Christmas 2016.

I think back at the mixture of hope and disappointment that accompanied Christmas last year and could have never dreamed that it would once again be with us as we celebrate Christmas 2016.

Every year the weight of waiting grows. Seeing the pictures of F warm my heart but at the same time stirs up pain as we see him growing up without being home.

Every day minutes and hours slip by that could have been filled with family time and memories, that we will never get to experience with him.

I can picture him here as I look at the stocking with his name on it hung in the middle of the others.

As I look at each family gathering and the cousins all laughing and enjoying family, I can't help to think about F and wonder about what he is doing.


I look at the Christmas tree ornaments that Grandma carved for him and wonder when he will get to hang them on the tree.

I think about the ornament that holds the picture of the twins, baby boys who joined my family so many years ago on LaGonave...the dream to adopt that did not happen due to the legal process in Haiti.

I know the Lord had a plan for them even though they never legally joined the family and only lived in our home for 6 months. I know that the prayers over the years have been a positive impact in their lives.

We do not know what 2017 will hold but we trust the Lord. He is good. He loves F and our family and has a plan. He is in control even when we hurt and don't understand.

Lord surround each of us with Your love, peace, and patience. Please open the doors to bring F home soon. We thank You for starting us on this journey and making F part of our family even through we remain apart. We give you the glory and honor. Thank you.

Holiday waiting

Well the historic flooding of Cap Haitian canceled the November 8th court date for F's family.

So we continue to wait.

In a recent email told us that the judge has asked a group of doctors to produce a report about the health of F's bio mom . This step was not known up to this point as needing to be done for us to exit.  In this same email it is stated...this is a step we’re waiting on after the family court, which went fine.'

As we received no word on a new court date, we've asked for conformation that F's family did appear in court and signed.

F continues to enjoy and do well in school. Due to his starting later than the rest of the class he is receiving some one-on-one time during the day.

F's current foster family will be moving back to the USA around Christmas. For a while the house will be supervised by the Haitian nannies who have lived and worked with the children since they moved into the house. We are thankful for this constant influence in F's life.  A couple who lives in another foster house will also help with supervision checking with the nannies throughout the day.

We handed off his Christmas gifts to teachers at his school during the Thanksgiving celebration.

 While we look forward to celebrating the holidays with family, our hearts ache, as we know that one will be missing. He will not see the new stocking with his name on it, hanging in line with the rest of the family.

Last year I considered leaving up our decorations so we could celebrate a late Christmas with F. I'm thankful that I will not need to unpack those same decorations this year...still waiting for him to come home.

We continue to pray that the Lord would allow the new document to be signed in the courts if not already done; for the new report by the doctors to be done correctly and before the holidays; the paperwork to be accepted by IBESR; and to exit before Christmas. We know that He can make it happen, if it is in His will.

Praying for children around the world who need families and for the families who wait to be complete. Lord protect each one, comfort them, show them Your love during the holidays.

Court Date

While America focuses on the Presidential elections on Tuesday, I will be watching the clock and praying for F's family as well as for the USA.

Tuesday they should appear in court to sign the document requested in early summer that should allow our adoption paperwork to move forward.

Since day one of our adoption journey, I've prayed for the birth families. While waiting for our referral I prayed knowing they would be signing away their parenting rights for a child or children.

Now it's more personal. Now we know the name, the face, the voice of a dearly loved little boy. We know that the family visits occasionally and that he enjoys the treats they give him. We know that the possibility of visits will continue after the adoption, but they do not know.

Do they wonder if each visit will be the last time they will see him? Did they miss celebrating his 6th birthday as we did? Do they question if they are doing the right thing?  Will their feelings be mixed on Tuesday? Do doubts linger or will they sign with peace?

After waiting all summer for courts to open having a date feels like progress but does it bring their loss closer? Glad the Lord remains in control and has a plan because this is so much bigger than us.

We hear that F continues to do very well. Due to different issues, F now joins his roommate and foster family children in attending school at Cowman. Eli and Anna attended for one year back in '07-08.

Sunset over LaGonave island

Today we were able to see and talk to F on Face-time. We heard how he likes the wind when driving fast to school and about how he has lots of friends. He is learning the letters that make up his name. He enjoyed having TWO pieces of cake on his birthday but was upset when the rest of the cake spoiled.  He asked about where Eli was and to see the goat and goat house.

