Since our file enter Haiti in September 2011, we have been waiting for any word of progress. On Friday, March 2nd, 2012, we were informed that our file had exited the IBESR in Haiti and entered the Haitian President's office.
If we were 35 years old, we would be headed to Haiti right now for family court and to file for Ooley's Visa. Which would put the bring home date 8-10 weeks out. But we aren't 35, so we have to get the Haitian President to sign off on our adoption. The great news is that it is now to that last step. The other news is that there is no given timeline of how long our file will sit before being signed. Other countries don't have set times or urgency like we do here in the U.S., so patience is definitely something that has had to grow in us....or something we've been made aware we haven't had much of.... or both :)
We are nearing the end of the financial needs! We are roughly $10,000 away from what is needed to settle with our adoption agency. We will also be traveling back one time for files and then again to bring Ooley home. If you have any ideas of how to help us raise funds, please contact us at amber@salonendeavor.com. If you'd like to help by donating, click the PayPal link, or go to Communication Federal Credit Union (the one on SW 89th & Walker knows us & our process very well) and donate to the Amber & Daniel Johnson adoption fund.
Please pray that our file will move quickly and that the President Michel Martelly will have favor and urgency, not only for our adoption, but for the many that are waiting as well. Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Waiting is Daunting....
Waiting, waiting, and more waiting..... a test of patience for the control freaks, like me (Amber). Waiting isn't near as daunting, when there is a deadline set in stone. However, waiting with no certainty of time frame is incredibly hard! We do know, through monthly updates, that Ooley is happy and healthy! Ooley's creche, Chances for Children, is moving into a bigger and better location, where there will be more room to play, and a more centralized location to meet all his needs. Hopefully he won't be there too long, but we hope he enjoys life more with these new conveniences.
Many of you have been asking what's new, and are all getting the same answer on repeat, "We're waiting". Our documents are still in the Haitian government hands, and they don't give even rough estimates of how long this process could take. We are hopeful that our file will exit soon and we can arrange to move forward. There was a trip tentative in January that got pushed to March, and has now been pushed to possibly April. The only way we can get in on the next trip, is for our file to exit the IBESR in Haiti. Our file requires a Haitian Presidential waiver because we don't meet the age requirement of 35 that is set to be able to adopt from Haiti. We've heard that things are starting to be signed and come out of the President's office, but some have been in there for several years. Of course we are hopeful that our file will reach the top and come out quickly, now that things are moving again. Once our documents exit, we can move on to the final things needed, such as Family Court in Haiti and file for Ooley's Visa. The timeline after the final things are filed is 8-10 weeks to be able to arrange to bring Ooley home.
We are getting closer to the final estimated amount for the adoption fees! We've applied for another grant and are waiting to hear the results. We've also gotten two totally unexpected donations in last couple weeks! One donation was from a family that visited the garage sale we had awhile back, and we are so grateful to have their support and prayers! Another was from a family we recently met and have been getting to know more each week. You all know who you are, a HUGE THANK YOU for your support! We do not take any prayer and support for granted, it's amazing to hear how many people are praying for Ooley!
It seems to be dragging on forever, but will be worth it all one day soon!!! Thanks for your constant prayer coverage, please know you are making a difference. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more!
Many of you have been asking what's new, and are all getting the same answer on repeat, "We're waiting". Our documents are still in the Haitian government hands, and they don't give even rough estimates of how long this process could take. We are hopeful that our file will exit soon and we can arrange to move forward. There was a trip tentative in January that got pushed to March, and has now been pushed to possibly April. The only way we can get in on the next trip, is for our file to exit the IBESR in Haiti. Our file requires a Haitian Presidential waiver because we don't meet the age requirement of 35 that is set to be able to adopt from Haiti. We've heard that things are starting to be signed and come out of the President's office, but some have been in there for several years. Of course we are hopeful that our file will reach the top and come out quickly, now that things are moving again. Once our documents exit, we can move on to the final things needed, such as Family Court in Haiti and file for Ooley's Visa. The timeline after the final things are filed is 8-10 weeks to be able to arrange to bring Ooley home.
