The Battle Continues

Re-entry has been so much easier this time around.  I am not exactly sure why.  I left Kervens in good hands, and I feel a sense of hopefulness that we will get his birthfather to sign the paper.    

My mom and I spent the entire week with Kervens, loving him, playing with him, and praying over him.  We bonded well, and he really is the most precious thing I have ever seen.  He is so loving and gentle and joyful.  He has stolen all of the nanny's hearts.  It is so cute to watch him with all his nannies and friends... running around with a group of 20 toddlers is heaven for him.  I mean, what toddler wouldn't love having 20 playmates at your fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  He really seems to enjoy it there at Maison...except when he gets hit, or bit, or falls down and no one is there to console him, or gets his toy taken away for the tenth time in 5 minutes.  That's gotta be tough on a little guy.  But he holds his own well amongst the sea of toddlers he lives with.  It is quite a sight, seeing 20 toddlers all spread out across a bunch of mattresses on a floor - so peaceful for a few short hours.  Then, promptly at 5 AM every morning, the mayhem begins again.

I asked my mom if I she thinks I am crazy - for feeling so close to this little guy smack in the middle of Haiti.  I mean, why him?  She said she did not question why we love him for one second.  Not one.  She feels just as drawn to him as we do.  There is no explanation for this connection, he has done nothing to deserve this kind of love from us.  What a great example of Christ's love for us.  We've done nothing, don't deserve it, and get all the benefits of this inheritance.  What a beautiful picture.

At first, Eddy and I were having a really hard time knowing how to pray for all of this.  Because, we kept thinking, if the father wants his son back, then by all means, he should come get him.  The very best thing for Kervens would be to live with his father and be raised by him...IF, and this is a BIG IF, IF his father will love him, protect him, and provide for him.  And that is what Eddy and I were just not sure about.  So, I spoke with Filder, the teacher at the orphanage.  I asked him if we seemed arrogant, or prideful, or selfish to pray for the father to come sign the paper, relinquishing his son to us.  He said that is EXACTLY how we should be praying.  He began to talk about a consistent thread that runs through Haiti...fathers do NOT care for their children well.  So many of them have multiple wives and multiple children, and they do not take biblical responsibility for them.  Now, I am sure there are many exceptions to this in Haiti - such as Pierre, the director of the orphanage.  He is a man of God, full of integrity, husband of one wife, and a wonderful provider for his wife and children.  But the scene Filder mentioned is all too familiar in Haiti.  He point-blank told me, "Carlee, do not pray for this father to come take his son back.  You must pray for him to release his son.  That is the only hope Kervens has.  He will be taken care of, loved, and taught the truth of Jesus.  You must fight for him through prayer!"  Wow.  That was all we needed to hear in order to feel the freedom to pray towards that end...that Kervens will become our son one day. 

So, we have decided to fight for this little guy.  I do feel like a spiritual battle is raging for his very soul.  We still do not know if his father will come sign the paper.  They had a big birth parent meeting at the orphanage today, and they were hopeful that the father would show up (either to sign the paper or take his son). I doubt he came.  I just don't see why he would.  There is no motivation to come from the countryside to Port-au-Prince.  He does not want his son, and he does not want to face the responsibility of him.  I will be very surprised if we receive word that he actually showed up.

So, please continue to pray.  Pray that the father will come sign the paper.  Pray that he does NOT take Kervens away!