Monday, September 10 - One Wild Ride Part 1

Monday was the most eventful day on the trip and the title one wild ride doesn't begin to describe what really happened that day.  Looking back Monday could have been called a million things but ultimately it was about getting the final adoption paperwork - THE IBESR TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION!

I have traveled the road from Camatin to Jacmel many times and conversely I have gone the other way from Camatin to Port au Prince many times as well. This trip goes down as an EPIC journey that is almost unbelievable.

Christy and I had stressed for several weeks about what would happen when we got to Camatin.  The thing we knew was that we had to get the IBESR travel authorization for Berline to leave Haiti.  Hearing the stories from other parents in our adoption group we knew that at best we were looking at a long day that involved traveling to PAP, meeting with Nathalie, and then sitting at IBESR for several hours to get the authorization at worst it could take several days to complete everything.

The travel authorization is a stack of papers that must be presented to Haitian Immigration at the airport.  The travel authorization validates Berline's Visa and lets the authorities know that we have permission of the Director of IBESR to leave Haiti.  It wasn't a necessary step until after the earthquake.  Since then there has been concern about child trafficking and I am in complete agreement that we need to protect the children of Haiti so I have no problem with the Haitian Government trying to do the right thing.  However, as with everything else in Haiti getting the travel authorization can be a difficult process.

We had called Jabet on Sunday afternoon with the help of Marie Flo to see when and where he would be meeting us to go to PAP for the appointment.  Jabet told us that he would be picking us up on Monday morning and something was said about 8:30 AM.   Even with the best English speakers in Haiti there is always a gap of information, something that gets lost in translation.  Christy and I were confused as usual.  Based on the past experiences in Haiti Christy and I knew that we would be leaving early to get to PAP before the traffic got bad in Carrefour.  This lack of information brought out some real questions we didn't have answers for.  Did Jabet mean that we were leaving at 8:30 AM or was the appointment at 8:30 AM?  If our appointment was at 8:30 AM  did we need to be ready to go at 5:30 AM?  We knew the truck and the rest of the team was leaving on Monday morning to go to Jacmel to pick up building materials to start the bench building project.  When they left we would have no way to get around other than walking.  So we just had to be faithful and know that Jabet had a plan.

Jabet is a former orphan that was identified by Pastor Nicholas Juste as a "kid" with lots of potential.  Just as Pastor Nicholas had identifed many others, Jabet was sent to school, got a good education and now works for Ricot.  Jabet is full of life and continually laughs with an infectious laugh that creates joy in all those he comes in contact with.  Jabet has become a dear friend and I feel blessed that I have gotten to know him.  A church purchased Jabet a dirt bike several months ago.  It is green and very sporty.  Every time I think of Jabet I see him on the bike darting in and out of traffic on the road from Camatin to PAP. 

Christy and I slept fitfully on Sunday night.  It was hot and we were unsure of when and where we needed to be on Monday so I kept waking up every few hours to check my watch, phone, IPOD, and any other time piece that was available.  We got up and were read to go by 6:00 AM knowing that Jabet would be there any minute.  Well minutes seemed to turn into days and finally at about 8:30 AM we called Jabet to see when he would be getting there only to find out that Jabet was sitting in traffic in Carrefour.   Knowing the road from PAP Jabet wouldn't be in Camatin for another 2 hours, but we were ready.  The team got up, loaded up the truck, and left for Jacmel.  Christy, Berline, and I were left sitting in the orphanage just waiting on Jabet.

At about 10:00 AM Ricot's truck comes roaring down the drive to the orphanage with Jabet at the wheel.  Jabet comes to a stop and out jumps several Haitians and Jabet.  I looked down from the second floor and saw something odd, the back of Ricot's truck was pink.  It appeared that Jabet had picked up Leslie and some paint so that Leslie could do a job near Camatin.  That paint had crashed hard in the back of Ricot's truck and was now all over the bed liner.  That should have been a hint of what was to come during the rest of the day but Christy and I were just excited to get going. 