We are getting closer to the final estimated amount for the adoption fees! We've applied for another grant and are waiting to hear the results. We've also gotten two totally unexpected donations in last couple weeks! One donation was from a family that visited the garage sale we had awhile back, and we are so grateful to have their support and prayers! Another was from a family we recently met and have been getting to know more each week. You all know who you are, a HUGE THANK YOU for your support! We do not take any prayer and support for granted, it's amazing to hear how many people are praying for Ooley!
It seems to be dragging on forever, but will be worth it all one day soon!!! Thanks for your constant prayer coverage, please know you are making a difference. We'll keep you posted as soon as we know more!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
So many steps to take, but one step closer.
Our hope to have Ooley home by Christmas 2011 has come and gone, but our hope is not fading. So what's new? We'd love to have all the answers for you, but we don't even have them for ourselves. We'll let you know what we do know in a nutshell here though. Our documents are still in the IBESR in Haiti. We don't know what step they are in, but they are still moving. We've been told that we won't know anything in this waiting zone, and will only be informed when they deny (not gonna happen :) or approve our documents. Waiting is incredibly hard.
The orphanage that Ooley is in, will be moving to a new location this month. Although it will require Ooley to move again, this new location is bigger and better than the current one. We are happy that they will have an outdoor area to play at the new place too! With the move, and with our documents in what seems to be the eternal holding zone, the trip we thought would be in January is now looking to be in the March timeline. We're hoping that we will both be able to go on the trip in March. The next trip to Haiti will be a visit and filing for Ooley's Visa. From the time the Visa is filed, it's said to expect about 8-10 weeks for that to clear. Once his Visa is obtained, we can arrange to bring him home!
This has been an extremely interesting journey so far. Spiritual battles have raged harder than we ever thought we could endure, in attempts to halt the adoption and ruin family. Emotionally, we've ridden the roller-coaster through some pretty big highs and deep lows. Feeling rather battered and bruised, and with tear stains on our cheeks, we still smile. We are so ready to bring our son home, and we know that God has perfect timing beyond what we can see.
Financially, we are nearing what we believe to be the total of what is needed to complete the adoption. We are still in need of some funds for travel and the initial things needed once Ooley is home, like a multitude of doctor appointments and such. If you are interested in helping in any way, please click the link to the right to support our journey via paypal. You can also make donations at any Communication Federal Credit Union here in Oklahoma, under the name Amber & Daniel Johnson adoption of Ooley. Or you can contact us personally at amber@salonendeavor.com to make arrangements.
American Airlines is the only airlines we can travel with to and from Haiti. If you have airline miles you would like to donate to help us with our travels, or have any connections with AA that could help lower our costs, please contact us soon!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Ooley is definitely one loved little boy, and we can't wait to see what God holds for his life!
The orphanage that Ooley is in, will be moving to a new location this month. Although it will require Ooley to move again, this new location is bigger and better than the current one. We are happy that they will have an outdoor area to play at the new place too! With the move, and with our documents in what seems to be the eternal holding zone, the trip we thought would be in January is now looking to be in the March timeline. We're hoping that we will both be able to go on the trip in March. The next trip to Haiti will be a visit and filing for Ooley's Visa. From the time the Visa is filed, it's said to expect about 8-10 weeks for that to clear. Once his Visa is obtained, we can arrange to bring him home!
This has been an extremely interesting journey so far. Spiritual battles have raged harder than we ever thought we could endure, in attempts to halt the adoption and ruin family. Emotionally, we've ridden the roller-coaster through some pretty big highs and deep lows. Feeling rather battered and bruised, and with tear stains on our cheeks, we still smile. We are so ready to bring our son home, and we know that God has perfect timing beyond what we can see.
Financially, we are nearing what we believe to be the total of what is needed to complete the adoption. We are still in need of some funds for travel and the initial things needed once Ooley is home, like a multitude of doctor appointments and such. If you are interested in helping in any way, please click the link to the right to support our journey via paypal. You can also make donations at any Communication Federal Credit Union here in Oklahoma, under the name Amber & Daniel Johnson adoption of Ooley. Or you can contact us personally at amber@salonendeavor.com to make arrangements.
