Day 1-2 October 2013

Sunday morning began at 2:30 A.M.   Because of anxiety and final preparations we were only able to get 3 hours of sleep.  Maddox woke up excited and ready for the long trip to finally see his brother.  After arriving at the airport and checking in, there was little time to think about our journey today before flying to Miami.  It was windy and raining prior to boarding the plane and I was apprehensive that we would be able to leave on time.  After finally taxing to the runway, it became a reality that we would be leaving for Miami and the first leg of our trip was complete. 

 

Two hours later we arrived in Miami to sunshine and beautiful weather.  I purposely planned a long layover because of my history with delays and cancellations.  We ate lunch and the excitement began to overwhelm us that we would soon see our son and Maddox's brother.   

 

We began our second leg of the journey boarding the plane for Port Au Prince and seeing the reality that we would be in Haiti soon and Jen and Maddox would finally see the pictures that I have taken over the past three years come to life.  As we descended to the airport, we began to see the landscape of Port Au Prince.  The Caribbean Sea, mountains, rivers and homes that the Haitians live in.  It was an opportunity for us all to see from a distance where Wisbens is from and to began as a family to see this as our second home. 

 

Our transportation was on time and that helped to relieve anxiety because we did not have to wait at the airport for an extended amount of time.  Our driver is someone who picks me up each trip and I trusted that he would get us out of the airport and into his vehicle safely.  As we pulled out of the airport and began the journey to New Life, I kept looking back at Maddox as he was enamored with the surrondings.  We saw many people on the streets with businesses and many who were standing as though they were waiting for a ride.  Because it was Sunday, the streets were not as congested and it made travel to New Life easier to navigate.  One of the first things we saw were the tap taps (taxi's) that transport sometimes up to 15 or more people in an enclosed camper attached to the back of the truck.  We saw animals rummaging through the trash looking for food and street vendors selling food, drinks and clothes.  Although the traffic was light it was still sporadic and sometime anxiety building as we passed slower vehicles in the wrong lane with larger vehicles coming towards us. 

 

We made it to the long alley way towards New Life and the reality of finally meeting Wisbens was here.  As we traveled up alley between homes and buildings the driver dodged people, kids playing, animals, and huge gulleys filled with water.

 

We made it to New Life safely and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief that we made it without any delays and could begin to relax.  After dinner, we got our cameras and walked down looking for Wisbens.  After asking a few kids where he was, we finally found him.  I hugged him and introduced him to Jen and Maddox.  They gave him hugs and the pictures began.  He was really shy and it took him a bit to warm up to us as this is the case every time I visit. 

 

After walking him to his room and hugging him goodnight, we walked back to our room to begin getting ready for bed.  Maddox took his first cold shower in Haiti and did a great job.  I believe the preparation of cold showers at home made him ready. he said it felt good! 

 

After an exhausting day, we woke up had a great breakfast and went to the room to catch up on some rest from the prior day.  Wisbens started back to school and it gave us time to rest up and prepare for a long day tomorrow in the city. 

 

Mad immediatly fell in love with the place because of all the animals they have running around on site.  There are baby chickens, dogs, turkeys, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, lizards and tilapia to keep him busy while Wisbens is at school.  He is so drawn to animals and we find ourselves continously telling him to be careful and not pick them up.  He almost had some problems from a fiesty rooster!

 



It is hot today, but not as bad as it has been in past trips.  We all have done well with the heat thus far and the food at New Life has been excellent!  Jen and Maddox have been eating foods that they would not normally eat at home.  Beanie Weanies and potato salad for lunch was great.  After lunch we walked down to the orphanage to visit with the younger kids until Wisbens arrived home from school.  Maddox has been watching the kids pick up almonds that have fallen from the tree and bust them to eat.  Today was his first atttempt at cracking the shell the Haitian way and eventually feed it to Sparky the dog.  It was good for him see how kids eat almonds here and not just opening a bag that is already shelled. One of the kids asked Maddox to play a board game on the picnic table.  We have watched the kids play this and begining to learn how.  It was great to see two kids interact and neither could speak the other's language.   

