensure his political party will win. The current government's party is called "INITE" (Unity). It is largely supported by President Preval. He absolutely wants Jude Celestin, who is the INITE candidate for President, to win the elections, but Jude is not very popular. The popular presidential candidates are Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly (Mickey). On Tuesday, December 7, the electoral Council proclaimed the primary results for Deputies, Senators and President. It was a very tense atmosphere when the Haitian people heard how the results were tampered with. No one has yet won because the winner needs 51% of the votes to have a clear victory. Mirlande Manigat is at 31%, Jude Celestin at 22% and Michel Martelly at 19%. The results provoked the anger of Martelly's voters and all of those who don't want Jude Celestin to be elected President. |
My fellow Haiti adoptive mom's and I like to refer to the elections as "the fourth plague" in the lineup of the Earthquake, Cholera outbreaks, and Hurricane all this past year. We have often felt that our adoption stories are reminiscent of the Exodus story in many ways. My response to this was, "So there are going to be six more plagues?" to which they said, "Well, they are coming pretty fast!" We pray that Haiti will turn to the one true God for deliverance, and also that He will perform miracles to set our children free! It often seems that our adoptions are an impossible thing, but we know that "nothing is impossible with God", and we are trusting that He will complete what He has called our families to in His timing. The tumultuous atmosphere in Haiti and still having no timeline can be both a cause for dispair and a comfort. We are anticipating that God will do big things in the near future! We know that we could still face a very long wait before our dear ones come home, but also know that this could happen tomorrow if God ordained it so!
They begged to take a bath (if you can call freezing cold cups of water dumped on you a "bath") each day (usually twice a day) and I must say that I have never seen such excitement over Q-tips! They loved listening to the music on my iPod and iTunes and I loved watching them sing and dance. I think we should start a new reality tv show called "Orphans Got Talent". Every one of those kids can dance like a superstar! My girls and any one of their friends could seriously teach the Zumba class at my gym! Yes, often their moves are shockingly inappropriate, but impressive nevertheless. We will have to work on the inappropriate part later. We didn't really have any big communication problems this time, but I knew it wasn't the time to cross that bridge just yet. The girls English is really coming along, and the Creole I tried hard to use helped quite a bit too, though I can't seem to remember much now.
We had many a dance party in our room as well as tea parties, doll dressup, nail painting, arts and crafts, movie watching, book reading, modeling, and plenty of picture taking. And Skyping with Dad, brothers, grandparents, and other adoptive friends and family Skypes were always the highlight of each day. It wasn't all fun and games, but we also found much joy in schoolwork, laundry, caring for the babies, taking naps, and even cleaning up our messes. |
| School time. |
 |
| Clothes drying on rooftop. |
 |
| Taking a break from our work. |
I was not sure why Esmee raised her hand and prayed that prayer, so I asked Pastor to clarify through translation later that night. He says she says that "I used to hit and say bad things with my mouth and I don't want to do that anymore". So I am not sure if she and some of the others were praying for repentance or salvation...but God knows their hearts!
Another big highlight was Mama learning how to do my girls hair! It took me 2 hours and 2 frustrated coaches, and a very patient volunteer (Esmee), but finally I got my fingers and my brain to synchronize and a corn row appeared! My girls were so very happy about it and when their friends and nannies asked who did their hair, they beamed when they pointed to me. The typical response was at first a look of disbelief, then with approval in their eyes, and a big smile, I knew this was a bigger deal than I had imagined. This encouraged me to practice each day and made for some sweet times with many of the girls that shared in this experience. Here are some pics so you can share the experience too!
 |
| Her "Before" Pic |
Esmee's hair is very short, difficult and time consuming to braid. I am thankful that Elita is so great with her hair as I know I will not often have a spare 4 hours when they come home!  |
 |
| 1st "After" Pic |
 |
| And see the doll in Esmee's lap? This is how the girls learn how to do hair. If there is ever a doll to be found, it is constantly having its hair braided. I have observed 4 year olds corn rowing their barbie doll's hair and my girls new doll got about 15 new do's in the 10 days I was there! |
Once again it was very hard to leave them behind, but I believe they do understand this process and that they believe we will come again soon and one of these days take them home with us. We had a great prayer and snuggle time in my bed the night before I left. Esmee slept with me and Elita was on the top bunk but she climbed down after just a few hours sleep and squeezed her sweet self in beside me for one last snuggle. The girls pretended to climb into my suitcase and we all laughed (to ease the pain). They know we are coming back in March with our youth mission trip and they are excited that it won't be as long as last time until we see them again. Lord willing, and with a miracle...maybe sooner!
Hugs a Comin'!
Hugs a Comin' December 5th, 2011...but Shh! It's a surprise!
Praying We Are More Like Penguins!