American Airlines is the only airlines we can travel with to and from Haiti. If you have airline miles you would like to donate to help us with our travels, or have any connections with AA that could help lower our costs, please contact us soon!
Thank you for your continued prayers and support! Ooley is definitely one loved little boy, and we can't wait to see what God holds for his life!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Thank You Christian Motorcyclists Association
Earlier this year my dad had an idea to make "survival bracelets" to sell as a fundraiser for Ooley's adoption fund. These have been such a huge hit that he decided this year that he wanted to set up this year as a vendor at the CMA Changing of the Colors rally and sell them. Amber and I have been members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association or "CMA"since 2001. Annually in October they hold their "Changing of the Colors" rally at their national headquarters in Hatfield, Arkansas. Members from all over the globe attend this event each year as Amber and I have several times. I just returned earlier this evening from another great rally! Amber and I would like to say thank you to everyone who came by and purchased survival bracelets or made a donation towards Ooley's adoption fund. Your prayers and financial support are greatly appreciated more than you will ever know. We also want to say thank you to my parents, John & Cindy Johnson for spending their personal finances on a vendor booth and supplies and dad for spending all of his free time this week at the rally sitting at the booth all week making and selling the bracelets and sharing our story.
Thank you CMA for your generosity and "Changing the World, One Heart at A Time"
(If you're interested in purchasing these bracelets some are available at Salon Endeavor in OKC or you can email me at djohnson273@cox.net)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Wondering What's Going On?
I know everyone is wondering what's been going on, so here's what's up. A bunch of waiting. Yep, that's pretty much the extent of the information we can share. Ok, maybe a tad more. Our files are moving forward, and that's definitely better than sitting still on a desk somewhere! We've reached the step in the adoption process that we really aren't being told a whole lot at the time, but are patiently awaiting any tiny bit of info we are given. There are still some fees owed, and we are still working on getting all that squared away. The next step on our end will be for Daniel to go to Haiti to apply for Ooley's Visa. After that has happened, we will then wait for the approval and arrange to bring Ooley home....FINALLY! It seems it really is hurry up and wait sometimes. But wait it is. And we will wait and do what we can to prepare our home.
Ooley is doing well! He's learning at a great pace and gets along well with others. He's gaining weight and getting more healthy, but growing up too fast it seems. The newest pictures we were sent show him looking like such a big boy. It's seems his chubby cheeks have gone away in the few short months since we were there. Sad that we are missing these days with him, but so happy that he's doing good!
So, there ya go. Now you are in the know and up to beat with what's going on. Patience is a virtue, and it's not easy to keep either.
Ooley is doing well! He's learning at a great pace and gets along well with others. He's gaining weight and getting more healthy, but growing up too fast it seems. The newest pictures we were sent show him looking like such a big boy. It's seems his chubby cheeks have gone away in the few short months since we were there. Sad that we are missing these days with him, but so happy that he's doing good!
So, there ya go. Now you are in the know and up to beat with what's going on. Patience is a virtue, and it's not easy to keep either.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Sales, Grants, Approval Letter, and Timelines! It's been busy!
The Bring Ooley Home Sale we had last week went great! We raised just over $1,500 in just a couple days!! Thank you SO much to everyone who was involved, whether bringing items, buying items, or spreading the word! You each played a role and we are so grateful for your help and support. The remaining items from the sale were taken by a non-profit that takes the items and recycles them in another form or donates them to those in need. This non-profit will weigh the remaining items and pay us per pound of what is there, so that amount of $1,500 will be more once that is done.
We're looking at needing close to $12,000 additional funds needed to complete the process. Fees pop up here and there as well, and it all adds up. We've been approved for our first grant and received $2,000 and are currently in the application process of another one as well!
