Day 3 11/19/13

I awoke this morning after a good nights sleep excited and nervous about my trip into the city.  After breakfast I returned to my room to get ready for the busy day ahead.  My ride arrived at 9:30 and we began the journey to Petionville to meet with our attorney.  I showed him the documentation that was requested and after viewing if for a few minutes he looked at me and smiled stating that everything we needed was there and complete.  I get anxious when meeting with anyone down here because requirements seem to change each trip.

He took copies for his record and we left for IBESR to turn in the documentation to complete our file.  We were led down a series of hallways before going into an office the size of a closet to meet with a supervisor.  He asked for our dossier number and after producing it for him asked for a copy of the receipt where we paid to begin the process.  I did not have a copy and called our attorney to see if he had one in our file.  He did and we traveled back to his office to pick him up and produce the appropriate forms to IBESR.  We arrived 20 minutes later and the agency official reviewed the receipt and approved.

After further discussion in Kreoyle I could tell that there was something else needed that we were unaware of.   I was told that the supervisor needed an original copy of our presidential dispensation from Le Moniteur.  We had a digital copy and he informed us that it would not work.  We again jumped into the car battled the traffic and went across town to Le Moniteur office to get a copy of the original.  We waited for 30 minutes and again traveled back to IBESR to drop off the final document requested this time.

While at IBESR I noticed that they had their decorations up for Christmas with a tree and presents.  As we travelled through different cities I saw at many marketplaces that they had tree branches painted white and placed in coffee cans.  After further conversation I learned that they are Christmas trees.  Today was a great learning experience in regards to how other countries celebrate holidays and I am glad I was able to witness it.  After 5 hours of travel we stopped at a restaurant in Petionville to eat lunch.  I could not read the menu and asked for a bacon cheesburger with buffalo wings.  After eating we traveled to the American Embassy to try and get an appointment for a interview while I am in town.  There was a lot of traffic jams and disabled cars in the road that blocked traffic and by the time we arrived at the U.S. Embassy it was closed.

Driving through the city today it seemed as though everyone was on edge and I had some concern because of the riots yesterday.  The smell of smoke from burning tires and garbage was still in the air and the piles of burnt tires and steel strips littered the road.  The traffic was awful as usual and at one time we were three cars wide on a two lane road with motorcycles traveling in between.  I counted two small children and two adults on a motorcycle at one time today.  I witnessed two cars collide today as well as a car driving up a tight alley collide with a car that was parked and continued driving without even stopping.  I could not drive in this town and hiring a driver is worth every dollar it costs.  There were crowds of people huddled around business and street corners today often times spilling over into the street.  I learned that they were watching a soccer game.  Soccer is a huge part of the Haitian culture and it is not uncommon to see people take turns sitting on each others shoulders to catch a glimpse of the game.

We finally arrived back at New Life after 8 hours in the city and after the roller coaster ride in the vehicle and at the offices I was ready to slow down.  I dropped my bag off in the room and rushed down to see Wisbens.  I gave him a hug checked on his school day and sat with him as he played cards.  After dinner I talked with him about leaving in the morning and he asked when he would get to go home to Kentucky.  I told him that I was not sure but working hard every day and praying that he would be home soon.  His birthday is December 23rd and I asked him what he wanted and it was for us to come back to visit and take him home for Christmas!  He has no idea how many people he has at home praying for him and love him already.  I cannot wait for the day he actually gets to meet his immediate family but those who have been with us on this long journey to bring him home.

I fly out at 10:30 in the morning and will try and go see him before he leaves for school in the morning. Thanks again for following our journey to bring Wisbens home!

Day 2 11-18-13

I woke up excited this morning because Wisbens is out of school and I am was able to spend the day with him.  After breakfast I went to visit and they were having a meeting with the older boys.  They sat attentive and asked questions when requested.   When the meeting was finished I was able to spend time with Wisbens and work on some school work with him.  The kids love to gain knowledge and take every opportunity they get to learn.  Wisbens did an excellent job picking up on the assignments and reading and writing them all in English.  We have always wondered about his ability to read in English and he did an excellent job today.

After lunch I made attempts to confirm my meetings tomorrow and follow up on the current riots that are taking place in throughout Port Au Prince.  Some are rioting against Michael Martelly the current president and unhappy with his progress.  People have been protesting because they feel like no progress has been made and there is too much corruption.  I make a point to ask a Haitian each trip how President Martelly is doing specifically since the earthquake and most are happy with the progress.  Haiti has struggled for many years in all aspects of government and it is going to take some time to see positive things happen.  I have made numerous attempts to contact my transportation into the city tomorrow and have not heard back.  We will make a decision in the morning about leaving New Life.  We have important documents that need to be delivered to continue and it has to be taken care of this trip. 

After the kids had an afternoon snack I was able to sit with Wisbens and some of the other kids and work on basic math and reading.  Wisbens English continues to improve and I was impressed with how much he has learned since our first meeting.  I continue to be thankful for New Life for giving him the means to learn and go to school.

I ate dinner outside tonight and had a front row seat to the New Life kids playing soccer against another team.  I felt as though I was watching a professional match as these kids take soccer serious and when they have free time practicing on their skills.

The weather has been warm compared to home and I am excited to get to my room and have a cold shower every night.  Please pray for progress and safety if we choose to travel in the city tomorrow.