Emperor Penguins have such a strong maternal instinct that if there are any orphaned eggs, the Penguins will fight each other over who incubates them and who raises them. How ironic is it that a group of animals can fight over who gets to raise the orphans among them, but there are approximately 175 million orphaned children actually living (not inside an egg) around the world who need parents but will end up in prostitution, drug abuse, suicide and even death because no one wanted them? In a recent Unicef report, they estimated there were currently between 143 million and 210 million orphans in the world. What would our world look like if people fought over who gets to raise these children? What if we could be rid of this statistic? In the U.S., the current statistic is that if 1 family in every church adopted 1 child out of the foster care system, there would be no orphans in America. To start there would make a drastic difference. We have seen first hand what conditions these kids live in: the fear, the guilt, the pain, the loss, the hurt, the struggle, the need...and the list goes on and on. These kids need parents and homes. They need someone fighting over them. I pray we act more like Penguins. I know that sounds cheesy, but seriously, this world could be rid of orphans. I know adoption is a scary word for some people, but it will be the hardest, most wonderful, unselfish thing you ever do. If you are wondering whether or not orphan care is for you...IT IS!!! It is for all of us. There are many different ways to participate in caring for orphans. Adoption is one, but that's not the only one. If you're interested, and don't know where to start, feel free to contact us. It's not a matter of want to, it's a matter of duty. We are called as Christ-followers to take care of widows and orphans. We are unworthy of this calling. We GET to adopt and take care of widows and orphans. It's an honor and a privilege. Please take a moment today to pray and seek God on what your role in orphan care or adoption might be. It is our duty and our opportunity to fight for these kids!
–an excerpt from the blog "More Love to Give" written by our friend Holly Bollinger who just returned from adopting their two girls in Ukraine. This is exactly our heart so we wanted to share!
–an excerpt from the blog "More Love to Give" written by our friend Holly Bollinger who just returned from adopting their two girls in Ukraine. This is exactly our heart so we wanted to share!
Answering The Unanswered Question
Answering "The Unanswered Question" is hard. It's hard when asked by strangers, hard when asked by friends, hard when asked by family, hard when we ask it of ourselves, and hardest when asked by our girls in Haiti. We are to the point where many are afraid to ask it, or apologize for doing so. But please don't feel that way. It's still ok to ask. We never expected this process not to be hard. Everything about it is hard, and we don't expect it to get easier even when we are able to answer "When are the girls coming home?" and even when they do. Our daily prayer is that in the many hard days ahead that we will be able to "count them all joy". You see, God's adoption of us wasn't an easy process either, yet we are so thankful that He endured many hardships for our sakes.
Haiti's adoption process is one of the longest known to man (or at least to us!). It makes it more difficult for us (and others to understand) because of the circumstances in which we entered our adoptions of the girls. It has been 8 months now since we were first matched with our girls and submitted paperwork on the U.S. side, but initially that was under a different process, and that process (Humanitarian Parole) closed down last April. The best news we have received so far is that Haiti re-opened for adoptions at all. We hurried to submit our dossier on May 15th, 2010 (getting that done in the time frame we did it in was truly a miracle), and entered the long adoption process in Haiti at that time. Traditionally, Haiti's adoption process timeline is approx. 2 years. We are about 5 months into that, and because of the chaos of the earthquake, paperwork issues have slowed things down more than we had hoped or imagined. Our hope and prayer was that our dossier (along with the girls dossier with all their paperwork) would go to IBESR last June or July. It still is not there. This has been disheartening to say the least, but we are told the girls paperwork should be secured and completed within this month of October (Lord willing!) Please pray specifically for this and that once it does go to IBESR it will be placed in hands that will move it through quickly!
I want to encourage you with something God reminded me of just yesterday. I was thinking about a popular phrase and commonly asked question that was at one time "unanswered". Queen Esther was asked, "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) I've always heard the "for such a time as this" part emphasized to make a point or to answer a plaguing question. However, it was the "who knows?" part that grabbed my attention this time (probably because I've heard myself say that a lot lately). Part of the unanswered question is "Who knows?"! "Answering our unanswered question (or any question) with an unanswered question like "Who knows?" is nothing short of frustrating. It simply begs the question, "Then who does know?" Jeremiah 33:31 says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." I told the Lord, "I want to know! I need to know!" I know there are some things God says we don't need to know, but I need to know this! And you know what? God gave me my answer! Many, many times throughout scripture He tells us, "And you shall know I am the Lord your God". Our son Ethan just finished memorizing Psalm 100. Each day I would hear his sweet voice practice saying these words, "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and we are His." Thank you Lord for reminding me that you really do have the whole world in your hands, and that includes Haiti. So instead of answering the unanswered question with the question "Who knows?" from now on my answer will be "God knows!" and that is a really great thing to know!
Haiti's adoption process is one of the longest known to man (or at least to us!). It makes it more difficult for us (and others to understand) because of the circumstances in which we entered our adoptions of the girls. It has been 8 months now since we were first matched with our girls and submitted paperwork on the U.S. side, but initially that was under a different process, and that process (Humanitarian Parole) closed down last April. The best news we have received so far is that Haiti re-opened for adoptions at all. We hurried to submit our dossier on May 15th, 2010 (getting that done in the time frame we did it in was truly a miracle), and entered the long adoption process in Haiti at that time. Traditionally, Haiti's adoption process timeline is approx. 2 years. We are about 5 months into that, and because of the chaos of the earthquake, paperwork issues have slowed things down more than we had hoped or imagined. Our hope and prayer was that our dossier (along with the girls dossier with all their paperwork) would go to IBESR last June or July. It still is not there. This has been disheartening to say the least, but we are told the girls paperwork should be secured and completed within this month of October (Lord willing!) Please pray specifically for this and that once it does go to IBESR it will be placed in hands that will move it through quickly!
