Positives in the aftermath?

So are there any positives in all of this? Some more thoughts -

• Awareness - Haiti is so close to the US and yet most people knew little to nothing about it (we were the same 3 yrs ago - couldn't have told you where Haiti was on a map). Checking out facebook the day after the earthquake, you found that people suddenly were involved with & praying for this county. A little, too late? Perhaps, but its something and that something can be used! So, don't feel guilty if you didn't know anything about Haiti before, instead use this new awareness as a way to be involved and praying for people who need you.

• God's power clearly acknowledged - The stories that have and will come from this, will clearly point to God's miraculous power. Man alone is not going to be able to overcome the destruction that has occurred in Port-a-Prince and the surrounding areas, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

• A renewed feeling of gratefulness that David came home to us when he did - I can not even imagine the pain of not being with my little boy in this type of situation. Jay and I are so grateful to be able to see this face every day!

What can we do?

So, I guess the question is, what can we do? Here's some of my thoughts -

• Pray!!! - Seriously, people, right now without God's intervention and miraculous hand, I don't see how the amount of hurt and damage there can even be dented. Read first hand reports and look at photos and you'll see what I mean.

• Give - Pretty much any site that you click on will tell you that money is the most helpful thing (besides prayer) that you can do. Give $ to those who know what needs to get done and how to go about doing it. There are many reputable places; I personally recommend here. Maybe set up an auto-check to be sent over the next few months so that giving continues even when this is no longer all over the news and fresh in our minds?

• Call and write - Everyone is looking for something to physically do, congressman included. So why not give them some ideas of how they can help? Contacting your congressmen is easy to do & can be done in a matter of minutes. Here's a website to get their info (if you call, you'll likely talk to an intern or secretary. Or you can drop a quick e-mail to their e-mail address or through a web contact form). Below are two requests to be made:
  
• Hundreds of children are in orphanages who have already been placed with adoptive families, many already legally a part of those families according to Haitian law, and have just been waiting for paperwork processing. Well, that paperwork processing is going to be at a halt, perhaps indefinitely. Government buildings housing adoption papers have been destroyed, many workers killed or missing, and an adoption system which was already drawn out and complicated has now been completely crippled. There are many, many high priorities in Haiti right now, but getting these children with their adoptive families is not only good for these children, but also frees up food, resources, and orphanage space for other children. So contact your congressmen and ask them to have the department of state issue humanitarian parole to all children who had been referred to adoptive families prior to the earthquake. Update: So humanitarian parole has been issued (yea!!!), but the practicals of getting it working is a big mess. Orphanages have to get the kids there with all necessary paperwork (which they may or may not have) and find an escort to take the kids out. Sounds easy enough, but with the roads a mess, gas limited, and tons of people at the embassy - this is not a smooth process. So the US govt needs to get moving and help!!! Want to contact congressmen again? Ask them to make the Dept of State aware that practicals need to be set in place as well (such as having Americans ready to help escort rather than leaving that up to orphanages) and helping arrange for pick-up of children.
  
• Beth at MTM, also urged us to contact our congressmen and urge them to have Craig Fugate at FEMA get involved to help Haiti.
  

Earthquake Map

I've been trying to figure out what to post about the earthquake in Haiti. Our family now has a deep connection to this country, which was home to David for his first 2 1/2 years of life and is still home to his birthmother and 3 of his birth-siblings. Had this earthquake happened just 2 months ago, David would still be there and be in the midst of it... the thought of that... whooh.

The news coming from Haiti is heart-wrenching and unfathomable to me. David's orphanage, Rivers of Hope, is about 15 miles outside of Port-a-Prince. Their town was struck hard by the earthquake, but praise God, everyone at the orphanage & the missionary family that we always stayed with was unharmed in the earthquake. However, the future there is so uncertain right now, with possible structural damage, food/gas shortages, civil unrest, etc. The first-hand person accounts that I've read describe things as your worst nightmare gone bad and things don't look to improve anytime soon...

We have not heard any news about David's birthmother and siblings, but due to communication delays in Haiti, I don't anticipate receiving any word for at least a few weeks. My guess is they are far enough away that they will have survived, but their future survival... well, that's always an unknown.

I'll try to post some of my other thoughts in a future post. For now, here's a map Jay put together which shows the location of the earthquake epicenter, Port-a-Prince, the orphanage, Willem & Beth's (Mountaintop Ministries), the village of David's birthmother (Gerda), and the airport. It really helped me to see things in perspective to one another. Click for a larger image.

Welcome Home Video

Here's a photo video that we put together of David's first weeks home. Enjoy!

Pictures posted

I posted some pictures from the first few days home. Here's the link.




















The first few days have flown by. We knew that life with 3 kids, 3 and under, would be fast-paced and that's certainly been true so far. We are soooo grateful to our church for providing dinner for us these first few nights and the next weeks - we likely would have been eating applesauce and bread & butter every night otherwise!

We are very grateful to have 3 kids who, as of now, take very good naps and sleep all night, because they definitely have been exhausting us! David and Josh are getting along very well together. There are some things (sharing in particular) that can use some work, but I'm guessing that might be an issue no matter what age of brothers. Speaking different languages hasn't slowed them down at all and they simply repeat what each other says and make up their own babbling language to fill in the gaps.

Anyway, I'll try to post more in the next few days. For now, I'll just let you scan through pictures!

Back home

We made it back home this afternoon and are settling in as a family of 5. The energy level in this house has been crazy as Josh & David ran from one thing to the next together! Hectic, but also easy for us to sit-back and smile while watching.

Here's a few pictures and then I'm off to bed to get some rest before the trio wakes up in the morning :-)

Jay and David walking to the plane as they left Port-a-Prince:














At the airport!














Laying on the floor, being goofy, before bed tonight:

Family of 5

They made it! Right now we're back at my parents and have 3 kiddos in bed :-)

I'll post pictures in the next few days.

For now, its time to send many, many praises up to God!