Some News On Kervens...An Unexpected Twist

Well, just when you think you have played out every scenario in your mind of what could POSSIBLY happen in this drama, you get thrown another curve ball.  Of course, you all know we have been praying and hoping that the birth father would sign the final paper for Kervens to be adopted.  We were told that he was unwilling to sign the paper and wanted to come get him.  Then we were told he is refusing to come get him.
Well, though I doubted he would come in from the countryside, Kervens' father DID attend the birth parent meeting on Saturday at the orphanage!  Both of Kervens' parents were there and spoke with Pierre.  Pierre was able to talk with them and minister to them.  Here is what Pierre found out.  All along, the birth mom has been lying to the birth father and to the orphanage.  Apparently, the birth father did not even know his son was in an orphanage!  Now, my first thought is this...your son has been in an orphanage over a year now, and you did not know where he was?  How can you not know?  What kind of father does not know that kind of thing?  But the parents are not together.  And the father obviously has not kept in touch with Kervens.  Weird, huh?  Weird to us, but not so weird over in Haiti.  It is common for a father to have children with many women.  And they can be very detached from their wives and children.  However, I understand the frustration of this birth father - not even knowing his son was in an orphanage and almost ready to be adopted.
So, Pierre has given the father one week to make his decision about whether he will keep Kervens or allow him to be adopted.  Can you imagine making that kind of decision in one week?  Uugh.  My heart hurts for this man.  Sort of.  I mean, I have a really hard time understanding the culture and the role of fathers over there.
Eddy and I are extremely peaceful right now.  May the Lord's will be done.  If this child is supposed to be brought up in our home, then we feel certain the birth father will come to that decision.  May the Lord's will be done.

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!   

Finally, some pics!

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures. We have had a good day today. Yesterday my mom started throwing up, but she is doing great now. She got some medicine and slept most of the day yesterday. She is back to herself today.
We have gotten no new news on Kervens. We spend our entire day with him. He is getting more and more attached to us. I think we have passed the point of no return. :)
I got to teach the upper school the short vowel sounds today, which was so much fun! And in true American style, I gave out candy as rewards for saying them correctly.
You would think it would be easy to take a few pictures and post them, but it is HARD to get away! So, here is what I have so far...






Kervens taking a nap on my mattress.




Kervens reading a book.




What a killer smile!




Playing and dancing together in the tent.

Not the blog I was hoping to post...

Well, unbelievably, I managed to delete the entire post I just wrote. I have so much to tell. So, I will tell it again. Uugh.
On Friday as I was preparing to leave, eddy and I got the phone call we both dreaded. You remember that signature from Kervens' father that we were waiting on and praying for? Well, Kim Harmon, the President of For His Glory Outreach, called to tell us that Kervens' father is refusing to sign the papers and he wants to come get him. We were devastated! Eddy and I cried. Jackson and Kenzie cried. I felt like the ground beneath me was shaking and I could not breathe. Honestly, I did not know what to think or what to feel. I mean, we only spent four days with him. But all the confirmations, all the signs, all the answered prayers...and now the rug is pulled out from under us? We knew we were taking a risk by pursuing an adoption of a child that was not officially paper ready yet. We tried to guard our heart, but we did not do such a great job of that.
So, eddy and I began the discussion of whether or not I would still go on the trip. Kim said the father would be there any day to pick him up. Maybe he will already be gone when I get there or maybe he would come while I am there. She also prepared me for a heart wrenching scene when the father did come. She said it could be more than I could handle. As eddy and I talked, all I kept hearing in my heart was this, "You are called to love and visit orphans, not just when you get to adopt the cutest one of the bunch." Eddy and I both agreed I should still go, no matter what I encountered.
So, though I cried through much of the flight, we landed safely and were greeted by Angie, the missionary here at the orphanage. She promptly told me that Kervens had not been picked up yet, and that it would be his mom that was supposed to come and get him. So, I tried to guard my heart when we got to the orphanage and keep my distance, but that little guy just stole my mom's heart right from the start. When we both saw him, we wept together. She brought him to me and I held him and cried.
Then, after about 15 minutes, Angie came and asked if she could speak with me in the office. She shared with me that Kervens' mom had just called to say that she will not come get him. You see, she is a 20 year old girl who lives in city soleil, ranked as one of the most dangerous places on earth and only a few miles from the orphanage. Literally. She shared that she could not give him safety or provide for him. She also said that if Kervens' father comes to pick him up, then all he would do is bring him to her to raise. They do not live together, and he says he cannot take care of his son. But he does not want him to be adopted.
So, both are unwilling to come get him. In the meantime, he has spent every waking moment with me or my mom. His little personality is really coming out and it is so fun to see. We are snuggling in the tent as I type. So much for guarding my heart, huh?
I have never experienced such spiritual warfare in my life. There is a battle raging for this child's soul. For all of these children here at the orphanage. Will you please pray? Everyone i have spoken with about Kervens here at the orphanage has told me to pray that the father will let him go because he cannot take care of him. It would be a very bad thing for him to come get him. I am hoping for a miracle.
I am physically still struggling with a horrible cough. I am emotionally exhausted. And I barely slept last night. So, I am going to go to bed. I hope to have the strength to post some pics tomorrow.

