We're going to Haiti!

It's official. Our adoption agency has heard from the embassy in Haiti and we have an appointment set up March 16th! So we've booked our flights and we are departing to Haiti on Saturday, March 12th. We have an overnight in Miami and leave Sunday, March 13th at 9:45 a.m. The flight to Haiti from Miami is only 2 hours. We are so excited to see our kids! We will leave Haiti on Thursday, March 17th.

Dossier's are at IBESR!!!!

We were excited to hear that our Dossier (along with Lydie & Samson's) were submitted to IBESR today! This is a HUGE step and a big relief. What is the IBESR? Well, let me tell you. It's Haiti's social service department and otherwise known as "the black hole." The Dossier can spent up to a year in this place so it will take an act of Almighty God to move it out of there. While the Dossier is in IBESR a social worker will examine our documents and determine whether or not to approve our adoption request.  The director of IBESR, the IBESR lawyer, the head of adoption services at IBESR, and the IBESR social worker must all sign the approval. This is 4 stages of approval. So--pray, pray, pray that our dossier would find favor while it's in "the black hole."

Waiting and more waiting

We are patiently waiting to hear if we are going to Haiti in March. We are about 80% sure we are going, but it would be nice to finally hear it from people in authority that we are going. We have connected on Facebook with the other families that will be traveling with us. There are three other families in the same boat as us. One family, the V's, live in Peoria. (I'm protecting their identity by just giving the initial of their last name).  They are adopting twin girls. They have a cousin who lives in Haiti and has visited the orphanage. Mrs. V. sent me pictures of our girls playing together. I'm sure when the adoption is complete, we will have to visit the V. family so Lydie can see her orphanage playmates.

The H. family is from North Carolina, they are adopting an older child but I can't remember if it's a boy or girl. And the K family is from Colorado. They are adopting an older girl. It's been really nice to get to know them and it's been very helpful too. Some of the families have contacted Angie, the missionary in Maison and ask what they needed there. We are going to be bringing a suitcase full of donations for the orphanage and if you would like to contribute, this is what she said they need:

disposable diapers
baby wipes
clothes for children (all sizes, for ages birth-9 years, boys and girls)
sandals (crocs, sturdy flip flops, etc.)
girls and boys underwear

We have also decided it would be a good time to get our immunizations. The other families were getting theirs so we thought it would probably be a good idea to get ours too. We need to get hepatitis A, hepatitis B (for Stephen, I may just need a booster), typhoid, tetanus, and we will need to get pills for malaria to take just before we go. Unfortunately there is no vaccine in the US for cholera. The V families doctor freaked them out and told them don't even take a shower while you are down there! Yikes. I think he's overreacting a little bit, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Dossier update

We got a couple of important emails from our adoption agency today.  Here they are:


Hi Stephen and Naomi,

I just wanted to let you know that your dossier is VERY close to being delivered to IBESR.  There was a stamp missing from Samson’s birth certificate, so the processor had to turn it back in for correction and is planning on picking it back up on Monday.  He has assured us that is the last piece missing, and that once received, he’ll be ready to deliver your dossier to IBESR.  So . . . I think chances are good that will happen next week!

Just wanted you to be aware of what is going on . . .
~Kim

Haiti Families,

We are very close to being able to travel to Haiti! Currently I am working with our representative at Maison to set up court dates for all of you. When I receive word that everyone has a court date I will then need to make appointments with the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince for you to file your I-600s. I am writing this e-mail to confirm that all of you are able and willing to travel to Haiti March 13-16. Please let me know either way, and I will then begin making arrangements with the Embassy. Please DO NOT buy your plane tickets until we have set both court dates and appointments with the Embassy. This is just an e-mail to confirm that you can and will travel to Haiti in March.

Finally, if one of the people in your family (husband or wife) is unable or unwilling to travel to Haiti in March please let me know this as well. I look forward to hearing from you all!

Great video--both of our kids are in this one

New update on the kids

Stephen and I have decided whether or not we will post photos we've received from CCAI yet, but here is an email that came along with new pictures!  The pictures were extra special because it was them looking at us for the first time as we had sent our picture (the one on the left side of this blog) to them for Christmas.  I couldn't help but shed a few tears after reading this update.


Hi Kim,
Not sure if you can pass this on, but I took photos of the pics and cards for Samson and Lydie.  Lydie examined every part of her card and the photo.  It was really sweet.  Her neighbor, Mifaela, promptly reached through the cribs and stole the envelope.  Lydie was good at sharing that part.
Samson did what Samson does, he tried to chew on the card. :)  I put his singing card in the office, and now it brings great joy to the older kiddos b/c they love to hear Tweety sing "Deck the Halls..."
I put the picture in Samson's bed, facing down so he can see it when he's laying there.  Lydie's lasted in there for a day, and then she took it off.  The nannies have it, and I'm going to try to get it attached to the outside of her crib.
They are both doing well, Lydie is very attached to her room and her nannies right now.  She's not a big fan of leaving the baby room or having a different nanny try to hold her.  Samson's neck and head control have improved a lot, and he is still talking to whoever will stop and listen.


"Be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."
1 Samuel 12:24

Adopting Haiti premier 1/12/11

As you may know, 1/12/11 marks one year since the tragic earthquake in Haiti. There is an exclusive movie premiering on Hulu to mark the anniversary. The link is http://www.mattoidentertainment.com/adopting-haiti/ 

Please take some time to watch the movie. The story is about how they were able to get 135 children out of Maison (where our kids are at) and to the United States. Samson was not born yet, but Lydie was at the orphanage during this time.  Please take a moment to pray for the orphanage, the director (Pierre), the full-time missionary (Angie), the nannies, and Lydie and Samson.

Stephen & Naomi