Today marks the one-year anniversary of our arrival here in Haiti. Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of having our second son with us. We do not regret a single day of any of it and we count it all as gain.
We specifically want to express our sincere gratitude for those of you who have helped us to stay here either monetarily or in moral/email/blog comment support (both in person and online). Without all of you, we would have had a much more difficult stay here in Haiti while the adoption gets completed. We want to thank you and we have a hard time believing that we could ever match the blessing that you have provided for us. Thank you!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Adoption: One Crazy Adventure After Another
The day started out pretty good. We were on the road within minutes of when we intended to start. About 15 mins into the drive, I received a text message. This time I looked right away (I learn fast, no?). It was a message from the orphanage director saying that Lou's mother was at the directors place and waiting for us. I replied saying that we were on our way.
We got there and there were a two people sitting in the entrance of the building - it was Lou's mom and someone else who we were told was the driver/navigator.
She is a very beautiful lady and we can visually see the resemblance. She wanted Lou to go to her. You could see that Lou recognized her but didn't want to get too close. His reaction shows us that he has bonded to us. She seemed to handle it OK. We asked Lou where mama was and he pointed to Tina. I spoke in Creole for a little bit but then got over my head and asked our driver (Jeff) to come and help translate. We had a good time talking as we waited for the orphanage director to come to work.
When she got there, she gave us some papers and we were on our way. That's the beginning of the strange stuff.
We got a few blocks away in our borrowed-from-the-mission car when all of a sudden they told our driver that they were going to get out up ahead a little ways. So we let them out...and then started asking questions...
Did they know where they were going? Why not just come with us since they have to go do the test with us anyway? It turns out they thought they were done and were ready to catch a tap tap home. We told them that Lou's birthmom has to go with us to do the test. We managed to convince them to get back into the car and we were once again on our way (sitting in different seats...it must have looked like a Chinese fire drill in the middle of a busy Haitian street (Delmas)).
We found the place without a problem (thanks to Jeff our great driver). We got there and eventually found our way up stairs and to the correct door (it was like a maze).
The receptionist person told us that we needed to fill out paperwork and that we would have to come back Thursday. We told them that we already had done that with an American company (ORCHID) that works with this place (BIOMED). And asked why do we have to come back Thursday?
It turns out that there is a US Embassy person that goes to BIOMED every Thursday to witness the IDs and tests to confirm that the right people are being tested. This was the first that we had heard of this. The place that set up the DNA testing (Orchid - which is a GREAT company to work with so far) nor the orphanage director knew that this needed to be done.
Now the birth mother would have to work her way back to BIOMED on Thursday...but she doesn't know Port-au-Prince or Petionville. We tried to find a common place to meet, but were unsuccessful. We figured out a way to get them here on Thursday so all is ready (we hope) for Thursday morning.
No matter how many ways you think things can go wrong here and no matter how many ways you try to prevent those things from going wrong, something else that you didn't expect will go wrong and delay you even further. This whole adoption is a true test of patience and endurance like I have never seen.
I sent an email to the USCIS to find out if there really is someone who is supposed to verify the tests and if they will indeed be available Thursday. I hope to get a reply tomorrow.
We were told a week ago that we should be out of MOI in about 3 weeks - so that leaves us two weeks left until we are out of MOI (then we have Haitian passport to go through which is supposed to take 2 weeks on the short end). 2 weeks after we send the DNA test in we should have the results and if all is OK, the US visa can be issued. We are looking to be done within two months if all goes well.
We continue to persevere and are doing OK. We are ready for a break from all of this adoption mess - I wish it were not a mess, but rather more organized for all Haitian children and adoptive parents.
We got there and there were a two people sitting in the entrance of the building - it was Lou's mom and someone else who we were told was the driver/navigator.
She is a very beautiful lady and we can visually see the resemblance. She wanted Lou to go to her. You could see that Lou recognized her but didn't want to get too close. His reaction shows us that he has bonded to us. She seemed to handle it OK. We asked Lou where mama was and he pointed to Tina. I spoke in Creole for a little bit but then got over my head and asked our driver (Jeff) to come and help translate. We had a good time talking as we waited for the orphanage director to come to work.
When she got there, she gave us some papers and we were on our way. That's the beginning of the strange stuff.
We got a few blocks away in our borrowed-from-the-mission car when all of a sudden they told our driver that they were going to get out up ahead a little ways. So we let them out...and then started asking questions...
Did they know where they were going? Why not just come with us since they have to go do the test with us anyway? It turns out they thought they were done and were ready to catch a tap tap home. We told them that Lou's birthmom has to go with us to do the test. We managed to convince them to get back into the car and we were once again on our way (sitting in different seats...it must have looked like a Chinese fire drill in the middle of a busy Haitian street (Delmas)).
We found the place without a problem (thanks to Jeff our great driver). We got there and eventually found our way up stairs and to the correct door (it was like a maze).
The receptionist person told us that we needed to fill out paperwork and that we would have to come back Thursday. We told them that we already had done that with an American company (ORCHID) that works with this place (BIOMED). And asked why do we have to come back Thursday?
It turns out that there is a US Embassy person that goes to BIOMED every Thursday to witness the IDs and tests to confirm that the right people are being tested. This was the first that we had heard of this. The place that set up the DNA testing (Orchid - which is a GREAT company to work with so far) nor the orphanage director knew that this needed to be done.
Now the birth mother would have to work her way back to BIOMED on Thursday...but she doesn't know Port-au-Prince or Petionville. We tried to find a common place to meet, but were unsuccessful. We figured out a way to get them here on Thursday so all is ready (we hope) for Thursday morning.
No matter how many ways you think things can go wrong here and no matter how many ways you try to prevent those things from going wrong, something else that you didn't expect will go wrong and delay you even further. This whole adoption is a true test of patience and endurance like I have never seen.
I sent an email to the USCIS to find out if there really is someone who is supposed to verify the tests and if they will indeed be available Thursday. I hope to get a reply tomorrow.
We were told a week ago that we should be out of MOI in about 3 weeks - so that leaves us two weeks left until we are out of MOI (then we have Haitian passport to go through which is supposed to take 2 weeks on the short end). 2 weeks after we send the DNA test in we should have the results and if all is OK, the US visa can be issued. We are looking to be done within two months if all goes well.
We continue to persevere and are doing OK. We are ready for a break from all of this adoption mess - I wish it were not a mess, but rather more organized for all Haitian children and adoptive parents.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Adoption: Text Message
At about 7:30 last night, for some reason I took a look at my cell phone. I never get important text messages. About once a day I get messages from Digicel, one of the cell phone companies that we use here in Haiti. The messages will be reminders of when my minutes expire, special offers, etc... They are NEVER important.
