We GOT

Dispensation!!! Click here for the on-line version of Le Moniteur. Our son is listed under Dec 6th--Wisler Estimable. What does this all mean? It means that the Haitian president has approved our dossier (despite the fact that we have bio kids we have been given the "all clear" from the office of the president to proceed). Now we wait for court....please continue to pray...God is moving mountains.

Lost in the Shuffle

I was recently re-reading my writing drafts of my last Haiti trip. As I read through and reminisced, I discovered a piece of my trip that I forgot to share. It was and still is probably one of the most important moments of my trip. To see the earlier posts for my trip click on the months of June and July in the right sidebar. 
Sunday night was awesome. Google had allowed us to have incredible conversation. I then broke the news- I was leaving the next day. His face closed. Eyes downcast. Light gone. We snuggled up close Sunday night. I prayed for strength and wisdom. Monday morning seemed to arrive too soon. Eyes downcast, face closed he asked ou parti en avion? ( you are leaving on an airplane?) Yes -oui bebe. yes baby. He looked away. Ignoring me. I know he's trying to shore up his hurting heart.
I pull him to my lap. We begin with Thursday's photos. At first he sits limp, un-moving. Slowly his hand moves to take control of the slide show.  Teaching Thankfulness. Counting Joy in the hundreds of photos I took. Soon we were both laughing and re-living every sweet moment of the last few days. Thanking God for the wonder of it all.
Refreshed from thankfulness we walk to school. I kiss him good-bye. Prie  bebe. Pray baby. Be thankful. I will be back for you. We are your forever family.
Ou renmen ou anpil. We love you very much.

Time to Christmas Shop?

Have I got a deal for you! I recently received a Jewelry box AND a Christmas box from the Apparent Project.  Every item sold supports a family in Haiti and select items contribute to our adoption fund...
I have included pictures but really these are only the top of the iceburg so to speak....please email me privately to host a party or come shopping!!

Christmas stockings and mini purses

star and ball ornaments

bead crosses, metal crosses and angels--ornaments

people ornaments

earrings

mud pie bracelets--made from the mud they eat--a much better use as a bracelet

necklaces

signature collection bracelets...

Support a great cause!! Buy Apparent Project for Christmas!

Waiting

We are in the final stretch. Waiting. We have a case number. We are waiting for dispensation and a court date. We are praying hard for the final chunk of money that will allow us to complete the adoption after court. There has been a lot of activity over the last few weeks and it has given us a new sense of excitement and urgency. 

How You Can Help

There are a lot of ways to help depending on where God leads your heart. If you would like to help us get Wisler home then you can mail donations to us @

13 Giroux St.

Auburn Maine 04210

or 

you can  donate via paypal 

If you would like to help by sponsoring a child or a worker, adopting, or just helping out the Wayoum Timoun orphanage you can start at their new webpage

http://www.haitibethlehemproject.org/Home_Page.php

OR

go to http://h-earings.org/

OR

go to http://apparentproject.org/

buy beautiful jewelry from this amazing organization and help get to the root of the orphan crisis. Or buy a bracelet form me and support a Haitian artisan and our adoption!

The Miracle of Google Translator

Sunday night --my last night in Haiti was awesome. Up to this point Wisler and I had never had much of a conversation--it has always been more of just trying to slosh through communicating basic stuff with my broken Creole and French and his Creole and French and English. My mama's heart so wanted a real conversation. You know the ones you have with your kids --where you talk about "important stuff"-- likes, dislikes, dreams and hopes...even the mundane of discussing everyday life. I wanted that deeper communication. I prayed. And a miracle happened. An idea popped into my head---I use google translator at home all the time at home to write him notes to send with other parents--why not use it to talk to him? (insert a duh here)
We made ourselves comfy on the floor ( I really love the floor at KKO it is always nice and cool) laptop in hand I typed questions into google translate and read the translation aloud (I can read Creole just fine thanks to my French background) he would reply in Creole (which by Sunday I could understand) and then he would ask me questions in Creole and I replied using translator.





 Now what did we talk about? He wants to be an astronaut. He loves rockets and space ships. He likes almost all the vegetables and fruist I could think of. He is nervous about swimming. He wants to ride a bike and play soccer.  He wanted to know how he would be getting home--when he does. He wanted to know what adoption is and where his special adoption papers are and how much longer it would be.We talked about toilets that flush and showers that spray water,  a backyard with a pool and trampoline. We talked about school in Haiti and what school will be like at home (homeschool). We talked about hard things--like why I say no to certain things and limit how much candy he can have (when I am there) -- we talked about how at home there are rules and chores and a family working, living and loving together. We talked and it was amazing. Thank you God. I left Monday morning after walking him to school with the image of his earnest little face--concentrating on our conversation--knowing that our bond is only getting stronger...

our last morning together

The ApParent Project Visit

                                      

Wisler rolling suitcase of boxes

My visit was amazing...so amazed, spellbound and awestruck was I, that I hardly took any pictures. Never fear Tim and Cindy Irish were on the ball--so yes there are pictures--lots!
But let's go back to amazed, spellbound and awestruck for a minute. I was speechless--the lump in my throat, as I gazed upon the faces of the moms and dads working so hard for their families, threatened to spill out into tears of gratitude and humbleness at being allowed to play a small part in this amazing ministry. 







