Thursday, June 28, 2007

Mommy is on her way!!!

In just over 24 hours our flight will leave for our first stretch towards Haiti. We will arrive Saturday at 10AM. A couple hours later... I WILL BE HUGGING AND KISSING MY CHILDREN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, Jacques, Stephanie, Jude, Lovenie (and Vilner if I get to see him again)... Mommy is on her way.

I will most likely not blog again until I get back from Haiti but then will be flooding the blog with pictures, video, and stories! Thanks for your prayer. Joyfully, Angela

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Answered Prayers....

Thank you so much to everyone that prayed for us about the frustrations we were facing. God's answered them in some exciting ways! We were able to get that certain special gift for the kids we really wanted to take them. I can't wait to see their faces. I hope they will be as excited as I think they will be! Also, My friends daughter did not get her passport but the airline that was telling her "no way" to changing the name on the ticket finally agreed (you know that's got to be God!). Everything is falling back into place and I absolutely believe it's all thanks to God.

Now please continue to pray that we all remain physically and spiritually healthy for the trip ahead of us. Could you please also pray that these gift items make it unbroken and without "disappearing" all the way to Haiti? Thanks so much!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Last minute travel stress...

Just a few more days and our team will be on it's way to Haiti. We are all very excited. However, that is not to say that we are not working through our share of stress this week. One of our team members has her ticket purchased and has been waiting over 10 weeks for her passport and it has not come yet...please pray for this situation. Yes, they paid the expedite fee but because of passport backlogs have been told they have about a 50/50 chance of getting it!

This morning our group learned that American Airlines has a Summer Baggage Embargo going on right now. This has become a huge headache for me today because we have a certain large item that we planned to take in a large heavy duty box (for an additional fee). Part of the embargo is no boxes and no larger then standard packages! So we are stressing about finding a resolution to this. Please pray that God would give us wisdom in this and drop what we need right into our laps...we need the help! :) If we have to we could leave this item behind until the next trip- but I so had my heart set on giving it to the kids while we are there. Many of you know what this item is but please do not make a reference to it on this site as it sometimes read now in Haiti and I don't want to give away the surprise if we can get it there or have disappointed kids if we can not.

Just please keep our group covered in prayers! Thanks so much.

Monday, June 25, 2007

This week we head to Haiti!!!!!

Friday night of this week my friend, Debbie, and I will board a red-eye flight to Florida. Saturday morning we will head to the gate to our connecting flight where we will meet up with the rest of our mission team that is coming from all over the country. This team is made up of mostly adopting parents and their family and friends. Most of us do not know each other other then years of email relationships. I have the added blessing of meeting up there with one of my best friends, Ange, from Texas. I believe there will be 13 team members and also 13 children that are being adopted by this group that will stay at the guest house with their American family!

I have so many prayer requests for this trip: Please pray that God would use us all in a way that will be pleasing to Him while at the same time working on the hearts and lives of each of us team members. Please also pray for our safety and health and that our luggage makes it to Haiti. I'm especially concerned about the luggage that Debbie and I are packing as it contains many gifts that might make them very tempting to "disappear."

I can't wait to be holding our children again, watching other mothers meeting their children for the first time, others viewing Haiti for the first time, and seeing how God uses and changes our group!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

The Boys (Young Men) of HFC

Achley 8.11.92
Argusto 3.13.92

Alex Jerome (adopted) 10.4.92


Bernadin Guy Junior (adopted) ...



Camille 6.24.94


Drisk Chevry 2.15.93

Please Please be praying for Duck (as he is nicknamed). He is so wonderful and as you can see by the birthdate will be turning 16 soon. If someone does not start the process to adopt him he will have to be changed to (too old) and he's just such a great kid!! He just broke his arm about a week ago..please keep him in prayer!
The boy on the right is our precious Jude. Ernso is SO cute and sweet!!!
Evens Dorval (too old) 6.17.90

He may be too old to be adopted but is loved as a son in the heart of another friend and loved very much by our family too!
Our Sweet Son! See... He can smile for a picture!