I want to encourage you with something God reminded me of just yesterday. I was thinking about a popular phrase and commonly asked question that was at one time "unanswered". Queen Esther was asked, "Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14) I've always heard the "for such a time as this" part emphasized to make a point or to answer a plaguing question. However, it was the "who knows?" part that grabbed my attention this time (probably because I've heard myself say that a lot lately). Part of the unanswered question is "Who knows?"! "Answering our unanswered question (or any question) with an unanswered question like "Who knows?" is nothing short of frustrating. It simply begs the question, "Then who does know?" Jeremiah 33:31 says, "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know." I told the Lord, "I want to know! I need to know!" I know there are some things God says we don't need to know, but I need to know this! And you know what? God gave me my answer! Many, many times throughout scripture He tells us, "And you shall know I am the Lord your God". Our son Ethan just finished memorizing Psalm 100. Each day I would hear his sweet voice practice saying these words, "Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and we are His." Thank you Lord for reminding me that you really do have the whole world in your hands, and that includes Haiti. So instead of answering the unanswered question with the question "Who knows?" from now on my answer will be "God knows!" and that is a really great thing to know!
Once Upon a Time...
Once upon a time there lived two little girls named Marguerite and Berlinda. They were born to two families in the same country and around the same time. These two families loved their baby girls very much and dreamed of giving them the world...a world very different from their own.
One day, something terrible happened to Marguerite's mother and father and they both died. She was sent to live with an aunt, but the aunt was very very poor. One day when her aunt could no longer care for her, she lovingly took her to an orphanage where she could get some food, and hoped that a new family would come looking for her and take her home. This orphanage however was run by people that did not take care of the children. She lived there until she was six years old. People found out that the orphanage was a bad place, and closed it down. She was then sent to another orphanage where she has lived for the past 5 years. She has endured hurricanes, earthquakes, sickness, hunger and thirst, and has prayed for a family that will love her and care for her for as long as she can remember. She loves learning, caring for younger children, drawing pictures, jumping rope, singing, dancing, and the color pink. She is everything a little girl should be...thoughtful, kind, loving, and despite her very hard life her eyes are bright with hope and excitement that all her dreams will one day come true.
Berlinda was born in the beautiful countryside. There are no roads and no city lights, but you don't need them because the stars shine so brightly. There is no school in the small village and the people often have a hard time finding work and food. One day the food ran out. Berlinda's grandmother often walked her to a mission many miles away so that she could get the one meager meal they were able to offer the children each day. But they could not make it every day. As time passed, Berlinda became very weak from the lack of food. Her grandmother also became too weak to walk her to the mission. So one day, grandmother walked Berlinda to the mission for the very last time and left her there. Berlinda met other children at the mission that shared her fate and they became her new family. One day people from an orphanage in another town came to the mission. They saw how hungry and weak Berlinda and her friends were, and the children begged to be taken away to the orphanage. She was one of the lucky ones selected to go, although she had no idea where they were taking her. She is thankful because although she is still hungry at times, she is not weak and sick like she used to be. Her eyes tell the story of deep sadness and loss, yet her smile and laugh are the essence of joy. Her favorite things are things we often take for granted...eating and sleeping in a bed. But she also enjoys playing with her friends, jumping rope, singing, dancing, and the color blue. She is shy at times, but never at church service. She often raises her arms in praise to God and when she wants to be held.
These two little girls born around the same time, found their way to the same orphanage. One day there was a terrible earthquake, and many people lost their lives and homes. But God chose to spare the lives of Marguerite and Berlinda. Other people in far off places came to help. They could not help everyone, but help came to some. Far away in another land lived a family that also wanted to help. They had been praying about children like Marguerite and Berlinda for many years, and somehow pictures of these special girls made their way into this families home and hearts. The mommy and daddy went to meet the girls and they were all very happy that their prayers had been answered. They brought the girls home on a big airplane to brothers and their very own beds and they lived happily ever after.
"Once Upon a Time" phrases occur 5 times in Scripture. Usually, when we see "Once upon a time" we expect "happily ever after" to follow within a reasonable amount of time. Yet, without exception each time this phrase is used in Scripture it is to "introduce impending catastrophe or doom". Not exactly what we want to hear... but there is good news. Each of the five occasions where the "once upon a times" were associated with doom, there is still a happy ending! However, "before that happy ending is realized, much grief occurs." -(what I gleaned in a lesson from Beth Moore's "Esther"...who was also an orphan praying for a happy ending...and got one!)