For some reason, our orphanage director decided to send me a text message to my phone instead of calling me at 10:18 AM. That message said: "They are on their way to Port-au-Prince you can come down to the office i am in my office"
Seeing that at 7:30 PM was little frustrating to say the least. The amount of anger I had at that moment was probably off the scale. Internally, I was flipping out. Externally, I probably looked like I was thinking real hard (or at least I hope that's the way I looked - my veins in my head were probably protruding). Why would she send a text message to tell me something that important? Do people text message police officers when someone is breaking into their house or text message a fire fighter to say their house is burning down. Right now, we are feeling so worn out with this adoption process that it feels a little like our house is burning down. Good thing our house is built upon (or made of) the Rock - although we forget at times.
My phone rings a different ring when I get text messages and I was probably on the four-wheeler when the message came and didn't hear anything. I normally open the phone up to see if anyone called after doing something noisy (like being in the generator room). I only saw that I got a message - they were never important in the past and I decided to skip looking at this one until later.
Minutes Later...
Less than ten minutes pass by after I read the message and I got a phone call...it was the orphanage director. She explained to me that Lou's biological mother tried to come to the orphanage, but couldn't direct the driver to the right location. She didn't show up. She ended up going back to her home town.
We then tried to coordinate when and where we could get this done (this was not easy to coordinate! Thank you Mr. Kyrk for making the call to the driver and speaking in Creole!! My mind was in no condition to try to get the right Creole words out correctly.). The orphanage director has someone who can take her to the orphanage, but it won't be until Monday. The fact that she has this connection is great! I don't know if she has this type of connection all over the place, but it sure is nice for us to have now!
20/20
So in hindsight, it was probably less painful and stressful to have not gone to the orphanage office after receiving the text message only to be sitting and waiting for the birth mom to not show up (for who knows how long). We are indeed thankful for this.
We ask for your prayers to get the DNA testing done on Monday at 9AM without any issues. We are so ready to be done messing with all of this! What a journey...
For some reason, our orphanage director decided to send me a text message to my phone instead of calling me at 10:18 AM. That message said: "They are on their way to Port-au-Prince you can come down to the office i am in my office"
Seeing that at 7:30 PM was little frustrating to say the least. The amount of anger I had at that moment was probably off the scale. Internally, I was flipping out. Externally, I probably looked like I was thinking real hard (or at least I hope that's the way I looked - my veins in my head were probably protruding). Why would she send a text message to tell me something that important? Do people text message police officers when someone is breaking into their house or text message a fire fighter to say their house is burning down. Right now, we are feeling so worn out with this adoption process that it feels a little like our house is burning down. Good thing our house is built upon (or made of) the Rock - although we forget at times.
My phone rings a different ring when I get text messages and I was probably on the four-wheeler when the message came and didn't hear anything. I normally open the phone up to see if anyone called after doing something noisy (like being in the generator room). I only saw that I got a message - they were never important in the past and I decided to skip looking at this one until later.
Minutes Later...
Less than ten minutes pass by after I read the message and I got a phone call...it was the orphanage director. She explained to me that Lou's biological mother tried to come to the orphanage, but couldn't direct the driver to the right location. She didn't show up. She ended up going back to her home town.
We then tried to coordinate when and where we could get this done (this was not easy to coordinate! Thank you Mr. Kyrk for making the call to the driver and speaking in Creole!! My mind was in no condition to try to get the right Creole words out correctly.). The orphanage director has someone who can take her to the orphanage, but it won't be until Monday. The fact that she has this connection is great! I don't know if she has this type of connection all over the place, but it sure is nice for us to have now!
20/20
So in hindsight, it was probably less painful and stressful to have not gone to the orphanage office after receiving the text message only to be sitting and waiting for the birth mom to not show up (for who knows how long). We are indeed thankful for this.
We ask for your prayers to get the DNA testing done on Monday at 9AM without any issues. We are so ready to be done messing with all of this! What a journey...
Friday, June 26, 2009
Concrete
Boring Car Stuff...
Almost done - today the rim on the trailer broke. Had to weld it back together. By the time I got done messing around with that, I had computer things I wanted/needed to do so...maybe Monday will finish all the concrete stuff. The four-wheeler is not running so good lately - I might work at swapping engines with the four-wheeler that went down the mountain...
Almost done - today the rim on the trailer broke. Had to weld it back together. By the time I got done messing around with that, I had computer things I wanted/needed to do so...maybe Monday will finish all the concrete stuff. The four-wheeler is not running so good lately - I might work at swapping engines with the four-wheeler that went down the mountain...
NOTHING
No phone call. No response to voice mail. No answering of 3-4 phone calls from me to her.
NOTHING.
Welcome to Haiti! (or choose your favorite term used by many missionaries in Haiti: "This is Haiti!", "But that's Haiti!", etc...)
We'll hope for another day soon to do the DNA testing.
Why this wasn't coordinated when Lou's mom was here recently for the interview with USCIS (Immigration) we'll never know. These poor (literally) people (just his mom this time) have to make their way, once again, through the mountains and pay for tap-tap rides all the way to Port.
NOTHING.
Welcome to Haiti! (or choose your favorite term used by many missionaries in Haiti: "This is Haiti!", "But that's Haiti!", etc...)
We'll hope for another day soon to do the DNA testing.
Why this wasn't coordinated when Lou's mom was here recently for the interview with USCIS (Immigration) we'll never know. These poor (literally) people (just his mom this time) have to make their way, once again, through the mountains and pay for tap-tap rides all the way to Port.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Adoption, Fish, Wheel
No word on the anticipated DNA testing for tomorrow morning. The orphanage director was supposed to call to confirm, but we have heard nothing. This is Haiti!
Fish
The kids went fishing and they decided to take the fish apart to check them out. I think they learned something (at least I hope they did!).
Boring Car Stuff...
We are almost done with moving the concrete. I had MAJOR issues today. Two flat tires in the trailer, the four-wheeler would not start, changed oil in the four-wheeler and had a time at it...and...last but not least...the whole wheel popped off (fortunately I found all the parts).
Fish
The kids went fishing and they decided to take the fish apart to check them out. I think they learned something (at least I hope they did!).
Boring Car Stuff...
We are almost done with moving the concrete. I had MAJOR issues today. Two flat tires in the trailer, the four-wheeler would not start, changed oil in the four-wheeler and had a time at it...and...last but not least...the whole wheel popped off (fortunately I found all the parts).
Various
Adoption
After a couple emails, one voice mail and a couple more ignored phone calls, the orphanage director called us back yesterday to say that we might be on for Friday morning to go do the DNA testing with Lou's mom (the USCIS changed their mind about the dad getting tested - thankfully - which saves us money). She said that she was going to confirm with us today. I took the opportunity to ask about the other things that we have in process (she was waiting to hang up at the first opportunity so I had to keep her going). She thinks we have about 3 weeks left in the MOI stage. That will make it 7 months and 1 week in that stage - much longer than we ever expected and longer than many other folks. We'll keep you all updated.
Team
There was a large team (about 20 people) here from the States and they brought lots of goodies for themselves and shared tons with the missionary families here. We got lots of good American food (like chicken breasts!!!) as well as some clothes. A gentleman named Mike gave me some leather gloves and a Leatherman-like tool - these are great blessings!
