Post written by Todd February 23rd

This morning you’ll hear the heart of a frustrated father… We feel like we wait and wait and wait.  It’s not unlike the long family car ride and the repeated questions of “are we there yet” and “how much longer til we get there”? Unfortunately, we don’t have a GPS or a map on this one.   We have no idea how much longer it will be until Jaline comes home.  I wish we had a better answer, but unfortunately we have no clue.  We do know there are a lot of steps in this process that still need to happen before she is able to come home. 

We have hit a snag in the process.  Jaline’s father’s birth certificate is not registered in the Haitian archives, so our lawyer needs to go before a judge and the judge needs to authorize his birth certificate before anything else can happen. After that, the birth certificate is submitted to the Haitian archives, about a 15 day process, and then everything proceeds to IBESR (The Haitian agency that handles adoptions).  We are frustrated that the issue with her father’s birth certificate was not dealt with earlier. 

We have been so thankful for the outpouring of support we have experienced from friends and family, and wish we had more frequent updates for you on her progress.  Unfortunately, there hasn’t been much to update lately.    In my frustrations, I decided to go back to the beginning of our blog, when we asked everyone to pray for 6 specific things.  Please read the following 6 prayer requests and my reflections upon the ways we’ve seen God work, in parentheses and italics. 

1.  Pray for immediate safety.  The orphanage she is currently in is "not so nice", obviously when she is so malnourished.  (I can honestly say, there were many times when I questioned if Jaline would still be alive when I returned to Haiti.  She was so malnourished and in such poor physical condition)

2.  Pray that the birth certificate and the "Extrait des Minutes du Greffe du Tribunal" (parental release) will be obtained quickly and be placed in the hands of people we trust, so we can proceed.  (This was resolved over Thanksgiving)

3.  Pray that Todd and I, along with the people he trusts at Lifeline in Haiti, will make the best decisions for her while we are waiting to bring her home.  There are different possibilities, one is having the director release her so we can get her into an orphanage we trust.  Lifeline does not have an orphanage, they provide food and medical relief to those in the area.  But there are other possibilities too. (We were able to move her just before Christmas to her current orphanage that is taking wonderful care of Jaline.  She continues to gain weight and learn)

4.  That we can financially cover the needs as they present themselves and trust God to provide for what we cannot. (God has been very faithful in meeting our financial needs throughout this process.  We are so grateful for the outpouring of support in rescuing Jaline)

5.  That we will be able to REALLY trust God to take care of things.  That's easier said than done.  As I told Todd today, I feel like I've gone skydiving in the dark.  I know God has the parachute, but I can't see it. (Wow!  This is a battle.  We know there’s little we can do at this point and God has protected Jaline EVERY step of the way, but it’s so difficult knowing your daughter is being raised by someone else and there’s nothing you can do to bond with her, teach her, or comfort her)

6.  Pray that God's awesome power will speed up the process in a way that contradicts everything we are being told.  Pray that walls will be pushed aside, doors will be opened, and hands will move this process along in a manner that's unheard of.  She needs a great deal of nourishment and love as soon as the Lord can bring her home to us. (Undoubtedly this is our greatest struggle at this point!  Perhaps we are stubbornly trying to make this happen in our timing, but we continue to beg for your prayers that the Lord will take hold of this area in a mighty way and accelerate the adoption process.  We need prayer that any court judgements will be favorable towards Jaline’s case.  We need prayer that appointments that usually take a while to make will happen quickly.  We need prayer that Jaline’s paperwork will move through the Haitian and US agencies at a remarkable pace.  However, most importantly, we need prayer that Jaline’s heart and mind will be ready for this transition to our family.)”

We have been so comforted to know so many people are praying for Jaline on a regular basis.  We can’t wait for you to meet her, watch her grow, and mentor her.  Please continue to pray for all the requests above.  We believe God has called us to adopt his precious child, but there are so many other children like Jaline who are desperate to be loved who also battle hunger daily.  Please pray for them also. I’m hoping to share some ways soon, where we can invest in the lives of other Haitian children who are desperately in need.