We all scream for ICE CREAM!

They told us how important a "routine" would be. We have the first one down: ice cream every night before bed! Other than that, a house with 4 kids can only have so much routine. :)

We have learned a few important things this week. 1) Avoid shopping trips WITH the kids, 2) Don't worry about too many visitors or activities so much...they are used to living in an orphanage, 3) Treasure 8-10 p.m. because it is the only "down" time there is, and 4) No one could be more blessed with wonderful and supportive family and friends!

Pierre is lost when Nate is not around to hang out with arm-in-arm. Ange-Laurette is determined to WISH summer here by wearing sundresses and sandals. They love short phonecalls with friends who also are spending their first week in adoptive families. Little by little, we get a taste of some of our old favorites: a shopping trip and lunch with my teenage daughter, an hour in the afternoon to write thank yous, watching a football game on tv, and catching up with old friends in town. Still, when we look back over each day, we find ourselves laughing about the one-liners and smiling about the fresh look we got at the common things we had taken for granted.

the first "I love you, Mom"

We have decided that, if we don't document each of the days' highlights at the rate the kids are learning/adjusting, we might forget how far they have come. Truly, their vocabulary and willingness to speak in English is improving by the hour. They can read full sentences with a mix of two dozen words...like, "Nate and Pierre love to play ball. Mom can eat pizza. Bailey loves to play with the cats." They also learned to tell time to the half hour, how to answer questions about pictures of communities and schools, and how to play hide-n-seek in the dark with their little brother! Dad's grilled chicken at supper was the biggest hit so far. They exclaimed: "Me love chicken! Me want two chickens!" (The pronoun "I" will be our first lesson tomorrow. :)

A trip to the visitation of a dear friend and co-worker tonight reminded me again of this. Life can be short. We know that, yet we live day to day as if that is not so. Each of us has so much to offer...so much power to change lives...and actually the time and energy to devote, if we desire. We look at these two Haitian children and how they came into our lives. The overall miracle of it was not our own doing, but there were things we had to decide to set aside and sacrifice to make it happen. In the end though, those sacrifices and heartaches and trials were NOTHING compared to the gift I received tonight: Pierre said nonchalantly as he ran off to play, "I love you, Mom." Goose bumps!

A real taste of Dakota!

Pierre and Ange-Laurette spent their first full day here enjoying the perfect snowman-building type of day. The Kreyol was rolling off their lips in an all-out snowball fight! They held their ears for half an hour after coming inside. :)

They shower on their own, pick up after themselves, and have been sleeping 10-11 hours a night in their own rooms. They prefer the side of black beans and rice we offer each meal, bread with peanut butter, and fresh fruit (only water to drink). They can be talked into trying most other things with the promise of ice cream for dessert!



We allowed Bailey and Nate to take one more day off with them. They have so much fun together, and it has helped the bonding process so much. We worked on some academics this morning~they will catch on very quickly! Continue to pray for all their friends in new adoptive families and for birthfamilies back in Haiti. We are so blessed to have them safe under our roof!

Home in Dakota!

It was the longest week we can remember...but after some pool time with Pierre and his Haitian friend staying there...and some pampering for Ange-Laurette, we were on our way home!

They were offered the chance to sit in the cockpit before take off. After their week of stardom, they started to buckle themselves in, as if this was their VIP seating for the flight. :)

It is still hard to believe that we are all here together. We are all exhausted but yet completely content.

The kids have settled in with Bailey and Nate so naturally. Hard to tell who is happiest around this house!

They are coming HOME!!

Pierre and Ange-Laurette are with us and ready to start a new life in South Dakota! At midnight, we got news that our paperwork was complete, and that the children were OURS. No more waiting...no more goodbyes...no more unknowns. They were wide awake when the Red Cross workers went to help them gather their donated clothes and toys they were allowed to keep. We were escorted to our rental car, where we taught them how to fasten a seatbelt...and how to open the door to get out!

The new experiences and things to learn will be endless! They saw their first fire truck, their first tunnel, and their first fish bowl. They saw their friends Jimmy and Rose Dania on the cover of the newspaper. This is not a very realistic picture of life in America that they have seen so far...but they have a lifetime to figure that out.