They all came to work on our conference center. We were reconstructing the roof and raising it on one end as well as taking out a wall (that's where all the concrete is coming from that we are using the four-wheeler to haul). Here is a shot of the team the morning they left:
Illness
There is a cold-like illness that is going around. It includes a one-day fever, runny nose, sore throat, and coughing. Carter got it first, Kayla got it second, and Tina has it now. I may be getting it, too, but my body seems to be fighting it fairly well as I have had some slight symptoms for a couple/few days.
More Rats
One of our workers asked to borrow the rat cage that I had been using. He took it and hours later he came to me to tell me he had caught three rats. We have caught two in one cage (mom and baby) but three is great! They were like three teenagers. They were interesting to watch when we threw them in the cage with the crocodile. One ended up going into his mouth right away and the other rode the croc for a while - they did eventually get eaten too.
Sunsets
We have had some real nice sunsets and sunrises lately:
Boring Car Stuff...
Yesterday afternoon as I was trying to get some work done at the computer, I got a call that the Ford Ranger broke down on its way back up with a team from Pennsylvania. When we got there, the Haitian driver was saying that there was something wrong with the fuses. I got in and the important things looked good (no clock or hazard lights though). I tried to crank it and it seems to crank just fine and the glow plugs were clicking on and off. So I pumped the manual pump on the fuel filter and it seemed to be sucking air. I rapped my knuckles on the tank under the truck and sure enough...out of diesel. We towed it up, filled it up, and it was good as new (well...good as it was before).
After a couple emails, one voice mail and a couple more ignored phone calls, the orphanage director called us back yesterday to say that we might be on for Friday morning to go do the DNA testing with Lou's mom (the USCIS changed their mind about the dad getting tested - thankfully - which saves us money). She said that she was going to confirm with us today. I took the opportunity to ask about the other things that we have in process (she was waiting to hang up at the first opportunity so I had to keep her going). She thinks we have about 3 weeks left in the MOI stage. That will make it 7 months and 1 week in that stage - much longer than we ever expected and longer than many other folks. We'll keep you all updated.
Team
There was a large team (about 20 people) here from the States and they brought lots of goodies for themselves and shared tons with the missionary families here. We got lots of good American food (like chicken breasts!!!) as well as some clothes. A gentleman named Mike gave me some leather gloves and a Leatherman-like tool - these are great blessings!
They all came to work on our conference center. We were reconstructing the roof and raising it on one end as well as taking out a wall (that's where all the concrete is coming from that we are using the four-wheeler to haul). Here is a shot of the team the morning they left:
Illness
There is a cold-like illness that is going around. It includes a one-day fever, runny nose, sore throat, and coughing. Carter got it first, Kayla got it second, and Tina has it now. I may be getting it, too, but my body seems to be fighting it fairly well as I have had some slight symptoms for a couple/few days.
More Rats
One of our workers asked to borrow the rat cage that I had been using. He took it and hours later he came to me to tell me he had caught three rats. We have caught two in one cage (mom and baby) but three is great! They were like three teenagers. They were interesting to watch when we threw them in the cage with the crocodile. One ended up going into his mouth right away and the other rode the croc for a while - they did eventually get eaten too.
Sunsets
We have had some real nice sunsets and sunrises lately:
Boring Car Stuff...
Yesterday afternoon as I was trying to get some work done at the computer, I got a call that the Ford Ranger broke down on its way back up with a team from Pennsylvania. When we got there, the Haitian driver was saying that there was something wrong with the fuses. I got in and the important things looked good (no clock or hazard lights though). I tried to crank it and it seems to crank just fine and the glow plugs were clicking on and off. So I pumped the manual pump on the fuel filter and it seemed to be sucking air. I rapped my knuckles on the tank under the truck and sure enough...out of diesel. We towed it up, filled it up, and it was good as new (well...good as it was before).
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day!
Happy Father's Day to our Dads!
You have each played an important role.
The extent of which you'll never know,
The amount you have pushed us over every knoll.
As we think back about what you have done,
There are few memories that do not include fun.
Memories that don't include you: hardly one.
We wish we were there and we hope and we pray,
For you to be blessed and we want to say:
We wish you a Happy Father's Day!
You have each played an important role.
The extent of which you'll never know,
The amount you have pushed us over every knoll.
As we think back about what you have done,
There are few memories that do not include fun.
Memories that don't include you: hardly one.
We wish we were there and we hope and we pray,
For you to be blessed and we want to say:
We wish you a Happy Father's Day!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Down Syndrome Related Abortion
I have seen this on a number of blogs and find it repulsive! Read to the end and be amazed (negatively).
Another Mess of a Butchering
Well...so far, here is the summary of the butcherings:
1 goat - dull knife delayed final result
2 pigs - one went great and the other is the reason for this post...
1 bull - bullets were too small and off their mark (no fault of the arms bearer), concrete post wasn't supposed to pull out of the ground, bull wasn't supposed to head down the mountain
I was using the four-wheeler and trailer to move the concrete as I had posted earlier. I got done and seconds later I was told that they needed to have me use the four-wheeler and trailer to get a pig who didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't think the trailer idea would go so well, so I suggested that I pull it with the four-wheeler.
I went down there and they had a fairly long rope tied around its neck with 4-5 guys trying to get the thing to move - to walk up the hill and to it's final resting place (sorta). They were doing everything they could to get it to move and they were NOT being successful - - several people said this was the most stubborn pig they have ever seen. They were pulling the tail, ear, and whatever they could get their hands on. The pig was squealing like mad - like I have never heard a pig squeal before (with my limited experience this doesn't say a whole lot, but...anyway). Before we started pulling it with the four-wheeler, they had already cut a groove in the back of its neck with the rope.
I convinced them to tie the rope to the four-wheeler so we could pull the pig (it took a LOT of convincing). We tied it off and started to pull with the four-wheeler. I needed four-wheel drive. The pig didn't take a single step THE WHOLE WAY.
We pulled it the rest of the way up the hill until it didn't stand on its legs any more. I realized that it wasn't getting air so I backed off to let it breathe. We waited for him to catch his breath and to be able to stand up on his own.
This went on 4-5 more times. By the time we got to the grassy area where I could pull him and he had no traction, **(here is some gross stuff)** all four feet were bleeding and one was spurting blood. Here is the trail the pig left with his feet after I pulled it to its final resting place:
We got the pig to where he needed to be and he was so tired he could barely lift up his head. When Mr. Kyrk got the gun out, he didn't care and it was an easy shot - Mr. Kyrk did it with one bullet. I am not so sure the trailer would have helped things much, but I could be wrong.
The record of butchering seems to be Animals 3, Humans 1. In the end, they have all become food for people who need it (the hospital) so, I guess it's really more like Animals 0, Humans 4. But it doesn't feel that way. I didn't stay this time to watch all the blood and guts.
I am noticing how I am getting used to all this killing of animals - it doesn't hit me like it used to. I used to feel sort of PETA-like (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). I was not as bad as putting animals on the same level of humans which is not Biblical because humans are made in the image of God, but now I see the animal as food which is all most of them are here in Haiti. I still do not like to see it done cruelly - we need to care for God's creation and do it without torture. We have been doing all we can to not be cruel and to kill them quickly.