Please pray for the girls and us as we experience "much grief" before our happy ending can be realized. This is a true story...all except for the very last line. Marguerite and Berlinda have not come home on the big airplane yet, and many miracles still have to happen for that moment to become a reality. We appreciate your prayers and support more than you could ever know! Please continue to pray for the mountains to move and for happy endings!
One day, something terrible happened to Marguerite's mother and father and they both died. She was sent to live with an aunt, but the aunt was very very poor. One day when her aunt could no longer care for her, she lovingly took her to an orphanage where she could get some food, and hoped that a new family would come looking for her and take her home. This orphanage however was run by people that did not take care of the children. She lived there until she was six years old. People found out that the orphanage was a bad place, and closed it down. She was then sent to another orphanage where she has lived for the past 5 years. She has endured hurricanes, earthquakes, sickness, hunger and thirst, and has prayed for a family that will love her and care for her for as long as she can remember. She loves learning, caring for younger children, drawing pictures, jumping rope, singing, dancing, and the color pink. She is everything a little girl should be...thoughtful, kind, loving, and despite her very hard life her eyes are bright with hope and excitement that all her dreams will one day come true.
Berlinda was born in the beautiful countryside. There are no roads and no city lights, but you don't need them because the stars shine so brightly. There is no school in the small village and the people often have a hard time finding work and food. One day the food ran out. Berlinda's grandmother often walked her to a mission many miles away so that she could get the one meager meal they were able to offer the children each day. But they could not make it every day. As time passed, Berlinda became very weak from the lack of food. Her grandmother also became too weak to walk her to the mission. So one day, grandmother walked Berlinda to the mission for the very last time and left her there. Berlinda met other children at the mission that shared her fate and they became her new family. One day people from an orphanage in another town came to the mission. They saw how hungry and weak Berlinda and her friends were, and the children begged to be taken away to the orphanage. She was one of the lucky ones selected to go, although she had no idea where they were taking her. She is thankful because although she is still hungry at times, she is not weak and sick like she used to be. Her eyes tell the story of deep sadness and loss, yet her smile and laugh are the essence of joy. Her favorite things are things we often take for granted...eating and sleeping in a bed. But she also enjoys playing with her friends, jumping rope, singing, dancing, and the color blue. She is shy at times, but never at church service. She often raises her arms in praise to God and when she wants to be held.
These two little girls born around the same time, found their way to the same orphanage. One day there was a terrible earthquake, and many people lost their lives and homes. But God chose to spare the lives of Marguerite and Berlinda. Other people in far off places came to help. They could not help everyone, but help came to some. Far away in another land lived a family that also wanted to help. They had been praying about children like Marguerite and Berlinda for many years, and somehow pictures of these special girls made their way into this families home and hearts. The mommy and daddy went to meet the girls and they were all very happy that their prayers had been answered. They brought the girls home on a big airplane to brothers and their very own beds and they lived happily ever after.
"Once Upon a Time" phrases occur 5 times in Scripture. Usually, when we see "Once upon a time" we expect "happily ever after" to follow within a reasonable amount of time. Yet, without exception each time this phrase is used in Scripture it is to "introduce impending catastrophe or doom". Not exactly what we want to hear... but there is good news. Each of the five occasions where the "once upon a times" were associated with doom, there is still a happy ending! However, "before that happy ending is realized, much grief occurs." -(what I gleaned in a lesson from Beth Moore's "Esther"...who was also an orphan praying for a happy ending...and got one!)
Please pray for the girls and us as we experience "much grief" before our happy ending can be realized. This is a true story...all except for the very last line. Marguerite and Berlinda have not come home on the big airplane yet, and many miracles still have to happen for that moment to become a reality. We appreciate your prayers and support more than you could ever know! Please continue to pray for the mountains to move and for happy endings!
"$771"
"$771". My heart sank as the American Airlines representative told me this is the lowest fare available. "$771 per person to fly roundtrip to Haiti November 20th-26th". $771 is simply unfathomable when I sit here under a leaking roof, staring out at cars needing major repairs, an unpaid mortgage among other bills, school tuitions, monthly care fees for the girls, and then there is the thousands we still need to raise for the end of the adoption process and travel at that time. $771 is unthinkable right now. $771 is impossible right now. How can we even dream of going to Haiti as a family for Thanksgiving?
Yet $771 is also the amount it would take to hold my girls once again, to feel them melt into my arms and let out that deep sigh that says...I'm home. I'm safe. I'm secure even for a few days. I'm chosen. I'm much loved. $771 is the amount it would take for little boys to meet the sisters they have prayed for every day and night for the past 8 months, for pictures to come to life, for silly faces to be made in person instead of a computer screen. $771 to see the smiling faces of 120 orphans, to hear their precious cries to a God they know loves them despite what this world has dealt them, to hold them, wipe their tears, feed them, just be with them again. When I hear my girls ask, "When you come? Please you come?"$771 is more than worth it.
