How we passed the days...

For the next few days, we communicated amazingly through the nonverbals we normally take for granted. We said the few phrases we knew frequently: "How are you? Are you happy? We're happy to know you. We love you." We also had Turnbull's English/Kreyole dictionary to look up specific words we might need to use: wash, supper, bed, teeth, hungry, quiet, wait. We probably sounded funny, but we tried. So did they. Both kids were willing to repeat phrases in English. A couple times they had no choice. Once Ange-Laurette was in the center of the pool in a float and was obviously trying to tell Bruce to take her back to the side. (She was not fond of her first time in the pool, but she became an underwater fish by day three.) Bruce told her to say, "Take me to the side." Again, she called out the phrase in Kreyole. He repeated his request, and she yelled, "Tate me to da side!" They will learn quickly :)

They loved the pool, playing with dolls, coloring and writing in notebooks, picking out their clothes for each day/night, and choosing snacks from the large stash we brought with us. Tips for other parents traveling, that were shared with us: bring extra pairs of underwear as they insist on wearing them under swimsuits, favorite foods are Cheetos/jerky/poptarts/gummies, bring socks for the tile floors in cold air conditioned rooms, have dissolvable cough strips for the colds they catch, and bring bags of markers with paper to keep them busy during lengthy supper times. Ange-Laurette and the other girls had their hair braided special for our visit but still enjoyed having new beads/bands/barrettes put in each day. They love play watches, jewelry, caps, sunglasses, having their nails painted...just like any other kids their age. Hooded sweatshirts were a must when they got cold after swimming...and extra towels for the room and pool, to add to the only 3 or 4 you will have in your room. Our kids were content with the Disney channel on the television there, rather than sitting through entire DVDs that we had brought along. They also liked just playing matching card games, catch, soccer out in the grounds, jump rope, and talking with their friends. They are experts at making their own fun and playing a "jacks" type of game with rocks they find.

Leaving BRESMA, with the shirts on their backs ~

The other parents were eager to leave the orphanage and get to the hotel to enjoy time with their kids. On our next trip we hope to stay much longer at the orphanage, to spend time with all the children there and to get a better feel for their life there. It seemed strange to have the kids leave the orphanage with only the clothes on their back, but that was all they had. We had packed all the clothes, toys, and snacks they would need for the next 4 days and nights.

So, we all 12 piled in the van for another trip through Port-au-Prince to check in to our hotel. It was Friday afternoon, and we would stay there within the hotel complex until we returned the kids on Tuesday morning. We were encouraged to focus on bonding with the kids and to not venture out to the markets etc. on our own. If we wanted art etc on another trip, we could give the money to our driver to make the purchase...much better deals when not made by actual Americans!

In the van, Pierre immediately took off my sunglasses to wear on the trip. (Luckily we had packed a pair for each...which they insisted on wearing ALL the time...even to supper after dark.) As we drove, they both reached to hold our hands, leaning against us and looking up and smiling periodically. Bruce and I had that "new parents" look...of awe and pride and love! There was such a stark contrast between what we were feeling and would be experiencing at the hotel...and what we saw on the streets along the way. As Bruce and the other parents checked in, I sat with the kids on the couches in the lobby. They were chattering about going swimming and posing for as many photos as I would take. Pierre handed the camera to Ange-Laurette and said "Foto!" for the picture below of us. They also made several trips to the public restroom where they used western toilets and washed their hands in warm water with tons of soap!

A Day We'll Never Forget ~

I can say that for the first time in my life, I was truly speechless. We could scarcely take in the sights and sounds and smells! So much was new, and all we'd read and seen in pictures came to life. Our driver ranked right up there with the best of NASCAR: swerving to avoid potholes, slamming on his brakes to miss motorcycle drivers, inching ahead to discourage children begging at our window, and edging his way between cars to take a turn. The colors of the produce and artwork and clothing were vivid. The heat in the van with 6 others and the smell of exhaust in the city were overwhelming. One second we'd be saddened by a scary looking dog rummaging through the ever-present trash next to a child on the street. The next second we'd smile at a dad holding his young daugher's hand on the way home from school. We were mesmerized and didn't want to forget a single image. We pray we never forget.

So forty five minutes later, we turn off the busy streets and down a quiet alley where he stops. The other parents get out and knock on this gate with a rock. It is the door to the orphanage, where about 50 kids are eagerly awaiting our arrival. We are told that they will be instructed to stay seated at their lunch table and sing us a song as we arrive. Then, the nannies will introduce our children to us. Bruce had the videocamera, and I had the camera all ready to go!

There they were....Ange-Laurette in light blue and Pierre to her right. We could not contain ourselves and waved at them, only to see huge smiles and waves back at us! Without permission, they ran over to us with long, tight hugs. We just kept telling them we loved them and squealed with delight. After a couple minutes, Pierre disappeared and returned with his birthmother, who we knew was the cook at the orphanage. Without an interpreter, we spoke it all through our eyes and different languages. I said, "He's beautiful. Thank you. Are you ok? Are you happy?" She was beautiful and her bittersweet joy in this moment was real. We felt so grateful and so at peace. Again, the evidence of God was that we felt like we had known them forever....and the bond was immediate.

