We started our journey on Monday and traveled from Memphis to Port Au Prince with stops in Charlotte and Fort Lauderdale in between. The travel itself was quite uneventful and we arrived in Haiti around 3:00. However, the second we walked into the airport the chaos that is Haiti was apparent. The room in which the baggage claim and customs all took place was not very big and it was crowded with people. Most of them actually worked at the airport. There were men everywhere who would take your baggage claim number and go look for your luggage. They were all over the place and all were dressed the same, so we couldn't even tell who was "working" for us. There were several large mission groups who arrived at the same time that we did and the workers were piling their bags in different areas around the baggage claim. After about thirty minutes of us and the workers looking for our bags, we realized they weren't there. We suspected there might be an issue because we changed airlines in the middle of our journey, and sure enough- no baggage. Truthfully, I wasn't too upset about not having clothes or toiletries, but all of the goodies that we brought for the kids were in our checked luggage, so I was disappointed that I couldn't meet them bearing gifts. Finally we finished filing our claim at the baggage counter and were able to leave the airport. The second I walked out of the airport, I noticed how beautiful Haiti was. The mountains and the foliage on the island reminded me of Hawaii. However, overshadowing its beauty was the devastation. Across the street from the airport was a "tent city." Thousands upon thousands were displaced during the earthquake that happened over a year ago and many of those are still living in tents. I was prepared for this part of it because I knew that recovery was coming along very slowly, but I was not prepared for the rest. Haiti's infrastructure is non-existent. The roads are dirt, but they are not the dirt roads that we see in Arkansas. They are the kind of roads that Jeep owners seek out in order to have some fun with their toy, and we're talking about in the capital city. I thought for sure that this was a result of the earthquake as well, but we were quickly told that this was simply Haiti. Buildings are haphazardly built all over the city and up on the mountains. Piles of rubble and trash left from the earthquake lie along every street and wild pigs, goats, and dogs feast on the trash. There is no "business district", but people just sell random items at stands along the streets. I've seen poverty before, but not to this extent. Apparently 3% of the nation controls 90% of the wealth and there is no "middle class". In Haiti, you are either rich or you are poor. And when I say poor, I mean literally sleeping in a tent with dirt floors poor. We did enter some areas that had some nicer houses and restaurants, but these areas are few and far between. A good education is something that is available only to those who can afford it and some families have to choose which child(ren) they want to educate. Often it is the boys or it is the oldest child. Society is so different from America. We just never realized that when we decided to adopt these children, we were bringing them out of this. The thing is, they don't know the difference. Oh, what a shock they're in for! So, about 4:00 we finally made it to the guest house where we stayed for the week. They already had Jasmine and Sammy there waiting for us. We finally got to meet our children. Of course, mom and I both cried immediately. I'm sure Jasmine and Sammy thought we were crazy. Jasmine hugged us all and Sammy reluctantly came into my arms. It didn't take him long to warm up to me, though. By the time we fed them dinner and sat out by the pool for awhile, he and I were attached. As Jason says, Sammy likes his Daddy okay, but he loves his Mommy. Mommy feels the same way about him. Since we didn't have any of their stuff (it was all in our lost baggage), they went back to the orphanage for the night and we got some much needed rest.
Tuesday was the day we met with the attorney. She described the process to us and the steps that our paperwork would have to go through in order to finalize the adoption. I was disappointed to hear her estimation of how long it would take, as she said one to two years would be her guess. We all complain about the American bureaucracy being slow and inefficient, but apparently Haiti's is even worse. Plus, the government isn't really for out-of-country adoptions. For some reason, there is a stigma placed on families from industrialized countries wanting to adopt Haitian children. The government believes that they have ulterior motives and are exploiting the children. So, we're going to have to prove that we love these kiddos and just want to give them a good home and doing that takes time. After the attorney left, we spent the day at the guest house. This house was nice even for American standards. It had five bedrooms with bathrooms (each one housed a family that was there visiting their children), a large kitchen and dining area, and a living area where we could gather and let the kids play. Out back there was a nice pool and a shaded sitting area. So we let the kids swim and play together and visited with the other families who were there. Jasmine loves to swim but Sammy not so much. He did like sitting outside and watching the other kids though. Our luggage did show up and we got to spoil the kids! All in all, it was a relaxing day and it was great to get to know these other families. Though our friends and family have been so supportive as we've decided to go through this process, there's no way that they can truly understand it. It was great to be around people who understand the emotions, the frustration at the process, and the love that we have for these kids. We met people who have done this before and some who are in the same boat as us, but these kids bonded us all together and we had a great time together! Tuesday night was when we got to experience Sammy's "dark side". This kid can throw fits like you've never seen. He didn't want to go to bed when it was time. I suspect that it was because he was in a different place and felt insecure, but when I laid him on the bed, he screamed and kicked and turned himself in circles just thrashing about. When I finally got him calmed down, I had to rock him to sleep and then finally lay him down on the bed. After that, he slept okay. However, this was a nightly thing and we learned that this was his same reaction when he didn't get his way. So, Sammy's cute as he can be and he's sweet 95% of the time, but he's got some lungs on him and he's not afraid to use them when he's mad. It's something we'll have to work through!