1 goat - dull knife delayed final result
2 pigs - one went great and the other is the reason for this post...
1 bull - bullets were too small and off their mark (no fault of the arms bearer), concrete post wasn't supposed to pull out of the ground, bull wasn't supposed to head down the mountain
I was using the four-wheeler and trailer to move the concrete as I had posted earlier. I got done and seconds later I was told that they needed to have me use the four-wheeler and trailer to get a pig who didn't want to go anywhere. I didn't think the trailer idea would go so well, so I suggested that I pull it with the four-wheeler.
I went down there and they had a fairly long rope tied around its neck with 4-5 guys trying to get the thing to move - to walk up the hill and to it's final resting place (sorta). They were doing everything they could to get it to move and they were NOT being successful - - several people said this was the most stubborn pig they have ever seen. They were pulling the tail, ear, and whatever they could get their hands on. The pig was squealing like mad - like I have never heard a pig squeal before (with my limited experience this doesn't say a whole lot, but...anyway). Before we started pulling it with the four-wheeler, they had already cut a groove in the back of its neck with the rope.
I convinced them to tie the rope to the four-wheeler so we could pull the pig (it took a LOT of convincing). We tied it off and started to pull with the four-wheeler. I needed four-wheel drive. The pig didn't take a single step THE WHOLE WAY.
We pulled it the rest of the way up the hill until it didn't stand on its legs any more. I realized that it wasn't getting air so I backed off to let it breathe. We waited for him to catch his breath and to be able to stand up on his own.
This went on 4-5 more times. By the time we got to the grassy area where I could pull him and he had no traction, **(here is some gross stuff)** all four feet were bleeding and one was spurting blood. Here is the trail the pig left with his feet after I pulled it to its final resting place:
We got the pig to where he needed to be and he was so tired he could barely lift up his head. When Mr. Kyrk got the gun out, he didn't care and it was an easy shot - Mr. Kyrk did it with one bullet. I am not so sure the trailer would have helped things much, but I could be wrong.
The record of butchering seems to be Animals 3, Humans 1. In the end, they have all become food for people who need it (the hospital) so, I guess it's really more like Animals 0, Humans 4. But it doesn't feel that way. I didn't stay this time to watch all the blood and guts.
I am noticing how I am getting used to all this killing of animals - it doesn't hit me like it used to. I used to feel sort of PETA-like (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). I was not as bad as putting animals on the same level of humans which is not Biblical because humans are made in the image of God, but now I see the animal as food which is all most of them are here in Haiti. I still do not like to see it done cruelly - we need to care for God's creation and do it without torture. We have been doing all we can to not be cruel and to kill them quickly.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Fatherhood
A blog post about a blog post about a blog post, but it's all good (in this case...really good!)
Rats
Ya never know what you'll find when you climb into ceiling crawl spaces to fix electrical things (I found two of these, but the other picture didn't turn out):
Announcement
Tuesday night we made an announcement to the director of the mission. This announcement has been a heavy weight on our shoulders for a few months. It wasn't until about a week ago that I started realizing the direction that I will take my family.
I got together with Pastor Rob to tell him that after the adoption is complete we will be moving back to the States. The reason for this is primarily because we want to focus on our Biblical priorities of God first, spouse second, and family/children third. And the season that God has given us right now is a season of "family" with our kids - including the adoption of Lou. Whatever vocation we have (in our case it is missionary work) comes fourth. The amount of time and mental energy that is required on the mission field does not allow for quantity of time with family (my experience has shown that you can only get enough quality time with quantity time).
The added necessary effort that Lou will require because of his Down syndrome will take more time. Being in Haiti complicates things greatly. Other people may be able to handle all of these things, but I have made the decision to err on the side of having more time and energy available for family than not enough - I don't want to wait until it's too late. When I die and God asks me what I have done with what he has made me responsible for, I want to be able to answer that I have put almost everything into my top priorities - at least have them managed well and prioritized.
I always have some sort of disclosure because I am not perfect in my decision making. In this case, I am making plans to go to the State and will willingly allow God to direct my steps.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9
If God doesn't want us to go, he'll do what he knows is best and I trust in that. I pray that whatever direction God points us in, that we willingly accept his steps.
We have no place to go back to in Minnesota, so we'll be looking to buy a place (we have three offers of places to stay if we need them - and we'll most likely take one of them up on their offer). I have no job to go back to, so I've been looking for something that fits my skills. If anyone has any leads for me, drop me a line.
The adoption process could take another 2-4 months (if the Lord wants us here longer...it will be longer and so be it). When we know we are close, we'll schedule flights and make our way back.
We will be leaving significant parts of ourselves here in Haiti at the Baptist Haiti Mission. It will not be easy on the day we leave.
I got together with Pastor Rob to tell him that after the adoption is complete we will be moving back to the States. The reason for this is primarily because we want to focus on our Biblical priorities of God first, spouse second, and family/children third. And the season that God has given us right now is a season of "family" with our kids - including the adoption of Lou. Whatever vocation we have (in our case it is missionary work) comes fourth. The amount of time and mental energy that is required on the mission field does not allow for quantity of time with family (my experience has shown that you can only get enough quality time with quantity time).
The added necessary effort that Lou will require because of his Down syndrome will take more time. Being in Haiti complicates things greatly. Other people may be able to handle all of these things, but I have made the decision to err on the side of having more time and energy available for family than not enough - I don't want to wait until it's too late. When I die and God asks me what I have done with what he has made me responsible for, I want to be able to answer that I have put almost everything into my top priorities - at least have them managed well and prioritized.
I always have some sort of disclosure because I am not perfect in my decision making. In this case, I am making plans to go to the State and will willingly allow God to direct my steps.
"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9
If God doesn't want us to go, he'll do what he knows is best and I trust in that. I pray that whatever direction God points us in, that we willingly accept his steps.
We have no place to go back to in Minnesota, so we'll be looking to buy a place (we have three offers of places to stay if we need them - and we'll most likely take one of them up on their offer). I have no job to go back to, so I've been looking for something that fits my skills. If anyone has any leads for me, drop me a line.
The adoption process could take another 2-4 months (if the Lord wants us here longer...it will be longer and so be it). When we know we are close, we'll schedule flights and make our way back.
We will be leaving significant parts of ourselves here in Haiti at the Baptist Haiti Mission. It will not be easy on the day we leave.
Lots to Talk About
Here are some of the daily things that have been going on:
The ice cream post that I made a few days ago encouraged a couple other people to allow us to buy ice cream, too. When we finally made it to the grocery store (we go less than once a month - or even less than once every two months), we found something better than ice cream: bread, smoked turkey, cheese, mayo, and some chips. We usually have a fairly limited selection of food consisting of bread & pizza that Tina makes, rice, beans, chicken legs and thighs (note: no breasts), eggs...and that's about it. This picnic-type lunch was so, so much better than ice cream - thank you all for contributing to this greatly-enjoyed lunch (Thank you Andrew for starting the whole thing)!
