Haitian Adoption Decrees granted!!

Soon after the earthquake, our adoption coordinator told us that she and the orphanage director in Port-au-Prince would continue to work to complete the kids' adoptions in Haiti, amidst the chaos there. It was important for all future Haitian adoptions that they try to follow all the legal steps there. However, we were asked to proceed, at the same time, by completing the adoptions here in South Dakota. Bruce and I assumed that we would never have all the original paperwork for our kids, and we highly doubted that the steps could be completed in Haiti, considering the state of Port-au-Prince. (although we were VERY grateful for their efforts)

Early June, we received an email from our adoption coordinator that we had to read three or four times to believe it. She had located both children's original paperwork in the orphanage director's office in Haiti. Not only that, but enclosed in their files were each child's Haitian Adoption Decrees! Somehow, amidst everything there, our cases had continued to go through the legal steps, with birthparent signatures and attorney signatures etc. On March 30, 2010, our kids had been legally pronounced our children with Lear as their last names. We now have the original paperwork in our hands: blue ink, tattered and torn, certified and stamped! It was the best piece of UPS mail we'd ever received!!!

By late September, we should be able to have the adoption completed here in South Dakota as well. (Just a formalization of what already is.) There will be a HUGE party like no other on that day. :) The kids are already planning all the details. We received notification today that our kids are now considered Category 1, which will help with citizenship issues later on.

We know that other families have not been as fortunate in locating their paperwork or even in receiving their adopted children yet. We pray daily for an end to their wait as well. There are still 8 children waiting in Pittsburgh, who have been linked to approved families with beds and loving homes waiting. Pray that the officials involved will speed up the process. These 8 kids need to start their new lives with their families, like ours were able to do.