- Posted by Carlee, using my iPad

The Next Michael Jordan

Brooks is showing some amazing basketball skills at age two. I showed him how to cross-over dribble and he was actually really trying to use his left hand some!

- Posted using my iPhone

Haiti Here We Come

Only 11 more days until I get to see Kervens! I absolutely can't wait to hold that little fella. It seems like it has been a lot longer than four months since I saw him last. I have no idea what to expect. I am a bit scared:

Scared that we won't bond all that well.
Scared that we will bond terribly well.
Scared of the day I have to leave.
Scared to stay there any longer.
Scared of getting sick.
Scared of being hot.
Scared of my emotions.
Scared of not having enough emotion.

I know, I know, God did not give us a spirit of fear. He already knows what the week in Haiti is going to be like, feel like, look like. He's got me. And He better, cuz I just about died from emotion last time and I wasn't even sure that we were going to adopt Kervens. Now we are sure - can you imagine what kinds of emotion i am going to experience this time? Uugh!

And that is what is so weird to me. You mean I am SUPPOSED to live with this cloud hanging over me for the next year, or two, or three? Seriously?

But I would not wish the cloud away. It has drawn me closer to my Lord. It has drawn me closer to my hubby. And honestly, I will endure any amount of time with a cloud that follows me if it means that I get to embrace our little boy on U.S. soil someday. Oh what a day that will be!

So, I will get on with my packing and collecting and organizing a "gazillion" clothes and shoes to take to the orphans. Because all I know, at least for today, is that I am being asked to go.

- Posted by Carlee, using my iPad

Snaggled...er

Kenzie has managed to lose three teeth in one week! And one more is loose! She has become a wealthy woman, but she chooses to spend her money on treats at every event that has a concession stand. So her money is going fast! Especially when she offers to buy everyone in the stands a treat! That is definitely not what I had in mind for the mama-tooth-fairy money. Oh well, I guess it could be worse...at least she is being generous and loving others, right? She is good at loving others without calculating the financial setback. I need to watch and learn!

Here is the update from the orphanage where Kervens lives.  It is called Maison.  They have a huge need for a generator.  I thought I would post it here because you never know how the Lord might work to provide such an item.  He has to do something really soon.