Hermilus 3.8.95

Jefthe (adopted) 8.15.93


This is our son Jude and daughter Stephanie

John Peter (adopted) 9.6.92

Jude Tilus 1.5.96

Mikenlove 11.4.94

Junior Vandomme (too old) 4.1.89
Is now too old to be adopted but loved like a son in the heart of a dear friend of mine!


Monsanto (adopted) 5years


Peterson Mathurin (adopted) 9....


Reginald (funky ears!) 6.17.93

Renick (adopted) 11.22.95


Steve 1.26.96

Richecarde 4.30.95

Wilderson Degraff 1.3.92 (and ...

Wilson (blue shirt) 7.16.94

It's been requested and here it is. Sorry it's taken me so long to post the boys after the girls. It's a time consuming project and time is what has been excaping me. I'm excited to share with you all the princes of HFC. Other then meeting our 5 children and the birth Mom-- these boys were the highlight of the trip. God definitely gave me a great love for these guys and my thoughts are often on them. They are not only smart and respectful young men but really love God and each other. They are unlike any group of teen boys I've ever known! Spend just moments with any one of these boys and you can't help but adore them!!! One of my favorite memories of the trip is when the boys would come over (they live in the boys home across the street and we stayed, obviously, in the girls home) many of them would give me one of their giant flashy smiles, a big hug, a kiss on the cheek and a cheery "Bonjou Angela". Any family would be so blessed to have ANY one of these great guys in their home and hearts. Please pray for homes for those that do not have one yet. Just as I did with the girls I will list each picture along with their name and birthdate. If it says adopted they are in the process of being adopted, if it says "too old" it means they have missed the age 16 mark that they have to be adopted by. This has happened to some REALLY great guys and it just breaks your heart...be praying for them too. All the pictures and information was gathered by Kez- thanks Kez!

Friday, June 22, 2007

June update from Haiti!

Our precious children in Haiti: Jacques (15), Stephanie (11), Lovenie (now 3), and Jude (9).
Once a month most waiting adoptive parents get an update photo of their children. For most of us it's a day we anxiously wait for. For us it has become very bittersweet: While we alway cherish pictures of our darling children we are also always so concerned for Lovenie when we see them. Looking at the picture you can see why. For those of you new to my blog Lovenie had a stroke at just 10 months old and we do not know what caused it. Seeing pictures of her like this, obviously not doing well, and being thousands of miles away, we get frusterated that she didn't come home sooner and that precious time is slipping away that we could be getting her health care. In this update she finally hit 20lbs at 3 years old. This is only 3 pounds more then she was more then almost 2 years ago. When Jim saw this photo of them from work he called me and asked me (since I have met Lovenie) if the pictures of her just make her look really unhealthy or if her condition really is that bad. I was sad to report that this is really how her condition is. She does not speak, cry, smile, laugh and when you look into her eyes it seems like a real blankness. Lovenie is so precious to us and we love her very much. Please continue to keep all our kids in prayer but please say a special prayer for Lovenie's health.
Jacques- If you are reading this then I want you to know that I'm going to have to talk to you when I get to Haiti about sending us your bel souri (beautiful smile)!!

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Our son is on the honor roll at HFC :)

Anyone know where we can get our bumper sticker?

Right now the HFC kids in Haiti are taking major exams. I have not heard from Stephanie and Jude so I don't know how they are doing. It's so much harder for us to write and communicate without Kez there to translate for us. Jacques continues to write us at least once a week and we get so excited to hear from him!

Here's what he told us in his last letter about his exams:
I am third in my class right now, i receive the best grades in math and english - for the math i scored 249 out of 300 and for english i scored 190 out of 200. on tuesday, wednesday and thursday i will be taking my official exams - please pray for me.

Jacques:

Nou tre fye pou ou dous pitit gason nou. Nou renmen ou anpil! Mom and Dad.

(We are very proud or you our sweet son. We love you very much! Mom and Dad)

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Celebrating 3 Months!!!

I just wanted to share with you all some great news. I have made it to the 3 month mark of being seizure free!!! I'm so thrilled and this is definitely a record for me. I do sometimes feel them coming on and feel as if I have to be very cautious about the "triggers" and from time to time need to take anti-convulsents, but in three months have prevented it every time! Praising God as I know beyond any doubt that it is in His hands and has been all along.

