'Wiguerson's file is out of IBESR and Parquet. His adoption decree is in preparation.'
I thought this was such an encouraging way to say that we are in Second Legalization. It sounds like everything is progressing and on schedule. Really, Haiti is on holiday until January 7, and nothing is happening at all. But it still sounds encouraging and these cute little pictures help too.
Happy New Year!
Our experience in Haiti was great! The kids are all so healthy and Happy. It was plenty hot during the day but cooled off at night. We were able to file our paper at the embassy quickly and got to see the transition house where the kids go first before entering the orphanage. We asked Gina all the questions we could think of and got to see much of Port a Prince.
There is something unexplainable about spending 3 days with your children and then telling them you have to leave and will come again "someday". Kind of like Jesus in John 14.
Updated: October 3, 2008
ause I only know what I have lived and I like my bed and the "play room" in the basement and... that brings me back to the lesson about the temporal and the eternal. "Oh dear Jesus speak to me!"
The latest storm, Ike, killed at least 61 people on Sunday, including more than a dozen children swept away in the town of Cabaret, north of the capital of Port-au-Prince. But the greatest misery was in the northern city of Gonaives, which has been repeatedly flooded, leaving its residents without food or clean water for days. On Sunday, the last bridge to the city collapsed, preventing the delivery of supplies. Though water levels reportedly receded somewhat yesterday, runoff was still pouring toward the city from the country's deforested mountains. "After 25 years spent working in Haiti, and having grown up in Florida, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything as painful as what I just witnessed in Gonaives," reported the public health activist Paul Farmer, "except in that very same city, four years ago." Disaster has become chronic in Gonaives: in 2004 some 2,000 died in mudslides following a tropical storm.The latest storm, Ike, killed at least 61 people on Sunday, including more than a dozen children swept away in the town of Cabaret, north of the capital of Port-au-Prince. But the greatest misery was in the northern city of Gonaives, which has been repeatedly flooded, leaving its residents without food or clean water for days. On Sunday, the last bridge to the city collapsed, preventing the delivery of supplies. Though water levels reportedly receded somewhat yesterday, runoff was still pouring toward the city from the country's deforested mountains. "After 25 years spent working in Haiti, and having grown up in Florida, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything as painful as what I just witnessed in Gonaives," reported the public health activist Paul Farmer, "except in that very same city, four years ago." Disaster has become chronic in Gonaives: in 2004 some 2,000 died in mudslides following a tropical storm.
The U.S. Navy dispatched an amphibious ship to Haiti, where it arrived yesterday with a badly needed complement of helicopters that can carry aid to Gonaives and other flooded areas. The U.S. Agency for International Development also pledged $7 million in relief, and Venezuela said it was sending 20 tons of aid. But Haitians will need considerably more help to recover: not just emergency supplies of food and medicine but help in reconstructing homes and in carrying out public works projects that could prevent such flooding in the future. The Red Cross, Oxfam and Direct Relief International are among the private humanitarian groups working to provide relief in Haiti; Partners in Health sponsors a community health-care network. They need help. As President René Préval told the Miami Herald, "this is Katrina in the entire country but without the means that Louisiana had."
We continue to pray for all of the people in Haiti as we can not even comprehend the disaster and desperation the storms have caused. Additionally, we are concerned for the biological family of our children as they are from a coastal city north of Port-au-Prince (the red star).
Hello Worried Parents and Agency Representatives:
We received news from Gina today that there has been heavy flooding in Lamardelle (the village where the CEJ orphanage is). Attached you will see pictures Gina sent along. One shows how washed out the road is. In another picture you can see how the water levels on the sides of the roads where people can sometimes be seen washing their clothes or bathing are completely flooded also. Finally, there is a picture of the water outside the metal gate at the orphanage, the actual compound is not as flooded, or at least does not appear so.
Here is some of what Gina wrote: “The white river since Tuesday night has flood the village. Access is impossible via vehicle only can get through with donkey. Lucien has been able to get some food and supplies to the crèche via donkey. The children are safe but stuck inside the compound. The village people are without food and drinking water.”
The Duncans, including Mommy and the staff at FEJ have been distributing relief packages to the village as they have been able, but certainly the need in Haiti is only increasing with these storms.
Please know that thanks to the many donations of many of you and a lot of your efforts (and those of April), the creche has many supplies already in storage there, primarily in the way of food, medication, and urgent supplies. Please know that the Duncans will always do everything they can to make sure the children’s safety is maintained. As you have read, they have used donkeys as a means of transportation this week as needed. This only goes to show how much life in Haiti is impacted by things that don’t affect most of our lives in the US nearly as much.
Along with the children that are constantly in our minds, hearts and prayers, please keep the village of Lamardelle, the creche staff, and the Duncans there too. We know how eager each of you is to bring your respective children home, and how long the process is even when there are no “acts or disasters of nature” to worry about. Unfortunately, this hurricane season has slowed things down further for obvious reasons. We are hopeful that things will subside soon in Haiti and that we will be providing you with news of progress and good health.
constant "what you say'n ta' me?" for all of her third year of life.
Hurricane Gustave is in route to Haiti and other surprise destinations in the gulf. In preparation for the storm, the orphanage was stocked with provisions like clean water, food, candles, etc. Though scary, hurricane season is a reality in Haiti, and they’ve been through this once or twice before. Gustav hasn't technically "hit" yet, but they have been experiencing strong winds and heavy rain since yesterday.
Also, the August trip to the creche was canceled due to the hurricane. But not before the parents were already in Florida. I know that there were families on that trip that were going to meet their children for the first time. How frustrating it must be to get so close and be sent home without even a moment with your child. We will be praying for those parents as well.. We know the children are as safe as they can be and the staff is working hard to keep their lives as normal and free of worry as they can.
Also on that flight that was canceled, were the 86 tubs of food from the food box drive. We are excited to have received such a great outpouring of formula and rice etc. Now we will pray for its safe arrival after the storm.
the head and the trunk, but she does not have good balance when she tries to stand up. She presents a handicap in her right leg, her legs are not tied." She is getting therapeutic exercises for her legs with goals for standing alone in 4 weeks and walking alone in 4 months. I have noticed similar things with other children there and one of the parents is a pediatric physical therapist so they have received some training and they have little walkers for the kids to use. Beth and Anna had a push and ride toy instead of a real walker.
