Saturday, January 23, 2010

For His Glory Praise!

Most of the For His Glory Orphanage kids are coming home!!!!

This just in from my friend, Dawn:

THEY'RE COMING HOME!!!!!

Press Release - January 22, 2010
Orphans Bound for U.S. in Two Groups

Eighty-two orphans will depart Haiti on Saturday

(Port-au-Prince, Haiti) All paperwork has been completed for 82 children from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage and they have clearance to travel to the United States. These 82 children are scheduled to depart Port-au-Prince airport on Saturday, January 23, 2010, at around 11:00 a.m. on an aircraft bound for Florida. Those children with Colorado adoptive parents in this first group, will continue on to Colorado, accompanied by a medical team from the Colorado Children's Hospital. Orphanage staff and representatives of the U.S. ministry, For His Glory Adoption Outreach (FHG) will continue to work with U.S. Embassy officials for humanitarian parole and travel clearance for the remaining eligible children. FHG hopes that these children will receive their clearance sometime on Saturday, January 23, 2010, with a departure date and time still to be determined.

Kim Harmon, President of FHG, wanted to express her gratitude to the staff of the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince for their tireless efforts in processing the paperwork for all the children. Kim reminded adoptive parents and supporters to "continue in steadfast prayer for the children who are traveling tomorrow and for those who remain in Haiti."

YEAH!!! Way to go, God!!! What an answer to prayer!

Keep praying. There are still about 25 kids that are eligible to come home, but have not been processed yet. And there are some that must remain as orphans in Haiti. :-(

Blessings to you,
Mamita

Thursday, January 21, 2010

For His Glory Update

As soon as I published the last post, I found this:



Orphans Intend to Depart Haiti... Again

Confusing and complicated orphan process delays orphan's departure

(Port-au-Prince, Haiti) On January 20, 2010, staff from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage accompanied by representatives from the U.S. ministry, For His Glory Adoption Outreach (FHG), attempted to obtain humanitarian parole from the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince for 133 orphans. The orphanage staff and FHG representatives were turned away because of confusion about photo requirements for each child. Additionally, they were informed that humanitarian parole would only apply to approximately 111 of the 132 children from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage. These are the orphans who have a "United States qualified referral" dated prior to the earthquake on January 12, 2010.


In accordance with specific instructions received today, orphanage staff and FHG representatives will depart for U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince in the early morning of January 21, 2010, with the 109 children eligible for humanitarian parole. We anticipate they will receive authority to depart Haiti via air by the early afternoon and will provide further information on the actual schedule as soon as we have it. Three of the remaining 24 children are being adopted by parents in Argentina and Canada and are waiting for those countries to announce their evacuation procedures. The remaining 18 children at Maison des Enfants de Dieu orphanage will remain in Haiti since they have not yet been referred for international adoption. The orphanage receives request each day to accept new orphans, however their ability to accept children orphaned since the earthquake is very limited. Orphanage staff today reported they were out of diapers, low on food and they remained concerned about security at the orphanage.

Kim Harmon, President of FHG, underscored her call "to all who care about these precious children to pray earnestly for their safety and that the complicated humanitarian parole process can be successfully completed tomorrow. We are thankful to the Lord for where He has brought us and for everyone's tireless prayer and work to accomplish His will in bringing these children home soon. We pray that the wait will not be much longer and continue to work to that end."


Keep on praying for these kids.

Blessings to you,
Mamita

For His Glory

The latest from For His Glory orphanage...

We went to the embassy and got right in. we did not take the kids. they stayed at the O. we needed pics of all the kids so we are doing this now and returning to the embassy in the morning. pray for safety at night and no more aftershocks. pray for a swift process tomorrow so we can return with the kids ASAP.


Blessings to you,
Mamita

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Haiti Orphan Crisis

I was so encouraged by the news that almost 60 orphans from Haiti arrived safely in the US. Praise God for that.

I thought that the US State Department had opened the doors to the orphans of Haiti. I thought they had compassion on the most vulnerable children of Haiti. Apparently, I was wrong.

In my last post, I asked for help for the For His Glory orphanage. This home was running out of food, clean water, and supplies for the babies. The situation was desperate. Well, read this.

From JCICS (Joint Council on International Childrens Services):

UPDATE: Haiti
It is once again my job to be the barrier of bad news. Another day come and gone and no change. Despite extensive Congressional support and all of your calls to your Members of Congress we have hit roadblock after roadblock. At this point we respectfully ask that you stop contacting your Members of Congress requesting their assistance with obtaining security, transportation, and water for the location. The Department of State has not and apparently will not provide the small assistance that we have requested.

Given the current circumstances, at this point we are recommending that someone from each orphanage escort the children who qualify for humanitarian parole or adoption visas to the U.S. Embassy in Port-A-Prince. We recommend that the orphanage staff arrive with the children and any adoption paperwork that has not been destroyed as early as possible in the morning in order to attempt to obtain visas or parole for the children. Please understand that this option may not be considered safe and that the U.S. Embassy did not allow some orphanages onto the premises today. Additionally, please note that it has been reported that there is no food, water or facilities for the children to use while at the Embassy. As noted during our conference call earlier today, these are our recommendations only and should not be used to replace your or your orphanage director's good judgment.

