The Children of Cite Soleil

This is the harsh reality of a Haitian slum. I really don't even know what to say.

But... I love this organization's concept. It's not a Christian charity (which is all we'll typically support) but their donation process is really cool. A child could use their $5.00 allowance to buy baby bottles or a family could forego Christmas gifts and pick different items to donate (concrete block, HIV medication, diapers etc...). It certainly personalizes the whole process and I can see how that would be very appealing to people wishing to do some good.

Check out their website: www.wecanbuildanorphanage.com

URGENT - Please Help

This was forwarded from our adoption coordinator:

Dear friends of Haiti,

A bureaucratic nightmare has forced the stoppage of Haitian children from receiving their U.S. visa and joining their forever families here in the U.S. A simple phone call from the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security would quickly and easily resolve this situation. To date, no such phone call has occurred and Haitian children continue to suffer needlessly. We are asking everyone with a heart for Haitian children to rally together, make some noise and help our children find their permanent, safe and loving families. What can you do? Make four simple phone calls.

1. Call your U.S. Senator.
You can find your Senators' phone numbers at:
http://www.senate.gov/
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff

2. Call your second U.S. Senator.

3. Call your representative to the U.S. House of Representative.
You can find your representative at:
http://www.house.gov/
Ask to speak with the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff

4. Call the Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Their number is 202-544-8500

When should you call? Today, Thursday or Friday. For maximum affect, we are asking you to make these calls within the next 72 hours – sometime before the end of the day Friday. What should you say? Speak from your heart and give them the following information:

~ The Department of State has stopped issuing visas to Haitian orphans.
~ The problem behind the stoppage was fixed by the Department of Homeland Security. BUT, no one told the Department of State.
~ Your office must get involved and make the Department of Homeland Security communicate with the Department of State.
~ Your office should contact the Office of Children's Issues at the Department of State. Their number is 202-736-9090.

Can you explain the problem behind the stoppage? Here is some additional information…

~ The U.S. Department of State (the consular office in Haiti) is ruling that visas can not be issued to legally adopted children due to the absence of the words 'irrevocable and unconditional' in the Haitian parental relinquishment documents.
~ The Department of State is incorrect. USCIS has already resolved this issue and has been approving orphan status since June 2007.
~ Sadly, USCIS has not communicated the resolution to the Department of State. USCIS has already written a legal opinion that orphan status can legitimately be granted to these cases, but the Department of State and USCIS have thus far failed to communicate the information that will release the children.

We need to send the same concise message to each of these offices: there are legally adopted children in Haiti who cannot get Visas and come home due to the lack of communication between DOS and USCIS. Please act on this message yourself, and pass it along to anyone you know who has children waiting, has adopted in the past, or just has a heart for Haiti. Each adult member of your household can call separately. We need to depend upon sheer volume to get our point across so please call today!

From Beth - we believe that the issue will be resolved when Asa is ready to come home, but in the meantime, we must fight for these children who already have American families and who need to come home to them. Updated: I've spoken with a number of people so far this morning. The contact people for our congressman and senators seemed helpful. The woman with whom I spoke at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption was very sweet and said they had already received calls this morning (I only called at 9:20) and they were having talks/meetings regarding this issue today. Please call! And pray!

In Less Than Two Months...

His cheeks are going to be worn out from kisses!! We just got this picture from another family who went on the recent trip. So I thought I'd share it, along with the official report that our agency forwarded from the orphanage.

Physical and Social Development:

It is wonderful to talk about this gentle small boy because he is so friendly and active. He is very wakeful and joyful. He is a child who doesn’t stop amazing everybody; he develops at all levels physically and mentally. He pays attention to the other children in order to learn from them like catching words, listening to their songs etc. His appetite is good and he likes drinking much milk and water.

Health:

For this month of July this little boy had a cough and fever. He has taken medicines to help him and now he is getting a lot better. His appetite is pretty much good and he has good sleep. He has not gained any weight; actually he still weighs 20 lbs. (from Beth - he was 17 lbs when he arrived in May) His physical exams are good. The general state of his health is well-preserved.

We're making some changes around the house and doing some renovations to get ready for our Asa's arrival. Although it will be quite a while before we have him home, we're staying busy and feeling productive.

Updated With Pictures! Today's A Good Day...

Not only because it's Sunday and we love worshipping at our church, but because I received some wonderful information. Another mom who recently visited Asa's orphanage sent me this message:

He is a very strong and connective boy. He is always walking all around and exploring the room after he eats in the main room. He seems very confident and I had the pleasure of cuddling him in my arms as he woke up from a nap. You are so fortunate!

First, strong: this is important with our crew. Asa has a daddy & big brother who can't wait to do guy stuff with him. Connective: very good to hear since there's always a concern about attachment issues. Walking: he came to the orphanage at 17 months and couldn't even stand due to severe malnutrition so his progress amazes us. And she got to cuddle him! I'm so thankful that other parents take the time to love on everyone's kiddos while visiting the orphanage. She also said she got some pictures of him, so I'll attach them to this post when they're sent to me.

And here they are:

I was going to save these and post one a day but I couldn't resist! I had to share all of them at once. His soft curls are gone (mama's a little sad) but now he'll be extra cute in one of daddy's "onebaldgeek.com" shirts. You can see our family members sporting the stylish geek gear on our family blog (in our vacation photos). I can't wait to kiss those sweet cheeks!!

Another view...

Of our life, outside of the adoption of our sweet Asa, can be seen here. We couldn't help but think about the little guy that was missing as we enjoyed our vacation. He'll have a lot of fun with our four nephews in Harper's Ferry... so many boys! And my mom's farm was made for a bunch of grandkids.

So today, as I spent time in prayer, my plea was that Asa would be home before next summer. We can't envision another family vacation without him. Also on my heart: all the families currently adopting from Haiti - - especially the ones who have recently returned from visiting their children. I can't even imagine the emotions associated with that (although I'll soon know firsthand) but I stand with them in prayer for their precious children.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

And in His Word I put my hope.

Psalm 130:5

A Hurricane...

Is the last thing that Haiti needs. And even though it may not make a direct hit, heavy rain and winds can cause flash flooding and landslides because of the mountainous terrain. I hope that no one is impacted by this storm. But the reality is, places like the US can recover relatively quickly. We have rescue workers, storm shelters, bottled water, clean up crews...

Pray for Haiti.

The Trip Is Scheduled...

And in a little over two months, I'll be meeting Asa. Jim will stay home with the kids. I've never been away from our two little ones (other than an occasional dinner and a movie) so this is very foreign to me. And I can't think of any reason - other than spending time with our youngest son - that I'd even want be apart from them. This attachment philosophy I've always valued (even back when I had Allyson at a very young age) makes it all the more difficult to know that our 19 month old isn't falling asleep cuddled up next to me every night like the other three did at that age. I'm sure once I meet him, it'll be even more heartrending.

But for now, I'm just grateful that I'll have the opportunity to spend a few days with Asa. And I'm hoping that, even if he won't have vivid memories of my visit, some imprint of the time we share will be the beginnings of a bond he'll feel to us.