Yet $771 is also the amount it would take to hold my girls once again, to feel them melt into my arms and let out that deep sigh that says...I'm home. I'm safe. I'm secure even for a few days. I'm chosen. I'm much loved. $771 is the amount it would take for little boys to meet the sisters they have prayed for every day and night for the past 8 months, for pictures to come to life, for silly faces to be made in person instead of a computer screen. $771 to see the smiling faces of 120 orphans, to hear their precious cries to a God they know loves them despite what this world has dealt them, to hold them, wipe their tears, feed them, just be with them again. When I hear my girls ask, "When you come? Please you come?"$771 is more than worth it.
More Than Enough
Several years ago I began reading Karen Kingsbury novels. I liked her so much that I began reading every preface and dedication in her books to discover where she might derive her inspiration. It was in those pages that my heart was first drawn to Haiti. We had always talked about adoption, and have believed strongly for many years that we would adopt someday. We have considered and researched both domestic and international adoptions from many countries. However, there was something about the descriptions of the children in Haiti that drew me in, and kept my curiosity for years. I now know that her descriptions were not a mere conjure of a novelist imagination, but true depictions of Haiti, and its beloved children.
The "moms" who are dear friends, also adopting children from our girls orphanage are passing around Karen Kingsbury's "A Treasury of Adoption Miracles". It was my turn to read it this week. The last in the long list of amazing adoption stories is the Kingsbury's. They have adopted three boys from Haiti. She says, "People ask us about the transition. How do you bring children into your home who have nothing in common with you? You have different skin colors, different cultural understandings, different languages--even different food preferences. We tell them this: with much prayer. You see, we knew going into this adoption process that we would have different colors, different countries, different cultures. But we would have the same Christ and that, we believed, was enough. It was enough at the beginning, and it remains enough now. More than enough. Our primary heritage is found not in our ancestors or family genealogies or birthplaces but at the cross, in Christ alone. There's a story often told of a particularly rough storm that came up one night and left a sandy beach strewn with starfish. The next morning a child walked along the shore, stopping every few feet to pick up a starfish and fling it back to sea. An old man watched the child and finally shouted at him, "Why bother, son? There are too many starfish to make a difference!" With that, the boy picked up another starfish and looked at it intently before heaving it out to sea. Then turning to the old man, he said, "It made a difference to that one."
One of our adoption fundraiser t-shirts asks the question, "How do you reach 147 million orphans?" The answer, "One at a time!"....or as my son Evan likes to point out when people read his shirt aloud, "Yeah, well we are taking two at a time! How many are you?" Honestly, we would like to take a few more than two...and maybe we will one of these days! Right now we are praying and working toward bringing our two precious girls home. We know there will be big adjustments, and are preparing the best we can for the adjustment time...yet we know that in all these things, He is always more than enough.
The "moms" who are dear friends, also adopting children from our girls orphanage are passing around Karen Kingsbury's "A Treasury of Adoption Miracles". It was my turn to read it this week. The last in the long list of amazing adoption stories is the Kingsbury's. They have adopted three boys from Haiti. She says, "People ask us about the transition. How do you bring children into your home who have nothing in common with you? You have different skin colors, different cultural understandings, different languages--even different food preferences. We tell them this: with much prayer. You see, we knew going into this adoption process that we would have different colors, different countries, different cultures. But we would have the same Christ and that, we believed, was enough. It was enough at the beginning, and it remains enough now. More than enough. Our primary heritage is found not in our ancestors or family genealogies or birthplaces but at the cross, in Christ alone. There's a story often told of a particularly rough storm that came up one night and left a sandy beach strewn with starfish. The next morning a child walked along the shore, stopping every few feet to pick up a starfish and fling it back to sea. An old man watched the child and finally shouted at him, "Why bother, son? There are too many starfish to make a difference!" With that, the boy picked up another starfish and looked at it intently before heaving it out to sea. Then turning to the old man, he said, "It made a difference to that one."
One of our adoption fundraiser t-shirts asks the question, "How do you reach 147 million orphans?" The answer, "One at a time!"....or as my son Evan likes to point out when people read his shirt aloud, "Yeah, well we are taking two at a time! How many are you?" Honestly, we would like to take a few more than two...and maybe we will one of these days! Right now we are praying and working toward bringing our two precious girls home. We know there will be big adjustments, and are preparing the best we can for the adjustment time...yet we know that in all these things, He is always more than enough.
Kids that are heavy on our hearts
Sisters Milange and Midrene are pre-quake adoptable orphans at HCRM. Elisabeth is very close to these girls and knows some of the background history on them. The family that was pursuing their adoption is now unable to do so. These girls will bring a lot of life to their forever family...please pray for the right family to have open hearts for these beautiful girls who long for a loving home!
Brothers Jeff and Colson are post-quake orphans that are heavy on our hearts. They are the sweetest boys and we would adopt them if it were the right situation. We are not the right family for them, but are praying there is a family out there that will open their hearts to these sweet boys, and let these boys bless them! We have no reservations about the personalities of these two although their adoption situation is not fully known to us. We are posting their picture in hopes of spreading the word about them, because we promised them we would!