It is our understanding that any children processed by USCIS in Port-A-Prince are leaving on U.S. cargo jets to locations that are not often know until a hour or so before the flight leaves. At times children have left Haiti without the knowledge of their adoptive parents.

This is currently the worst case scenario for the children's well-being and safety but at the moment there are no other options.

As we receive more information we will continue to share it with you. While the situation at the moment is terrible I can only hope that our collective efforts produce some positive news. Despite the roadblocks Joint Council has not given up on the save haven and we continue to advocate for its creation and a more transparent and safe process in uniting these children with their adoptive families.
Rebecca

And this from For His Glory Orphanage:

On January 20, 2010, 133 orphans from the Maison des Enfants de Dieu (Children of the House of God) orphanage will begin the difficult process outlined by the U.S. Department of State for humanitarian parole and onward transportation to the United States. In accordance with instructions received from the State Department, as relayed by the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS) at 8 p.m. today, orphans along with orphanage staff members have been instructed to arrive at the U.S. Embassy as early as possible on Wednesday morning. JCICS warned that no food, water or facilities would be available for the children while processing at the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince.

JCICS further relayed that orphanage requests to the U.S. Embassy for security and transportation for the children have been denied by the State Department. The U.S. ministry associated with this orphanage, For His Glory Adoption Outreach (FHG), was also asked to stop requesting security, transportation or even water at the orphanage location. Following discussions with staff and board members in Port-au-Prince, the difficult decision was made that all 133 children, including approximately 60 children under the age of 3, will begin early in the morning of January 20th to walk the over 2 kilometers to the U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince. This decision was made due to the limited staff available and the increasingly dangerous security situation at the orphanage in Port-au-Prince. The staff will carry as much water, food and baby formula as possible with them for the orphans while processing at the U.S. Embassy. JCICS relayed that once processing is completed, the orphans will travel to the United States on "cargo jets to locations that are not often known until an hour or so before the flight leaves."

Kim Harmon, President of FHG, acknowledged that "this arrangement is far from ideal for the safety and well-being of the children. We are calling to all who care about these precious children to pray earnestly for their safety tomorrow."

Please be on your knees for these children and their nannies. Pray for the people of Haiti, who were rocked again this morning. Pray for the relief workers and rescue crews. Pray for both governments to put the interests of the children first.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27

Broken before Him,
Mamita

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Haiti

My heart is so broken for the people of Haiti. I haven't really had much opportunity to see the broadcast news in the past week or so, so I don't know how they have reported the tragedy there. But I have been following the blogs of a few people that are on the ground there. The reports from these people are devastating. The situation is critical. Time is critical.

If you can find a way, please give something to the relief effort.

Please.

Here are some links of reputable organizations that can help or who are desperate for help RIGHT NOW. The smaller, lesser known organizations are people that I have been following for a few years. They are not fly-by-night scammers. They have already walked alongside the people of Haiti for years. They are trusted in the community.

Troy and Tara Livesay - missionaries in Haiti

Heartline Ministries - pregnancy/women's center

Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center severe medical crisis center

World Wide Village - provide nutrition/education

For His Glory Outreach - orphanage in desperate need of supplies/money

International Mission Board - Southern Baptist Convention Haiti Relief Fund

Samaritan's Purse

American Red Cross

If you have a favorite organization that you prefer to give to, do it. Just give.

I am also asking you to pray for the people of Haiti. This is totally devastating to an already fragile country.

A situation that has my heart particularly sad is the orphan's plight. It is unimaginable how many children are new orphans. My heart is restless for those children who are desperately looking for their families. And then there are those that were in process to be adopted. In some cases, the paperwork is sitting in a pile of rubble. Please pray that the Haitian government would expedite these cases as humanitarian rescue.

Praying,
Mamita

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Other "D" Word

In our house, we never use the "D" word flippantly. Divorce. It's not funny. It's not an option. And we don't throw it around like it's nothing. When it must be spoken of, it is done with seriousness and sadness and grief, because it means the tearing apart of a family.

Well, in an adoptive family, there is another "D" word. Disruption. It carries the same weight as divorce. It means the parents choose to place the adoptive child with a different family or into the foster care system. A family is torn apart.

Recently, some close friends of ours disrupted after nearly 5 years. I'm still reeling from the reality of it. My own fears are heightened. My heart aches and aches for this family, for this girl. My thoughts are jumbled, but I have worked through some things.

This I know...

No one "accidentally" adopts a child. The act of adoption is a series of actions in which you deliberately subject yourself to hard things. You fill out mounds of paperwork, get fingerprinted multiple times, let your family and home be scrutinized by strangers, and pay gobs of money in the hope that someday you may be able to welcome a child into your family. For the Christian couple, there are hours spent in prayer, seeking God's will and His favor. Parents who disrupt an adoption love the child. She is their daughter. They want what is best for her.