 

I spent time preparing for our trip into the city tomorrow and talked with Wilna and Pastor Seide to confirm our appointments.  We will be leaving after breakfast in the morning and meeting with Wisbens dad in the afternoon.  I am hesitant about our meetings because it seems that we never receive good news.  We are trusting God for whatever His will may be although that is hard.   

 

We had a great dinner and went down to see Wisbens and have evening devotion.  We finished saying goodnight to Wisbens and headed to the room to iron clothes and prepare for our trip into the city in the morning.  I will post tomorrow evening to update on our status. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3-4 July 2013

The last two days have been full of excitement and emotion.  I woke up Saturday morning excited to be spending the day at New Life with Wisbens and the other kids.  After breakfast I approached Pastor Seide and asked that he get in touch with Wisbens father to see if he could come to the orphanage and visit.  We attended vacation bible school with the kids and after  30 minutes I received word that his dad had arrived.  We went to a picnic table and Pastor Seide assisted with the translation. He asked me how my family is doing and told me that he has been praying for us.  I again thanked him for the opportunity to adopt Wisbens and how much a part of our family he is too.  I asked his dad about how things are currently going in his life and he stated that he is struggling and does not have a job.  After talking with him longer I learned that he was disabled due to an illness that he had 15 years ago.  I asked about his greatest needs and the statement that stood out to me the most was that he was hungry and needed food to eat.  I was immediately distraught and held back my feelings as we talked more about food and what he can do to survive.   As we continued our conversation and my brother in law was able to offer support courtesy of our church.  We talked for about 30 minutes and prayed with him before he left.  He hugged us both and I was glad that Eric was able to meet a part of his Haitian family.

After he left I processed the conversation with my brother in law and talked about how we are blessed to have food readily available when we need it. There are so many people that are not only hungry but starving and willing to do what it takes to feed their family. We drove through the city yesterday and as we approached the slums the smell of rotting food hit me before the picture of tin buildings and animals rummaging through trash.   

Wisbens love to color, draw and paint.  There was a mission team here from Mississippi and they were making flowers out of aluminum cans.  I asked Wisbens if he would make us one to take home and when he was finished brought me two.  Eric and I set and watched him for at least an hour taking his time to paint each petal and ensure that it was fully complete. 

After lunch we met the kids on the yard to play on an oversize slip and slide.  I laughed as I watched most of the kids take the opportunity to have a bath/shower.  I have never seen so many kids and adults at one time running on a soap filled tarp.  I have looked at pictures of the kids for the past two years playing on the slip and slide and was glad to finally experience it with them.  After an exhausting day of playing with the kids I went to bed early to get some rest and spend our last full day with the kids.

I woke up Sunday morning had breakfast and went to church.  As I walked to the chapel I saw the kids walking over from the orphanage in their dress shirts, ties and dresses.  Church started at 9:30 and two and half hours later it was finished.  The service was great and at the end the teams that were visiting lined up and the kids walked by as we prayed for each one of them.  I was blessed to be a part an awesome service and look forward to returning and worshiping with the kids in the future. 

After church I changed clothes ate lunch and we went back to where the kids live to play.  When I arrived they were doing their daily chores.  Guivens was sweeping out his room and using a card for the dust pan.  All the kids have chores at New Life and are responsible for completing them daily.  The older kids must wash their own clothes, clean their rooms, and ensure that the grounds are picked up. The past few days have been extremely hot and the cold showers have felt great.  I was walking this afternoon where the kids play and noticed a crayon on the ground that was completely melted from the heat. 

 

I noticed that Wisbens was missing and went to look for him.  He was avoiding me and after tracking him down I noticed that his hair had been cut down the middle with scissors.  One of his buddies used a pair of dull scissors to give him a reverse mohawk and after getting him to sit down, Eric was able to repair some of the damage.    

We ended the evening early and will wake up tomorrow and meet with Wilna to see if there is anyting else needed for the adoption visit with Wisbens and leave for the airport.  If everything works out I should be home late tomorrow night.  I look forward to bringing Wisbens home soon and can't wait for everyone to meet him.  He has no idea how many people have prayed for him and supported us through this journey. 

 

 

 

Day One and Two July 2013

I am again going to apologize for my spelling and grammar.  The internet and power go in and out and I want to get as much written as possible.  We lost the internet last night and I was unable to finish in time to publish. 