A shot of Naomi and Rebecca holding a cup of dead baby rats that their mother found in one their drawers (the story here):
A shot of the electrical switch box that I had to replace for the hospital's autoclave (note the burnt wires and melted plastic):
We have been using the four-wheeler and trailer to haul concrete. The mission is remodeling a building and taking out a concrete wall. We have to send the broken up chunks of concrete down a ramp built over stairs and then dump it into the trailer. After that we drive it a little ways and dump it in a dumping area. Carter has been helping out a bit with this.
Boring car stuff
We added another vehicle with mismatched doors. I don't know why I like this so much, I think that it is because it is a visual example of how living in Haiti requires you to do just about anything that works and that functionality cannot be determined by beauty (although beauty is in the eye of the beholder):
We switched the tires around on the two big trucks and, in the process, I took off all the lug nuts and used anti-seize on them because of the truck incident last week (I have a blister from that event that is still healing). This dump truck also had one of the two pivot pins (about an inch and a quarter of solid steel) for the dump disappear. We found a very similar piece and put it in - it's not the same quality metal, but this is Haiti after all. The trucks are in rough shape - they are circa 1985.
The ice cream post that I made a few days ago encouraged a couple other people to allow us to buy ice cream, too. When we finally made it to the grocery store (we go less than once a month - or even less than once every two months), we found something better than ice cream: bread, smoked turkey, cheese, mayo, and some chips. We usually have a fairly limited selection of food consisting of bread & pizza that Tina makes, rice, beans, chicken legs and thighs (note: no breasts), eggs...and that's about it. This picnic-type lunch was so, so much better than ice cream - thank you all for contributing to this greatly-enjoyed lunch (Thank you Andrew for starting the whole thing)!
A shot of Naomi and Rebecca holding a cup of dead baby rats that their mother found in one their drawers (the story here):
A shot of the electrical switch box that I had to replace for the hospital's autoclave (note the burnt wires and melted plastic):
We have been using the four-wheeler and trailer to haul concrete. The mission is remodeling a building and taking out a concrete wall. We have to send the broken up chunks of concrete down a ramp built over stairs and then dump it into the trailer. After that we drive it a little ways and dump it in a dumping area. Carter has been helping out a bit with this.
Boring car stuff
We added another vehicle with mismatched doors. I don't know why I like this so much, I think that it is because it is a visual example of how living in Haiti requires you to do just about anything that works and that functionality cannot be determined by beauty (although beauty is in the eye of the beholder):
We switched the tires around on the two big trucks and, in the process, I took off all the lug nuts and used anti-seize on them because of the truck incident last week (I have a blister from that event that is still healing). This dump truck also had one of the two pivot pins (about an inch and a quarter of solid steel) for the dump disappear. We found a very similar piece and put it in - it's not the same quality metal, but this is Haiti after all. The trucks are in rough shape - they are circa 1985.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Adoption: Happy 26-month Anniversary
Lou,
Today, we want to publicly express our deepest apologies for the fact that you are "celebrating" your 26th month in the Haitian adoption process - we hope you have a happy day anyway. When we started, we were told that 18 months would be longest and had been the longest. You, my little buddy, are an exceptional child (in many ways).
We are thankful to God that he led us here to be with you in our care. We were able to give you our attention and guidance - something that would not be possible in the orphanage. We are happy to able to be living with you now!
We hope that we can stop counting soon and that you will get to meet your new grandmas and grandpas and your one and only aunt and uncle.
We'll see you in about an hour when you wake up.
Dad and Mom
Today, we want to publicly express our deepest apologies for the fact that you are "celebrating" your 26th month in the Haitian adoption process - we hope you have a happy day anyway. When we started, we were told that 18 months would be longest and had been the longest. You, my little buddy, are an exceptional child (in many ways).
We are thankful to God that he led us here to be with you in our care. We were able to give you our attention and guidance - something that would not be possible in the orphanage. We are happy to able to be living with you now!
We hope that we can stop counting soon and that you will get to meet your new grandmas and grandpas and your one and only aunt and uncle.
We'll see you in about an hour when you wake up.
Dad and Mom
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Old Football Injury
Carter and I were playing catch with a nerf football (thank you Colleen!) when we had an incomplete pass on my end. Since I was being a tired, lazy father and playing catch by laying on the couch, he had to go get his own thrown incomplete pass (nice catch Dad). On his way by, he gave me a high five and then this happened...
The defensive player gave him a cheap shot. Mr. Connie Crete jumped out and kerplunked him right on the forehead. I thought that his hand hit the couch on the way by based on the noise it made, but that is not what happened. After applying some very aged 3M bandages from when Tina worked in Package Engineering nearly 10 years ago, the wound is now pulled together and he is walking on his feet. I am sure that Mr. Crete will be fined by the commissioner. (For you sports guys out there, I may not have the fining system all straight because I am not a sports guy - but a fairly decent attempt at the humor of it don't you think?)
The defensive player gave him a cheap shot. Mr. Connie Crete jumped out and kerplunked him right on the forehead. I thought that his hand hit the couch on the way by based on the noise it made, but that is not what happened. After applying some very aged 3M bandages from when Tina worked in Package Engineering nearly 10 years ago, the wound is now pulled together and he is walking on his feet. I am sure that Mr. Crete will be fined by the commissioner. (For you sports guys out there, I may not have the fining system all straight because I am not a sports guy - but a fairly decent attempt at the humor of it don't you think?)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Adoption Update
We headed to the orphanage director's place today to drop off the pictures that we took for the paperwork. At least that's what we thought was going to happen. It turns out that she gave us some paperwork and gave it to us to take to the US Embassy to get processed. We did that and got some paperwork to return to the director. We also found out that they do not require the fathers DNA test which will save us some money (yeah!).
So here's the scoop on what we found out:
- Lou's birth mom was 49 years old at the time of his birth (dad was 51)
- We are still not out of MOI after being in there for six months (as of June 19th).
- We have to do DNA testing which will take about a week after we meet the birth parent to do the DNA testing (within a week, Lord willing).
- We have to get the passport and visa - which should take two weeks after we are out of MOI.
Our brains are fried like all the food at the MN State Fair.
I was more impressed by the operations of the orphanage director and the director herself than I was disappointed when we got there. I have to say that after being at her office and seeing what was going on as well as having the "opportunity" to do a little of the legwork by going to the US Embassy ourselves (quite the experience), my opinion of her and her operations grew a bit more positive. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes - the added goofiness of the paperwork shuffle along with the "anything can happen" environment of Haiti can drive us nuts. The director seems to know what is going on - it's just difficult to move things along faster sometimes (which is hard to say after almost 26 months).
I believe that I will have a great review of the place that will do our DNA testing. I have been working with a lady (Barb) at the testing place and she has been JUST AWESOME thus far. She has great customer service skills and truly makes us feel like they care. More to follow on this part...
So here's the scoop on what we found out:
- Lou's birth mom was 49 years old at the time of his birth (dad was 51)
- We are still not out of MOI after being in there for six months (as of June 19th).