Thankful to finally be moving forward. But a bit stressed to be entering the 'one more signature' zone again where every work day one hopes, prays, and wonders until quiting time if it will be the day!

Lord, help us to continue to serve and worship while we wait for you to open the doors.

Birthday week.

Last year we visited the day before F's  birthday to help him celebrate. At that time we thought we were moving closer to exiting IBESR and still had hopes for him to be home within a year.

Our social worker wrote yesterday that they were hoping his family would go to court to sign the needed documents this week.

Received a report last week. F's lost his third tooth. He continues to enjoy school both the time with the other children as well as some one-on-one homeschooling with his foster aunt.

Dear F,
Trust you will enjoy your birthday. Know that we are thinking about you and praying for you every day. Happy to hear how well you are doing, and that you like school. Dreaming about hugging you, and playing with you. Looking forward to reading books and enjoying celebrations, holidays, and parties together. We enjoy seeing pictures of you. Very glad to hear you are growing bigger and not been sick recently.     Love you!

Waiting for court..

A bit of news but not what we wanted to hear.

The non-court document submitted this summer 'was not sufficient' for IBESR so they did not accept it.

So we continue to wait for courts to open, likely sometime in October after the Presidential election Oct. 9th.

So what we understand needs to happen:

1. Staff member goes to court to get them to request that the family come in to sign the needed documents
2. Family has 12 days to appear in court to sign. [Praying everyone is healthy, understands why this is needed and shows up!]
3.  Documents signed.
4. Documents presented to IBESR and hopefully accepted
5. Final signature give for us to exit IBESR
6. Exit IBESR

The staff have tried everything they can think of but IBESR remains firm on needing the court documents. So we wait.

And pray.

16 + 16...nearly 1,000 days.

Waiting for our referral, the time added up to one week less than 16 months.

This week we reached 16 months since our socialization visit and continue to wait for word about the final document being accepted, the last signature and our exit out of IBESR.

We continue to pray and wait, wait and pray.

Someone wrote recently on a Facebook group that they didn't know how we can stand it... my answer is more than just words.

Heart felt and true..."only with the Lord's help".

And the Lord's help comes with supportive people and lots of prayers.

While we don't know everyone who's praying we do know some and thankful for each one:

• supporting churches
• small groups
• other adopting families
• F's foster families
• those who connected with F during a visit
• homeschooling families
• friends around the world
• family
• friends we met on work teams
• adoption agencies and staff
• creche workers
• other missionaries
• our Haitian churches in the northern district 

October 10th will make 1,000 days of our chart being in IBESR,  the Haitian social services office.

Praying for the Lord's will. For F to be learning about the Lord's love along with growing in mind, body and spirit. 

For F's biological family, his foster family and nannies, his case workers and our family to keep our eye's fixed on the Lord and be filled with hope in His plan. 

Praises

No, we haven't moved a step forward, but we have some good news anyway.

• This week we signed a new Power-of-Attorney adding the newest member of our adoption team, bringing the number of people who can sign for us up to four. Papers are already printed [in French and English], notarized, scanned, and sent to the USA electronically. 
• Originals will either be mailed to the USA or delivered to the creche soon.
• Thankful for the staff working in two countries to bring F home.
• Thankful for people in numerous countries praying for F and our adoption.
•  The staff continue to work on F's case in two ways:
• a different agency that was asked for similar paperwork submitted something that "apparently was accepted by IBESR". So this method will be tried in F's case this month. Praying it works.
• Thankful for sharing of information while working together to bring children home as well as keeping Haitian families together.
• meanwhile they continue to work on the paper that was requested to have it ready for courts when they reconvene in October. 

• Praying this isn't needed as there could be a delay due to a back log of cases or delays associated with political instability with presidential elections set for Oct. 9th
• Better understanding on our I-600 visa. The November expiration date that had us wondering about needing to file for a new type of visa was for our I-600a. Last May, after meeting F we filed an I-600 which we now understand will not expire. So as long as we continue to let the USCIS know that the case is active we can submit the requested documents when they become available once we move forward after exiting IBESR. PRAISE THE LORD!!
• We hear that F continues to do well despite the long wait. His foster aunt remains impressed when they talk about the waiting on how well he can express his feelings, even the hard ones.