Berline, Christy, and I loaded up into the backseat of the truck.  Jabet turns to us and tells us that the Haitian lady in the front seat has to go to court in Jacmel before we can go to PAP.  In the best Haitian Creole we can muster Christy and I say, "Ok, no problem".  So off we go to the end of the drive and a right turn towards Jacmel. 

To give perspective to what it really is like to travel by car/truck in Haiti I can think of only one real comparison here in the USA.  For those of you familiar with Highway 129 (aka The Dragon's Tail) that runs through Monroe County, Blount County, and on into North Carolina this is a good starting spot.  The Dragon's Tail is an 11 mile stretch of road that has 311 curves.  It is a popular spot for motorcyclists and those with high performance cars but not the best route for travel from Blount County to North Carolina.  The road continually switches back and can be very dizzying for those who tend to get motion sick.  However, the Dragon's Tail is a masterpiece of engineering compared to mountain roads in Haiti.

The road that runs from Leoganne to Jacmel is very similar to the Dragon's Tail only longer.  It was constructed by the US Army Corps of Engineers during the "Occupation" of Haiti back in the early part of the 20th century.  It is a mountain road that is full of curves and is roughly 20 miles in length.  The road goes up some serious climbs and offers some spectacular views of the mountains in Haiti, but there are certain things to remember when you drive in Haiti and I have made a short list.

• There are always people walking on both sides of the road. 
• Every so often you run into markets, fruit stands, animals, soccer games, , landslides, police road blocks, etc. 
• If you slow down someone may jump on your vehicle and try to sell you something. 
• You will get passed no matter how fast you are going.
• Horns make a great sound so blow them all the time.
• Motorcycles are like mosquitoes - they are everywhere!
• It is not illegal to drink and drive.
• You cannot legally drive a car without a shirt on however no one has said if you have to have pants on.  

By PCAP truck it takes about 40 minutes to get to Jacmel.  We have had the fortune of making the ride several times so Christy and I arefamiliar with the route and not overly concerned about a quick stop at court before heading to PAP.  As we quickly discover being in Ricot's truck with Jabet at the wheel is more similar to riding Space Mountain that riding in the PCAP truck.  It us less than 20 minutes to reach Jacmel and all this without a seat belt.  

 

We circled around the courthouse and after much horn honking and chatter found a parking place near the "Home Depot" or local hard ward store.  Jabet jumped out with the Haitian woman and said that he would be back shortly. While sitting and waiting Christy and I are talking about the people we see on the streets.  Everyone was wearing blue jeans.  It was 90 plus degrees, the sun was beating down, and people were walking around in long shirts and blue jeans.  It was odd to see but it is life in Haiti where it is 90 degrees every day.  Another interesting thing is that you never see "blancs" or white people.  White people really stick out in Haiti.  The country has less than 5% Caucasians so we got a few stares while we were sitting in Ricot's truck.

We waited for about 30 minutes and Jabet comes back to the truck with the Haitian lady.  We are finished and now on to PAP.  We take off towards the main road and sticking out like a beacon ahead of us are a group of blancs loading lumber on to the PCAP truck.  Our group is picking up lumber to build desks in Coq Chante.  So we do the Haitian thing and stop to say Hi. 

It was really neat to see the Club kids along with our team working to load lumber onto the PCAP truck.  The kids were working hard and looked comfortable in a foreign place with a different set of rules.  We hung out for 30 minutes or so and bought some drinks (25 goudes will buy a 20 oz Coke in a plastic bottle) on the side of the road.  We loaded back up with some additional passengers that we would drop off at the orphanage on the way to PAP. By now it was around noon, only a 2 hour drive to PAP, assuming that there was no traffic, and we would be sitting in the IBESR offices waiting on our travel authorization. 

September 8, 2012 - Arrival

The ride to Mme Samuel's house was very uneventful.  It was the same trip that we always take.  The same chaos, the same poverty, the same people struggling to survive.  The trip was the same but somehow the feeling was entirely different. Yes we had a group of "Club" kids who were experiencing Haiti for the first time.  Yes we had Billy who was seeing a world that was straight from a movie.  For me though, I knew it was the beginning of the end of a part of my life that had consumed me for the past 21 months.  We were finally bringing Berline home.  It was a feeling that was indescribable.  Sadness, joy, and relief were some of the emotions that were coursing through my body. 

