Trying To Treasure The Journey

Trying to treasure this adoption journey had been pretty easy up till this point. I don't think it was really real to us that we had a little girl that lived in PAP and she needed us more than we needed her. This trip was huge for us! It was our first time flying, first time out of the country, first time to the 3rd world and first time seeing our princess! 

 This little Girl is Amazing!! We had a wonderful week with her and we can't wait to get her home! Adoptions from Haiti are not fast so many people keep asking me when do you get to bring her home.. Well we really don't know... It could take 2 years it could take longer. We just ask that you all pray with us to make the process go faster. We know that she is being loved  and taken care of everyday. We will hold on to that and the happy times we have with her while we visit. To look at a country that is so broken but then to look at the people and see that they are not broken. They have a wonderful godly spirit that is really moving. We know that we have been called by god to adopt. This isn't a journey we could be on without our lord. It is very comforting to read scripture. This is something that I have never done much of but boy am I loving it now! Joshua 1:9 was my favorite on this trip " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” From flying on the plane to getting thru the PAP airport to getting thru the week in Haiti I read this scripture often. It was very comforting.

The people we met are nothing shy of amazing. They all have a different story to tell. We heard many of them but look forward to hearing many others. It was so nice to be with people that are going thru the same emotions we are. It was also very comforting. 

I had no idea it would feel like this when we returned home. I am struggling..... struggling with getting back into my everyday life after being in a third world country. I keep praying that god will see me thru it. "all things are possible if you Believe" Mark 9:23

While in Haiti I learned a lot of things about myself, I learned I am a lot stronger than I ever thought I was I also cried more than I ever thought possible! It is amazing what can happen when you just let yourself go... Let yourself Dance. Its kind of like the song you either choose to sit it out or Dance and I choose Dance! What else did I learn.........



*saying goodbye to the boys was hard


*You can't take peanut butter in a carry on booo


*Don't check your Excedrin it cost $9 at the airport


* i don't like when the seat belt light comes on


*Coke doesn't taste the same in the air


*CHICAGO ohare is really big


*Watching lightning from the airplane window is pretty amazing


*Our planes ground speed is 544mph ( I thought indy cars were fast! )


*I can fly without getting sick


* I enjoyed looking out the plane window


*Miami looks like a very interesting city


*Sheraton Miami airport is very nice hotels.com great rate


*Miami airport is big and I don't like it


*flight to Haiti was full with lots of Haitians


*flight was delayed to PAP booo


*port au prince airport is not for the weak..... very scary surreal experience


*so thankful for friends we met that had done PAP airport


*finding your luggage at pap ~ look fast and grab yours faster


*walking out with luggage is like nothing you have ever experienced stay strong and say no firmly not no thank you just no!


*finding Chris was easy thankful Junior and Richmond were with her


*I have never hung on to my bags so tightly


*we rode back to the hotel in the back of a box truck with 3 benches and bars for the back door (called the Shake and Bake)


*scariest ride ever!


*scarier driving thru pap


*hotel was nice for Haiti I would compare to a days inn at home


* tent city right next to hotel and other Haitian housing flats


*meeting your daughter for the first time priceless


*cried almost every day several times (several is probably a understatement)


*little boy on the outside of hotel wants food from us... he calls us my friend hey hey my friend


* Haitian church incredible praise god he is good very humbling


*rode in shake and bake to church with about 25 others


*Derline does really good in shake and bake


*visited H.I.S Home and had lunch


*saw were the kids live, sleep, eat, and play they are loved and cared for


*made some new forever friends


*lots of great families


*rode back to hotel in shake and bake


*went to the beach about 2 hour drive from hotel in tmnt van


*van got a flat tire in the middle of market


*flat tire fixed while we stayed in the van


*beach was nice


*UN Guards at the beach with big guns


*tent cities all around


*streets full of garbage and sewage


*sounds of PAP unforgettable


*It gets dark in PAP early


*watched a boy outside our hotel wall get beat several time by his mother VERY sad


*thankful for this time in Haiti and getting to know Derline


*Don't care for the lizards in our room


*rained almost every day while we were there


*food was good at the hotel


*couldn't drink enough cold water...


*thankful we had a mini fridge in our room


*Haiti is a beautiful country full of beautiful people


*Felt pretty safe inside the gates at the hotel


*A day in Haiti is like 48 hours


*Everyone should experience a 3rd world country


*feel in love all over again with my husband in a 3rd world country


*happy my husband finally opened up


*gave the kids outside the wall our left over food the day we left they were so thankful


*Haiti might be broken but the spirit of Haitians is not


*saying goodbye was hard


*getting on the plane home was even harder


*stepping off the plane in Miami I had a since of relief I am home this is familiar this feels right  


*seeing my boys, parents and sister made me smile but also made me sad


*being home seems kind of like a fog


*lots of tears

These boys missed us like crazy and we missed them!! Love this journey and can't wait to keep on going!! Asking for prayers as we are prayerfully considering adopting another child that we met while in Haiti. I will share more details later. We are also thankful for all the love and support of our family and friends here at home!! You are all great and we can't wait for all of you to meet Derline!