- We have to do DNA testing which will take about a week after we meet the birth parent to do the DNA testing (within a week, Lord willing).
- We have to get the passport and visa - which should take two weeks after we are out of MOI.
Our brains are fried like all the food at the MN State Fair.
I was more impressed by the operations of the orphanage director and the director herself than I was disappointed when we got there. I have to say that after being at her office and seeing what was going on as well as having the "opportunity" to do a little of the legwork by going to the US Embassy ourselves (quite the experience), my opinion of her and her operations grew a bit more positive. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes - the added goofiness of the paperwork shuffle along with the "anything can happen" environment of Haiti can drive us nuts. The director seems to know what is going on - it's just difficult to move things along faster sometimes (which is hard to say after almost 26 months).
I believe that I will have a great review of the place that will do our DNA testing. I have been working with a lady (Barb) at the testing place and she has been JUST AWESOME thus far. She has great customer service skills and truly makes us feel like they care. More to follow on this part...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Great Experiment
All night long, someone is interested in seeing how long it takes for a car alarm to drain a car battery. I am surprised nobody has taken "the law" into their own hands (if there is a law here in Haiti for that)and disabled the alarm (and other parts of the car for that matter).
Friday, June 12, 2009
DNA - Praise!
We are so thankful right now! We found a place that will do the DNA testing for half the price that we were told we would have to pay and the results will come back faster. When things get hammered out more, I'll post more information. If our orphanage director allows us to use this other place, we'll be in the money (or in the adoption, if you will). I should have more details on Monday evening.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Adoption STUFF!
We are eyebrow deep in more waves of adoption stuff. Please pray for us - we struggle. More to follow.
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick."
Proverbs 13:12
Here's a hint of part of our struggle:
DNA doesn't just mean deoxyribonucleic acid.
It also means:
Do Need Another (bank account)
Do Not Ask (for more tests/needles/appointments/papers/money/confusion/pain of 4 year-old child with Down syndrome seeing birth mom and dad after more than a year has passed)
Didn't Need Another (thing to think about)
(Wanna be) Done Navigating Adoptions
Destroyed Nearly All (brain cells)
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick."
Proverbs 13:12
Here's a hint of part of our struggle:
DNA doesn't just mean deoxyribonucleic acid.
It also means:
Do Need Another (bank account)
Do Not Ask (for more tests/needles/appointments/papers/money/confusion/pain of 4 year-old child with Down syndrome seeing birth mom and dad after more than a year has passed)
Didn't Need Another (thing to think about)
(Wanna be) Done Navigating Adoptions
Destroyed Nearly All (brain cells)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Interview Success
The birth parent interview happened without a hitch and now we are going through the next steps. We still don't know if we are out of the MOI stage, but next we will have to meet with the orphanage director and bring Lou down for DNA testing. He doesn't like needles - it won't be fun. We'll keep you updated! Thank you for your prayers!
Snail/Slug Lesson Cont...
To demonstrate what a slug is, my friend, Mr. Slug Bug, came and asked for a photo. Here he is with a Bic pen to show his size.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Interview
An interview is scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th at the US Embassy with Lou's parents. If all goes well, they will go and state that they gave him up and could not (and can not) support him and his needs. The US Embassy will officially declare him an orphan (among a couple other things) and then we are just one step closer to being finished. How close? It's too hard to tell. I keep telling myself 6-8 months (and have been for the last year or so).
It's kinda like my Mom setting her clock 5 minutes ahead of time so that when she looks at it she thinks it's right, but when she thinks about it she knows it's really five minutes ahead of time. (I am poking you in the ribs, Mom.)
I am thinking that it really won't be 6-8 months, but when I look at it I want to think it's 6-8 months (As Foghorn Leghorn would say: Is any of this getting through to you, boy?)
Please pray that our adoption gets finished up. We need your prayers!
It's kinda like my Mom setting her clock 5 minutes ahead of time so that when she looks at it she thinks it's right, but when she thinks about it she knows it's really five minutes ahead of time. (I am poking you in the ribs, Mom.)
I am thinking that it really won't be 6-8 months, but when I look at it I want to think it's 6-8 months (As Foghorn Leghorn would say: Is any of this getting through to you, boy?)
Please pray that our adoption gets finished up. We need your prayers!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Happy Anniversary Chief Papa and Grandma
Flowers and rings
Under God everyone sings,
"You're married! You're married!
Hip Hip Horray You're married today!
Now you're married a whole 60 years
And that's what everyone hears.
by Kayla Schlorf
Under God everyone sings,
"You're married! You're married!
Hip Hip Horray You're married today!
Now you're married a whole 60 years
And that's what everyone hears.
by Kayla Schlorf
Ice Cream
I got a call from a friend, Andrew, in the States yesterday evening. He and I got to talking quite a bit and one of the things that we got to talking about was about food. He is one of our supporters every month and he mentioned that he wouldn't mind if we got ice cream every month using the money he gives us. I was smiling! I don't think that we'll be buying it very often, but I am looking forward to our next bucket of ice cream. We haven't bought a bucket of ice cream for probably close to 6 months.
Andrew, when I get my Haitian driver's license (which should be any day now), I am going to go buy myself some ice cream and I'll post a picture of our faces deep in the container of ice cream! Thank you for your encouraging phone call (and I am not just talking about ice cream)!
Andrew, when I get my Haitian driver's license (which should be any day now), I am going to go buy myself some ice cream and I'll post a picture of our faces deep in the container of ice cream! Thank you for your encouraging phone call (and I am not just talking about ice cream)!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
3 People, 1 Umbrella
What do you do when it is pouring rain outside and you have to go home for lunch with three people and one umbrella? (it stopped pouring when we took the pictures)
One child who is already wet, stays wet.
And the other sits on Mr. Crookedpants' shoulders...
One child who is already wet, stays wet.
And the other sits on Mr. Crookedpants' shoulders...
Crazy Night Changing One Wheel
Last night around 3 pm a call came in from Joas saying that he had a flat tire and the wrench broke. Willy, Carter, and I took off with tools in tow. When we got there (about 30-45 mins away), we found that they had removed all but one. We started to work on it and got nowhere. We eventually broke the 3/4 inch wrench with the 1 1/2 socket. The usual wrench used by most people in most sets is a 3/8 inch - this is 3/4... BIG...and now broke.
We went back for a couple more wrenches and some PB Blaster penetrating fluid. We got there (again) and started working. The last thing we tried was to use the truck to turn the wrench by putting a pipe on the wrench and driving forward to turn the nut. It didn't work. First, it rounded the nut pretty good. Then, it broke the second wrench. Since we were down to the last wrench, it was time to get serious. We headed back to get the torch (propane and oxygen) to cut the nut and lug off (we needed one good wrench to put the new wheel on and the good lug nuts).
By this time it was about 6:30pm and it was looking like rain before it got dark (out here - dark is DARK). We managed to cut the nut and lug off and put the new wheel on before it started raining.
