All I Want for Mother's Day

I was out grocery shopping last Saturday and noticed all the Mother's Day "stuff" for sale everywhere--cards, flowers, boxes of chocolates, journals, books on motherhood--the list goes on. As I perused thinking of my own mom I wondered what do I want for Mother's Day? Inevitably my husband always asks--and usually all I want is a few more minutes in bed and maybe a day off from breakfast duty. But this year was different. This year my heart sighed. This long adoption journey has taken us down roads we never dreamed of. God has lead the way teaching us lessons in patience I never thought existed. Teaching us that He is Bigger than All This .

 And so I started to sing a song (in my head of course the folks at Wal-Mart would have given me strange looks had it been aloud)--"all I want for Mother's Day is for Wilser to get a number, Wilser to get a number. All I want for Mother's Day is for Wisler to get a number. Gee if I could only have a IBESR number...you could wish me a Happy Mother's Day" (all this to the tune of All I want for Christmas). I sang that song all day last Saturday.


Sunday the phone rang. God is bigger. It was the stateside adoption coordinator. She was calling to let us know we had a case number.   All I could say was "you got to be kidding." I was in shock --although now that I look back I don't know why. Did I think God wasn't listening? That he couldn't do it? I dunno. But He did. Now the amazing miracle of waiting 21 months for a case number isn't really the truly amazing part. The crazy amazing part is this. The new director of IBESR (Haitian DHS) made the decision to close IBESR until July 29th. This is an effort to clear out the back log of cases.

 This meant that only cases with numbers would be worked on until then. IBESR closed May 7th. We got our number on May 6th. (Imagine that kid racing the ball to home plate.) Now what does getting a case number mean? Well it means our dossier is proceeding through IBESR and acquiring the signatures it needs for approval. After that it will make it's way to the president's desk so he can give us a dispensation. (We need this because Haitian law does not allow families with bio children to adopt unless they get a presidential dispensation.)  We will then go to court where Wisler will be legally adopted. Then we will need to wait for visas, passport and final medical exams. There is still no timeline--no dates in our future. We will wait-- knowing and believing God is bigger than all this.

New Bracelets

Here are some new bracelets for sale...please check them out and let me know what you like. For an additional two dollars I will ship them to you. The bracelets are $8-- four goes the the artisan and four goes towards our adoption account.

batch 1

batch 2

batch 3

batch 4

batch 5

God is Bigger

Last night I presented the Apparent Project bracelets at my first official-not in my house party. (by the way I sold all 150 bracelets from my first box and am working my way through the second box of 200) It was an awesome party. I presented information about the Apparent Project and told our adoption story. It felt really good to talk about Wisler--therapeutic in a way. Of course every time I share our story it leaves me  contemplative--musing--dreaming about someday--what will it be like? Anyway this night was no different. As I drove home alternately thinking about Wisler and listening to the radio a story on the radio suddenly pulled me from my dreaming. A man was describing his experience of speaking to a group of 3000 fire fighters at a funeral for one of their own--a fallen comrade. He started off his speech with the words,

"God is bigger than all of this..." 

Wow. These words hit me HARD.
GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL THIS (imagine my hand sweeping over the last two years of waiting for our adoption to have some movement--for some word --for just a glimmer of hope-- even just a word of yes we have your dossier and it is being looked at.)

GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL THIS.

He is bigger than this process that seems to have no finish line. God is bigger. Through his power, our adoption could be complete tomorrow--it would be an incredible God miracle.
But God is bigger. And my point is this: in that one moment when that man spoke those words on the radio I saw our adoption walk not as a singular event--not as the finale --but as maybe the first Act in an incredible production starring God and a beautiful cast of extras--adoptive families, children at KKO and so many others.
God works all to his good-- SO this waiting--it is GOOD. NOT EASY. JUST GOOD.

I prayed long and hard after our first visit to Haiti in June of 2010. I was so broken for the folks of Haiti. I had never seen such suffering, such heartache and yet so much joy and hope. I hurt for them. I prayed for God to show me a way to help--a way to help without hurting or adding to the problem. He answered that prayer. Of course not in the way I ever expected. An almost two year and holding adoption process was not what I had in mind. But now through the course of events and people I have grown to know and love I am selling bracelets to fund the last chunk for our adoption and to help several artisans keep their families together. And because of my decision to serve Him while I wait others are stepping in--selling bracelets for our adoption and for the artisans in Haiti, and just recently my niece stepping up with Boxes for Bracelets.