I could just go on and on about Haiti, our beautiful girls, and all the precious children there, but I feel led to mention four specific children at this time. If you are reading my blog then you are probably adoption minded, know someone that is, and/or simply want to help "defend the cause of the fatherless" and spread their stories. There is a particular 12 year old boy named "Jeff" (a nickname he likes...his real name is Dennison) that I grew very fond of and bonded with on my April trip. I also adored his little brother Colson. We love these boys and if it was the right situation for our family, would have no reservations about adopting them (We have even dared to dwell on that possibility, but know it is not realistic or good to think of adopting more at this time especially with their ages being so close to our girls and being the opposite sex...not to mention another $18-20,000 we would have to raise!) Although I did bond in a sweet way with Jeff and Colson back in April, I don't believe I gave them reason to hope or believe that I was considering adopting them (although this is always the hope with all the kids). However, the hope was there for Jeff, and it grew and word got out by the time I returned in June. Other friends that traveled in May had told me that Jeff seemed very close to our girls and he was in nearly every picture with them. I know that neither Jeff, Colson, or our girls truly believed we were going to adopt the boys, but all felt that we may be considering that possibility. Shortly after arriving, we knew this was the case as many children asked me "You, Jeff's mom right?" I would tell them, "No, Marguerite and Delenda", and they would get wide eyed, cover their mouths and run off to inform all their friends. I was so burdened for Jeff and Colson who never asked but stood in the shadows waiting to hear what I would say. We loved on them all week, continuing to answer "no" when other children continued to ask if we were adopting them. It was evident to them that we loved these boys, and most the kids simply do not understand what adoption entails. Once when the question was asked with Jeff sitting next to me, I looked him in the eyes and said, "I wish I could Jeff, but we just can't". He looked down, then up at me and nodded giving me a sad smile as if he completely understood. I told them that if I was going to adopt Jeff then I would also adopt Colson. This made Colson smile big. The kids are used to seeing siblings separated often due to circumstances or ages of the siblings, but this is not the case with these boys (although they may still fear separation). There are some kids that you just get and that get you and you just naturally bond even if you didn't see it coming. Jeff and Colson are special to me in that way. Eric also enjoyed these boys and concurred that they were two of the sweetest boys at HCRM. We pray there is a family (selfishly praying for one that lives close to us!) that would allow these boys to bless their hearts and lives as they have ours! I have posted Jeff and Colson's picture (and I have a bunch more) if you know anyone that might want more information concerning their adoptions.
Now for the girls on my heart....Milange and Midrene are sisters ages 14 and 10. I've posted their picture as well (and have lots more of them too)! They were previously matched with a sweet adoptive family in the Dallas area that we have been talking to throughout this process. The adoptive mom sent care packages and many things for the girls with me when I went in April. They are good friends with our girls, so I naturally got to know them. This sweet family is now no longer able to pursue these girls, and as far as I know, the girls do not yet know this news (but will soon figure it out or be told). I am asking for prayer for them as the adoptive mom had already been to visit them, and the girls asked me about her continually on our recent trip. I knew that the adoptions had fallen through, but didn't have the heart (or permission) to tell the girls. These girls have a fairly rough background and I do have quite a bit of information regarding their situation. The fact that they are extremely healthy and lively after all they have been through demonstrates God's love, grace, and that He does have a special plan for their lives. Milange is a sweet, take charge personality (typical 14 year old) that I simply love to hang out with. I haven't seen any out of the ordinary behavior from her although she does have a strong will about her. She is very protective and loving toward her sister and others. Midrene (age 10) is extremely affectionate and simply wants someone to love her. She is very open about how she feels and usually responds in some physical way. This can be both a positive and negative for her. After observing her and spending a lot of time with her, I found that the more she felt accepted and loved by me the less clingy and touchy she became (in a very short amount of time). She did shred a shirt (and yes I mean shred...like in a hundred little pieces) I gave her, but I sensed at that time that another girl did have something to do with this as well (just couldn't prove it or get the explanation at that time). I scolded Midrene lovingly after this inappropriate behavior and told her to clean up the mess. She immediately responded in obedience and with respect and apologized. I later found out that the other girl was trying to take her shirt and calling her "little street girl" when she would not hand it over. She only destroyed the shirt so it would not be taken away. These girls have both lived in survival mode for their entire lives, and that is not going to change overnight even if their circumstance changes. However, I truly believe that in a loving, secure, home environment both these girls will flourish and bring much joy to their forever family. I love them dearly and would greatly appreciate prayers on their behalf (especially as they find out that they no longer have an adoptive family at this time).
Face to Face in Haiti-the Sequel
"Senye, Ala nou kontan se pa nou k'ap kenbe ou men se ou k'ap kenbe nou."-"Lord, How glad we are that we don't hold you, but that you hold us."
This trip was much like my last except for a few things. My husband was there sharing the experience. Our group was much smaller and I was the only one who had been there before. The familiar always lends a better feeling than the unknown and in many ways I felt like I was coming home for a visit (much like when I visit my parents and siblings at their homes...Wherever your family is...wherever there are those that love you and need you and you love them and need them, that is your home!). I knew better what to expect and was more excited now than anxious. Because our girls already knew me along with many of the other children, I had a different perspective and anticipation. And I must say our video quality was more than much improved (thanks to the skills of my wonderful husband). Eric was better prepared than I had been on my first trip since he had been reliving my endless stories with me and staring at hundreds of Haiti pictures for the past 2 months.