February 1, 2011

To continue the life-saving ministry to the orphans in Haiti, we need your help! Please consider giving a gift to some of the "least of these" in Haiti. Thank you! Quick Links  For His Glory Website For His Glory Blog     Our Address:   For His Glory Outreach PO Box 674 Kingsland, TX 78639   :: Dear Carlee, Gabou, Gastin & Gabriel Gabou, Gastin and Gabriel, triplet boys, were born into a large family in Port-au-Prince. Their parents loved them deeply and struggled to provide for them the basics, food and clothing, but with seven other children as well, they were not able to consistently provide what their children needed. Their father was one of the blessed in Haiti, in that he did have a job, but the meager income was just not enough to provide.Eventually, their parents made the difficult decision to send the boys to the countryside to live with their grandmother. They had hoped this would be a solution that would be the best for their boys. However, one day when their mother went to visit them, it became clear that their grandmother was unable to care for the boys well, and she brought them back to Port-au-Prince with her. They were at a loss for what to do. Their mother asked one of the nanny's from Maison if she knew of anywhere that could care for her boys. She gave photos to the nanny and the nanny brought the photos to Pierre. Then, a family friend that was a doctor also suggested to the parents that they bring Gabou, Gastin and Gabriel to Maison. The parents wrestled with what to do, but in October of 2008, when the boys were three years old, they made the decision to bring the boys to Maison to see if they could live here. They wanted their boys to have a chance - to have good nutrition and an education that they could not provide for them. The doctor came with them to Maison to advocate for the family, because she knew it would be difficult for Maison to accept three children at once. That day, Gabou, Gastin and Gabriel became part of the family at Maison. Their father comes to every birth parent meeting at Maison to visit his boys as they continue to wait for a forever family. Gabou, Gastin and Gabriel are now six years old. They are in kindergarten at Maison and love to learn new things. They have been exposed to English and have been in school while with us. Gabriel and Gabou look so much alike they are difficult to tell apart, but Gastin is taller than his brothers.  Gabou loves to give and receive hugs. He has a sweet nature and tends to be quieter than his brothers. Gabriel is also sweet natured, but is a little more independent. Gastin has had a difficult time adjusting since all of his friends went home to be with their forever families in January after the earthquake. He is very active and energetic, and sometimes needs help to positively focus his energy. All three boys enjoy individual attention, love to play with toy cars, swing and run and play.Please pray with us that the Lord will continue to develop these little guys into the men He has created them to be, and that He will bring them a forever family to nurture them and give them a chance at a life filled with hope and love.   Generator Need: Our generator is and has been on its last leg for a while now.  We have had it repaired repeatedly and tuned up on a regular schedule.  We have been told that it cannot be repaired well enough to make it last for any length of time.  We recently had it tuned up again and learned that it could literally "die" at any moment.  We have been warned of this for many months.  In May 2010, we were quoted $18,000 for a generator that would meet the needs of the orphanage. Jackson went again yesterday to check on a few other things at Valerio Canez (where the generators are) and found that the same generator now costs $23,000 USD. A working generator is critical for the orphanage to be able to care for the children. City power alone is not strong enough to run the water pump.  The water pump provides water for clothes washing, bathing, and the kitchen.  We rely on the ability to run the generator for those things.  When we don't have city power, the generator recharges the batteries and inverter.  If we don't have that, we have no electricity in the entire facility.  No lights, no fans, no internet, no communication.  We are asking that you stand with us and ask God what you can do to help provide a new generator.  Together we can make a difference. (Click here to make a donation.) Prayer Requests: Please pray for the health of the children and the staff. Pray for the safety of the staff as they travel to and from the orphanage. Please pray for Vanessa's upcoming visa appointment, that she would find favor with the Embassy and would be granted a medical visa to come to the U.S. for her surgery. Please pray for Samy Leo. He is scheduled for surgery to repair his club feet on February 17. The doctor is not optimistic tat Samy will ever be able to walk. Pray for a successful surgery and that God would intervene and Samy would be able to walk. God's continued provision and blessing for the orphanage. God's provision for a new generator. God's provision for a permanent building for Maison. Wisdom for the FHG Board as we minister in Haiti.