The sale was Friday and Saturday...then on Monday we got our official approval to adopt! Our letter from the USCIS shows that we are allowed to adopt up to 3 children up to 18 years old and we are approved for special needs should we ever feel that calling! Pretty exciting stuff!!! So what's next? Well, we're trying to figure that out ourselves actually. With this last piece to the puzzle, our documents will be complete on the U.S. side and will move into the hands of Haiti. Once they've pushed the documents through a few offices, we (or prob just Daniel) will be flying to Haiti to apply for Ooley's Visa. After that, the next step would be arranging to bring him home.
How long will all this take? Pretty cool story about that! A couple weeks ago, we got an email telling us that from this point we were looking at 24 months for Haiti to process. We know that is unecceptable and have been believing for our son to be home around Christmas. The adoption agency has been telling us that is a lofty goal and that they've never closed an adoption in less than a year. A week after that email saying 24 months, and us saying absolutely not, we got another email. This one told us that our agency has been talking with some others who are working Haitian adoptions as well and they are saying things are moving very quickly. They estimated the time from where we are now to be 4-6 months!
How do you explain the jump from 24 months to 4-6 months? GOD! And if you do the math, that is Christmas time! They are saying it's still too premature to say if an adoption can be closed in less than a year, but we are believing that ours will be their first! Please continue to believe with us!
We'll keep you posted! Love you all!
We're looking at needing close to $12,000 additional funds needed to complete the process. Fees pop up here and there as well, and it all adds up. We've been approved for our first grant and received $2,000 and are currently in the application process of another one as well!
The sale was Friday and Saturday...then on Monday we got our official approval to adopt! Our letter from the USCIS shows that we are allowed to adopt up to 3 children up to 18 years old and we are approved for special needs should we ever feel that calling! Pretty exciting stuff!!! So what's next? Well, we're trying to figure that out ourselves actually. With this last piece to the puzzle, our documents will be complete on the U.S. side and will move into the hands of Haiti. Once they've pushed the documents through a few offices, we (or prob just Daniel) will be flying to Haiti to apply for Ooley's Visa. After that, the next step would be arranging to bring him home.
How long will all this take? Pretty cool story about that! A couple weeks ago, we got an email telling us that from this point we were looking at 24 months for Haiti to process. We know that is unecceptable and have been believing for our son to be home around Christmas. The adoption agency has been telling us that is a lofty goal and that they've never closed an adoption in less than a year. A week after that email saying 24 months, and us saying absolutely not, we got another email. This one told us that our agency has been talking with some others who are working Haitian adoptions as well and they are saying things are moving very quickly. They estimated the time from where we are now to be 4-6 months!
How do you explain the jump from 24 months to 4-6 months? GOD! And if you do the math, that is Christmas time! They are saying it's still too premature to say if an adoption can be closed in less than a year, but we are believing that ours will be their first! Please continue to believe with us!
We'll keep you posted! Love you all!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Happy 3rd Birthday Little Man!
Today is Ooley's 3rd Birthday! Although he doesn't even know it's his special day, we do! It's hard to not be able to be with him on this special day, but we are definitely celebrating his birth. Three years ago today, God brought our baby boy to life, and that is something to be excited about! The first three years of Ooley's life have not been easy. But the rest of his life will be different. We believe that this will be the last Birthday he has to spend away from us.
We are so grateful for CFC, the creche he's in, and for all they are doing to assure Ooley is being cared for. He's gotten so much more healthy in the last year and we couldn't have done any of this without their help. It's such a relief to know that he's in good hands while the rest of the adoption process is completed. We had our last round of fingerprints last week and now we are in a waiting period. We haven't heard a lot of info lately because our adoption coordinator has had a tragic loss, she lost her 23 year old son. Although we are eager to move forward with the process, we feel that our adoption coordinator needs time to be with her family right now. Please pray for her and her family, we can't imagine what she's going through. We'll let you know when we know more.
Next weekend is the huge indoor sale for the Ooley fund! We could use some help Thursday 28th to set up and price, as well as help Friday 29th & Saturday 30th to run the sale. Thursday is the drop off day for any items that you would like to put in the sale, and we would love for you to bring anything you can get to us! We already know we will have some great items, so don't forget to come back and shop the sale too! Please spread the word and tell everyone you know to be a part as well.