Haiti was sadly much the same. Tragedy and beauty mix together in that place in an all too real representation of our Maker's intentional, unmistakable, beautiful design grotesquely marred by the effects of the fallen, sinful, world in which we all live. Breathtaking landscapes widen the eyes while the cloud of dust and filth all around forces them shut. Looking beyond the endless tents and weary faces, the stench of burning trash and unmarked sewage, the mountains and hills flaunt their beauty, taunting the soul. Psalm 121:1 comes to mind as "I lift up my eyes to the hills - From whence comes my help?" . The higher the more beautiful, the cleaner the air, the cooler the breeze, and shadier the trees, as if heaven is just around the next bend. And yet, you see another crumpled woman, another crumbled home, another crying child, another and another and you know for certain that heaven is nowhere nearby.
A light rain began to fall as we neared the girls orphanage. There was a water truck at the bottom of the hill blocking our path into the drive. Eric was in the vehicle with Pastor and our luggage. I was crammed in the truck with our 5 friends and our driver Claude. Neither the water truck nor our vehicle was budging although it felt like we would topple down the steep, uneven downhill stretch at any moment. The kids sweet voices were barely audible above the rain and rolled up windows, but I could see their blurred forms through the rain covered windshield. I asked if I could "just get out", and without waiting for permission to be granted, escaped the truck. The others stayed, patiently waiting and wondering if their children were among the blurred views on the balcony now being ushered in from the rain. Once again, it was not the arrival we had anticipated! Eric had envisioned meeting the girls alongside me, but his badly sprained ankle (that had occurred at youth camp two days before our trip) did not allow him the luxury of springing his vehicle and bounding down the slippery slope. We may not speak the same language, but my girls sure think like their Mama! They didn't wait for permission either once they saw me trudging down that hill. They jumped down those stairs, escaped the gate, and ran up that hill beads a bouncing before I even made it halfway down. My first thoughts were, "I've never seen such beautiful girls!" They were all decked out in their new outfits I had sent with friends a month before and had their hair beaded before meeting Papa for the first time. It was bittersweet to see the outfits and shoes so clean pressed and white with no scuff marks. I then knew they had waited to wear them for our special arrival even though they had desperately needed them the month before. This is how it is with all the kids. They don't have nice things. When/if they actually receive something nice, they will hoard and save it indefinitely in hopes that someday they will have a special reason to look and feel worthy of such niceness. My heart breaks for all of them. I am thankful our girls feel they had a reason to put on their special things, and that we have been able to grant them these moments. How we long for many, many, more! The rain came harder and we stood there holding each other with me pondering whether I should take them inside or up the hill to meet Eric. I felt that the girls were beginning to wonder if their Papa had actually come, and if so, why he wasn't as eager to meet them? So I decided it was best to show them, and not make Eric wait another minute either. I tried to tell them that Eric's foot was hurt, but the only word I could remember was "malad" which means "sick". So I told them his foot was sick, and they gave me a really weird look. Then I decided to drop the explanation since I didn't want them to think Eric was sick and that they couldn't be around him. We wetly convened with Eric and awkwardly helped him hobble down the hill. I can't wait for the girls to see him again as his normal athletic self, as who knows what they think right now about his crippled status!
When we reached a dry covering, Eric got to have his long awaited hugs. We then found out the girls had their own ideas and preparations to make our arrival even more special...well at least Marguerite did. Completely out of the blue, and oblivious to the rain or dozens of others around, she began to sway and sing every song she probably knows in English! All of it Christian worship music and childhood Sunday school songs! She held tightly to Berlinda's arm making sure she was engaged in the show as well. Berlinda didn't seem as enthusiastic but went along with it for awhile. It reminded me so much of how I was with my younger sister Eleisha at their age. Shortly after this scene we had another surprise....though we shouldn't have been too surprised. Berlinda told us frankly that her name was now "Delenda". I was like, "You've got to be kidding me!". The last time I had all her stuff monogrammed and labelled "Delenda" and she was mad about it and assured me her name was "Berlinda". So we had been trying to switch our brains to saying "Berlinda" for the past 2 months, and now it was "Delenda" again? We said, "How bout just "Linda"? She wasn't agreeable to this, and that is when Marguerite piped up and said "Esmee". So then I knew the girls had been able to decipher the letters I had sent them telling them the stories behind the names we liked for them, and asking them what they thought about that. I wrote the letters through the french creole translator on my computer, but I wasn't sure how well the girls read or if the translations were accurate. Evidently Marguerite can read, and they were accurate enough. Yea! Then she pointed to herself and said "Elita". I asked her if she liked the name "Elita" and she smiled big and shook her head yes several times. She kept repeating, "Elita Marguerite, Elita Marguerite" over and over, and I said "bèl"which means "pretty". I don't think Esmee is sure how she feels about it, what her real name is or how old she is (we aren't sure either), so she goes by a smorgasbord of names and ages right now! We have learned that this too is sometimes just how it is in Haiti. If the child was not born in a hospital, and if there are no relatives to give accurate facts, then kids like Esmee just don't know. Many of the adoptive families have had to deal with this issue, but it is a minor one in comparison.
