31 August 2013

Heather's Haiti Update

Good Morning,
Grace and I returned home yesterday after a week-long trip to spend time with Yoldine and Vladimy.  It was a bittersweet trip.  Grace and I spend three days at the orphanage on this trip and got a better feel for how our children spend their days.  It was very eye opening and frankly not the life that I want for my children.  Despite the conditions the kids are doing great.  It just reminded me that we HAVE to keep praying that they come home soon.

Yoldine is happy and healthy.  She is a strong swimmer and can swim laps in the pool easily.  We put in yarn braids for her.  She has never had long hair like her friends and asked that I do that on her.  She looks beautiful as you can see in her photo.  I wish I had thought to take a photo of the moment she saw herself in the mirror.  It is was pure and utter joy.  She told me that one of the nannies always tells her that her hair is too short and is difficult to braid.  She asked that I leave the extra yarn so that they can put them in again for her.  At any rate it was totally worth the time it took to see that look on her face.  

Vladimy has settled some and has learned more self control and obedience since we last saw him.  He too is happy and healthy.  He really likes to draw and make up creatures which is funny since that is what Ian loves to do as well.   We were able to spend his 7th birthday with him.  I made a cake out of rice krispy bars so that he could have his own cake to blow out candles on.  I am so glad that I got to be there with him.  

While were there we were able to go to church at an English speaking church and out to lunch at the most chaotic and confusing food court I have ever been to.  We were able to go to the baptist mission again and see our good friend Susie who works at another orphanage in Haiti and our friend James came and brought us mangos and bananas and went swimming with us.  

I was able to meet with the president of the board for our orphanage and the director at the orphanage.  That was very eye opening as well.  They are working very hard to make sure that paperwork is moving.  Unfortunately, we are again getting stuck in a staff turn over.  The adoption offices are trying to make things more efficient so while they are working on that we wait.  Vladimy has a passport that I was able to see while I was there.  Yoldine is still waiting on a document to be stamped so she can get her passport.

I want to thank my parents for watching Ian and Tessa while I was gone.  It is such a blessing that they take care of our kids and allow them to have a fun few days with them while we are gone and Jason is working.  Thank you also to Pam Berg and Kellie Downie who also watched the kids.  Our kids are still jabbering about all the fun that they had with all of you while we were gone.  Finally I want to thank Jason who did and awesome job holding down the fort!  He has got the papa thing down that is for sure!

So here are our current prayer requests....
*Yoldine needs to have her corrected document stamped
*Protect the children physically, emotionally, and spiritually
*To help the Haitian adoption offices to work well and efficiently so that they can move our paperwork thru.

Thank you for all of your love and support during this time.  We couldn't do it without you.  
Love,
Heather

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