   My first visit to Haiti in June of 2010 changed my life forever. Of course the obvious catalyst for that change was meeting my then five year old son. While there, God peeled away layers of oblivion that had shrouded my heart and eyes and showed me true suffering and poverty (oh and don't forget the devestation of a major earthquake). I could not look upon such pain and not be changed forever. I close my eyes and see the houses piled like pancakes, the starving kids, the mud pies the tent cities. I see our world--here in the good ol' USA so differently. The excess and extravagance remind me constantly of my own selfishness...my desire for things and discontent with what I have-- that to a mom sitting outside her tin shack holding her starving baby -- would be a luxury. For months I prayed-


God show me how to help. I want to help. I want to encourage. Help me to understand. Help me not to be a cultural buffoon. Help me to help. Show me how to give a hand up with dignity and honor.

Beautiful artwork in the courtyard all made from "junk"

God answered that prayer. Through the course of events I came across the Apparent Project. I knew this was the answer. I knew this was how God wanted me to help. I contacted AP and recieved my first box of fundraising bracelets in early February. To say they sold like hotcakes would be an understatement. People were moved by the amazing stories--reading through and buying bracelets because of the stories--not because of the colors or bead work (although the bracelets are beautifully crafted). 

Take a close look and see what "trash" you can identify!

My second box arrived in mid- March and since then I have taken them on the road. I have given

about a half dozen presentations. I tell our adoption story and how we found AP, show pictures and sell bracelets. I love it. I love talking about Haiti. I love sharing how God has pulled us through our adoption ( two years and counting). I love talking about the spirit and beauty of the Haitian people. I love talking about AP and how mums and dads get to keep their kids--and feed them because of AP--and how AP re-purposes trash for such beauty. I love that each piece is uniquely made- an extension of the artist--each bead --tightly wound hope for their future and family.


Visiting AP has made me more passionate about advertising their products and selling bracelets for them and us (as most of you know the bracelet fundraiser is not only instrumental in supporting AP but has been helping us raise the last bit o'money for our adoption of Wisler, pronounced the French way Wislay). I have some plans up my sleeve but am not quite ready to reveal just yet...but stay tuned ...
In the meantime here's a tour of AP in pictures... 




                                                    Hard at Work....

Photo credit T&C Irish

Photo Credit T&C Irish

    

Photo Credit T&C Irish

Photo Credit T&C Irish

  

 












 

Loved these bracelets on the end of the table

This pile will last a week...so please donate--especially if you can bring it down yourself!
Another note here I know a wonderful little girl  (my niece) who has started a FB page- Boxes for Bracelets--so if you are local and want to help out--check out her page on how to donate boxes and/or cash to mail the boxes!

the sewing room girls--these ladies were so sweet and had such beautiful smiles

Amazing new beads made from mud pie mud--instead of having to eat  the mud--they can make beads and eat nutritious food

Photo Credit T&C Irish

                                                           SHOPPING!!!

Photo Credit T&C Irish

 Photo Credit T&C Irish

And speaking of SHOPPING!

 for those of you who are interested I have exactly 38 bracelets left from my second box. If you would like to purchase some please let me know via email (louisej12@gmail.com) and we can meet up! Also visit the Apparent Project website for more shopping and ways to help. They also have a facebook page...ApParent Project.

Day 2

Friday morning arrived too early (some of you who have been to KKO can chuckle here and close your eyes for a minute and savor this next moment)- around 3:30 with the roosters, a little later with the dogs and then with stubborn determination at 5:30 when the church bells began tolling. Anyway my consolation for more sleep deprivation was this amazing sunrise...

Day Two in Haiti was busy!!! For the first time I was going to school with Wisler. I chose my orange shirt so I would match my boy (I know call my dorky). We chomped through breakfast and were ready to go. I followed Wisler (and his friend Sebastien and his parents Tim and Cindy) through the maze of alleyways that he uses to walk to school everyday. I felt like a mouse. We speed walked/ jogged through alleys no wider than two people--foot traffic squeezing past each other--open doorways on either side peered into dark homes. Vendors squished into doorways selling snacks, meat and breads. Some of it smelled amazing...it was quite an onslaught to the senses--this light jog through to school. 

the only picture I snapped while racing through the alleys--
I was worried that if I stopped for too
long I would lose my guide!

School had a party atmosphere. It had been National Children's Week in Haiti-- a week long celebration of children and President Martinelli's signing of the Hague Agreement. (Note: Nobody at this point really knows what this means for adoptions in Haiti.) School Friday began in the church with an assembly. I honestly could not tell you what it was about (it takes me a few days of listening before I can understand again)--only that there was lots of singing, dancing in their seats and screaming. After a bit the kids were dismissed to their classrooms.

Wisler listening at the assembly.

Wisler's classroom is on the second floor. The hallway to his classroom runs through three classrooms before his--his is the dead end. The windows face the courtyard below. His teacher is a tiny lady--who I initially thought was a student...yikes. The kids started out class with recitations. As their voices chanted I took a moment to look at the board--  it was covered with grammar lessons and math equations. (As a homeschooling mama I am constantly trying to figure out what Wisler is learning and what being in second grade in Haiti means. Children in Haiti go to school starting as young as three and attend through till they are 21.) After about thirty minutes or so I headed back to the orphanage to wait for the next adventure...our trip to the ApParent Project. 

Wisler was much the center of attention from his friends because his mum was there--too funny --he seemed embarrassed. (part of why I left after about 30 minutes)