God works all for His Good. This is good. So now I can look at this wait and see--no it is not easy. I do not understand it. But I can embrace it --I can serve while I wait --for the curtain to part and reveal the next Act in our adoption story.

If you would like to help--please contact me louisej12 at gmail.com.

PLEASE VISIT THE APPARENT PROJECT WEBSITE. 

Hope In A Bracelet

                                                                             

Adoption is only one step in the journey God has for our family. He has also placed a heart of compassion and love for the people of Haiti-for the mums and dads who struggle to live and to feed their kiddos every minute of the day. Our family has prayed about how to help the folks in Haiti--how to give a hand up not a hand out----how to help without hurting- and how to fund the remaining portions of the adoption. The answer came about a week ago when Spring, who is adopting Wisler's brother posted pictures of bracelets from the Apparent Project... (please take a moment and visit their website!)

The Apparent Project artisans guild uses discarded materials such as cereal and cracker boxes, oil drums, and trash paper to create beautiful “upcycled” pieces of jewelry, journals, and stylish home decor. While redeeming the Haitian landscape, these artisans are also bringing new hope to their families, employing themselves for a brighter future and earning the means to pay for their children's food, shelter, andeducation. That means less orphans, less crime, less garbage, less stress, and a whole lot more beauty.

The Apparent Project artisans' guild 
addresses Haiti's orphan crisis at the root. 

                                                                             -The Apparent Project

 

 The organization works with Haitian artisans to help them sell their work --thus making money to put food on their table--to feed their kids--to keep their families together. I love that these artisans use re-purposed and recycled materials to create their art. It is truly a win win situation. So how does it work to fund our adoption? Well I recently received a box of 150 bracelets. I have one month to sell these bracelets. The bracelets sell for $8, half the money to the artisan in Haiti (each bracelet is labeled with a picture and description of the artist)  and half goes to our adoption bank account. As we head into the final stretch (yes it is the final stretch --other dossiers are moving so I have new hope that this year we will see our dossier move too) we are facing about $6000 in final adoption costs. Hence this awesome fundraiser!

There are several ways to buy a bracelet. You can just set up to meet with me individually, you can host a jewelry party ( I have a video to play and some flyers to give out at such an event), or you can meet up with me I will give you and order form and some bracelets to sell on your own. Whatever you choose to do is incredibly helpful!

  

  

How do they fit? Check it out...(there are different sizes and I have a small sandwich bag of little girl sizes--not many about 10)

 

What do the mini bios say? (in a nut shell?)

News from GLA

A very close and dear friend follows news from other orphanages in Haiti...God's Littlest Angels being one of them....GLA recently posted this on their site :

23 December 2011

"It has been awhile since I have had news to pass on to everyone about adoptions. On Monday, fourteen members from the Association of crèches had a meeting with the new director of IBESR, Mme Arielle Jeanty Villedrouin. Unfortunately, I could not attend but Magaly and Ernst attended in my place. The members of the Association had questions about why the director has not approved any dossiers since she took her position. Mme Jeanty Villedrouin said that she was trying to learn about her position. She said that she also has someone in mind to help her go over the dossiers who has experience with adoptions but she did not have the funds to hire her full time, so it is taking a while to look through the dossiers. She promised that she would be signing dossiers very soon.

Mme Jeanty Villedrouin also had concerns about the costs of adoptions in Haiti. I am sure that idea comes from talks with organizations that are working to limit adoptions from Haiti. Ernst and Magaly said that only a couple of directors were allowed to talk because of the time limit of the meeting, but that they did try to explain to her the costs of feeding the children, caring for them, medical care for the children, educations, supplies, etc! They also explained that adoptions did not cost so much until it started taking 2 years to finish an adoption plus the time the children spent in the orphanage!

I do not think that she has any concept of what it costs to care for the children. She suggested that the directors find sponsors to help with all of the expenses of the orphanage. I know for GLA that even with sponsors the expenses are very difficult to cover! And it is even more difficult for a Haitian orphanage to find sponsors for their children. They might not have the resources and media possibilities that GLA has available to us.