The flight from Miami to Port-au-Prince

So, March 13, 2009, a two hour delay waiting on the plane with about 200+ Haitians gave me extra time to pray and extra time to soak in this new culture and people. It didn't take long for us to realize that our Creole would not get us far. The beautiful woman in the seat behind us spoke a very quick and loud version of Creole the entire two hour trip. She also sang and hummed to herself when she was nervous about the take off and landings. :) It was a sunny day with islands seen periodically below. The time went by quickly, as we imagined over and over what the day would hold!

As we circled around the bay, we got a full view of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. It was beautiful from the air, with white sandy shores and mountains in the distance. Although, most of the hills were barren and sandy erosion was evident everywhere. Soon we would see the city up close. When we had left South Dakota two days before, it was a frigid 2 degrees and the airplane required de-icing. As we stepped off the plane in Haiti, it was a windy 91 degrees...a welcome change for these South Dakotans!

We rushed to get through customs only to find a long delay in retrieving our luggage. We were more patient with the process when we realized that the delay was due to 100 bins of medical supplies being unloaded for a mission group just arriving. We followed our guide's directions to stay close to our luggage and to expect to be mobbed by hundreds as we exited the airport. Since many in Haiti make only a few dollars a day on average, they hope to earn a tip by helping with your luggage. Two men out of the shouting crowd quickly claimed ours, and Bruce gave their tip to our driver to work it out with the men. While we waited in the van, one man kept begging to Bruce through the window for money. Bruce found it hard to look away from this man's desperation and his genuine words of blessing. After a few quiet but assertive words to the bystanders by our driver, we were off to the orphanage.

Planning our first trip

Even thinking about meeting Pierre and Ange-Laurette for the first time kept us up many nights. We would watch youtube videos of other families meeting their children for the first time, and we tried to picture what it would be like. Would they know who we were right away? Would we recognize them? Would they be happy? How would we communicate?

And then the enormity of me even traveling (over water!) to Haiti was a whole other thing to lay awake at night about. :) First of all, I do not like to be away from Bailey and Nate here at home for more than a couple days at a time. There would be a lot of juggling with grandparents and friends to coordinate their activities and care. We would not be able to communicate by phone with them once in Haiti. I was nervous about the food and climate and safety as well.

We kept reminding ourselves that this whole thing was out of our comfort zone. That is how God works! The situation itself demanded that we relied solely on Him for safety and protection. He wanted those children with us, and he would protect us. More than that, we knew there would be an immediate connection with the kids. We had heard otherwise from other parents who had adopted, but we just already felt so much for them...and we had no doubt that they would sense that.

A very generous family from California answered Diana's request and offered to travel with us for our first trip. They arranged the driver and were so very helpful every step of the way. This would be their 7th trip, and another family would be on their 4th trip. They shared tips on what to pack, gave advice on medication/food, and walked us through each eye-opening experience at the airports. We emailed other parents with kids about our kids' ages to ask things like sizes of shoes and types of snacks they would like etc. We would have been so lost without them! We wouldn't have remembered their favorite, Cheetos. And we would not have known to pack double the quantity of underwear since they insist on wearing them under swimsuits. :) One person mentioned hooded sweatshirts since they are not used to being cold after swimming. These were all big hits!

So friends and grandparents kindly jumped in to help with Nate and Bailey, and we had our first trip planned for mid-March!

Sharing the news ~

We prayed daily that they would have a peace about us when they saw our photos and heard the news.

It was not until January 26th, on Diana's next trip to Haiti, that the kids found out about their forever family. She brought them our backpacks full of toys/treats/clothes...and then shared the photo albums with our pictures. This is how they looked moments later!

Ange-Laurette had just lost her first tooth; hence the quiet grin. We got a kick out of the comb Pierre was holding in his hand for the photo. :) Diana shared that they were as immediately excited as any kids she'd told before. We were quick to explain that THAT had been our prayer.

Four days later, we had our first phonecall where we tried out our few phrases in Creole...and found out quickly how little we knew! They spoke fast and with energy. As soon as they heard us speak in their language, they went on and on. The only recognizable response was when I asked Ange-Laurettte, "Ou kontan?" (are you happy)....to which she answered a definitive "Wi!"

The other referral...meant to be!

We had been so excited when Diana mentioned Ange-Laurette that we didn't listen closely as she described another very special boy. She had previously warned us that older boys may be too rough by nature to our younger, mild-mannered son at home. So we simply missed God's other plan in that call.

But, as we know, God persists. :) About 10 days later, we received photos from Diana's trip which included this one. I said to Bailey, "Well, he sure looks nice. Maybe not all the older boys are rough." When we clicked on the header, we saw the name Pierre Cardin. Then, I remembered...that was the name Diana had mentioned in her referral phonecall. I paged through my notebook to find the notes I had taken from that phonecall. There it said: Pierre Cardin, about 10 years old, very caring and kind to younger children.

I forwarded the picture to Bruce at work, saying "What do you think? Please!" We called Diana with more questions and details: how would he and Ange-Laurette be as siblings, how are they together, what are his interests, etc. Soon, we found out that Pierre was also meant to call us his forever family. That bright, beaming smile only got bigger over the months ahead!