Before they left for their trip, I suggested that they buy new tires in the front. It was decided not to buy new tires before they left. Once again, we got our money's worth out of the tires. Here is the one that didn't go flat:
I was very thankful to have city power so I could take a shower when we got to the house around 8 pm.
We went back for a couple more wrenches and some PB Blaster penetrating fluid. We got there (again) and started working. The last thing we tried was to use the truck to turn the wrench by putting a pipe on the wrench and driving forward to turn the nut. It didn't work. First, it rounded the nut pretty good. Then, it broke the second wrench. Since we were down to the last wrench, it was time to get serious. We headed back to get the torch (propane and oxygen) to cut the nut and lug off (we needed one good wrench to put the new wheel on and the good lug nuts).
By this time it was about 6:30pm and it was looking like rain before it got dark (out here - dark is DARK). We managed to cut the nut and lug off and put the new wheel on before it started raining.
Before they left for their trip, I suggested that they buy new tires in the front. It was decided not to buy new tires before they left. Once again, we got our money's worth out of the tires. Here is the one that didn't go flat:
I was very thankful to have city power so I could take a shower when we got to the house around 8 pm.
Regressing
Special needs is indeed "special." Other words that can be used for "special" are: extra, additional, further, added...
Lou is having potty issues. In addition to having days where he will not go on the potty once but rather in his pants, he'll have days (in a row) of going to the potty every time. This morning after peeing in his cloth diaper overnight (which sometimes he doesn't do), Tina didn't put a diaper on him and sent him back to bed for an hour because it wasn't quite time for him to get up. It turns out that he had to go #2 and he decided to do it in his pants. Our friend, #2, fell out of Lou's pants and onto the floor (this is one of the few times I will thank God for bare concrete floors instead of padded carpet...Mmmm...padded carpet). Carter didn't really like the smell of our new friend, #2, so he told us about him and we took care of him.
Ahh...maybe someday, we'll eventually learn to handle the stresses...
(no pictures this post)
Lou is having potty issues. In addition to having days where he will not go on the potty once but rather in his pants, he'll have days (in a row) of going to the potty every time. This morning after peeing in his cloth diaper overnight (which sometimes he doesn't do), Tina didn't put a diaper on him and sent him back to bed for an hour because it wasn't quite time for him to get up. It turns out that he had to go #2 and he decided to do it in his pants. Our friend, #2, fell out of Lou's pants and onto the floor (this is one of the few times I will thank God for bare concrete floors instead of padded carpet...Mmmm...padded carpet). Carter didn't really like the smell of our new friend, #2, so he told us about him and we took care of him.
Ahh...maybe someday, we'll eventually learn to handle the stresses...
(no pictures this post)
Now We're Cooking
Tina's typical Saturday involves cooking for the week. The one thing that she ALWAYS makes that we don't have on here is granola cereal. All of these things taste so great and they save us money (two of the best parts)!
We don't always have lime juice - it was a special treat.
Here is the chicken legs and thighs from frozen (upper right), to thawing/cooking (lower right), to cooked and separated (main - Lou knows how to smile now and its really easy for him to smile when there is food around).
These are banana muffins (very good!).
This is great bread - hard to not get filled up on (Blogger likes to rotate my images once in a while).
We don't always have lime juice - it was a special treat.
Here is the chicken legs and thighs from frozen (upper right), to thawing/cooking (lower right), to cooked and separated (main - Lou knows how to smile now and its really easy for him to smile when there is food around).
These are banana muffins (very good!).
This is great bread - hard to not get filled up on (Blogger likes to rotate my images once in a while).
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Happy Birthday Dad!
Dad is his name,
Cribbage is his game.
My Dad has worn many a hat,
"Dad" is of the ones he is best at.
My Dad is a good man,
He has always done the best he can.
From playing catch with a ball,
To baiting a hook and all.
As a farm boy, he had a green thumb,
As a working man, he made computers look dumb.
As a husband and dad, he provided day and night,
As a grandpa, he makes sure the bed bugs don't bite.
(And if they do,
hit them with a shoe.)
As he and I grow older,
I appreciate him more and grow fonder.
I love him as a Dad and friend,
No matter when or where the end.
Cribbage is his game.
My Dad has worn many a hat,
"Dad" is of the ones he is best at.
My Dad is a good man,
He has always done the best he can.
From playing catch with a ball,
To baiting a hook and all.
As a farm boy, he had a green thumb,
As a working man, he made computers look dumb.
As a husband and dad, he provided day and night,
As a grandpa, he makes sure the bed bugs don't bite.
(And if they do,
hit them with a shoe.)
As he and I grow older,
I appreciate him more and grow fonder.
I love him as a Dad and friend,
No matter when or where the end.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Louie's Blood Test
He freaked! He has obviously done this before because he knew enough to try to hang on to his arms and to pitch a fit. It was not easy for him or for us.
On the 23rd of May, we took Louie to the hospital to get some blood tests and stuff (fecal matter) done. After Tina tried to hold him, I stepped in. The nurse did a great job finding the vein right away, but that's where her "great job" ended. She had NO bedside manners of which to speak. When she felt she had enough blood she took the rubber-band strap off and in the process she wiggled the needle - that hurt Louie and he freaked again. She didn't really seem to care. As he was moving around she didn't care that it was hurting him. The needle was poking around in his arm as she fumbled with a cotton ball to stop the bleeding and roughly put that on his arm and wiggled the needle out.
Tina was not her normal stellar self as this was occurring. I'll refrain from the details, but something tells me it was good that she couldn't speak Creole.
The ladies (another one came to check things out) were poking at him trying to distract him from crying after the fact which only made things worse. We left and felt frustrated.
A few days later we got the results back and they showed that out of 7 tests, only 2 were in the normal range. In French his results were:
Hemoglobine gms% = 11.3 -- normal is 13.5 to 17
Hematocrite 34 -- normal is 33-36
Compte Globules Blancs 9250 -- normal is 4000 to 6000
Eosinophiles 11 -- normal is 0 to 4%
Polyneutrophiles 33 -- normal is 50 to 70%
Lymphocytes 56 -- normal is 25 to 40%
These results indicate that something is going on internally.
It appears that the parasite test was negative.
Tina did some research and found some different "normal ranges" to add to the confusion.
It's absolutely amazing the different in cleanliness and in how careful they are with things - including blood and fecal matter. As I was standing there watching her do the fecal test by smearing it on a slide, the liquid solution and fecal matter splattered on the small table where it appears they do everything from fill out forms to take blood. I feel as if I wouldn't complain about ANYTHING in the States anymore.
On the 23rd of May, we took Louie to the hospital to get some blood tests and stuff (fecal matter) done. After Tina tried to hold him, I stepped in. The nurse did a great job finding the vein right away, but that's where her "great job" ended. She had NO bedside manners of which to speak. When she felt she had enough blood she took the rubber-band strap off and in the process she wiggled the needle - that hurt Louie and he freaked again. She didn't really seem to care. As he was moving around she didn't care that it was hurting him. The needle was poking around in his arm as she fumbled with a cotton ball to stop the bleeding and roughly put that on his arm and wiggled the needle out.