The sale is at Trinity Church of the Nazarene gym, located on South Walker just North of I-240. We will be at the church gym Thursday from 9a-8p and donations can be brought any time between those hours. The sale will be Friday 8a-5p & Saturday 8a-3p. If you have questions, please contact Amber via email amber@salonendeavor.com
We look forward to having you be a part of bringing Ooley home! Thanks so much for your support! He's already got a pretty big fan club, definitely not lacking in love and prayers!
Next year Ooley can have all the cake and ice cream he wants& we hope each of you can be a part of celebrating with us! :)
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Bring Ooley Home Giant Indoor Garage Sale!
Bring Ooley Home Giant Indoor Garage Sale
When: Friday July 29th 8a- Saturday July 30th 3p
Where: Trinity Church of the Nazarene - 7301 S. Walker - Okc
(Just north of I-240 on west side of Walker)
Time to clean out those closets and cubby holes and help us bring Ooley home at the same time! We are having a Giant Garage Sale in the gym of Trinity Church of the Nazarene and we need your stuff! Of course you can shop too!
Items can be brought to Trinity Church gym anytime Thursday July 28th from 9a-8p. All remaining items at the end of the sale will be donated to charity unless other special arrangements have been made. For special arrangements for drop off or pick up of items, contact Amber at amber@salonendeavor.com
WE NEED YOU! We will need help in the following areas:
1- People to help set up and price items Thursday
2-Team to help run the sale Friday and Saturday
3-GUYS (& girls) WITH TRUCKS to help us take the remaining items to charity Saturday afternoon
If you can help in any area, please contact Amber at the above email.
Thanks so much to everyone who has helped already, and thank you for your help too! Please pass the word and hope to see you there!
When: Friday July 29th 8a- Saturday July 30th 3p
Where: Trinity Church of the Nazarene - 7301 S. Walker - Okc
(Just north of I-240 on west side of Walker)
Time to clean out those closets and cubby holes and help us bring Ooley home at the same time! We are having a Giant Garage Sale in the gym of Trinity Church of the Nazarene and we need your stuff! Of course you can shop too!
Items can be brought to Trinity Church gym anytime Thursday July 28th from 9a-8p. All remaining items at the end of the sale will be donated to charity unless other special arrangements have been made. For special arrangements for drop off or pick up of items, contact Amber at amber@salonendeavor.com
WE NEED YOU! We will need help in the following areas:
1- People to help set up and price items Thursday
2-Team to help run the sale Friday and Saturday
3-GUYS (& girls) WITH TRUCKS to help us take the remaining items to charity Saturday afternoon
If you can help in any area, please contact Amber at the above email.
Thanks so much to everyone who has helped already, and thank you for your help too! Please pass the word and hope to see you there!
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Hurry up and wait some more
Hurry up and wait. We are now at the stage where we are at the mercy of the speed of other people. Our next step will be to get our fingerprints run again as soon as we get the time and place assigned to us by Homeland Security. Then it's more waiting. Our documents are currently at the Haitian Consulate getting authenticated there in Haiti. We aren't really sure why all the documents need to be checked and rechecked a bunch of times, but it's the process.
We got an email that wasn't super encouraging regarding the timeline of when we will be able to bring Ooley home. Haiti was taking average of 24 months for their part of the process before the earthquake. Haitian adoptions haven't been opened long enough after the earthquake to really know a good estimate of how long things could take now. We are praying for expedient process and extra favor for getting it all taken care of as quick as possible.
We don't really know why it takes so long. Our documents must go through so many hands and offices. Once we get everything authenticated in Haiti, which should be in the next week or so, they are sent to Chances For Children, where Ooley is, for processing there. Once our documents arrive in Haiti, the attorney will need to go through it and make sure everything is there. Then the file will go to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, next IBESR, next Civil Court of Parquet, next Minister of Interior, and then finally to the US Government for approval and then Ooley's Visa issue.
