Praise God

It appears we finally have gotten our break. . . We just received word that we are out of IBESR. And without a presidential dispensation. I can't believe it has finally happened, we are moving once again. We have quite a ways to go yet but at least we are making progress. Won't you join us in a prayer of praise?

Now we just have to keep going so Bri and Tea' can put a smile on this little face.

Okay, so as I am sure you have figured, absolutely nothing happened at the meeting on Wednesday. No progress has been made about the slow movement of adoptions from Haiti. While we continue to hope, my hope is much more guarded.
I had a rough couple of days on Sunday and Monday since Monday was Marcus' second birthday. We initially thought he would be home by now so that hit me pretty hard. Thanks to all who were praying for me, I did pull myself together eventually.
My primary response to all the adoption struggles thus far has been anger. (For those of you who know me, big surprise, righteous anger is always my first response.) However, this time it was just pure, unadulterated despair. It hit me for the first time that this child is ours and he is growing up without us. I was sad, not mad, or trying to fix it, just sad. Steve pointed out that this was a positive since he has always been attached to Marcus, posting pictures, etc. While I have kept myself more distant. I replied by saying it is so much easier when you don't feel anything and I was doing so good for so long at not feeling.
My dear friend suggested that I start a fast for a while to focus on God through this whole process and redirect my thoughts on Him. So stay posted, I may ask you all to join me.
On a lighter note, we have had a bad smell in our home for the past 3-4 days. I wasn't sure if it was sewer or a dead animal in the walls or what. The most frustrating thing was that the smell moved. Today I went on a smell hunt and found the culprit. Two once-beautifully-decorated hard-boiled eggs in a backpack. Mushy and dripping and foul as all get out. Apparently my resident packrat Matea, thought a backpack was a great place for keeping old eggs. However, the backpacks mobility did explain the roving smell. Oh, the joys of motherhood. Maybe God hasn't brought Marcus home because I can't control the two I already have. :)
Joy and Peace to you all on this beautiful summer day.
Crystal

We are asking for prayers this week as the following was posted on the orphanages website. We are asking you all to pray for a miracle, that God will throw open these closed doors.

"News this last week has been that on April 15 there will be a meeting between IBESR and Parquet about the issue of dispensations. We were told that hopefully the decision will be made to go ahead and sign all dossiers up through December 2008 without having to have the dispensations! I will post what we hear after the meeting.
I also heard this week that a special "investigator" for the prime minister's office is looking into the problems with adoptions. This investigator has interviewed the president of the association of orphanages. We will just have to wait and see if this helps make a difference in the speed of adoptions.
It is impossible for me to believe that going from 3 months for an adoption to finish in 2001 to 18 to 20 months for an adoption in 2008/2009 is better for the children! UNICEF has stated at meetings that it needs to be longer to make sure everything is done legally. What does the length of time have to do with doing it right? "

Marcus continues to do well. The good news is that he is now walking. I only wish we had been able to be a part of this milestone. I remember when Steve and I were discussing the merits of adopting a toddler vs. an infant. I agreed to go older,"as long as I got to see his first steps." My how things can change in a couple years. For the last two months I have been praying for Marcus to take those steps without me.

I am peaceful knowing ultimately Marcus is God's child and he will be entrusted to my care when the timing is right. Just like Bri and Tea'. God is ultimately their father and creator, and he picked just the right time to place them in our home.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support over the past couple weeks. Sometimes I wonder how much the girls are processing this whole adoption thing. Today while driving to a meeting at Bethany, Matea had a precious moment. She said "Mom, you are going to meet with Belinda, right?" I said yes, and she said " Can you say 'Please, can Marcus come home with us.'" Like maybe if you asked in just the right way, they would let him come home. I started crying and said "Sure Matea, I will ask." It is amazing how the small things can set off a cascade of thoughts.
How old will he be when we meet him? Will he be excited to come home or just scared? How will the girls adjust to the reality of another child in the house? How will Marcus interact with his sisters? Will he mind them in his personal space all the time? How will Steve and I parent a boy? Is it different than a girl? And that is when I just start praying for wisdom and patience. Grace and Peace to you all

Habakkuk 2:3----"But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, be patient! For it will surely take place. It will not be late by a single day."

What a good reminder of what we already know.

After almost seven months of waiting, we finally have made it into the Haitian court system. We have an official number and everything. Thank you all for your prayers and support. This has been an unbelievable time of waiting, frustration and sadness. But I am happy to report that we have hope once again that Marcus will join our family.

"Seriously, a Santa hat? My mom is not going to like this . . ."

So the big question then becomes: "What does that mean? How long are we looking at?" What this means is that now we can begin to move his paperwork through the various courts that need to approve his adoption in Haiti. We now are in the 9-18 month waiting period. While that may seem like a long time to most of you, the joy we feel at being able to say we are in the process of moving forward is unbelievable. It far outweighs the time frame. We can continue to pray that somehow our paperwork just sails through the system. As LaDawn, an incredible woman from Bethany said "You guys just might be due a miracle."

I will close with a line from my very wise Uncle Norm:

God is Good, All the Time. All the Time, God is Good

"Come on, just a little hug"

A pyramid of cousins Marcus in September
Night Swimming

We are wrapping up our fun filled summer. I thought I would post a couple pictures of our camping trip to Pentwater. The girls absolutely loved hanging out with their cousins by the beach.

We are now in the full swing of fall. Seems our days are filled up with school, and evenings with various activities. Bri is loving Potter's House pre-K. She is growing up before my eyes. Matea enjoys "doing school" with Mom. She is working hard at writing her own name. The girls are both into crafts so if you happen to receive random scraps of colored paper in the mail, they just might be from us. . .

Here is the latest picture of Marcus as well. No new progress in our case to report.