My day started at 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning, as I woke up and prepared for a long day at the airport.  The positive thing about this trip was that my brother in law was joining me and my anxiety level was immediately decreased as we drove to Nashville to catch our flight.  I was worried that we
may have difficulty today not because I have bad luck but every trip I have attempted to Hait has had some type of delay.  Thursday was not any different as we checked in and was told that our flight was delayed by one hour.  I was not surprised but concerned because we only had an hour layover in Miami before I flight left.  Because of the tropical storm all flights into Haiti were full because of cancellations and overbooking.  We had to make a decision to chance the flight and get stuck in Miami with no way to Haiti or to cancel the trip.  Eric and I were up for an adventure and rolled the dice and took a chance.  After sprinting off our plane and running to the gate we missed the plane by seconds and was going to possibly be stranded.  We prayed and know that God is soverign and if we were supposed to be in Haiti we knew he would make it happen.  We talked to an agent who informed us that they opened up another flight and we got some of the last seats that were available.  God answered our prayers and we eventually made it to Port Au Prince and New Life Children's home to see our sweet boy. 

We payed our driver and immediately ran down to where the kids stay and it wasn't long before Wisbens saw me.  I ran to him picked him up held him and kissed him on his head.  I introduced him to his uncle Eric and they immediatley made a connection.  We spent the afternoon catching up with Wisbens as well as the other kids at New Life and Eric got the opportunity to see the blessing that I get everytime I arrive.  It was a great feeling to have the kids run up to me call me by name and fight for our attention.  There is plenty of kids and love to go around and I am excited about Jen, Maddox and our family at Mission Community Church to join us on future trips.  The day ended great and we were exhausted from the trip and the kids continously wanting to play.  It was cloudy today but extremely hot and humid.

Friday
I woke this morning had a cold shower and prepared for my day in Port Au Prince.  I knew that I would miss lunch and packed my bag with plenty of peanuts and beef jerky.  Our transportation arrived and we headed towards Petionville to see if there was any news on our adoption.  Wilna is a contact I have in Haiti who has been working with individuals on international adoption.  She has many contacts at the agencies that we will soon be navigating and this will hopefully help speed up the process.  She will be our advocate for while I am at home and will continue to contact our attorney and ensure he is following through.  It is good for us because in Haiti if you are not on the ground working it seems as though nothing gets done. 

After 45 minutes we arrived at his office and after going through a security gate was able to meet with Jean Luc.  He told me that he went to IBESR (social services) yesterday and they told him to go away that they would contact him when our file was ready.  After leaving his office we went to IBESR to check on my file and Wilna talked with her contact to get an update.  We were told that our file had not even been looked at yet but becasue of her visit was able to get it in the hands of a worker.  Wilna is very professional but will not take no for an answer and before we left had the workers cell phone number and will check on our file weekly until it is complete. 

We left IBESR and went to Parquet (court) to get a judge to sign off on our file and again Wilna was able to walk directly to his office and ask for him by name.  Unfortunately he was not there and we will try again Monday morning before flying out.  I have to be present as he will interview me on why we want to adopt Wisbens.  He will ask specific questions about his amputation and race and if we see color as an issue.

Wilna took us to a resort where we will be able to take Wisben for the day to swim.  It was one of the most beautiful places I have seen in Hait and while we were there had lunch.  Our driver Pierre had grilled goat and I knew that I could not leave without trying it.  After working myself up I took a bite and loved it.  It wasn't what I expected and will be eating it again. 

We went to the nearest cell phone company and I purchased an inexpensive cell phone so I can stay in contact with Wilna, New Life and our transportation to and from the airport. The phone was new but looked like one of my cell phones ten years ago.  Eric and I looked for the game snake on it but had not luck.

After spending the day in and out of a van that barely ran, crowded streets and angry drivers we arrived back at the orphanage and was able to eat dinner.  After dinner we went down to spend time with Wisbens and found about 15 kids huddled around a small dvd player watching cartoons.  We were able to attend praise and worship as well as movie night with the kids.  It was a great to hear over 100 kids sing at the same time.  Friday night at New Life is movie night and tonight's movie was Free Willy.  Before the movie even started kids were falling asleep in our arms and on our laps.  Again I was reminded about how blessed I am to be able to come to Haiti to see my son and be able to give and receive love from the kids.  It has been a great day and I look forward to tomorrow. 

