Here's the *Hopeful* News I Was Telling You About

But First.......

A few days ago we received W's January Update from C4C with new photos of our boy--yes!  I know you all want to see photos, but lemme just say that he is one handsome, cool little dude.  After all, he is 7 goin' on big time!

He is growing so tall -- only 3 or 4 more inches and he will be caught up to big sister Noelle -- but he is skinny.  He weighs about 15 pounds less than Noelle, and Noelle is thin.  I just want to go hug him, put him on my lap and feed him lots of {all natural made from scratch} chocolate chip cookies and cold {organic GMO and hormone free} whole milk.  That will surely fix things!

Anyhoo, I digress.

His update partially says: W is one of the best soccer players in the crèche because he is getting very strong and runs fast.   He is also having a tough time with the other boys teasing him.  He goes to [a particular staff member at the creche] for help with that, and [this man] often has to go have a talk with the other boys.  Despite some of his social challenges right now, [he is smart and] continues to work hard in school.

I hate to hear that the bigger boys are giving him a hard time...  I know this is normal kid stuff and he has to learn to work these things out and learn to be confident in who he is.  But I hate that Eric and I aren't the ones to talk and pray with him and comfort him.  I am very glad to hear that this particular man seems to be taking an interest in W.  I have been praying intentionally for several months that God would bring a kind adult into his life to love on him, care for him and develop a healthy relationship with him...and one who loves Jesus would be even better.  W needs that.  Having a healthy, loving and trusting relationship with an adult will help him attach better to us.  When a child learns to trust in an adult (particularly a caregiver) and feels that person's unconditional love, the child learns to feel safe, secure, confident and in turn, learns how to attach and reciprocate love.  Will you join us in praying for W to have that kind of relationship?  It will provide him with hope and courage while we are far away AND help him adjust better to his new life when he comes home.

Along with that prayer, Eric and I continually ask God to prepare our hearts and home, prepare us physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, financially to be his mom and dad.  We also pray for God's Holy Spirit to go before us and prepare W's heart, mind and emotions to join our family.  This is important.  This is big.  You've heard me say it before.  We serve a great, big God!

Okay...on to the HOPEFUL NEWS.

The January Update also said:  W’s file has been signed by the mayor, approved by the judge and sent back to IBESR for referral!  We expect this referral to be made fairly quickly since the family dossier was submitted to IBESR so long ago.  IBESR is trying to process them in order of the family dossiers submissions, as the children’s dossiers are approved by the judge.

Then Chareyl, our adoption agency rep, told me this:  Wastch's Haiti rep was at IBESR [last] Friday [to check on the status of Wasatch families files], and he was told that Wasatch has several dossier's that are near completion and will be ready for official referral/match.  I hope yours is one of them!

This is exciting, realizing that any day (or any week,,,) now, we could receive THAT EMAIL that tells us we officially have a son named W______.  I admit that I now stalk my phone for emails from our agency and my heart skips a beat every time I see a new one come in.  So far nothing exciting, but one of these days, it will be THE email from Chareyl. 

Now what really has gotten me squirming with hopefulness is that 2 other families from C4C creche have been given hopeful news from their respective adoption agencies.  One family was told that their referral is being worked on this week!!  And another C4C family was told by their agency that their referral paperwork is being completed and they should receive their referral by the end of this week!!!!!!

This looks very, very good for ALL of us families at C4C that have completed files, sitting on a desk at IBESR, merely waiting for that official approval paperwork!

My birthday is Saturday...I have reminded God that getting W's referral would be a really super duper great birthday present! ;-) ;-) ;-)

And Batman!

Guess what arrived in the mail today???

THE MASK to go with THE CAPE, as requested by our super-son.

We will definitely be taking these with us to Haiti for our Socialization Visit / Bonding Trip!

Say, how do we look? ;-)

Oh! Oh! Oh!

As I write this post, I am listening to my all time favorite testimony song, "In Christ Alone".  I am filled with deep emotion...

Dear Heavenly Father, oh Lord Jesus!
Thank you for your great abiding love for the orphan.  Your eye is on the sparrow, and HOW MUCH MORE is it on the lonely child!
Oh how You love each one of us!  My tears fall as I think of the tremendous sacrifice You made for all people...for Me!  You died and rose again to fulfill the Father's perfect plan of ADOPTION!

I became Your child at the age of 7.  I am yours still,,,forever and always.

W is 7 years old.  May he learn soon to trust in Your love.  Oh Jesus, may Eric and I be faithful and wise to faithfully live out and teach your ways to W, to Noelle, to Selah.  May they see Your  love in us and embrace YOU.

Oh friends!  The past 18 hours has brought much hopeful and encouraging adoption news!  (i will share details in the next post)  Whatever happens, I know my loving Father is lovingly caring and guiding me and my family.  My precious Jesus lives and reigns in my heart and makes me sing! :-)

Please read these lyrics...go to a quite place first...and let the words soak in and drench your spirit.  Oh! Oh! Oh!

