Day 5 7-17-12

I woke up this morning to the sound of an ice cream truck only to realize that they don't have ice cream trucks in Haiti. It was a water truck and the music was to let everyone know they were coming and if they missed it may be the only chance for water that day. In the times that I have been I am still humbled by how the Haitians survive on the small amount of resources they have. I will soon be back in the America where we are so blessed with what we have.

After lunch I prepared for my trip to the attorney and made sure all of my paperwork was in order and packed. Wisbens was going with me today and I packed a bag of snacks and water for the trip to Petionville. On the way there didn't ask for my phone to play games but stared out the window at everything that was going on in the city. I could tell he was nervous because he would constantly move in closer to me and put his head on my shoulder.

We arrived at the attorneys office and waited to meet with Alain and Jean Luc. I was escorted to his office and after few of conversation I began producing documents the documents needed to complete our dossier. After a time of questions and looking through needed paperwork I was informed that our file was complete. I immediately pulled off a red neck yoo hoo and praised Jesus. Alain laughed and as a beleiver praised God that we were another step closer. There are many steps to go and I couldn't get a timeline other than 6-1s8 months from the time Wisbens dossier is complete. Jen and I continue to be frustrated with the proces and we know it is out of our control.

After we finished we had to find another driver to get us back to the orphanage because the driver that took us up the mountain to the meeting had and "emergency" and had to leave. We finally made it back to the orphanage and I changed clothes and went down to spend time with the kids before dinner. I took two trash bags of flip flops to one of the Mon Tans and she was so excited to get the shoes. The orphange was greatful for the donation because the kids go through a pair in about two weeks. I was great to see the kids wearing them throughout the day and recognizing pairs that I brought. THANKS to everyone who donated!!! I went to the room where kids with special needs stay and saw my beautiful Marilyne smiling at me before I could pick her up. As I rocked her for the next 20 minutes I prayed for her and kissed her little head. I did receive good news on her this week, she will soon be going to America on a medical visa to have the needed surgery that could possibly save her life and will be adopted in by someone while she is there. This is two years in the making and definately an answered prayer.

Tonight is my last night and I went to evening devotions early to begin saying goodbye to the kids. Tonight is a difficult night for me because I know I will have a little time with Wisbens tomorrow and not sure when I will be back to visit. I will leave for the airport at 12:45 and make the best of my time. I have lots of pictures and videos to post and will share when I return.  Thanks again for your prayers and support!!

Day 4 7-16-12

I woke up this morning took a nice cold shower and began to prepare for my day. Although it was one of the most humid and hottest evenings since being here I was able to get some rest. After breakfast I met with some close friends who stopped by New Life to visit before their flight out this afternoon. Kyle is a representative of The Granted Wish, the organization from Canton Ohio who is supporting us in the adoption process. I was able to update him on what's been accomplished so far as well as my meeting with our attorney Tuesday afternoon.

After they left I met with Barry and discussed getting Wisbens ready to go into town to get a passport photo for his file at the attorneys office. I found Wisbens explained to him what we were going to do and went to his room to find appropriate clothes that he could wear. Because of the language barrier with the Mon Ton's (nanny) Guivens assisted me in communicating with her and told her what we needed to do. She immediately started looking for a complete outfit, brushing his hair, and putting deodarant on him. It was great to watch a her work with him and to also see how important it was that he look nice. She could of easily put on a shirt on him and sent him away but took the time to ensure he looked appropriate.  We met with Mario who would assist in the process and began the treacherous drive through the city.

It was a busy day as usual on the streets of Port Au Prince and we were welcomed with the constant sounds of horns and cars racing by. We were met by several dump trucks who insisted we move and Mario's aggressivenes and Kreyole helped us to stay on task. As we were driving Barry educated me on driving in Haiti as well as the defense and offense that must be played to survive. Essentially the more beat up the cars are the more you avoid confrontation with them as their cars are damaged for a reason. As we arrived at the photo shop and parked on the curb, I helped Wisben get out of the vehicle. He was immediately overwhelmed by the fast paced life and noises and grabbed my hand tightly and said my name a few times.  I could tell he was nervous and picked him up and carried him across the street and into the shop. After the pictures were taken we had to wait about 45 minutes. There was a t.v. in the lobby and Wisbens was mesmerized with it as well as the music videos that were playing. As the shop is finishing up I notice a familiar song that began. "Call me maybe" pierced my ears and it is obvious that I could not run from that song even on the streets of Port Au Prince.