I spent the better part of the trip offering insight for the kids and for Billy.  I wanted them to look past the difficulty that is Haiti and see the beauty of the people and the country.  It was amazing watching them see Haiti for the first time and reflect upon my first visit in March of 2011 when I got to ask Berline if she wanted to come to the Etazzini and be our daughter.  It seems like a lifetime ago.

As we approached the orphanage the excitement continued to build.  How would she react?  How much does she know and understand?  Does she remember that in March I promised not to come back until she was coming home?  We rounded the bend and the orphanage was in view, 21 months of anticipation all rolled into one moment!  The truck parked in its usual place and we climbed down.  Waiting at the gate were the girls, our girls. 

It is the same series of events every time you step off the truck and see the girls.  They are incredibly excited about visitors but at the same time everyone stares.  Somehow this time was different.  Christy and I immediately looked for Berline.  Where was she?  What emotions would she be feeling?  I never can put the moment you see her into words.  It's strange but it's familiar.  We both went to her and greeted her with big hugs and kisses.  She was happy to see us but as usual the adjustment takes some time.  She has to get used to us and we have to get used to her. 

Christy spent some time with her talking and laughing while I worked with the rest of the guys to unload the pile of bags on the top of the truck.  I went and put our stuff in the same room that the whole adventure started with back in March of 2011.  The last room on the right over the kitchen.  Billy joined us in choosing this room.  Some how on every trip it seems that we choose the same room, familiarity in and unfamiliar place. 

The rest of the first night was uneventful.  We hung out with the girls and rekindled old relationships.  Everyone was tired and we all hoped to get some rest on the first night of a very big week. 

The Journey Home - September 8, 2012

When you look back at the who crazy process of adopting from Haiti it is amazing that you get to the end of the process with some sanity left.  The stress of adopting from Haiti is unlike anything that I have ever experienced.  The constant lack of information and feeling of uncertainty tends to push the most faithful to the breaking point. I know that even though we had completed everything and had US approval there was still as sense of foreboding.  An unmistakable feeling of apprehension.  What else could go wrong?  That was a question we asked ourselves time and time again as we were packing for Haiti.

The day was finally here!  It was September 8th and we were leaving Knoxville at 5:55 AM to fly to Atlanta.  We would be meeting the rest of the team in Atlanta for the flight to PAP later in the morning.  Lynn Steele, Victoria Smith, Christy and I would be traveling together on the first leg.  In Atlanta we would meet Brock, Kevin, Nayia, Ke Ke, Jason, Kojak, Shauna, Breezy, and Grampsie.  Billy was flying American and would go through Ft. Lauderdale.  There were 14 total.

Christy and I had barely slept.  We were very excited and could not wait to get going.  We checked in at the counter, went through the security screening, and then had a seat at the gate just waiting on our departure time.  We boarded the plane and found our seats and just sat back for the ride.  There was a weather system moving through Atlanta  so our flight was a bit bumpy but we made it safely to Atlanta.   Christy went to Starbuck's and got us some coffee and we settled in to wait on the rest of the team.  Our flight for PAP would be leaving at 11:30 AM.   The rest of the team made it safely to Atlanta and joined us at the gate for departure.  We spent the morning sharing stories and eating our last American meals for 7 days.  Then it was time to leave.  We boarded the plane and the final leg of our journey to pick up Berline began.

The flight to PAP was uneventful.  It is amazing that I get the same feeling every time on approach to PAP.  You look out the window, see Haiti and you feel like you are home.  It is a feeling of excitement and adventure knowing that God is solely in control of the experiences you are going to have.

Toussaint Loverture airport is best described as chaos.  You get off the plane and then move to a ground transport vehicle which takes you to immigration and the terminal.  Once in the terminal you gather your bags and say "No" to 10 different Haitians who want to carry your bags and then move out of the airport into the waiting parking lot.  On the walk out you pass by at least 100 Haitians who stare at you.  It is arguably the most difficult part of any trip to Haiti.  I have done it 5 times and it still is a challenge to negotiate things smoothly.