Day 1 11/17/13

My day started at 3:00 a.m. for a 6:15 a.m. flight to Miami.  I arrived in Miami and had a three hour layover before leaving for Port Au Prince in the afternoon.  I had plenty of time to eat lunch and rest before making my way to Haiti.  I could have taken an earlier flight but appreciate the layover especially if there are any delays.   After landing in Port Au Prince the anxiety began to build because I knew that I would soon be off the plane, through customs and looking for my transportation to New Life Children's Home.  I navigated through the organized chaos of the airport through baggage claim and realized that my flight had arrived early.  I had to make a decision to wait inside longer or take a chance on my transportation being there and dealing with the crowds.  I took a chance on my ride and made my way outside where I was immediately approached by individuals wanting to get me a taxi, carry my backpack for me and escort me to other areas of the parking lot to wait for transportation.  I did not need any of their services and know that the pushiness they have could mean the difference between having food or not.  This is one of the most stressful parts of the trip because of how fast it all takes place.  I went through my usual routine of wearing sunglasses and repeatedly saying no over and over and calling New Life to follow up.  I purchased a Haitian phone in July and so far it has been a lot of help especially for potentially difficult times.  After what seemed an eternity of waiting my ride arrived and I was on my way to see Wisbens.

The traffic was slow today and I have realized after a few trips that Sunday is the best time to travel to Haiti.  After getting to New Life I put my bags down and began looking for Wisbens.  I found him at the chicken coop feeding the chickens and moving them to clean cages.  I hugged him and we spent time catching up on how things have been since I left last month.  We talked about the recent and upcoming holidays that we celebrate at home and I showed him pictures of Maddox at Halloween.  I explained to him the concept of trick or treating and he seemed surprised that kids wear costumes and knock on doors for free candy.  

I can always count on him asking me within the first 15 minutes of arriving when I am leaving and when will I be back.  I explained to him my purpose of the visit was to not only spend time with him but to continue the work of getting him home soon.  He did ask if I could bring him home to Kentucky this trip and I would love nothing more than to pack him up and bring him home.  

Tomorrow is Vertieres Day/Armed Forces Day and the kids are out of school for the holiday.   I talked with some other families who are currently at New Life in the adoption process about taking Wisbens to the beach tomorrow.  Although the kids are home tomorrow it is potentially unsafe to travel outside of the orphanage.  There are planned protests towards the government tomorrow and some have already begun in Cite Soleil.   I have asked about what the protest are about and it seems as though some Haitians are unhappy with the current president and plan to try and get his attention.  

I have all day tomorrow to spend with Wisbens and I look forward to a great day.  

Day 3 October 2013

We woke up this morning excited and apprehensive about what our day was going to look like.  Although we had plans they never seem to happen the way it is scheduled.  We ate breakfast and waited for our ride to begin our journey in the city.  I spoke with our driver a few times and the time was pushed back and after four hours and lunch our transportation arrived. 

We met our driver at the gate and began the journey to Petionville to meet with our attorney.  The trip there was an experience for Maddox to see a glimpse of how every day life is for some Haitians.  It was hot today and with the humidty was close to 98 degrees.  Our vehicle did not have air conditioning and we could not roll the windows all the way down for safety reasons.  Maddox did an excellent job and did not complain one time about the drive or the heat.  The traffic is an experience in Haiti and you have to respond quickly to close calls. Jen and Maddox tend to get car sick, but they took some precautionary medication before we left the orphanage and they did great!

We arrived at our attorney's office four hours late and in Haiti that can be on time.  We had a great conversation and did not leave with any bad news today.  Jen and Maddox were able to meet both of our attorney's working on our file and finally put a name with a face.  After leaving their office we headed to IBESR (Social Services) to check on our file and see if there had been any progress.  We met with a few people and left with a positive experience. Still no date though of when he will be moving to Bowling Green--that's the million dollar question!

We began the long ride home in the sweat box and I asked the driver to take us through Cite Soleil to show Maddox and Jen where Wisbens is from.  Cite Soleil is currently the poorest city in the Western Hemisphere and we prepared Maddox for what he may see as we drove through the city. The sights, sounds and smells will be something that we as a family will always remember about traveling through Wisbens hometown.  Just last week there was a riot on the very street we were driving.

We made it back to New Life and Wisbens dad was waiting and we spent a few minutes making attempts to communicate with him.  We did not have a translator today and did the best we could to talk about how he has been doing and Wisbens.  He was glad to see us and especially to meet Jen and Maddox. We had an excellent dinner and went down to visit Wisbens and the other kids before packing for a long day tomorrow.  Jen brought fake moustaches and the kids loved them!  The only way they could see themselves was with a picture and we laughed as the kids traded moustaches.  Maddox had a great time playing with the kids and they were all accepting of him and welcomed him.  It was a memorable experience for all of us and we pray that this will be a moment that will stay with him for a lifetime. Experiencing Haiti changes the filter which you use to view the world. We were able to share with Wisbens a book that our church made for him and he loved it and looked at it numerous times before sharing with others.  While looking at the book and asking who the people were in the photos, he asked, "when are you taking me to Kentucky?"  This was the moment we have been waiting for on this trip. He wants to be with us. It reminded us of our love for Jesus and His merciful and gracious love for us.

We have a long night ahead preparing for tomorrow and will get up in the morning and try to see Wisbens off before he goes to school.  We look forward to coming back to New Life soon and continuing this journey.  Wisbens wants us back in November. We better start saving some money!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.