Haiti count down. 11 hours from now I will land in Haiti. Thank you all so much for your love, prayers, and support. I could have not done it with out you. My Christmas prayer for you is that God will bless you as much as you all have blessed me, my family, and Haiti. Much love, Holly

Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine

I just ordered mine.

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/

Please pray for Haiti's presidential elections tomorrow!

Please pray!!!!

Please pray!!!! Hi Holly, I'm going to post an update on Fb but wanted to tell you first. Several of the children and 1 staff member at the orphanage are sick - fever, vomiting diarrhea. I spoke to the director of the clinic we partner with, he states that 1 of children was diagnosed with cholera.

Sponsor a child in Haiti.

Some of you have asked how you can sponsor a child in Haiti. I have found a group that I will be referring you to. There sponsorship program is for the orphanage that our girls live at. They are working on there website but you can contact the coordinator and she will be glad to help you. Mary Parry gmparry@earthlink.net Home 608-207-3780, cell 608-449-5799. Please help get all the kids sponsored. These kids all are family to me. You can check out there website http://www.healthministriesforhaiti.org/About.html

It cost only $35.00 per month.

You repeat everything I say video from Haiti Sepy 2010

Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuQQxV3WfEA


Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1ee-BiUlrQ

This is of our little one. She decided that she was going to repeat everything that Chris would say to her. She has changed so much from the first time I meet her. It is hard to think that this is even the same little sad girl.

Video from Haiti Sept 2010

I am American

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMPpgv8TcyE

One Step Closer

We got great news today that our American paper work (dossier) is ready to go to Haiti. Happy dance going on at the Wood and Carver houses today.

News from Haiti

Talked to the girls english teacher tonight and he said the girls are safe. The rain had stop for the time being but most of the city has lots of water. Were the girls live has probably flooded. He could not make it there today because of the rain. Also wanted to share that our paper work my be ready next week to go to Haiti.

Haiti my Heart spoken at Gamaliel Baptist Church by me.

This is the link from last Sunday where I spoke at Gamaliel Baptist Church.

http://www.cwebtv.net/ministry-videos-mainmenu-28/gamaliel-baptist-church/524-gamaliel-baptist-church-103110am.html

Today

Today we got to talk to the girls. It was so nice to here them. I miss them so much. I never knew your heart could hurt so much. I am both happy and sad tonight.

Our Family

We are on our way to see the girls this weekend. I will have alot to blog when I get back. I still have so much to share from the past two trips. Please keep us in your prayers. This our family photo from our last trip in May. I can't wait to see them. For that  matter to see all the kids. Love to all

The girls room.

Great day

I feel like I own the world today. We got our Dept.of Homeland Security I-797C, Notice of Action today now we are waiting for our fingerprint appointment. We got the rest of our dossier sent off today. Plus I got a great birthday surprise from Candace and Jeremy, they sent in a video for the Mikes Chair-ity from Way-fm if we win we get a concert to help raise funds for us and the Carvers. Here is a link to the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyjFlGpp0iY


I may not own the world but my father does.

Gods time

WOW what a crazy past few days. Where do I even start. We got a little scare that we may not be able to adopt one or maybe even both of the girls. I was coming apart at the seams but Chris was the strong one and keep the faith. He said we just had to believe God. He was right everything is going to work out. We are in this for the long haul. No matter what it takes or how long it takes it will be in Gods time. We got to talk to the girls this week when Rosica said manman that was all it took it was God way of saying you are hers and she is yours. Then she told us she missed us, and as always wanted to say her ABC's for us, she is so proud that she knows then. Then we talked to Raphnica she said manman in her sweet quite voice. I can't wait till the day they come to live with us. We booked our tickets so we will be going for a visit soon.

Welcome to the Embassy of Haiti In Washington DC

This site is for Embassy of Haiti In Washington DC. There is great info and Haiti facts on there.

http://www.haiti.org/This

This is a site I found about Haiti and wanted to share.

http://www.iadopt.info/

Dossier Mailed

Today we mailed our dossier to our agency.