Day 3 April 2 2013

Today was a dissappointing and stressful day.  I left New Life at 8:30 this morning to make the drive towards the mountains to meet with a supervisor at social services. I took Wisbens with me to help them put a name with a face and again let them know who I am fighting for. I introduced him to flavored water this morning and he could not drink it fast enough.  He fell asleep as soon as we hit the main road and slept for most of the trip.  Our driver woke him a few times either yelling at someone or slamming on his breaks.  At one time there were 5 lanes of cars on a three lane street. 

After arriving at social services we had an extended wait for our appointment.   We stood for about 20 minutes and employees began bringing Barry and I chairs.  I overheard two men arguing and couldn't understand what they were saying but realized that a security guard employee made a Haitian man get out of his chair so we could sit down.  I talked with Barry more about what happened and it has everything to do with the fact that we are white.  It is not fair and sad to me that this happened but was quickly informed by Barry that we should sat down.  It would have been a sign of disrespect if we would have given the chair back to the angry man and not done as they asked. 

We were eventually called back and Wisbens, myself and Jean Luc presented our file in the correct order. The supervisor was not pleasant and immediately told me that our file will not get in under the old law.  She would not even hear my case and only explained to me the new law and restrictions.  I told her that as a social worker I completely understand the new stipulations with the new law and that Haiti should have been under this law 20 years ago.  This will catch the adoptions up to the 21st century.  I explained our case and the difficulty we have had navigating the system.  I also explained that our attorney lost paperwork and that pushed us back months as well.  I was not happy with her answer and asked to meet with the director of social services.  We again were asked to wait and eventually the same supervisor came out and said that she was in a meeting and would be unavailable today.  She stated that she would contact the US embassy and discuss the case to see if they could help.  I encouraged her to do so and will have my attorney go back on Thursday to get their answer.  I knew that she would not follow through on that promise and that I would have to move through the steps myself.

She informed me that I had two options at this point.  The first was to retain an agency and start the process over as well as spend a large amount of money for someone to do what we have already finished.  The second option was to include the US government.  I was told that the US embassy could get the case in social services if it was presented on their behalf.  To do this I had to contact Congressman Brett Guthrie who would then contact the State Department to have them contact the US Embassy in Haiti to recommend that this adoption take place under the old law.  As soon as I returned to the orphange and ate lunch I began the process.  I contacted Congressman Guthries office and was able to talk to his represenative who immediatley began working.  Jen was an integral part in the process because she had to sign a release for his office to contact the state department.  It is a long story but with Jen's help and Congressman Guthries office quick response a letter was sent this afternoon to Haiti asking for assistance.  His office has played an integral part in a few of my trips down here and my family is truly indebted to him. 

After I finished with everything I saw Wisbens father and went out to greet him.   We were able to talk for awhile with the help of a translator and it was good to see him.  He thanked me again for what we are doing and told me that he continues to pray for a long and healthy life for Jen and I.  He also asked that I thank Jen when I get home for what she is doing and he was appreciative of her as well.  I look forward to the continued relationship with our extended family in Haiti!  I will post pics on Facebook because the files are to big for this site and it takes hours.  It has been a long day and I have worked non stop since arriving on our adoption.  I plan to rest tomorrow and spend time with Wisbens when he gets home from shcool.  Thanks for your continued prayers and support.  Tomorrow is a new day!

Day 1/2 April 1 2013

It has been a long 2 days but been well worth the wait!  I spent the last two days in the airport making numerous attempts to get to Haiti and the door continued to close.  I was up at 2:30 this morning to try and make it again and finally arrived at 8:00.  The first thing I noticed upon arriving was the changes at the airport.  After three years of going through customs in a garage the building was repaired and we did not have to exit the building for further processing.  I was nervous about exiting the airport and knew that I had a ride but was unsure of who it was and if they would be on time. 