Thanks for sharing in my joy and celebration! Please pray for me that I would continue to remain seizure free. You wouldn't believe how badly I want my drivers license back!!!! :)

Pray without seizing... oh, wait... that's supposed to be pray without ceasing.. well now I get to do both!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

The Renee Zellweger Vote Here -- UPDATED

UPDATED: It has been requested that I dye my hair blond for further evaluation of this question. It's a lot easier for me to instead find a picture of Renee with my hair color. Hope this will be enough...done the blond thing--sticking with dark. Personally I think Renee should too. I'll be in touch with her people.
Okay, just for fun... this will be mostly for those who know me or have seen lots of pictures of me on this blog.....

Over the years again and again I hear "you know who you look like?" I'm always pretty sure of the following answer "That actress Renee Zellweger!" Some people even like to throw in a "you sound just like her too."

The last time I heard this I was on a flight to Haiti to meet our kids for the first time. It was a red eye flight and I was seated by the window with a husband and wife next to me-- the husband on the aisle seat. The airline showed a movie and it just happened to be the Mrs. Potter movie starring Renee Zellweger. The man in my row looked at the screen and then looked at me a few times and then leaned over his sleeping wife saying to me "Hey, hey- what's the name of that actress?" Of course knowing her well I said that would be Renee Zellweger and He said "It's you, that's you... You look just like her!!!" I laughed and said I've been told that from time to time. It was a long movie and a long flight but I was amused at how many times the guy looked at the movie then looked at me, then the movie, then me.....over and over again. I shared this with my friends Amy and Kez that I was in Haiti with and they called me Renee from time to time. One of the girls braided my hair so that it was totally pulled back and one of them said (I don't remember which) "Now you really do look like Renee."

I know I'm not a glamorous actress and that she is much prettier then I am but I have been very amused by how many people make comments about this. So for those of you that know me... I'm curious to hear what YOU think.... :)

I also found a clip of Renee with hair more my color and and you can hear her voice and I kinda get what people are saying about the voice. When I was a waitress I had a little 'ol lady that I waited on that kept commenting over and over on how great my voice is, even to the extent that I should make money with my voice. I'm thinking "Wow, thanks." and as my head begins to get big she adds... "Like doing cartoons or something!" Thanks lady. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS5HesnV6-c

A very beautiful miracle!

So many people are hungry, hurting, and even dying in Haiti. Many are helpless due to poverty and lack of education and resorces. There are many hard to hear and heartbreaking stories. However, there are also many really beautiful stories of people who care, making a difference where they can. With God's help nothing is impossible. How can God use you to make a difference for his Glory today?

In this story many people worked together to bring two dying babies to America. This story is even more precious because the babies and their caretakers lived with one of my best friends, Ange, in Austin, TX while receiving medical treatment there. Another friend of mine that God brought to me through emails that did not know Ange was also working behind the scenes to help these girls. She sent me an email to let me know that she was flying from Illinois to Austin, TX to help with these girls and I put the pieces together to realize that they were talking about the same babies and that my precious online friend was headed to meet my friend of many years that is like a sister to me! When God's involved it's amazing how small our world seems.

Here is the story of these precious babies. I hope you are all very encouraged by it as well as keeping them and their family in your prayers. Please take just a moment to see this beautiful article and video and then to thank God for his miracles:

http://keyetv.com/topstories/local_story_169191509.html

Monday, June 18, 2007

The Girls of HFC

Here are all the beautiful princesses of HFC! These girls were so sweet, smart, and funny. We had a blast with them. Under their picture is their name and age or birthday. If it says (adopted) they are in the process of being adopted. If it says (too old) it means that they have reached the age that they are no longer adoptable. If it says neither of these things then they are likely still waiting for a family. If you do not feel led to adopt, then I would ask for you to in the very least keep these great kids in your prayers and even consider sponsering one or more of the children that do not have a home. Photo's and info of the HFC boys will be added soon!

Youdemie Meralus (adopted) 6.5.90

Wislandy Vileus 8.1.2001

Stephanie Quoichil (adopted) 5...


Stephanie Jeannis (adopted) 9....
Sorry Folks...We claimed this Princess!