Am I showing?

This is one of the photos that Heather Qualls did. I so love it.  Here is her number 270-618-7028 or 270-618-1834. http://www.photographybyheatherqualls.com

Proposed Haitian Adoption Law

Proposed Haitian Adoption Law


The following excerpt was translated by Isabelle Gaellemart of France from a scan of new law as approved by the Chamber of Deputies on May 7th, 2010. The law, along with the unfortunate news that there were not sufficient Senators present to form a quorum, and that no voting on the law could occur until after elections, was shared with me by the US Consulate in Haiti.

Here are the qualifications for adoptive families as described by the latest draft of the pending adoption law:

SECTION 1 – Regarding adoptive parents

ARTICLE 2. – Adoption may be requested jointly by a married heterosexual couple not living separately, after five (5) years of marriage or if one of the couple is more than thirty years old.

If the request comes from one of the non-separated couple, the consent of the other is necessary.

ARTICLE 3.- Two people of opposite sexes, living together for at least ten (10) years, may request to adopt a child. Their living together must be established by a certificate delivered by the competent authorities of the host country and the consent of both is necessary.

ARTICLE 4.- Candidatures of women, widowers or divorced, who are at least thirty-five (35) years old, with no biological child, are accepted. A man must be a widower or divorced, with no biological children and at least 35 years old.

ARTICLE 5.- Priority is given to couples who are married or living together who do not have biological children at the time of the adoption. When the couple has biological or adopted children, the latter should give their opinion if they are 8 years of age or more.

ARTICLE 6.- The age of the adopters may not be over 50 for the oldest of the married couple or those living together in a common-law relationship. This limitation of age doesn't apply for inter family adoptions.

ARTICLE 7.- The adopters must be at least sixteen years older than the child they wish to adopt.

The minimum age difference is 9 years in the case of the adoption of the child by a common-law partner or of a close relative such as a sister, brother, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt or other close relative.

ARTICLE 8.- The birth in a home of one or more biological children does not constitute an obstacle to the adoption of one or more children placed earlier with a couple and who continue to benefit from their care.

ARTICLE 9.- When the sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts or other close relatives, and even godsons and goddaughters, have been taken in by close relatives or their godfathers or godmothers, following the deaths of their biological parents or during a fairly long imprisonment, or when the parents are absolutely incapable of meeting the basic needs and providing basic care for their minor children, adoption is possible even if the close relatives already have biological children, depending on the conditions stated in Article 7.

ARTICLE 10.- A Haitian may adopt a foreign child according to the laws of the child’s country of origin.

A simple or plenary adoption is recognized in Haiti depending on the registration of said adoption in the government office of the petitioner’s home.

In the case of the conversion of a simple adoption into a plenary adoption, a request must be made of the Dean of the civil court of the petitioner’s home in order to obtain a judgment for cause.

The plenary adoption gives the child a right to Haitian nationality

The Haitian Adoption Process

Some of you have ask why does it take so long. Here is The Haitian Adoption Process. I took this from our adoption agency's site. http://www.allblessings.org/

The Haitian Adoption Process


Haitian adoptions are highly complex and challenging to complete. Under Haitian law, they can be completed by an attorney or a director of one of the 67 creches licensed by IBESR - the equivalent of Haitian social services. Most Haitian adoptions are accomplished by creche directors acting as facilitators. Very few attorneys have the extensive amount of time and dedication required to process an adoption case.

The many steps listed below must be followed for each and every adoption. Add to their number the extreme difficulty of accomplishing each one: every step must be accomplished in person and by hand. Most of the offices listed do not have computers. There will be no communications by fax or email or even by official phone calls. Facilitators must visit each office personally to check on the status of each case, and carry it by hand through the traffic of Port-au-Prince to the next stage of the process.