"In Christ Alone"

…In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

…In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

…There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sins curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

…No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a lifes first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

To listen, click here.

It Went Great

Our social worker, Janet, came over Friday afternoon to do out official home visit for the updated home study required by USCIS for extending our immigration approval.  It was wonderful to see her. Maybe not everyone can say that about their home study social worker, but we've been doing home studies and updates and change of country and all sorts of adoption related stuff with this gal...since March 2009!  She has become a dear friend of ours, so instead of dreading the office meetings and home visits, we actually look forward to our times together.  And both Selah and Noelle act like, themselves,,,not feeling the need to be on their "best behavior", because they are so comfortable with her.  It doesn't stress me because they enjoy playing near her and chatting with her and showing off new talents, new toys, whatever.  It is very, very cool.  We all laugh as we chat, catch up on each others lives and give lots of hugs.  We are blessed to know this lady-- our social worker, our advocate, our friend. :-)

One confession:  Eric and I still clean and organize like crazy in preparation for her coming.  Yep, we sure do, although it's not because we are nervous or afraid she won't approve us.  It's because it is a great excuse (motivator) to get things done that we've been putting off!  Our house looks AWESOME, and it might still, for another 12 hours or so... ;-)

A Sweet Gift

A couple months ago one of my friends / fellow adoptive mama was in Haiti and had the opportunity to visit with our guy.  He told her to be sure to pass along that when we come, he'd like us to bring more shoes, a Batman cape and candy.

Yes, sir! ;-)

Here's the cape...we're working on the rest! <3

We Are Getting So Close!...

Eric and I have had big smiles on our faces ever since our adoption agency coordinator told us that the mayor signed W's adoption file.  Such a huge hurdle crossed!  We can now actually see ourselves going to Haiti!

I asked her what were the exact next steps for his file to be ready to be matched to us.  More specifically, did anyone else need to sign his file for it to be finito?  Our adoptive parent file (dossier) has been complete and waiting in IBESR for some time.  But W's file has to be 100% finished before he can be matched to us.

Well, we received this wonderful news from our coordinator via email this evening:

So I got an up-date for you and from what I understand everything is done on W’s case and he is approved for adoption, everything is done on your case and you are approved to adopt.  All that is left is the final approval of your family to adopt W [specifically] and then the official referral match can be made.  {yipeeeee!!}  I have asked my [Haiti] rep to check on your case whenever he is at IBESR (which is nearly daily) and see if he can find out where they are with that approval and the making of the match.  I honestly don’t think it will be too long... {eeeek!!!} Praying you get good news soon!

So what happens at THAT wondrous, momentous occasion when The Referral is ready?  Great question!  Here is how our agency coordinator explains the process:

What happens when you get your referral is this:  My rep in Haiti will be contacted and he will go to IBESR and pick up the referral packet with all the info on your son.  It will all be in French, he will scan it to me, I will email you the packet and a big congratulations saying you have your referral!  I will send the referral info to the translator so she can translate it.  I will also send all the info to our director of social work and then he will give you a call and go over all the referral information with you. You will then write a letter and sign / notarize it and say that you are ready to accept your referral.  You will scan it to me [within 10 days] and I will send it to my Haiti rep and he will take it to IBESR.  During this time you will plan your two week [socialization] trip to Haiti.  We will then send your travel dates to IBESR and W’s crèche.

People, I have been pricing flights to Haiti!!!  

Updating the 'Ole Home Study

Because the Haiti adoption process is so lengthy, our home study actually expires.  In order to keep our U.S. Immigration approval current to bring home a child from Haiti, every 18 months an extension for the I-600A has to be filed, accompanied by an updated home study.  (Note:  Fingerprints expire every 15 months - yeah, I don't get that either - and we took care of that detail last fall.)

Our deadline is February 16...that is approaching FAST!

We are tracking down lots o' documents, updating forms and letters and financials, blah blah blah, wish we didn't have to do this,,,sigh...

We are also getting the house squeaky clean (that may be an exaggeration--after all, one of our children is a curious and creative 4 year old) for our social worker's visit Friday afternoon.  Oh Janet, we love Janet.  She's ridden the *Adoption Roller Coaster* with us since January 2009.  So at least the visit will be nice.  Just pray she / we can get the home study completed before the deadline!

The Mayor Signed!

After more than 5 months of waiting, the Mayor of Kenscoff went before the Children's Judge in Port-Au-Prince this week and signed W's adoption file!!!

This is a HUGE answer to prayer!

Thank you for everyone who lifted this request up before the Lord. :-)

Now W's file returns to IBESR to be completed (tho I'm not sure exactly what remains yet to be done..??..) and our adoption can finally move forward---wooohooo!!!