I was last to make it to the PCAP truck.  I stopped and purchased a Digicel phone in the kiosk near the end of the walk way.  The phone cost about $20 US.  When I got to the truck everyone was standing around saying their Hellos to Mona, Alfred, Jean Luc, and Deltha.  It was good to see old friends.  We boarded the PCAP truck and started on our way to Mme Samuel's house.

A New Life Style --Savanna

I knew life would be different when Berline came home, but little did I know that it would change this drastically.  Berline being home has had a drastic impact on not only my home life but also how I view everything else in my life.  The smallest things that we take for granted, she enjoys so much and she is always so happy.  I loved being a big sister before she was home, to Emma, but now that I once again have a little sister, it makes me so appreciative that God has prepared our family for this.  Yes, at times, I just want to tell her to hush or I wished she understood everything I was saying but that is also part of the joy in having her around.  She's so witty to be so young and it is hilarious when I explain something to her and she just looks at me like i'm an idiot, and of course i've been the popular one at school.  Everyone wants to come to my house to meet her because she's all I talk about, and I love having the support from my friends and teachers at school.  She has showed me a patience I didn't think i'd ever have and i'm so grateful and humbled that God chose our family to make such a huge impact on a little girl's life.  

Finally Home

We were welcomed home to the airport by over 100 people awaiting our arrival.  She greeted everyone there. I was so impressed by her social skills at that moment.  When we left, she wanted to know where her house was, she stared out the car window the entire time.  When we arrived home, she was all smiles.  She opened every door, closet, and stared at everything.  It was such a joy to watch her discover everything including the pictures on the wall. 
Some favorites: bananas- I've found banana peels everywhere including her room and the backyard, spaghetti with lots of sauce, french fries with lots of ketchup, chick fil a nuggets, popsicles, eggs, toast with butter and jelly, cereal of any kind, KFC slaw, orange juice,bath time, the balloon people outside and ice cream, especially birthday cake, eventhough she first spit the sprinkles in the floor.  Some dislikes: green beans, mashed potatoes, cheese, olives, any kind of sandwich meat, and the cold weather. 

She has been a joy in everyway.  She sleeps 10-11 hours a night, when she gets stress, she wants to sleep.  30 minutes at Walmart was more than enough.  We did leave with 3 boxes of cereal and a Rapunzel doll though.  Garage saling was fun.  It was a joy to watch her purchase a pink purse, and a new bicycle.  It was a real learning experience for her to purchase her own items.  Apparently bicycle in creole is bacon.  Mwen vle bacon means, I want to go outside and ride my bike NOT I want to eat bacon!  It took a while to figure that one out.  She has slept with Savanna, Emma or us everynight.  Emma seems to be winning out more than the rest of us.  She goes to Emma's ballgames and sits and watches patiently.  She buckles her self into the car.  She loves watching Dora and Disney movies.  She absolutely loves the trampoline.  Sparkly clothes and headbands are always a preference over ones that aren't sparkly.

We are so blessed.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Yesterday we walked to Berline's grandmas house. It was a group God put together for this trip. Dad, Billy, Brock (god father of Bradley-her cousin), Jason (took food to Ti-Jacque -another cousin right after he was born in 2010), Rob, Franswa ( our dear friend and interpreter). We walked the trail and climbed the mountains. There are 2 real mountains you go up to reach her house. Rob carried a 50lb bag of rice the entire way. Brock carried a bag of baby food. We took 2 big bags full of clothes, candles, kitchen utensils, food, shoes, and treats. When we finally arrived, Amanese, her grandma, welcomed us with open arms. She was so grateful to see us.  After a warm greeting and handing out gifts, Edna, her aunt, shows us Ti Jacques's legs. One leg has 3 nickel size yucky sores. The other leg has 2. I wash them with wipies and put on some antibiotic ointment and cover with band aids. Later we found out from Agathe that they were a type of worm like ringworm he often gets from playing in the dirt. Amanese carries water for over an hour each directions. You can't blame her for not keeping the baby boy clean.
We feel we have to do something to help them out.  God will not hold me accountable for suffering in Haiti, but I believe God will hold me accountable for suffering to my new family when he has made us aware of their basic needs.  Rob, Dad, Billy and Brock have already begun conversations on returning and building a structure with some type of guttering and rain water collection to ease their burdens.  We are praying for provisions and abilities for their future.