Pre-IBESR

Before an adoption case can be presented to IBESR the adoption facilitator must gather all of the following documents:

1.Passport pictures of the child
2.Birth Certificate
3.Attestation of signature on Birth Certificate or extract from the National Archives
4.Legal relinquishment of custody from the biological family to the orphanage from the local judge
5.Psychological evaluation
6.Medical evaluation
7.Laboratory tests
8.Social history
9.Proces Verbal (A court process in which the biological family grants the creche the right to place their child with your family specifically for international adoption. Can only be completed after your dossier is in Haiti.)

IBESR and Dispensation

Your dossier can now be submitted to IBESR. If your family does not meet the criteria of the law of 1974, your dossier can be pre-approved for Presidential Dispensation and delivered to the Presidential Palace by IBESR. Dispensations are published in the Haitian legal journal Le Moniteur. Following Dispensation, IBESR will sign off on your dossier and grant an Authorization of Adoption.

Parquet Court

The 'step' we refer to as Parquet court is actually a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them.

1.Attorney addresses a Request for Judgment to the Chief Justice of Parquet Court
2.Birth parents are interviewed in Parquet Court
3.Parquet Court signs off on "approval judgement for adoption
4.Facilitator takes approval to DGI for stamp of authorization
5.Back to Parquet for enforcement of the approval judgement
6.Authorization and redaction from the Civil Registrar Officer for legal Adoption Decree
7.Verification in Parquet of the adoption documents by the Civil Registrar before signing the adoption decree
8.First Legalization of the Adoption Decree, in Parquet Court
9.Second Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Justice
10.Third Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
11.Obtain attestation of Adoption Decree from the National Archives

Ministry of the Interior

All international adoption cases are reviewed by the Ministry of Interior. In order to obtain authorization to request a passport, the following documents must be submitted for each child:

1.Four passport sized pictures
2.Birth Certificate
3.Attestation for the Birth Certificate
4.Extract from the National Archives for the Birth Certificate
5.Relinquishment
6.Proces Verbal of adoption
7.Adoption approval judgement
8.Adoption Decree
9.Attestation of the Adoption Decree
10.Power of Attorney for creche director and/or attorney
11.Stamp from DGI
12.Notary letter for the passport
13.Identification card of facilitator and/or attorney on the case
14.Biological parents' identification cards
15.Adoptive parents' MOI form, identification, and passport photos

The Ministry of Interior will grant authorization to submit the dossier to Haitian Immigrations for a passport.

Haitian Immigrations

The facilitator will submit authorization to apply for a passport to Haitian Immigrations. This is generally a quick process - one to two weeks, if all equipment is working properly.

US Immigrations

Note to international readers - US Immigrations performs the most rigorous investigation of international adoptions. Other nations' Immigrations process are different. Please check with your agency to learn about the process for your home country.)

Parts of the US Immigrations process can occur concurrently with the Haitian process, however USCIS cannot sign off on the case until they have verified the final Adoption Decree and the child's passport. DNA may be requested at any time.

American families are advised to work closely with their agencies to ensure a smooth and efficient US Immigrations process for their child.

Approximately three to four weeks following completion of all USCIS investigations and adjudication of the I600 for the child, the case will be forwarded to the Department of State for issuance of a Visa. The Department of State also has the right to request DNA testing for birth parent and child. Adoptive parents need not be present for the Visa appointment.

Parents who can prove that they visited their child prior to the issuance of the Adoption Decree by Parquet Court will be issued an IR-3 Visa. Their children will be automatically granted full US Citizenship upon arrival in the US.

Families who did not visit their children prior to the date of the Adoption Decree must file for citizenship for their children. Failure to file for citizenship will leave the child as a legal immigrant and unprotected by the rights of full citizenship. Please refer to the USCIS website for form N-600 and instructions on how to file.