We've been told the whole process is pretty long. The thought of it taking two more years from here feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest. There's no way it can take that long. On the positive side, we have been in contact with several people who have authority and know people who can help speed up the process in Haiti. We've been blessed with so much favor this far, and we know God has every detail taken care of already. We don't take for granted all the contacts we've been given and all the help that has been offered our way.
We don't understand all the details. We don't understand where all the funds will come from. We don't understand how things could possibly take so much time. But we do understand that we love our son and we will continue forward and trust God with the details.
We are looking to have a garage sale to raise funds, but we haven't been able to secure a venue. Ideally, we would like for it to be inside somewhere like a church gym or something. If you have any contacts that we could pursue in south OKC/Moore area, please email us at amber@salonendeavor.com . As soon as we get the details worked out, we will be letting you all know when and where it will be and gathering items.
Thanks for your prayers and support, it means more than you realize. As we may seem to be emotionally numb, we are really excited but just overwhelmed. Love you all and look forward to sharing good news with you soon!
We got an email that wasn't super encouraging regarding the timeline of when we will be able to bring Ooley home. Haiti was taking average of 24 months for their part of the process before the earthquake. Haitian adoptions haven't been opened long enough after the earthquake to really know a good estimate of how long things could take now. We are praying for expedient process and extra favor for getting it all taken care of as quick as possible.
We don't really know why it takes so long. Our documents must go through so many hands and offices. Once we get everything authenticated in Haiti, which should be in the next week or so, they are sent to Chances For Children, where Ooley is, for processing there. Once our documents arrive in Haiti, the attorney will need to go through it and make sure everything is there. Then the file will go to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, next IBESR, next Civil Court of Parquet, next Minister of Interior, and then finally to the US Government for approval and then Ooley's Visa issue.
We've been told the whole process is pretty long. The thought of it taking two more years from here feels like my heart is being ripped from my chest. There's no way it can take that long. On the positive side, we have been in contact with several people who have authority and know people who can help speed up the process in Haiti. We've been blessed with so much favor this far, and we know God has every detail taken care of already. We don't take for granted all the contacts we've been given and all the help that has been offered our way.
We don't understand all the details. We don't understand where all the funds will come from. We don't understand how things could possibly take so much time. But we do understand that we love our son and we will continue forward and trust God with the details.
We are looking to have a garage sale to raise funds, but we haven't been able to secure a venue. Ideally, we would like for it to be inside somewhere like a church gym or something. If you have any contacts that we could pursue in south OKC/Moore area, please email us at amber@salonendeavor.com . As soon as we get the details worked out, we will be letting you all know when and where it will be and gathering items.
Thanks for your prayers and support, it means more than you realize. As we may seem to be emotionally numb, we are really excited but just overwhelmed. Love you all and look forward to sharing good news with you soon!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Leaving Haiti Without Ooley Was Heart Wrenching
We are home safe! Our plans while in Haiti all got shot, but God had better plans anyway! We traveled to Port au Prince, Haiti on Wednesday to visit Ooley. Daniel wasn't feeling very well and I gave him some medicine that pretty much knocked him out, which made for a more interesting day. Interesting meaning stressful for me. After getting a late start, we spent maybe an hour with Ooley on Wednesday. Daniel's health was our first priority and he was running a fever and struggling to stay awake. So we headed to our hotel, only to find out that the "thank you" online meant nothing and they had no rooms. We headed back to The Juniper Tree, the place that houses groups when they go to Haiti to work with Chances for Children, and they had a room for us.
It was a blessing that we ended up at The Juniper Tree! With all the failed plans for the day, and Daniel not feeling well, I was a nervous wreck! The small group that was staying there was a really great group, and the lady who was running the home for the week has adopted three children from Haiti and was able to understand our emotional stress. They were so much help and took time to pray for Daniel and comfort and calm me. Daniel's fever broke Wednesday evening, but he still wasn't feeling too great Thursday morning.