The Beginning of the End!

Early August 2012

It's amazing how God puts things in perspective for you and creates beauty out of chaos.  We got the email that we had been waiting on during the past 21 months.  The US Embassy had approved our I-604 and Berline now had to complete the Consular Doctor's appointment and the Visa appointment.  Our Visa interview was scheduled for Monday, August 27 at 10:30 AM.  I called Jabet Renard, our beloved Haitian friend, and confirmed that he would be able to take her for the interview.  He said, "Okay, my friend! No problem!" which he says to every question I ask him.  I emailed him a copy of the documents sent by the US Embassy and we waited. 

Everything went smoothly.  Berline went to the Consular Doctor and there were no issues then Jabet took her for the Visa interview which was completed without any problems.  Her Visa would be ready in less than 48 hours.  Christy and I were amped to be at the end of the process.  There was still one little issue that had to be resolved prior to traveling home.  We had to have IBESR authorization to travel.  Our primary hurdle in getting authorization was ensuring that our Haitian Attorney would be in Haiti to complete the process.  Mme Cyprien has a tendency to go on extended breaks to France, the US, and Africa.  Timing was everything.  I emailed her and she said it would be completed without any problems.  Which means that it may or may not be done when you get to Haiti. 

When do we go to Haiti became the pressing question.  Christy and I began discussing our options then out of nowhere God created beauty out of chaos for us.  The Boys and Girls Club proposed using a Taco Bell disaster relief grant to take a team of kids to Haiti to support building projects in Coq Chante.  The plan was to partner with Whitestone Church and leave for Haiti on September 8.  Christy and I were both excited to find out that we would have an opportunity to spend a week in the orphanage prior to bringing Berline home.  We believed that it would help her transition to the United States and into our family.  Crazy as it seems we were willing to wait an additional two weeks to go pick her up after waiting 21 months to get to this point.  Looking back on it now I am glad that we did.  That was possibly the best 7 days I have ever spent in Haiti!

We wait, one more time.

People ask "how do you do this?, how do you wait?" I have no idea.  I can only say sometimes I close my eyes and repeat the lyrics of a beautiful praise song that simply says, "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord". 

Last week was her birthday and we celebrated with a phone call spanning 1400 miles.  Again.  The past 4 months have been long and trying.  Each week we would get news that we should hear something next week and again next week.  In early July, we finally got her passport to the US embassy, only to find out the translations hadn't made it.  A week later, the translations were delivered and we were finally in into US hands.  We received one email from the embassy on her birthday Friday, July 27 requesting the second page translations of 3 documents. We knew we had turned everything in but we didn't realize there was a 2nd page to 3 documents we never received for translation.  It took us about 3 hours to get this complete and returned to the embassy. Then we wait.  Again. 

Three families with girls from the same orphanage who have walked this path alongside us will be home on Thursday, only 2 days away.  Maeva, Berline's buddy is one of these.  Merline, another little girl whose family has been in this process for 28 months, will be home on the 17th of this month.  I have continually ask God to bring this beautiful girl home to her family.  They have struggled so much along their journey.  We hoped we would hear soon.  It was our turn.  It was Berline's turn now.  As other families got visa appointments and doctor appointments and made airline reservations home, we wait. Again. 

Yesterday at 3:09 we received an e-mail from the embassy stating we were approved and the appointment for Berline Jeudy Cummings is Monday, August 27.  Finally, there is an answer to the magic question "When is she coming home?" Finally, our family will be complete.

Between now and August 27, Berline will have a doctor appointment from an Embassy doctor which includes a tb test before her visa appointment.  After the Visa appointment, we will need to wait about a week for her to get an authorization to travel from the Haitian government and a couple of days for the US embassy to print her visa. 