Summary

These steps were provided by Margarette Saint Fleur of BRESMA orphanage. All legitimate adoptions facilitators must follow each one of them, and must do so under extremely difficult conditions.

Haitian adoptions take far, far too long. Children wait in orphanages for months and even years while the adoption proceedings drag on. And yet, when we look at the immensely complicated process, we must realize what a miracle it is when each child comes home.

When you travel to pick up your child at last, thank the people who made your adoption possible. No amount of money could ever cover the exhaustion and frustration they endure for each case, and most of them work for very little or no pay at all. Their reward is seeing the children they live for go home with families who will love and cherish them for the rest of their lives.

Thank your Haitian adoption facilitator by telling her how grateful you are for her work, and thank her by sending her pictures over the years of your child growing up safe and happy. It is their sacrifices that make our adoptions and our families possible.

Why Haiti

We are often asked why we want to adopt from Haiti instead of America. Our answer is very simple: it's where God led us...end of subject. It was not that we chose Haiti, or chose not to adopt from America or a different country but it is where our children are that God brought us to.

I come across this article and thought it was interesting to share:

Why Adopt From Haiti?Out of all the countries one could choose to adopt from, why would or should Haiti be considered? Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and has been plagued by violence for most of its history. I have traveled to Viet Nam, Ethiopia, and Mexico, and still the poverty of Haiti shocked me. Haiti has an estimated 8.2 million people. The unemployment rate is about 80%. The majority of the Haitian population lives on less than a $1 a day, with the median income about $60 per year. Only 25 percent of the population has access to safe drinking water, and less than 30 percent of the population has access to adequate sanitation. Just under half of the population is literate. In addition, the average life expectancy for Haitians is less than 50 years. About 70% of the population is children, with approximately 23% of the children under five suffering from malnutrition, and 10% of the children dying before the age of four. Between extreme poverty and death, there are an estimated 1.2 million orphans in Haiti. There is an obvious need for adoptive families in Haiti.Other pros for Haitian adoption include: • The Haitian people are beautiful.• Haiti has an interesting history and rich culture, and is one of the least expensive countries to adopt from.• You can have your child escorted home, or you can travel and bring them home yourself; with an in-country stay of 3-5 days.• Some agencies/facilitators allow parents to visit their child(ren) while in process.• The children are generally healthy.• Infants are available, as are toddlers, preschoolers and older children.• Sibling groups are also available (you can also adopt two unrelated children at the same time).• You can usually request the gender of your child.• You can adopt with the help of an adoption agency, or save money and adopt independently.• Single women can adopt. If you are currently deciding which country to adopt from, please consider Haiti.

Girls telling us Hi

Michelle took this last week when she was Haiti. I need to get to my girls.

Crazy day

WOW what a crazy day. We got photos done at Heather's, then went to BG for new Sams card(needed it for a form of photo ID), got passport photos done, Doctors letter done, then some things notarized at county count level. I think that leaves only 3 things to be done for the dossier.

Current Haitian Adoption Law

The current Haitian constitutional law and its interpretation by IBESR (Haitian social services) allows families which meet the following criteria to adopt:
married couples with both parents age 35 or older and
Ten years of marriage or seven years of marriage and a minimum of three years cohabitation and
no more than three biological children (of both parents) living in the home
OR
infertile married couples (adopted children are accepted)
ten years of marriage or seven years of marriage and a minimum of three years cohabitation and
at least one parent over age 35
OR
single women age 35 or older and
no more than two biological children living in the home.

Adoption Education

We have finished our 10 hours of Adoption Education. Thats one more thing to mark off the to do list.

More Paperwork

I am lovin this paper work it is like one big challenge. I love a good challenge. At this rate I will have all of our part done by tomorrow night. We only have 5 more things that we need to do. We are going to get them tomorrow. Off the Heathers for a photo of us, then by the DR. for a letter they have to sign, 8 passport photos of each of us, while at the Court House we will get some more papers notarized, Sams club for a new card so we can us it as a form of a photo ID. Then the rest is for someone else to fill out. Lots of leg work and running. But I am so happy to do it with each paper that is a step closer to getting the girls.