We got a late start Thursday as well, but were able to spend about 4 hours with Ooley. He is doing really well! He gets a good meal every day, and a bath too! He got a haircut Wednesday night, so when we got there Thursday, he was handsome and clean. Ooley is learning some English and he really enjoys being outside. It melted our hearts when he said Mommy and Daddy. The mothers at the creche are helping him understand who we are, so that is really nice. We noticed that one of the little girls who is being adopted has pictures of her adoptive family hanging in the area of her bed, we're pretty sure that will be the case when they get our photo pages for Ooley as well. That will help him get even more aquainted with our faces and remember more each time we see him.
Leaving the creche after putting Ooley down for his nap was very hard. Especially hard when he looks at you with begging eyes not wanting us to go. Leaving Haiti without him was heart wrenching. We know he is being taken care of, but we want him home here with us. We are ready to go back to see him already, it's not easy to adjust our minds back to our life here right now without him.
Our adoption dossier is complete on our end, we just need to print the photo pages and it's ready to be mailed to our agency. There's another form we must apply for which requires another round of fingerprinting as well. That form will be sent with our dossier and everything will be headed to Haiti when the last pieces have been translated. We are believing that Haiti will move extremely fast with our process and make it a priority! The expenses for this process are hitting the large totals needed, but God has provided this far and will continue to provide! We are applying for some adoption grants and possibly some no interest loans through our adoption agency. We haven't had the need to do so until this point, but we would like to know the funds are available when needed so the process isn't slowed for any reason. Thanks again and again for all of you who have helped with our adoption process so far, you will be blessed for being a blessing!
Back to our life here in the U.S., and back to pushing forward with the adoption process! God is good, and we look forward to sharing all the amazing things that will come soon! Thanks for your constant prayers and support, we are in awe of how God is providing everything needed at the perfect timing!
It was a blessing that we ended up at The Juniper Tree! With all the failed plans for the day, and Daniel not feeling well, I was a nervous wreck! The small group that was staying there was a really great group, and the lady who was running the home for the week has adopted three children from Haiti and was able to understand our emotional stress. They were so much help and took time to pray for Daniel and comfort and calm me. Daniel's fever broke Wednesday evening, but he still wasn't feeling too great Thursday morning.
We got a late start Thursday as well, but were able to spend about 4 hours with Ooley. He is doing really well! He gets a good meal every day, and a bath too! He got a haircut Wednesday night, so when we got there Thursday, he was handsome and clean. Ooley is learning some English and he really enjoys being outside. It melted our hearts when he said Mommy and Daddy. The mothers at the creche are helping him understand who we are, so that is really nice. We noticed that one of the little girls who is being adopted has pictures of her adoptive family hanging in the area of her bed, we're pretty sure that will be the case when they get our photo pages for Ooley as well. That will help him get even more aquainted with our faces and remember more each time we see him.
Leaving the creche after putting Ooley down for his nap was very hard. Especially hard when he looks at you with begging eyes not wanting us to go. Leaving Haiti without him was heart wrenching. We know he is being taken care of, but we want him home here with us. We are ready to go back to see him already, it's not easy to adjust our minds back to our life here right now without him.
Our adoption dossier is complete on our end, we just need to print the photo pages and it's ready to be mailed to our agency. There's another form we must apply for which requires another round of fingerprinting as well. That form will be sent with our dossier and everything will be headed to Haiti when the last pieces have been translated. We are believing that Haiti will move extremely fast with our process and make it a priority! The expenses for this process are hitting the large totals needed, but God has provided this far and will continue to provide! We are applying for some adoption grants and possibly some no interest loans through our adoption agency. We haven't had the need to do so until this point, but we would like to know the funds are available when needed so the process isn't slowed for any reason. Thanks again and again for all of you who have helped with our adoption process so far, you will be blessed for being a blessing!
Back to our life here in the U.S., and back to pushing forward with the adoption process! God is good, and we look forward to sharing all the amazing things that will come soon! Thanks for your constant prayers and support, we are in awe of how God is providing everything needed at the perfect timing!
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