There is supposed to be a general meeting of all orphanages and creches on 17 January 2012. Because there are so many registered orphanages/creches now, she said they needed to find somewhere large enough for everyone to meet. At that time, we will be able to ask questions and share our thoughts with her.

President Martelly has started signing presidential dispensations again. We hope to see more coming out of IBESR soon. We have some dossiers that have now sat in IBESR for more than 6 months which has been discouraging when things were going so well for the last year. I hope that it gets back on track to taking 8 to 12 months again as soon as the new government gets organized. It seems to be mainly our families with children who are taking the extra time right now.

I have a meeting at the US Consulate on Thursday the 29th with the Adoption Unit Staff. I asked for the meeting to discuss what I have heard about the changes in the new adoption law and also the changes in IBESR. Please pray that I will be able to express my concerns clearly and be able to motivate them to help us lobby for adoptions for those children who will most benefit for a life in a family instead of an institution!

I spent today sending proposals. Some of the agencies are closed for the holidays and so it will be next week unfortunately before the proposals are delivered. For others, they will receive the proposals tomorrow, I have been told. I will be up working on finishing up two of the proposals early tomorrow morning. What better Christmas gift could these families get? I can’t think of one better gift than a new son or daughter! Can you?"

We are so excited--this truly is the best news we have heard in a LONG time...please pray that the ball keeps rolling!!! I would love for Wisler to be home with us in 2012

Christmas Hope

About a month ago one of our fellow adopting families completed the process when their daughter came home. She was the first one to come home from Kingdom of Kids Orphanage. It was a bittersweet moment for many of us...so happy that one is home....encouraged that yes it can happen....wishing it was us. We are nearing the two year mark--February will make two years since we started this entire journey (although by the adoption timeline the calendar didn't start until we turned in our dossier in Aug 2010).  I still ache daily. I pray. Our boys ask--when? I say I don't know. They sigh wearily. We pray. We cherish everyday. And as we celebrate our second Christmas without our beautiful boy Wisler...we pray his heart is filled with the peace of Christ, that God's arms circle his little body in a loving hug and that for the moments we can't be there that he sees God is everything he needs...and for us we have Christmas Hope...maybe next year. We love you Wisler!!

Reflections on Haiti...one year later

One year ago...August 4-7 I traveled to Kingdom of Kids Orphanage. Six months pregnant with our fourth boy I handed in our completed dossier to adopt our fifth boy...Wisler. Our dossier was a compilation of almost six months of paperwork. That one moment of handing it off was pure joy. I was filled top full of happiness, hopefulness and excitement. One year later, as we approached the anniversary of that moment of joy, my aching heart compels me to reflect on this season of waiting.
I was naive. I though this part would be easy--the waiting-- after all really I told myself after the flurry of paperwork waiting seemed ....well RELAXING. It is not. A piece of my heart breaks a little everyday and on the days when I think it could not possibly break anymore ... another crack, another fissure. I know God has His perfect timing and I BELIEVE with my entire being that His timing is perfect ...this is a time of learning many lessons in faith, trust and (ugh) patience (definitely not my strength as I am learning). Still my arms ache to hold my beautiful Haitian boy, my ears long to hear his laughter. God's timing says PATIENCE dear one...but who knew being patient would hurt so much? Who knew that on summer days here in Maine when the heat index reaches 100 degrees (so few and far between I know but we did have that heat wave a few weeks ago) I would cry hot tears of longing and remembrance...

sitting on cool tiles of our room playing superhero memory my heart bursting with joy at his giggles as he bests me, snuggling on the top bunk as close to the ceiling fan as we can get, my pregnant body aching and sweating in discomfort-- watching him sleep my heart so glad he wants to snuggle, glad he wants me for his mama, reveling in the opportunity to serve him meals, wash him in the shower his giggles echoing on the tiles as I name his body parts in French, holding him in my lap during church, my body dripping with sweat, him sound asleep, me knowing it could only be God giving me the strength to do this--physically, emotionally. His hands holding us both, knitting our hearts....I am reminded of an old hymn from my childhood. It was my favorite..." and He will raise you up on eagle's wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun and hold you in the palm of his hand..." that's where I feel like we are...in the palm of His hand...(if you would like to see all the lyrics click here is it a beautiful song.)

I run these memories over and over in my mind like a movie and they warm my heart and give me hope of days to come when our family is complete.