We had an amazing week with the girls and enjoyed every minute of it. They are both definitely more secure with our match and we had some great conversations through the translator (about lots of things including the adoption process, their past, expectations, and hearts desires for when they finally come home.) Esmee quietly crept into my bunk and snuggled with me each night and I let her sleep in each morning. That girl can sleep through anything! Gotta get used to the feel of those beads on my arm though.
I miss that feeling now.
I woke up each morning to the sound of Marguerite rustling through my bags (You can see the top of her head doing just that below us in this picture). She was only in search of her outfit for the day, which she quickly learned I had in ample supply. Because I am not yet their Mom (I am in my heart and I believe in theirs, but not officially until we sign those papers!), I don't have control over many things I wish I did in their lives. But if I have the opportunity to give my girls a clean change of clothes every day for a week, and food to eat throughout the day, I am going to take it! They did not protest one little bit either, except for the time that they wanted to switch dresses and the pink one was clearly too small for Marguerite and the blue one was clearly too big for Esmee! My friends told me it wasn't too early to start winning that battle and to put my foot down. I did, and the girls obliged me with only a tiny pout from Esmee who already had on the blue dress.
Eric was able to build a great relationship with Pastor Fritz (who is also the director of the orphanage and our acting agency handling our paperwork). The moment we arrived, they hit it off, and Pastor asked Eric to speak at his church the next morning. We went to church as a family about an hour away from the orphanage (Last time I attended church at the orphanage with the girls).
The girls got to hear their future Dad preach for the first time through Pastor's translation. Eric is such a natural with the people, and we both loved our time with them. We found out later that one person from the small congregation accepted Christ through the sermon that morning! Eric rode around with Pastor several times throughout the week. He was able to go check out the land site (already purchased) for the new orphanage and church. The building they are currently in is only rented through this December. We are praying the girls (and many of their friends) will be home by then! This is going to be an ongoing project many of the families in our area are supporting and planning to help with long after our children are home.
I thought leaving the girls would be even more difficult this time. However, they seemed so happy with the load of loot (my sleeping bag, fan, art supplies, clothes, and the rest of the food) we were leaving with them, and so secure from the conversations we had been able to have through the translator, that we believe they were not as worried this time about us returning for them. Our girls are a perfect match for our family. We know that, and we believe they know that too! They say they can't wait to come home and meet their brothers (and Marguerite has begged us to let her take a jazz dance class...she absolutely loves to perform!) They were sad, as were we, but we all felt a peace that surpasses all understanding surrounding us.
We now face the long wait (and it seems we have already been waiting an eternity since we initially thought they would be coming on humanitarian parole before now). Our paperwork (dossier) was delivered by friends on May 15th, and we are busy trying to raise the remaining $3,000 (out of $6,000) to cover the initial adoption deposit for attorney fees and so that our paperwork can continue to be processed for the adoptions. This amount was due when we turned in our dossier, yet we do not yet have the funds to send for the remaining $3,000. We have spent another $6,000 on our dossier paperwork, U.S. adoption fees, and costs associated with our trips to Haiti. We are very grateful to all those that have contributed to these required (and desired) trips to meet our girls, and especially for the sweet family that donated all the air miles necessary for Eric and I to fly in June. We will owe another $6,000 at the time our adoptions are officially completed. When all is said and done these adoptions will end up costing between $20-$25,000. We have no idea exactly where the remaining funds will come from as we have currently depleted all our accounts already on this process. Yet, as I stated in a previous post, we did not know that we would have to travel this road when we committed to this process We are thankful we didn't know, or we probably would never have had the privilege of walking this road, getting to know and love two amazing girls and so many others. We are now doing our very best to raise the money needed in many ways, and know that $25,000 is not so much to He that owns the cattle on 1,000 hills!
Good news! We came home to our official document from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security granting us approval for "advance processing of orphan petition" or official permission from the U.S. to adopt. This is a very long process, and we have had our fill of paperwork and fees for this and that. Please pray for endurance as we continue to seek God's will and grace during this difficult time for our family. Some days are filled with so much joy and hope for the future. Others are filled with disappointment, reports that we wish we hadn't received, and longer to-do list just to make it to the next step. Haiti is one of the more difficult countries to adopt from, and the list of requirements is mind boggling and exhausting. We are so very thankful and blessed to have so many dear families in our area that are on this journey with us. I don't know how we would have managed without their support, and encouragement. We continue to meet for fellowship at least once a month, e-mail progress reports on our children on a daily basis, and collectively pray together in our own homes on Monday nights. What a blessing these families have been and will continue to be as we raise our kids together. We are all praying that our kids are home by Christmas! This is a real possibility, but will require much prayer and cooperation from all parties (offices in Haiti) involved in the process for this to become a reality. Please, please, continue to pray!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)