Tina was not her normal stellar self as this was occurring. I'll refrain from the details, but something tells me it was good that she couldn't speak Creole.
The ladies (another one came to check things out) were poking at him trying to distract him from crying after the fact which only made things worse. We left and felt frustrated.
A few days later we got the results back and they showed that out of 7 tests, only 2 were in the normal range. In French his results were:
Hemoglobine gms% = 11.3 -- normal is 13.5 to 17
Hematocrite 34 -- normal is 33-36
Compte Globules Blancs 9250 -- normal is 4000 to 6000
Eosinophiles 11 -- normal is 0 to 4%
Polyneutrophiles 33 -- normal is 50 to 70%
Lymphocytes 56 -- normal is 25 to 40%
These results indicate that something is going on internally.
It appears that the parasite test was negative.
Tina did some research and found some different "normal ranges" to add to the confusion.
It's absolutely amazing the different in cleanliness and in how careful they are with things - including blood and fecal matter. As I was standing there watching her do the fecal test by smearing it on a slide, the liquid solution and fecal matter splattered on the small table where it appears they do everything from fill out forms to take blood. I feel as if I wouldn't complain about ANYTHING in the States anymore.
Rough Waters
Many things seem to be happening at this point in time that have created a thorn in our sides.
Adoption
The scoop on the adoption is a little complicated. The US and Haiti (among a few other countries) has an Orphans First program that allows you to start and finish the last stage of the adoption before the other stages are finished to quicken the adoption process. This requires the cooperation of the orphanage's director. Our orphanage director was contacted in October of 2007 by the US Embassy that coordinates the Orphans First program, but for some reason the email went ignored.
In October of 2008, the US Embassy contacted us to see what was up. It took a lot (A LOT) of messing around to find out what they were asking, but we eventually came to the conclusion that they were asking to complete the Orphans First program - something that we thought was taken care of. They contacted us because they didn't get a response from the orphanage director after one full year and wanted to know what was going on - where we were at with the adoption.
Essentially what this means for us is that the time frame in which we expected to complete the adoption hasn't gotten longer (although it has because the stages of the adoption process seem to be going longer than normal for us), it just could have been done after the stage we are in is completed (we are in MOI and have been for 5.5 months which is more than normal). So, if the orphanage director had responded to the email in October 2007, we could potentially be done with the adoption within a month (give or take a month). But instead, we will be waiting for another 6-8 months (my estimate) before the adoption is completed.
So many aspects of this particular incident are frustrating that it's hard to convey it hereg. Many things are just not right.
The Guy
The gentleman who borrowed money from me hasn't come back to pay. The day came and went without any sign of him. I am sure that some are thinking to themselves "I knew it" and there will be no shortage of people there to say "I could have told you that would happen", but once I gave him the money I personally wrote it off and was willing and OK with not receiving it back. I was really holding out hope that he would return - I wanted him to succeed after giving him some responsibility. I still have to decide if I want to try to make him accountable. I know about where he lives, but not exactly. Do I go and ask for my money back to and hold him accountable? This is Haiti after all, lots of things can happen (and do) so I can wait longer too... We'll see what I have the mental energy to do.
Boring car stuff...
After Story and I took the van's transmission out and replaced the seal, we put the transmission back up and the transmission did not work - the wheels would not turn. Automatic transmissions are a black art to me and I know my limits, I will not admit to knowing anything about them (besides being able to replace them - I know I cannot repair/rebuild them). I had other things to take care of so I left Story to take the transmission out again on Saturday after it didn't work.
Today, Story came with another guy and they took the transmission apart as I handed them the tools they wanted. They got two clutch packs out of the transmission and started to take them apart. Some were pretty shot and it all stunk like really burnt oil. They took the parts to town and are planning to buy new ones and come back to put it together.
I am sure that's it difficult for the mission who owns the van to figure out what to do - it appears that some people want to rebuild it themselves and others want to buy a good used one.
I am limited in my ability to help with an automatic transmission and the decision process because I don't know their structure - I am just helping where I can.
Bug
To lighten the mood (and so I stop complaining), here's a picture of what appears to be an overgrown lady bug (maybe it's a man bug):
Adoption
The scoop on the adoption is a little complicated. The US and Haiti (among a few other countries) has an Orphans First program that allows you to start and finish the last stage of the adoption before the other stages are finished to quicken the adoption process. This requires the cooperation of the orphanage's director. Our orphanage director was contacted in October of 2007 by the US Embassy that coordinates the Orphans First program, but for some reason the email went ignored.
In October of 2008, the US Embassy contacted us to see what was up. It took a lot (A LOT) of messing around to find out what they were asking, but we eventually came to the conclusion that they were asking to complete the Orphans First program - something that we thought was taken care of. They contacted us because they didn't get a response from the orphanage director after one full year and wanted to know what was going on - where we were at with the adoption.
Essentially what this means for us is that the time frame in which we expected to complete the adoption hasn't gotten longer (although it has because the stages of the adoption process seem to be going longer than normal for us), it just could have been done after the stage we are in is completed (we are in MOI and have been for 5.5 months which is more than normal). So, if the orphanage director had responded to the email in October 2007, we could potentially be done with the adoption within a month (give or take a month). But instead, we will be waiting for another 6-8 months (my estimate) before the adoption is completed.
So many aspects of this particular incident are frustrating that it's hard to convey it hereg. Many things are just not right.
The Guy
The gentleman who borrowed money from me hasn't come back to pay. The day came and went without any sign of him. I am sure that some are thinking to themselves "I knew it" and there will be no shortage of people there to say "I could have told you that would happen", but once I gave him the money I personally wrote it off and was willing and OK with not receiving it back. I was really holding out hope that he would return - I wanted him to succeed after giving him some responsibility. I still have to decide if I want to try to make him accountable. I know about where he lives, but not exactly. Do I go and ask for my money back to and hold him accountable? This is Haiti after all, lots of things can happen (and do) so I can wait longer too... We'll see what I have the mental energy to do.
Boring car stuff...
After Story and I took the van's transmission out and replaced the seal, we put the transmission back up and the transmission did not work - the wheels would not turn. Automatic transmissions are a black art to me and I know my limits, I will not admit to knowing anything about them (besides being able to replace them - I know I cannot repair/rebuild them). I had other things to take care of so I left Story to take the transmission out again on Saturday after it didn't work.
Today, Story came with another guy and they took the transmission apart as I handed them the tools they wanted. They got two clutch packs out of the transmission and started to take them apart. Some were pretty shot and it all stunk like really burnt oil. They took the parts to town and are planning to buy new ones and come back to put it together.
I am sure that's it difficult for the mission who owns the van to figure out what to do - it appears that some people want to rebuild it themselves and others want to buy a good used one.
I am limited in my ability to help with an automatic transmission and the decision process because I don't know their structure - I am just helping where I can.
Bug
To lighten the mood (and so I stop complaining), here's a picture of what appears to be an overgrown lady bug (maybe it's a man bug):
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