Bruce and I are speechless. We cannot believe that we have been blessed like this! We are amazed at the outpouring of support, and we are confident that it was your prayers that brought the kids home. Please do not stop praying for the hundreds of children still waiting to be joined with their families. We cannot forget the people of Haiti. We have all they need.

An interpreter asked the kids what they would like to tell us. He told us that Pierre said, "I want to thank you so much for what you have done for me." THIS from a 9 year old! Ange-Laurette wanted us to know this: "There was a terrible earthquake in Haiti. Everything kept shaking. The buildings fell down. We all tried to get people out, but we could not get them out." I asked her to tell me about her ride to the airport through Port-au-Prince. She said, "It was fine. It was not shaking anymore."

Both children were able to tell their birthmothers goodbye. They know that their birthfamilies are unharmed. We have promised them a return trip to their beautiful country one day, where we would thank their birthmothers for God's most precious and beautiful gift!

Tomorrow we land on South Dakota soil to begin our new life. They have talked to their new siblings on the phone already. This is going to be a wild ride...but one that is nothing but a miracle orchestrated by God!

Pierre and Ange-Laurette are on the plane!

There is no short version of this story...and there is no version that does not have God's hand all over it! Once we had information that the kids would likely be evacuated to the US this week, we made travel plans to get ourselves to Florida. That is where the first plane flew in, and we knew we would have too short of notice to make it from South Dakota on time. We left for Sioux Falls this morning. Our first flight to Chicago was delayed twice: once for mechanical reasons which required a new plane, and twice for dense fog in Chicago. We missed our connection to Miami and finally arrived to a motel in Chicago at 10 p.m. tonight, without luggage.

Our daughter relayed an email message to us as we arrived at the hotel. Our adoption coordinator was confirming that the governor of Pennsylvania and others were picking up ALL the children from BRESMA and flying them to Pittsburgh early tomorrow a.m. They worked frantically to clear all the kids with the State Dept all day. Over several calls and emails, we have now confirmed that as of 11 p.m. or so, the children from BRESMA are aboard a plane enroute to the US. Our children are confirmed on board!

We will fly from Chicago to Pittsburgh tomorrow a.m. to meet our kids at the Children's Hospital, where they will receive any necessary medical care, rest, and nutrition. We will stay with them in Pittsburgh a couple days until they are ready to start their new life in South Dakota.

We are not quite so frustrated anymore with our day of travel, that landed us this close to our kids! Another very short night of sleep, and we are OFF! Praise God.

Preparing for a Miracle

As the first news of the earthquake came pouring in, so did the telephone calls and emails to our home. Friends and family have been so very caring and supportive this past week! We cannot count the number of times someone has said, "I have been praying that this will somehow bring the kids home sooner, rather than later!" Although this was difficult to hear in the early days when we were certain that the earthquake actually left our adoption in limbo ~ we believe that God heard the outcrying of prayer and is going to work a mighty one!

We are still uncertain as the to the timing and the logistics of this, but we are encouraged by the State Dept's agreement that all documented orphans in Port-au-Prince could be evacuated from Haiti. IF the correct paperwork or witnesses are obtained for an orphan, they would be offered "humanitarian parole" to leave the country for asylum or refuge in another country. What we are praying for our children is that they would be allowed to go to the US where we could have foster parent status until the adoption was completed. This is a humanitarian issue for all orphans, not an adoption issue. It will not only save our children's lives, but it will open up a safe refuge for the hundreds of new orpans likely to appear in Port-au-Prince.

Aid has been very slow to arrive to our children. We know of only two deliveries of water or food so far. We are concerned about their safety and are seeking security at their gate, to prevent looting and violence. Both Pierre and Ange-Laurette are sleeping in a courtyard area (more like a driveway) simply waiting. Please pray like crazy today that the efforts to evacuate orphans will begin to happen...that it will happen safely...and that our children and the others will somehow be protected from the horrendous sights and sounds of this disaster.