We aren't booking plane tickets yet, but we hope we will have our girl home the first or second week in September.  For now, I will wait.  Again.  But this time I can breathe a little easier. 

2 weeks with my baby girl-by Christy

March 17-31, 2012

Emma and I left for Atlanta at midnight on Friday, March 17.  We were blessed to have Naomi along with us for a 2 week visit to the orphanage.  Whitestone was taking 2 Saturday to Saturday trips back to back and we were blessed to be able to stay both weeks.  We finally made it to the orphanage late afternoon on Saturday.  Berline was standing in the doorway with a huge smile on her face awaiting our arrival.  She immediately came to me and Emma.  It was pure joy to be with her again.  It took a few minutes to get acquainted again, but not near as long as recent trips.  It was as if she and Emma had never been separated. It was so great to see all the girls.  I am so thankful I can greet them all by name and have real relationships with them all.  It is amazing how much love God allows me to have for these little girls I have spent so few days with.

We spent the next few days just enjoying being together.  All the girls loved the I spy books I brought.  Chilove and Christila loved the animal book and enjoyed asking me which ones were "in Tennessee".  When I told the girls a killer whale was as big as 4 cars, Guerline smiled and said "noooo".  The innocents of these girls is so beautiful.  Benette is the happiest child I have ever been around.  She is in a constant state of joy.

Berline loved Emma's iPad, her new dresses and clothes I brought her, and really enjoyed her chocolate pop tarts. She slept between Emma and I that first week.  She still loves to sleep.  I love how her little head hits the pillow and she is asleep within minutes.  She says in her tiny little voice "good night Emma, good night mommi, good night Naomi", every night before going to sleep.  She is so much more comfortable with us than past trips.  She is ready to come home with us.

Rob called on Wednesday to say "She is officially a Cummings". He had heard from Rico earlier Wednesday morning that the adoption degree had been published the previous Monday.  This was huge news and meant that our paper work was moving again and we could see a small light at the end of the tunnel.

I got to walk Berline to school on Monday.  I was so excited to see John, her brother.  When he saw me, he just grinned his meek grin.  It's beautiful how you fall in love with someone so easy when you pray for them diligently.  It was great to see her uncle John Gary.  I ask them to tell Amanise, grandmother, that I would see her at church on Sunday.

It was a difficult week after Tuesday.  Savanna had called and told me that Brenna, Vance and 3 other friends had been in a very serious car accident.  It was so hard to be away from my Savanna when I knew she was suffering so much.  Vance would be fine, but one month later, we are still waiting to see if Brenna will completely recover.  It was a blessing that Savanna had planned on coming down on that Saturday.  She needed to escape the situation where she had no control and spend her energy loving on little girls.

The first team left on Saturday morning.  Berline spent the day singing "Poppi veni la Samdi", Savanna veni la Samdi", Grandmommi veni la Samdi".  Poppi, Savanna, Grandmommi is coming on Saturday.  They arrived around 3:30 on Saturday. She was so excited to see her Poppi and Savanna.  I loved watching Savanna hug Fagueline.  I am ask happy that Fagueline has Savanna as her special friend.  Berline was happy to see her Grampsi and meet her Nina. Berline was the queen all week with her grandparents, sisters, parents and even Aunt April, Uncle Tim and Zeke and Mae, 2 cousins there.

The next week was full of peace for us. Our family was complete even if just for a week.  We went to church at Camatin on Sunday.  I asked John if he wanted to sit with me.  He did.  It was great to see her Grandma.  I was so happy for mom to meet her.  Berline greeted her with a kiss.  She obviously has great respect for her.  I told Grandma we were going to come visit one day that week.  She loved laying on our bed watching Dora on Rob's iPad.  She didn't have school that week due to spring break so we got to spend everyday all day together.  We walked to her Grandma's house on Wednesday.  Her aunt Edna, Ti Jacque, and baby Bradley were the only ones home.  Grandma, John, and John Gary were all working in the fields.  It is the beginning of the rainy season and planting is going on everywhere.  Beans, corn, and potatoes seem to be the most prevalent items. We left a care bag of knives, silverware, clothes for the boys, some candy, candles and a photo album.  We visited the homes of Neica, Cadonia, Maniaca, and Berline that day.  It was a long hard walk up a mountain.  Everytime we stopped to rest, the girls were dancing and skipping around us.  Rob compared them to little mountain goats.