Wednesday was beach day. Jasmine had only been to the beach one time and Sammy had never been, so this was quite an experience. The ride there may have been the most memorable part. All fifteen of us piled into a van not much bigger than a mini van. Apparently in Haiti, they don't believe in carseats, so we just held the kids in our laps. We drove an hour and a half in an van with no air conditioning on these crazy roads to get to the beach. Sammy loved it! He loves being in the car and he just chattered until he fell asleep. When we finally reached the beach, it was absolutely beautiful. I told Jason that with a lot of work, tourism could be a major industry here. The water was super clear and they had these beautiful cabanas with chairs underneath them where we sat and had lunch. Again, Jasmine had a great time, but Sammy wasn't a fan of the water. He was a fan of throwing rocks into the water though and we did that for a long time. We had a nice lunch and took a lot of pictures. We then traveled the hour and a half back to the guesthouse and spent the evening letting the kids play and chatting. Again, getting Sammy to sleep was a challenge, but we all slept pretty good that night.
Thursday was another field trip day. We took a trip to the Baptist Mission up in the mountains. It has a hospital, a little park, a very small area that resembled a petting zoo, an American restaurant, and a museum. Outside of the mission is a street market with all kinds of Haitian crafts and souvenirs. So, we took the kids to the little zoo area and Sammy came alive. He especially loved the monkey and just chatted with him in Creole as he giggled and banged on the cage. It was too cute! We fed the rabbits and petted the goats and he just talked to them all. Then we went to the restaurant. I think that Sammy and Jasmine were both a little overwhelmed, and rightfully so. We're talking about kids who rarely get out of the orphanage, and Sammy rarely gets out of a single room in the orphanage. There were tons of people at the restaurant, talking and eating. Jasmine grabbed on to mom and sort of hid behind her as we sat there and Sammy began one of his fits. He was only happy if he was laid on me with his head tucked under my chin. We never think about restaurants being something scary. We go all the time, almost every day in mine and Jason's case. Its such a weird feeling to put yourself in these kids' shoes. It just made me realize how much of an adjustment that they are going to have to make and how I need to be prepared to help support them in that adjustment. I guess that's what I can spent this year doing! :) Anyhow, we made it through lunch at the restaurant where Sammy ate a hot dog and two little bowls of ketchup. He loved the ketchup! He kept dipping his fingers in it and licking it off. By the time we left, he was filthy, but he had a great time. We did a little street shopping and bought some souvenirs. Jason loves that part because he loves to bargain with the vendors. We did get some good stuff, though! We rode back to the guest house to have dinner and spent the evening playing with our kids. We got to Skype with Jason's parents and Cade and Sammy got to hear each other's voices. I missed Cade oh so much but I also was so dreading leaving Sammy the next morning. I don't know if Sammy somehow knew that we were leaving the next day, but that night was not restful for any of us. He fell asleep fairly easily, but woke up and had a good thirty-minute fit. After the fit was over, he played for about an hour and a half before I could get him back to bed. Jason says he just wanted a little extra time with his Mommy. Anyway, when 5:30 AM came the next morning, both of us were completely exhausted.Friday morning, we had to leave. Our ride was supposed to pick us up at 6:00, but we finally left the house around 7:30. Our flight was at 8:50 and it took about 30 minutes to get to the airport. So, we were a little nervous that we would even make our flight. The goodbyes were fairly hasty since we were running late, but I cried through all of that and all the way to the airport. When we got to the airport, there was a line out the door and halfway down the sidewalk. It was only 45 minutes until our flight left and I thought for sure we'd never make it. I said a quick prayer that we would make this flight and as soon as we got out of the car, we were ushered by some of those airport workers around the line and to the check-in station. We had to wait a little bit in line, but we made it to the plane in time. I don't know why we were treated such, but I know that my prayer was answered and we made it onto the flight and into the air back to the states, with me still crying.
It's been a few days and I still randomly cry. I miss Sammy so much. It was the weirdest feeling I've ever had. I wanted so much to get home to see Cade because I missed him terribly, but I wanted so much to stay there with Sammy until he could come home with me. I still feel like half of my heart is in Haiti. I realize that I've only spent four days with the child, but he's mine. God appointed him to be mine and He knew that we would fall in love with each other immediately. He's there in an orphanage where he's being cared for, but he's not getting the attention and love that I can give him. Jason and Cade and I are here at our home, but our family just doesn't feel complete anymore. God definitely confirmed that we are following Him in this adoption, but I'm thinking He's going to have a lot to teach us through this waiting process. So, that's where we are right now: waiting. I've pleaded with God and given Him all kinds of justification of why He should just perform a miracle right this second and let us go get our child. I have lots of good reasons and I know that He can do that should He choose. He's bigger than time itself and definitely bigger than the Haitian bureaucracy. I really hope that He chooses the miracle route, but I also know that His thoughts and ways are greater than mine and if we do have to wait a year or more to get this baby home, then there will be a reason for it. My prayer is that I can see Him work through this and that I'll understand His purposes in the end. My heart aches right now but I can only imagine the joy that this child will bring to our lives once this process is complete. More than anything, I'm thankful for this calling and that God is going to see us through this and shape us along the way. All praise and glory be to Him!
God Bless,
Manesseh