We would have rather waited years for their arrival home with them in their original BRESMA home (happy and safe) and NOT had them have to endure this terrible catastrophe and trauma. They may not ever know the whereabouts of birthfamilies; they will not get to say goodbye to nannies/birthfamilies/friends the way they had pictured; they will never get to see the beautiful places of Port-au-Prince like we had planned to take them to this week on our previously scheduled visit. This will be a very long and difficult road ahead....but one that might possibly begin the healing process here at our home in the weeks ahead.

Needing their own beds

The news today is not near as positive. The children are still unharmed, but their home has sustained enough damage that they cannot stay there until it is assessed by an engineer. They are being moved to one of the other houses, where 80 younger children live. This means that they are making their way down the streets we had so hoped they would not have to see. It also means added stress on the nannies and further limits of water and food. They do not have their own bed tonight, as small and meager as it was before.





Here are their beds that await them here. The stark contrast between these rooms and where they rest tonight is almost more than we can bear. We just finished preparing their bedrooms to pass the time. Now that time looks a long ways off.

Simply Unimaginable

We are asking everyone to just stop and pray. Pray for the entire country of Haiti, for all those who have been dedicating their lives there as volunteers, and to the thousands of children like ours who wait in orphanages tonight...in the aftermath of the worst catastrophe to hit Haiti in 200 years. And include prayer for the birthparents and adoptive parents, who are now unsure what this means for their adoption process. The timeline is as unclear as ever as to when Pierre and Ange-Laurette can leave to make a new home here.

Still...they are alive and they are unharmed. We have received numerous confirmations that all 3 BRESMA orphanages are intact and that all the children are ok. THAT is news that we cannot stop praising God for. As frustrating and devastating as today may be, it is the reason we are offering our kids a life here. Regardless of when they arrive, they will not have to live 40 more years as they have so far. They will not have to witness what thousands of Haitian parents have today. Each month seems long to us right now, but in their lifetime the exact timing does not matter so much.

Bruce and I are still in a state of shock. We cannot believe that the sights and sounds that struck us to the core on our first visit to Port-au-Prince are actually in a pile of rubble tonight. How can a country so desperate for food and water and any sense of infrastructure be left void of ANY of it?! And where have all the reporters been for the past 20 years?! They talk about the city being without power tonight, but it was that way last week too. They talk about cots and food that can be immediately shipped from Panama, but they are not used to even sleeping on cots!

We know that God is still seated on His throne. He is weeping, but he is also watching for the World to respond. He won't let Satan take over this beautiful country, and that has been going on too long. Although the short term effects will be horrendous, the long-term ramifications may be a brighter future for this country. That can be our prayer anyway.

So, we cancel our flight to visit our children in Port-au-Prince next week. We unpack their suitcases and snacks. We know that they are being held by very loving nannies tonight, and that they are with all of their friends...out of view of the streets and death toll. That is where they need to be. We pray for their birth families and those of the nannies. As much as we want to hold them and comfort them and bring them home...this is not the time. We dread the photos that are sure to make the news with tomorrow's sunrise. Pray for water, strong shelter, and health for these kids. Life's most basic of necessities.

WHY it takes so long

Our adoption coordinator has posted the following to the adoption agency's blog regarding the many complicated steps in Haitian adoptions. Reading through this list, you will have a new understanding and, finally, an answer to "Why does it take so long?" We received an email from her last night that our process has been delayed due to one seemingly simple step: the posting of our children's names in the government newspaper following their exit from IBESR. Since their names have not posted since October 22nd, our case has not even entered Parquet Court to start he next step (although some of the paperwork has been done for this step). This "delay" is what our adoption coordinator calls "obnoxious and inexplainable" yet one of many things that happen that we should not panic about. Still it appears the children may arrive by July, but certainly not any earlier than that. We just take a deep breath, look up to God, and keep trusting that his hands are on every aspect of this process.



(from the Kentucky Adoption Services blog by Diana Boni)
The many steps listed below are those all the Creche Directors of Haiti must follow for each and every adoption. Add to their number the extreme difficulty of accomplishing each one: every step must be accomplished in person and by hand. Most of the offices listed do not have computers. There will be no communications by fax or email or even by official phone calls. Facilitators must visit each office personally to check on the status of each case, and carry it by hand through the traffic of Port-au-Prince to the next stage of the process.


