A fast step!!!

Finally a fast step!! Thank you Lord.

We knew it was going to be a long day painting cement sealant on the inside of the water cistern for our new house. So Anna and I spent Monday doing extra school and preparing meals. Cory worked to get things set up for the job. Tuesday morning we headed out about 7 a.m. and Anna joined us a few hours later. 

Together the three of us painted walls for 4 hours and then took a break for lunch and to let the first layer set. At lunch we saw a message that let us know that we could start to expect the next step to be done in mid-October. Ok, any of these kinds of schedule predictions we now deal with by letting our hopes grow a little, make some plans if it would happen by then, and pray. No true expectations of it happening.

So we returned to paint the second layer talking about what the timeline may look like if we passed the lower courts by mid-October. We raced the end of the job as the cold rain started to fall. We finished up just in time to enjoy hot chicken soup that Anna had started on Monday. 

So after warming up and finishing supper I went to check our emails and saw DONE! in the subject heading. Even Fritzlin’s house parents were surprised when they heard the news and double checked. So we’ve passed one level of lower courts. 

So we’re praising the Lord. Parquet is a multilayered step and we’re guessing that we’ve just completed the first step. Another family we know who just brought home their daughter didn’t hear much for many of the steps that I’ve listed under the ‘Steps’ tab.

Prayers still:

Political stability

Kris’ fingerprint renewal for the visa process

Fritzlin to continue to learn and grow

The next steps- no delays

The timing and process of a home-study update for the visa paperwork

House build will continue at a good pace [Road up the mountain needs repair so that the dump-truck can bring up building supplies.

OUT!!!!!

After 1,333 days we excitedly received the long awaited news that our case EXITED IBESR!

Thank you for the thousands of prayers.

In the clouds colored pink by Irma sunset.  The reflection is the camera flash off the window as we didn't see the sun.

We celebrated Friday with some cheesecake for our case finally moving forward and the Lord's protection over Haiti during Hurricane Irma!

What now?  Good question.

Monday the paperwork should reach the hands of our agency's laywer in Port-au-Prince.

We are praying that the case can go into courts for the Haitian adoption and be completed without a 30 day waiting period.

We hope to find out this week from our social worker what the next steps really consist of and what kind of time line they 'guess' we could be looking at for the next steps.

You can find the 'Steps' as we currently understand them under the tab at the top of the page.

[But considering some people exited after their socialization visit in less than 2 months and it took us 2 years, 3 1/2 months we will not be holding our breath for speedy progress.]

From watching other people ahead of us it looks like it could be 6-8 months before we complete the adoption and visa steps and will be able to travel with F to the USA.

F starts his 1st grade school year tomorrow.

We thank everyone for praying and hope that everyone continues to hold up our case and many others in Haiti's adoption system.

Many transition families continue to wait for their referrals after years of waiting.

Please pray as well for stablitiy in Haiti as we hear that there could be protests this week due to proposed tax increases.

Also, hurricane season will not be officially end for 2017 until the end of November.