April and her family visited Benia and AngeMarlie's home on Thursday and again on Friday afternoon.  It was obvious that they don't get visitors much.  Benia's family was so happy to see them and so grateful for the small amount of food and trinkets they took them.

We took all the girls to the pool on Friday.   They swam for hours.  We took granola bars, and fruit snacks and bought them 7ups.  They had so much fun.  I love taking the girls to the pool.  I enjoy watching the Haitian adults as much as the kids.  Colby, our interpreter and great new friend, loved the water as much as anyone.

Friday night and Saturday morning were difficult, but not as hard as I imagined.  I know because of the multitude of prayers going up for us during this time of separation.  Colby helped us talk to Berline Friday night and explain to her that we were leaving and she couldn't go with us because yet because of some government papers we still need.  I don't know how much a 6 year old understands "government papers" but we wanted her to understand how much we wanted to take her with us.  We left early Saturday morning.  Both Savanna and Emma cried quiet a bit, but Berline did surprisingly well with our good byes.  The ride down the mountain was long but there was some peace in thinking the next time I saw that mountain it would hopefully be to pick up our little girl and take her home.

We are now waiting on her passport and then a US Embassy appointment.  We are hopeful this will only take a couple of more months but know that isn't necessarily the case.  Just full of hope and faith that her journey home to us will be sooner than later.

Family of 5 together in March 2012

Emma's poem for her Grampsie from our October trip

Haiti, October 2011

Me and Grampsie crossed part of the sea;
and landed on a little island called Haiti.

We rode up the mountain for 3 hours or so,
20 girls waiting my Grampsie they did not know.
Her hair was fuzzy and wild, but
my Grampsie was still thrilled
to meet his newest grandchild.

Swinging and playing 1.2.3.
All of the snacks and the jelly
The clinic was dark, as dark as the night
and Grampsie arrived and said "let their be light."

The day soon came for us to go.
Now we wait.
It seems so slow.

62 days until I return - by Christy

Christmas is a time to be with family and friends and our family was definately incomplete this year.  We all felt the missing piece.  Savanna called the orphanage on Christmas Eve and we talked to Berline for a few minutes.  I think she was excited to get a phone call.  It was full of "Mwen renmen ou (I love you) and Mwen sonje ou (I miss ou)".  I tried to get her to say Merry Christmas, but with no luck.  I just pray this is the last Christmas our family spends with our baby girl not with us.  We heard a few days before New Year's that our paper work had a moved a couple of steps, but as of today, we haven't heard any more.  It is difficult to go weeks, maybe months with no news.  Several groups have been down over the past few weeks and each time, I have sent a care package full of m&m's, pringles, crayons, and Barbies. Eventhough we can't afford to go each trip, I want her to know we are still here thinking about her, praying for her, and anxiously awaiting the day we will be together. 

Emma and I plan on going with Whitestone on back to back trips in March.  We will leave March 17 and return the 31st.  I am ready to spend this time with her.  There are times when I think it's all good and I accept God's timing and then there are times when I miss her so much and just want her here now.  Today, I say 62 days and counting until I see her again.

My Poem For Mom when She Came Back From Her January 2011 Trip-By: Emma

Tent cities upon tent cities as far as I could see,
A lady with 4 Advil praising "Mesi Jezi",
26 little girls being as happy as they can be,
All on a little Island I like to call Haiti.

A Boy named Jenet and,
practically seeing the Milky Way.
Handing out "Machines",
Scooping and sharing Rice and Beans.

The little girl on the Front Row,
Oh, How they love Jesus So.
Many interesting snacks on the street,
Getting to come was just such a treat.

Hippolite in his Norris T-Shirt,
All the Mountains seemed the color of dirt.
I'll never forget my adventure you see,
To that same little island called Haiti