The Roller Coaster Continues....

Blog update was written by Todd, with the first paragraph from Samantha.

If we don’t post again this week, have a peaceful Christmas as you celebrate the birth of the Savior.  We hope you are surrounded not by “stuff” but by family and friends as they are indeed more precious than anything under the tree!

The Roller Coaster Continues…

Finally a new orphanage!  Jaline officially became the first orphan to be admitted to Chances  4 Children’s new orphanage, Royaum des Enfantes de Dieu, in Port-au-Prince yesterday.  We are so excited that the doors have opened up and Jaline is in a much better place.  She will have excellent nutrition with three meals a day while she is in her new orphanage. The directors of her orphanage are a doctor and a nurse, so in addition to a guided nutrition program, she will also receive excellent care and medical attention as she starts her road to recovery from her severe malnutrition. There will be a very low caregiver to orphan ratio which will create a nurturing and loving environment for Jaline.   We are also glad to know that she will be learning some English and potentially able to attend pre-school, starting in February.  She will have toys to play with, loving caregivers, and running water. That last item, running water blows me away.  Not something I needed to look for while I searched for pre-schools here in the states.  And though I take my running water for granted, I am grateful that she will no longer go without.  We really are thrilled that she is in this place of waiting until we can bring her home.

While we get frustrated and want her home immediately, we understand that we can’t fathom the Lord’s plan for his dear child and know his plans are greater than ours.  We try to remember that this process may be necessary for Jaline to transition to her new life in our home and in America.  We’re hoping she will start learning some English while she’s waiting, so we will be less dependent on our knowledge of Creole when she arrives. It is difficult to understand the logic of a system that allows birth parents and adoptive parents to agree, in court, to allow us to adopt Jaline, but we are still seemingly trapped in a world of paperwork and government agencies.

While we are excited that Jaline is in her new orphanage, we have also faced some discouraging times this week.  While we thought all of our paperwork was in the hands of the Haitian government, we had a number of documents sent back to us this week. Despite the fact the Haitian government hasn’t required it in the past, they are now requiring that every single document be authenticated by the Haitian Consulate in Chicago, before they can be submitted to the Haitian Adoption Agency (IBESR).  So, we received them back Friday and sent them by Fed Ex to Chicago yesterday.  We should have them back by Tuesday, so we can send them back to Haiti. We don’t understand these challenges and what seems to be an unnecessary delay of two and a half weeks; however, we believe there must be a reason for this odd circumstance.  Please pray that this delay leads to her paperwork being moved even faster and the process being expedited.  We also were told this week that the fact that Jaline’s father is still alive could lead to delays from the US Government’s acceptance of Jaline as an orphan, despite the fact her parents have abandoned her and have absolutely no way to provide for her.  So, again we asked for your prayers that the Lord will change hearts and the doors will continue to open for his precious child. 

We also ask for your prayers for Jaline’s heart and mind.  When I look into her beautiful eyes, I see a tender child who is struggling with the emotions of everything she’s experienced in her short life.  I see the pain from a little girl whose parents had to give her away.  You can almost see the pain and confusion in this frail child’s eyes.  I can’t fathom what Jaline has been wrestling with emotionally and physically and the painful emotions she will continue to battle, but I am so grateful her new Mommy is so full of compassion and grace. As I reflect upon Samantha’s love and care for our children, I’m so excited that Jaline will feel the warmth of her new Mommy’s embrace and compassion.  I can already see the two of them reading books together and baking in the kitchen.  I see a hope and a future for God’s precious child.  Please pray for her protection, physical and emotional health.  It makes this journey much easier that we know we have so many people pulling for and praying for Jaline.  Thanks for investing yourselves in the future of this precious child!

Jeremiah 29:11-13