Nov. 20th

Hello everyone!

I’m making time to sit and update you all about our trip to Jacmel because it was so good to spend a day with our girls. We drove on the windiest road ever and it took about 5 hours one way! Half way through the journey there, Kira threw up all over me! She was fevering the night before so I wasn’t sure if she was car sick or just sick. We went straight to the hotel to clean ourselves up and grab a quick bite for lunch and then headed to the girls home. When we arrived, Marlaine was not there but we went down to see the girls’ home that was recently built and that is where Lauren Cassandra was waiting for us! I think they took special care to dress her nicely and do her hair cute because we were coming. She was a little shy but happy to see us and she was more outgoing then she was last year. She was happy about swimming this time around too! The kids were excited to meet their siblings and Jordy and Lauren held hands for the longest time! I have some great pictures I want to upload! The baby wasn’t at the same home so we called and Marlaine said she would bring her to the hotel later. I gave my nice and nephew, Ginette and Jozafa, BIG hugs and kisses! They are so sweet and totally new who we were!! The were smiling like crazy along with Lauren and when I took a picture of the girls together they acted like they had always been cousins! Ginette turned and pushed another girl out of the picture…I’m not sure what she sad in Creole but she was telling her in no uncertain terms that she was not apart of this ‘family’ picture! I said it was ok, she could be apart too. But it was really cute to see that the kids know what’s going on and are pretty protective of their place in the scheme of things. We said a big hello to all the kids, many faces we recognized from last year. We gave Belinda the things you sent, Mini. She read your letter to me and I took a picture for you! We gave Jusula and Chrisemne their treats and gave Jesse and Fania and all the kids lots of love! I will try put these picts. online for you all.

After we had eaten dinner (Lauren Cassandra beating us all by FARJ), we spent time playing. Dawson is the typical older brother…being as funny as he could possibly be to make his little sisters laugh. Cassanda thinks he is great! Jordy is loving being the big helper and showing her new things and wanting to do everything with her. We were SO grateful to get in the pool. The days are so hot and it really tires us out.

Around 9pm, Melainey Rosalinda finally showed up! We were so excited to see her! She let me take her and hold her but was checking us out and trying to be brave. She is only 16 months old so she doesn’t know what’s going on but she did well and fell asleep on Sheldon’s shoulder. We set up the two playpens in the room and put the babies in them for the night. Lauren was so played out that she fell asleep about 5 minutes into the movie the kids out on with the little dvd player. We had a chance to visit Marlaine and our friend, Pastor Henri, was determined to change her mind about letting us bring our girls home to Canaan with us. I was just praying so hard that we would be able to but in the end we came home without them. We don’t understand this….if it was ok to live with our girls in Jacmel, why not in Montrouis? We didn’t get a conclusive reason but we know that God is sovereign in all things and we are trusting that he is working even where we do not se or understand. God’s plans cannot be thwarted (Deuteronomy), not by nature, people or the devil. So we are walking in faith not sight.

We came home the next day because the airport is not running to Jacmel and we had no other transportation but to go with our pastor friend and return the car we rented for the journey. The hotel was more then we expected too, so it was a good thing we didn’t stay but it was hard to give up our girls after only one wonderful day with themL. We are looking forward to Pete and Michelle coming in Dec. when we will go to Jacmel with them and spend a week with them and our children there.

On a difficult note, our kids have impetigo and it has proved hard to get rid of! We are getting weary of soaking their sores and peeling the blisters back to clean the bacteria so it will not get any bigger. Just when we are seeing some healing on one sore, three more have appeared on other spots of their bodies. It is spread through open sores and with all the mosquito bites and scratching them there are PLENTY to go around! Please pray for healing in this. Kira is especially hard as she doesn’t understand why we have to ‘torture’ her 3 or 4 times a day to help her beat it. Also, she has been saying ‘owee’ holding her ear today so I’m thinking “oh no….here we go”. I will grab my otoscope and see what I can see. Kira is also having a hard time with all the attention from the kids. At first I was feeling a little embarrassed she was acting so crabby about it but now I feel quite sorry for her because I have been observing how the kids all want her to come to them so they will hold something out to her “you want juice, Kira?” (or candy or a toy…) and then when she does they pull it away and give her the empty hand and try to take her. They mean well and just want to hold her and play with her but she is getting teased all day and very frustrated with that. I take her up to the little patio on our apartment and just hang out with her and have my quiet time while she has some time to herself. This is something she really needs in her day.

We have so far had no luck with finding a place in Jacmel. Marlaine hasn’t been looking and we have found out from our friends here that because Jacmel in the new ‘cancun’, it is very hard to rent a house. There is much demand and because of the holiday season upon us, people are renting their houses for the month or even by the week for lots of money. It wouldn’t make sense for them to make a deal with us for more time for less and we can’t afford the $11,000.00 house that’s availableJ. So, we wait and we pray and we try to serve the Lord and the people where we are at. We have been involved with supervising in the ACE school they have here. I have checked out the clinic and find that very interesting. There is a nurse here form BC helping. She’s leaving on the 17 of Dec. so I may be helping out more there. We have tiled and painted and have a big list of things to get done as there is a team coming today for 10 days, and after that more and more keep coming. There is also an ACE seminar in Dec. that pastor Wayne Shenk is coming for Dec 9^th. They are having 50 people from around Haiti to introduce the Christian education and the vision with that is to see it taught through out Haiti. I am very impressed with what I see here. The vision is great and Pastor Henri’s enthusiasm is contagious! He has been SUCH a huge blessing to us here. He has brought Jesus to us in so many ways already. He reminds me of when Paul was talking about loving people but especially those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. He has truly been such an example of this to us. He has loved us and taken us under his wing. He has taken our goals as his own and has been so supportive in info. about our adoption. He knows many people and has checked out where everything is at and keeps us up to date on the way Haiti works. He really is the ‘father’ here in this community and I can see why he is so dearly loved. Sheldon told me last night “I don’t think a person could have a better friend here then Pastor Henri.” I think he’s right!

So, we are thankful for much, struggling with some, seeking God in everything and ask for your prayers through it all. We are playing things by ear and trusting God to make the way clear. Should health continue to be a concern or get any worse we may need to think about coming home but in the mean time we are praying for healing and continuing on…. “Consider it pure joy….perseverance must finish its work in you, that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything…” hmmm…pure joy….when my baby is screaming as we clean her sores……. Joy…when we say goodbye to our daughters (sisters) and go to live in another part of the country that brought us to them…. Joy…..when the heat saps the little energy we have left and leaves you tired and wondering what we are here for. We choose to trust.

Love to you all.

Sheldon, Kim, and kids