Kids from hard places bring a host of issues with them, many of them overwhelming. They can take a normal, functioning family and turn it to chaos on steroids. Do not rush to judge a couple that disrupts unless you've walked a hundred miles in their shoes. Yes, it is possible to parent a child with every issue under the sun. No, not every person has the capacity to do that. Not everyone is equipped. Not every marriage can withstand that kind of pressure. Not every family can bring healing to a hurt child. Not every hurt child responds to a parent's best efforts.

Disruption is the last resort. Parents who disrupt have tried everything they know to bring this child healing. They have invested time, money, and tremendous effort into helping this kid. They've enlisted the help of doctors, specialists, and friends. They've searched, and read, and prayed... hoping to find something that would help.

This child has a better chance at accepting attachment now than she had 5 years ago. This family has taught her many things about love and family life. She's had years of consistent, Godly parenting that she didn't have before. They saw progress. It was good. I am sure there will be much heartache as she learns how to live in a new family, but this time she has a foundation to begin with.

Sometimes parents have to make hard choices as to what is best for the whole family. This decision is not only about one child, but about everyone in the family. Parents have a responsibility to protect everyone under their roof. That includes protecting kids from each other and sometimes from themselves. That makes things a bit more complicated.

Disruption is not an easy "out". This family is hurting, grieving, and reeling. The pain is raw. Guilt, shame, loss, and fear are mixed with a sense of relief. Worry for her future looms out there. Sleeplessness, nausea, and tears come easily. They need our prayers.

The child is not to blame. Kids who have lived through early trauma do the best they know how to survive. Those things that work so well to survive in an orphanage or on the street don't translate well to family life. Things they learned are nearly impossible to unlearn. None of that is her fault.

God loves orphans and has a special heart for them. I believe that God has not lost this one. He has His hand on her and He is waiting for her to look to Him for true healing. Even though this is hard, God can use it to draw her to Him. I pray that her new family would have the time, resources, and capacity to do the hard work that will be required of them to truly bring her healing. This child has a long road ahead. She needs our prayers.

With a heavy heart,
Mamita

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Miscellaneous Medical News

We've had lots of "little" stuff going on at our house since the holidays. Nothing earth-shattering, but significant, none-the-less.

First off, as we were running our pre- and post-Christmas errands, I noticed that Cupcake was asking to go to the bathroom a lot, sometimes twice in the same store. And not just a dribble or a trickle. At first, I was annoyed.

"...Really? We have to go ALL the way across the store again? Are you sure? Sigh..."

Pretty quickly, it became a HUGE RED FLAG! I know too many moms whose kids have diabetes. And in each case, the first symptom was excessive urination. Other symptoms include excessive thirst. No problem there. Mood swings? Uh, yeah... And I've already mentioned her unhealthy obsession with sugar.

Or it could be a bladder infection? That would be okay. We could handle that.

Or it could be emotional/behavioral. She has so many issues, it could be fear, regression, trauma triggered by anything. I really suspected this, but...

I had to rule out medical issues.

So, Monday morning, I called the Dr.

He wanted to see her.

I began really fretting. I can handle WAY more than I ever thought possible, but this (diabetes)??? The one area of my life where I lack self-discipline is diet. (Well, that and house cleaning ;-)) I was praying that the Lord was not teaching me the hard way to eat only what I need and not so much of what I want.


Anyway...

She peed in a cup. Well, kind of. ;-) The Dr. tested it.

It came back clean! She has absolutely NO sign of diabetes. She does not have a bladder infection. The Dr. thinks it is most likely a temporary stress or uncertainty causing her to focus on the urgency.

Yeah us!

In other news...

Sunshine went today to have his spacers put in for braces next week. He is really sore and does not think this is one bit fun.

Sugar has been complaining about not being able to see the board at school. She just got new glasses in June. So, I took her in today for an eye exam. Sure enough, her eyes have significantly worsened. :-( They are now worse than mine. :-( But, she was very excited when I told her she could get contacts! It was quite a session as they taught her how to put them in and take them out. But, she's got it! She can do it! We'll see how she does taking care of them, but I think she has the maturity to handle it.

Cupcake has some kind of bug bite on her eyelid and it's swollen and hurts. We gave her Benedryl after dinner and she's been sleeping since about 7:30. I hope she sleeps all night through.

TE is perfectly healthy with no medical issues. :-)

That does it for our incredibly long, non-newsworthy update.

Blessings to you,
Mamita

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Jesus Said What???

Today, I was running errands with the girls. We had stopped home briefly to drop off milk and pick up my cell phone.

Halfway to the next store, I groan, "Oh man! I forgot my cell phone! Again!"

Cupcake pipes up from the back seat, "Don't you turn this car around! If you do, Jesus said He'll turn you into a goon!"

It appears there has been a mix up between the good fairy in "Little Bunny Fu Fu" and the Lord of heaven and earth. We'll work on that.

Blessings to you,
Mamita