We finally arrived back at the orphanage and took time to eat lunch. While we were setting outside a huge storm blew up with 40-50 mile per hour winds. I had time to get to the room and close the windows before the rain started. After the storm blew over I went down to play basketball with the guys. We played a few pickup games Haitian style no rules. I included Wisbens in everything we did and he enjoyed playing but not as much as soccer. The power has been off for a couple of days and New Life has been powered by a generator. When the storm blew through I am not sure if it affected the internet or not but it has been out all day as well. I have not been able to contact Jen or Maddox today and had to borrow someones phone to let them know I was ok.

Tuesday is a big day and I pray that things go well with the attorney and he finds no errors in any of our paperwork. I would also ask that you please pray for safety as we are in the city and we make it back to New Life with no problems.

 I will post pictures if possible as the power and internet continue to be sporadic!! 

Day 3 7-15-12

I woke up this morning to the smell of bacon and it didn't take long to get ready and make my way to the dining room.  After breakfast I changed clothes and went to the chapel to prepare for praise and worship.  When i arrived at the chapel Wisben was saving me a seat and continously motioning for me to set with him.  This was only the second Sunday I had been at New Life and the worship experience was unbelievable as well as getting to share the experience with our son made it even more special.

 After service I changed clothes and had some down time before meeting with Wisbens.  I connected with a guy from Ohio who needed help building new benches and screen doors for part of the orphanage.  I am not a handy man but used the opportunity to connect with people and learn a small amount of carpentry.  I was quickly reminded that I am in Haiti when the table saw we were using shut down and needed basic parts to fix.  The frustrating part is that something that is an easy fix in America is nearly impossible in Haiti.  One reason is there are no Lowes or Home Depot stores within 1000 miles and it is a good thing I brought Duct Tape for a temporaty fix.  Because of the constant use and wear and tear on equipment at the orphanage it is important to have backup.

After lunch I went to visit with Wisbens and took numerous coloring books and crayons to share with the rest of the kids. It wasn't long before there were 10-15 kids sharing 3 books and 2 boxes of crayons.  Coloring is a great way to communicate and connect with the kids (specifically the ones who don't speak English) because there is no language barrier.  We spent the next few hours at a picnic table communicating with crayons and paper and it is one of the few times I have felt really connected to the kids. 

Evening devotion began at 7:00 and I made my way to the chapel to see Wisbens and participate in praise and worship.  After service I walked some of the kids who are in wheelchairs back to their dorm and gave the kids my phone to play spider man.  It was dark in most areas of the orphanage because the power has been out for the past couple days and the generator only serves basic needs.  I also noticed 4-5 goats as well as turkeys roaming the compound and after asking questions found out that they were moved from the vacant lot New Life owns next door because people have recently broken in and tried to steal them.  The kids went to bed at 9:00 and it is time for rest and hopefully connecting with my family.   

Day 2 7-14-12

I woke up this morning ate breakfast and began connecting with Barry, Pastor Seide, and Mario who work for the orphanage to begin working on last minute adoption tasks.  I explained to Mario what I needed to happen with the translation and notary and he said that he could make it happen over the weekend.  I paid him 400 Haitian Dollars (40.00) and anxiously await his arrival on Monday.  Because of the language barrier and the use of a translator, I went over exactly what I needed again to ensure that when he returns it is correct.  Thank you all who prayed for this to happen as it did and much faster than I thought.  Nothing happens fast in Haiti and prayers have been answered!!  Barry also received a call from our attorney during this time who wanted to schedule a meeting on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00.  I did not expect to hear from him on a Saturday morning and again thank God for making this happen. 

After meeting with everyone about the adoption, I went down to hang out with Wisbens. I found a soccer ball and picked it up and that was all it took to get the kids on the field to play.  After playing with them for a few minutes I soon realized that they were way out of my league and I needed to watch from the sidelines.  I watched all ages of kids play and could tell that to them soccer is to what football and baseball is in America.  I have an excellent video of Wisbens playing soccer and scoring goals and will post as soon as the internet allows me.  He hopped around chasing and kicking the ball and using his crutch as his leg.  His will and ability is undeniable and I am proud of his resilience from not only surviving an earthquake but loosing his leg as well.