After exiting I was immediately met by guys attempting to take my bags and find provide me transportation.  After telling them numerous times that I did not need any assistance my persistance finally paid off.  I waited for 15 minutes and transportation arrived.  It was great to be back to our second home and I knew it would not be long before I would get to see our son.  I was anxious as we pulled into the orphange not because I was running late to meet with our attorney but because I saw him as we pulled up and heard him yelling my name.  He knew that I was coming today and was patiently waiting on a concrete slab for me to arrive.  I hugged him and kissed him on the head and we spent some time catching up.  I told him what my plans for the day was and that I would be back soon to spend time with him.  I ran to the room to change and after waiting for over an hour for our ride eventually left for our attorneys office. 

 

My goal with the attorney on this trip was to get a game plan and set deadlines on how things would get accomplished.  The window for adoptions under the old law was reopend and there is a short amount of time to make this happen.  I was able to get our attorney's assistant to make the trip to social services with me to ensure it was dropped off.  After waiting for a while they returned and said that we would need to meet with a supervisor tommorrow at 10:00.  I plan to make the trip again in the morning to possibly meet the director and was able to get permission to keep Wisbens home from school in order to take him.  I want them to put a name to a face and know who I am fighting for in hopes that they will do the same.  I also want them to see that he has an amputation and has medical needs that cannot be met in Haiti.  This is the most hopeful I have been in a while and I am praying that I can leave social services tommorrow with a number for our case. 
This will mean that we made it in under the old law and will get processed much faster. 

I had not had any breakfast or lunch and thanks to my awesome wife I had plenty of snacks to eat and share.  We finally made it back to New Life and as I pulled up saw Wisbens playing soccer w
ith all the other kids.  It was an emotional experience as he feels that he can play with anyone else and that his disability will not hold him back.  Resilience is a way of life in Haiti and our son was a great example of that today!  We had spaghetti and salad for dinner and after changing clothes went to evening worship to see the kids and spend time with Wisbens one more time before he went to bed.  It has been a long day and I am going to get some rest before heading out again in the morning.  Please continue to pray for our adoption the meeting tomorrow and for our safety!  Scroll down for more pics.  I couldn't get them all on today's blog.

 

 

 

 

Day 3-4 October 12th and 13th

I apologize in advance for grammar and spelling errors.  It is late and the power is on and off, I wanted to finish before I went to bed. 

The last two days have been a roller coaster emotionally and mentally and we continue in our frustration with the process.  I spent hours in town yesterday at our attorneys office and did not accomplish anything besides their mistakes that I have to go home and fix!  Some issues arose when I questioned steps in the process.  I believe that nothing would have been brought up about what was needed if I didn't ask.  Our attorney told us that the November, 1st deadline didn't mean anything and it remains to be seen after that day if we can still get in under the old laws.  What keeps us going is our handsome son and the thought of him coming to Bowling Green to live with us one day.  We continue to miss out on needed time with him.  As this gets prolonged even more we can't help but think about the precious time we are missing.  I know the time continues to be extended on everything being finalized but the rest of his life will be worth it when he comes home. 

Today was a new day and I woke up had breakfast and before I could finish someone stopped by and told me that Wisbens was at the orphanage asking everyone that passed where I was.  I finished as quick as I could and ran down to see him.  We picked up a set of spider man go fish and crazy 8 cards.  This was the best dollar we spent and after briefly teaching them by mostly pointing and  example we played for the next three hours.  The kids enjoyed it and I again was in awe at what little it takes to entertain these kids.  I was able to text with home and we set up a time to FaceTime with Jen, Maddox, my brother  and sister in law and their kids.  Wisbens was able to meet some members of his family he had not met before and it was a great experience.  I love technology!!  We were able to get Wisbens a couple of spider man shirts before I came and after we FaceTimed with my family I surprised him with the shirts. He was so excited that he would be able to take them with him. 

After lunch I was hanging out with the guys and and I went and got some crayons and coloring books.  It was not long before I had four kids in my lap coloring and many other kids running over to do the same thing.  I love this place and cannot wait to get here and see Wisbens and love the unconditional love the kids have as well.  I was able to hold some of the babies today and love any opportunity I get to give attention. 