More paperwork

We got our Dossier packet this weekend. It is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. There is going to be a lot of leg work involved and some of it we will have to rely on others for. My goal for the week is to have all our Dossier done by Friday and sent in. I think I can, I think I can, I know I can.


Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

More paper work

I am so happy, got 31 more pages of adoption paper work. I think I will make it. I have decided to be happy about it, with each page that is one step closer to getting my girls. This is the big packet the dossier. I need your prayers. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy. We also only have one more parenting class

talk to the girls today

We got to talk to the girls today. That made me both happy and sad. I sure do miss them. The little has such a quite voice. Rosica said her ABC's for us again. She has learned a little English. Thank you Michelle for calling. Hope you have a great time in Haiti.

My orphan of the day

My orphan of the day- Tamara Jean she is 4 years old. She spent three days buried in the rubble after the earthquake. I will never forget the first time I meet her and how she came up and gave me the biggest hug, and a great big smile.

I can't forget there little faces and wanted to share with everyone. I wish I could adopt them all. If you see a child you would like to sponsor it is $12.50 per month for 1/2 sponsorship and $25.00 per month for full sponsorship. This can be tax detectable. The sponsorship will help feed, cloth and send them to School. You will get a photo of the child you sponsor plus updates on the child. If you would like to sponsor a playgroup or school you can do so with a one time gift. I will have a site coming soon.

Busy day

Lots of paperwork got done today. I-600A filled out and paid. Business agreement signed and mailed today. 3 parenting classes done also. I was the guest speaker tonight at East Willow Ladies group. They are all such a blessing. I talked about on my past trips to Haiti. Specking about Haiti makes me want to go even more. How I miss my girls.

catch up

Last week was a crazy week. The yard sale went well. We made over $1200.00. That will help get us back to Haiti.


We got our police reports this week one more piece of paper down. Our lost marriage certificate was found and a copy sent to us.

The highlight of the week was getting to talk to the girls. Rosica said her ABC's for me, I am so proud. We had a little conversation in English. The English teacher is doing well with the girls.

Melt Down

OK yesterday I had a melt down in Hobby Lobby. It was in the fabric Dept. I saw some red and white polka dot material and it reminded me of my little Raphnicka. The first time I saw her she had on a red dress with white polka dots. It was made of satin, had small little holes in it. It was tied at the top and was still to big for her. But she was so cute in it. I will never forget that day, that dress and that girl. Little did I know that someday she will be mine.

My orphan of the day- Jerry Telusme he is 5 years old he can be shy sometimes but always has a big smile.

I can't forget there little faces and wanted to share with everyone. I wish I could adopt them all. If you see a child you would like to sponsor it is $12.50 per month for 1/2 sponsorship and $25.00 per month for f...ull sponsorship. This can be tax detectable. The sponsorship will help feed, cloth and send them to School. You will get a photo of the child you sponsor plus updates on the child. If you would like to sponsor a playgroup or school you can do so with a one time gift. I have a site coming soon.

What a day

Today the girls wall art came. We got the new rug down in the new office room. Our copies of Birth Certificates came but they could not find our marriage on file. I will deal with that one tomorrow. Our house in all spic and span for our homestudy tomorrow.

Paper work Pregnancy

Paper work Pregnancy........Now we know the reason it is called that we have done so much paper work and more is still to be done. It is all going to be so worth it in the end.


This a saying I found on a t-shirt. I might have to get one. So far, no morning sickness... But the paper cuts are terrible.

My Girls

This blog is dedicated to my sweet girls in Haiti. Who are waiting for us. We can't wait till the day we get to bring them home. I am going to share our story and adoption journey with you all. I will post as things come to me so most will not be in order. I hope you enjoy.