Wisbens continued to ask about calling Jen and Maddon on the "TV" today and I was able to work it out after dinner to call home. We went to the school house and with electricty and a small amount of wifi made it happen. Wisbens was excited but very shy when talking with Jen and Maddox and that will improve over time as he gets to know them better. We enjoyed every minute of our family time even if we are a couple thousand miles away. 

We finished the night watching Rookie of the Year.  The kids laughed hysterically and sat in awe as though it was a new release.  It was a great ending to a day and made my night to hear all the kids laugh and the joy they recieved from watching a movie.  I am excited to go to church tomorrow with Wisbens and have my church clothes laid out and ready.  One thing that I have learned here is although it is a 4th world country that when you meet with professionals, go to church, school etc. that you dress up for it.  As I set through church tomorrow not understanding a word the pastor says, the experience will be emotional for me to know that the kids at New Life Children's Home will have an opportunity to hear about Jesus and profess him as their Lord and Savior.  The other emotional part will be as Wisbens and I walk into service and find a seat next to each other, that we will one day get to do that weekly in Bowling Green, Kentucky as a complete family!!  I pray that you continue to pray for the adoption process, meeting with our attorney, as well as safety to and from his office.

Day 1 7-13-12

Day 1 started at 2:30 this morning with an early flight to Miami and on to Port Au Prince.  This was my first trip to Haiti by myself and was fortunate enough to connect with a mission team from Illinois who flew in on the same flight.  When the plane landed in Port Au Prince I was again immediately reminded of the devastation, destruction, poverty, and lack of basic resources that we take for granted.  As we taxied to the gate and the doors opened the smell of burning trash and urine took over and I was able to move my mind to the way of life for most Haitians.  I noticed a few more airlines at the airport this trip and see that as a positive as more business and money move into the country through tourism.  I again rode a bus to immigration and customs and after waiting in line and digging through piles of luggage to find my bag it was time to find our ride to the orphanage.  There were numerous United Nations police officers with shotguns and pistols on guard as we walked out of the airport and exited the gate.  It was prevalent that there is still some uneasiness throughout the city and support is needed.

Today was the first time I had the opportunity to ride in a Tap Tap (Haitian Taxi).  After loading our luggage 16 people climbed into the back and squeezed in to make sure everyone fit.  The driver locked us in from the inside for our safety and to ensure no one tried to catch a ride. After arriving at New Life Children's Home and dropping my bags off at the room, I immediately ran down to see my boy!!  As I walked through the orphanage I saw plenty of familiar faces (Jeremy, Pable, Son Son, Juniors, and Guivens).  The kids ran up to say hi and immediately took off to find Wisbens!! It was an awesome feeling that these guys even knew that I was there to see my son!! It wasn't long after they all ran off to find him that he peered around the corner, waved at me and came over to hug me.  I reminded him of our last conversation as I left in January and that I would be back to see him soon.  I talked with him about coming home to Kentucky to live with his new family and he smiled and said that he wanted to come home with me.  I told Wisbens that Maddox sent him a school picture and he wanted me to imediately go get it for him.  I look forward to the day that I can pick him up and take him home to Kentucky to begin his life with his new family. He has definately grown since my last trip and his English continues to improve.  We talked about Jen and Maddox and he remembered them from prior conversations as well as the picture album I brought him.   He also said that he wanted to talk to Jen and Maddox on the television.  I had to question him a few times to understand exactly what he meant.  I finally realized that he wanted to Skype with Jen and Maddox and had the biggest smile as he asked. (We will have to introduce him to technology at a slow pace).

I had the opportunity to catch up with my friend Barry who is also in the process of adoption about my plan over the next few days.  He assisted me in setting up appointments to take Wisben to get his picture taken to go on file at the attorney's office as well as getting one last document translated before we meet with the attorney on Tuesday or Wednesday.  I have still been unable to connect with our attorney about a meeting and tried numerous times with no response. We have a lot to do over the next few days and I am hopeful that I can complete everything that needs to be done.

In closing I would like for you to please pray for these meetings as well as our potential trip into town for pictures and the final translation.  I pray that we can get all of these tasks accomplished and one more step closer to bringing Wisbens home!