After dinner tonight we had movie night because it was rained out last night.  We watched the movie in the chapel tonight in case it rained and it was hot and the mosquitos were unbearable.  I took a can of spray and caught every kid I could and sprayed them down.  The movie of the night was Ice Princess and we watched it in French with English subtitles.  It is definately not a movie for Wisbens and I but we made it through.  I walked him back to the orphanage hugged him and told him I would come see him in the morning before I leave.  I am heading out for the airport in the morning at 7:00 and hope that he is awake before I leave.  We had a few setbacks but overall it was a great trip.  I got to spend time with Wisbens and work with some great kids.  I look forward to returning soon!










 

Day 1 and 2 10-11-12

Yesterday was a long day in the airport and after a few delays I finally made it to New Life.  My flight was delayed and the immediate concern I had was that my ride would still be there when I leave customs.  I have complete faith in New Life and was excited to see the sign waiting for me by the driver there to pick me up.  I had an interesting conversation with him on the ride over about the current status of Haiti as well as the current president.  I saw people in the streets cleaning and sweeping and noticed that the there was less styrofoam.  I read before coming down that the government banned styrofoam in an effort to clean the city up.  I must say that there is a long way to go but I do see progress taking place in the small area of Port Au Prince I traveled.  We also talked about the adoption and how long the process has taken.  He stated that it continues to become increasingly more difficult because of many issue.  He talked about one of the major difficulties with human trafficking and how it has slowed the adoption process down.  We talked about several cases where kids were sold for slavery, sex and their organs.  I didn't forget about how awful the traffic was here and was constantly hitting my imaginary brake as we maneuvered through the jumbled up mess.  After we arrived at New Life I was welcomed by familiar faces and immediately put my bags down to eat. 

After dinner I went down to find Wisbens and as soon as I walked down to where the kids live I was greeted with smiles and hugs.  The kids immediately started yelling for Wisbens to come over and see me.  I turned around and saw he had climbed to the top of the playground with the other kids.  He jumped into my arms and hugged me.  To my knowledge he did not know I was coming and I could tell he was surprised.  He immediately asked about Jen and Maddox and not only wanted to talk to them but wanted to see them!  After evening worship I pulled Wisbens aside and we were able to call Jen and Maddox and talk.  He was shy but excited to talk!  I was able to hang out with the guys before they went to bed and play spider man on my phone.  I do not speak Kreyole but could tell by their faces and the raising of their voices that they were excited.

I was able to sleep last night and woke up this morning to heat and humidity.  It is a continuation of summer for me and will be ready to get back to the cooler weather.  After breakfast I went down to check on Marilyne and when I saw her for the first time I can't tell you how big her smile was.  It was breakfast time for her and because she can not talk made noises and pointed at her bottle.  I am not sure how long she has been doing this but she was able to hold her bottle today and drink by herself.  I love this little girl and excited to see her every time I get arrive. 

Barry who is a close friend going through the adoption process arrived later in the morning.  We were able to discuss the adoption process and share the continued struggles we have.  I have tried for the last two weeks to get in touch with our attorney and have not gotten a response.  We are determined to meet with him tomorrow at 10:00 and will get a taxi to take us to his office in Petionville and will wait all day if needed.  It is urgent that we get our paperwork in by November 1st to be accepted by the IBESR (social services).

I met a group from Georgia who consist of pastors, church members and optometrist who asked for help running an eye clinic today at the orphanage.  The group was scheduled to go to Cite Soleil and something happend with their transportation.  It was truly a blessing for New Life because they able to set the clinic up in the church and began assisting the Haitian staff members.  I was brought to tears numerous times watching the employees put on glasses for the first time and actually be able to see.  They were dancing, smiling, and hugging us because for some of them this was the first time they could see clearly in 50 years.  Everything that was needed to build the glasses were on site and each person who needed glasses left with them today. Wisbens had his eyes checked and the optometrist told me that his eysight is 20/20 and his eyes look healthy!!  I was blessed to be asked to be part of an awesome event today.  I am reminded daily how we continuosly take things for granted and was again humbled. 

Dinner was great tonight.  We had fried chicken, salad, beans and rice, fried plantains, and cobbler.  Sounds like the Haitian version of Cracker Barrel to me. (minus the fried plantains) The night closed wiht worship and Wisben and I were able to call Jen and Maddox again!  Tomorrow is a busy day.  I leave for the attorney's office after breakfast and will camp out for the day if needed.  Please pray for a good meeting.