I don't have any pictures to accompany this post, but in order for me to feel "current" with this blog I feel like I need a generic update post. This weekend it will have been 6 weeks since we had to say goodbye to our two sweet girls. Here are the basics on what has happened since then...
One thing that softened part of the blow of leaving the girls (besides that we got to see our little boys we missed) was that I had been sick for several days before leaving Haiti. I tried to not focus on it because this was such an important and special time with our girls, but the last couple days I was becoming really weary. I brought a parasite home with me and came home really exhausted and had to stay close to a bathroom. I got medication, and things got significantly better...but without including a whole lot of disgusting information I'll just say that things have continued to be a struggle until just yesterday. I turned a corner yesterday with my health and am feeling very encouraged. That was a long month and half to keep on functioning while not feeling well though (and through the holidays).
The other thing that was discouraging was the day after we got home I got packets from the Department of Homeland security. I was excited and thought that we already were receiving approvals for our I800 applications we sent in before going to Haiti. Instead, our packets were being returned and they told us that we had used an old government form and needed to print the new one and fill it all out and send them back. I did so and we got it sent back quickly, but I was irked that the only difference I found between the forms was one font change and the date printed in the corner saying when the form was last updated. So annoying. I filled out packets for both girls again though, we gave them to Chareyl who went through everything and we sent them back.
...Fastforward about 5 weeks and I'm getting the mail again. Mail from Department of Homeland Security! Surely it's approval finally, right? Nope. RFE. That's a request for evidence. Grrr...
I contacted Chareyl and let her know and she looked into things. She called me that night. The hallelujah chorus (her ringtone on my phone) started to blare and I was grateful to get a call from her. She explained to me what was missing and told me that she already contacted Nisthone in Haiti and that he would see what he could do at IBESR the next day. I can't tell you how grateful I was that she would not only communicate with me after business hours, but also reach out to Nisthone then as well to get things moving.
The very next day she let me know that Nisthone was able to get the document necessary from IBESR, he scanned it to her, Chareyl sent it to be translated to English and Chareyl added her notarized letter to all of that and overnighted it to IBESR. Bam! Just like that! Although I was sad to have another delay I was beyond grateful for the speed in which it was resolved. Grateful that the document was accessible and that Nisthone and Chareyl got everything done so quickly.
So, hopefully we'll have our preliminary I800 approval soon and hopefully a visa appointment not long after that!
Another thing to update is that we have our next TWO visits booked! Mark will be leaving in less than 4 weeks (going with his mom) and I will go (with my mom) in April! I hope we see lots of progress in the girls' files during that time and that we start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel by then. I'm thinking that I'll probably take Noah to visit them in June, but we haven't booked that yet.
The only other thing I can think of to update on is that I was contacted by someone who just finished working for c4c and she send me a ton of pictures of the girls which was so amazing. I mean these are treasures. She even included a video clip of one of the girls when they were learning how to walk. I am just reminded over and over how blessed we are. Blessed to have been given a referral for these two amazing, beautiful girls. Blessed that they have received the medical attention necessary. Blessed to live in the orphanage they do. Blessed that we'll be able to visit while we wait. Blessed to receive all these pictures. So very blessed.
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