Pre-IBESR ~While you are gathering your dossier and before your case ever enters IBESR, your adoption facilitator had to gather each of the following documents: Passport pictures of the child, Birth Certificate, Attestation of signature on Birth Certificate or extract from the National Archives, Legal relinquishment of custody to the orphanage from the local judge, Psychological evaluation, Medical evaluation, Laboratory tests, Social history, Process Verbal (A legal document in which the biological family grants the creche the right to place their child with your family for international adoption. Can only be completed after your dossier is in Haiti.)


IBESR and Dispensation~Your dossier can now be submitted to IBESR. If your family does not meet the criteria of the law of 1974, your dossier can be pre-approved for Presidential Dispensation and delivered to the Presidential Palace by IBESR. Dispensations are published in Le Moniteur. Following Dispensation, IBESR will sign off on your dossier and grant an Authorization of Adoption.
Time lines for this step have been highly inconsistent in the past year.


Parquet Court~ The 'step' we refer to as Parquet court is actually a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them. Attorney addresses a Request for Judgment to the Chief Justice of Parquet Court. Birth parents are interviewed in Parquet Court
Parquet Court signs off on "approval judgement for adoption. Facilitator takes approval to DGI for stamp of authorization. Back to Parquet for enforcement of the approval judgement. Authorization and redaction from the Civil Registrar Officer for legal Adoption Decree. Verification in parquet of the adoption documents by the Civil Registrar before signing the adoption decree
First Legalization of the Adoption Decree, in Parquet Court. Second Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Justice. Third Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Obtain attestation of Adoption Decree from the National Archives


Ministry of the Interior~ All international adoption cases are reviewed by the Ministry of Interior. In order to obtain authorization to request a passport, the following documents must be submitted for each child: Four passport sized pictures, Birth Certificate, Attestation for the Birth Certificate, Extract from the National Archives for the Birth Certificate, Relinquishment, Proces Verbal of adoption, Adoption approval judgement, Adoption Decree, Attestation of the Adoption Decree, Power of Attorney for creche director and/or attorney
Stamp from DGI, Notary letter for the passport, Identification card of facilitator and/or attorney on the case, Biological parents' identification cards, Adoptive parents' MOI form, identification, and passport photos. The Ministry of Interior will grant authorization to submit the dossier to Haitian Immigrations for a passport.


Haitian Immigrations~The facilitator will submit authorization to apply for a passport to Haitian Immigrations. This is generally a quick process - one to two weeks, if all equipment is working properly.


US Immigrations ~ (Note to international readers - US Immigrations performs the most rigorous investigation of international adoptions. Other nations' Immigrations process are different. Please check with your agency to learn about the process for your home country.) Parts of the US Immigrations process can occur concurrently with the Haitian process, however USCIS cannot sign off on the case until they have verified the final Adoption Decree and the child's passport. DNA may be requested at any time. American families are advised to work closely with their agencies to ensure a smooth and efficient US Immigrations process for their child. Approximately three to four weeks following completion of all USCIS investigations and adjudication of the I600 for the child, the case will be forwarded to the Department of State for issuance of a Visa. The Department of State also has the right to request DNA testing for birth parent and child. Adoptive parents need not be present for the Visa appointment.
Parents who can prove that they visited their child prior to the issuance of the Adoption Decree by Parquet Court will be issued an IR-3 Visa. Their children will be automatically granted full US Citizenship upon arrival in the US.


Families who did not visit their children prior to the date of the Adoption Decree must file for citizenship for their children. Failure to file for citizenship will leave the child as a legal immigrant and unprotected by the rights of full citizenship. Please refer to the USCIS website for form N-600 and instructions on how to file.

Summary
These steps were provided by Margarette Saint Fleur of BRESMA orphanage. All legitimate adoptions facilitators must follow each one of them, and must do so under extremely difficult conditions. Haitian adoptions are taking far, far too long. Children are waiting in orphanages for months and even years while the process drags on. And yet, when we look at the immensely complicated process, we must realize what a miracle it is when each child comes home.