We have moved!

Thanks for following us through the past few years!  Our lives are taking a different turn.  Please continue to follow us at:  www.toguatemalawithjoy.blogspot.com

MOI - OUT!

We received awesome news last Friday - Joseph exited MOI!  Woot-woot!  Our agency said they were applying for a passport on Monday!  Please pray we receive our passport this week and enter the US Embassy asap.  Thanks again for joining us on our journey!  So stinkin' excited for our boy to come home!!!

1. Homestudy - 1-3 months

2. Dossier Completion - 1-3 months

3. USCIS Approval - 45 days

4. Dossier Translation at Haitian Embassy - 2 weeks

5. Dossier Processed in Haiti - 4-6 weeks

6. Dossier Entered IBESR - 4-10 months (entered March 26, 2012)

7. First Travel Trip to Haiti - signed I600 at Embassy (September 24, 2012)

8.  Exit IBESR (exited October 12, 2012) 

9.  Parquet where the adoption becomes legal (entered October 15, 2012, exited December 2012)

10.  New Homestudy for USCIS Approval (which expires after a year) 

11.  Birth Parent Interview (November 17, 2012)

12.  Archives - 4-12 weeks (exit January 2013)

13.  MOI (Minister of Interior) - 1-3 months (entered around February 8, 2013)

14.  Haitian Passport for Joseph - 1-3 weeks

15.   Adoption File to USCIS for Final Approval - 3 to 6 weeks

16.  Visa Appointment - 3 - 6 weeks

17.  IBESR Exit letter - 1 week

18.  PICK UP TRIP!

We have completed the highlighted stages above.

                   LOVE THIS PIC!  I think he's saying, "I am ready to come any day!" 

Let's Move It!

Hello friends!  We are two weeks into the MOI (Ministry of Interior) stage.  We ARE moving.  Please join us in praying we exit MOI in the next few weeks.  Our prayer is to have Joseph home by May.  It's a huge request.  Our God is huge.  

1. Homestudy - 1-3 months

2. Dossier Completion - 1-3 months

3. USCIS Approval - 45 days

4. Dossier Translation at Haitian Embassy - 2 weeks

5. Dossier Processed in Haiti - 4-6 weeks

6. Dossier Entered IBESR - 4-10 months (entered March 26, 2012)

7. First Travel Trip to Haiti - signed I600 at Embassy (September 24, 2012)

8.  Exit IBESR (exited October 12, 2012) 

9.  Parquet where the adoption becomes legal (entered October 15, 2012, exited December 2012)

10.  New Homestudy for USCIS Approval (which expires after a year) 

11.  Birth Parent Interview (November 17, 2012)

12.  Archives - 4-12 weeks (exit January 2013)

13.  MOI (Minister of Interior) - 1-3 months (entered around February 8, 2013)

14.  Adoption File to USCIS for Final Approval - 3 to 6 weeks

15.   Haitian Passport for Joseph - 1 week

16.  Visa Appointment - 3 - 6 weeks

17.  IBESR Exit letter - 1 week

18.  PICK UP TRIP!

We have completed the highlighted stages above.  

Time for an update...

1. Homestudy - 1-3 months
2. Dossier Completion - 1-3 months
3. USCIS Approval - 45 days
4. Dossier Translation at Haitian Embassy - 2 weeks
5. Dossier Processed in Haiti - 4-6 weeks
6. Dossier Entered IBESR - 4-10 months (entered March 26, 2012)
7. First Travel Trip to Haiti - signed I600 at Embassy (September 24, 2012)
8.  Exit IBESR (exited October 12, 2012) 
9.  Parquet where the adoption becomes legal (entered October 15, 2012, exited December 2012)
10.  New Homestudy for USCIS Approval (which expires after a year) 
11.  Birth Parent Interview (November 17, 2012)
12.  Archives - 4-12 weeks 
13.  MOI (Minister of Interior) - 1-3 months
14.  Adoption File to USCIS for Final Approval - 3 to 6 weeks
15.   Haitian Passport for Joseph - 1 week
16.  Visa Appointment - 3 weeks 
17.  IBESR Exit letter - 1 week
18.  PICK UP TRIP!

For those following our journey to Joseph, we have been in archives for 4 weeks now.  Praying we will be out soon.  It's been a tough month of sickness and so much more at his crèche.  Holding on to the Lord as we grieve with friends.

Our family is getting ready to embark on another exciting journey.  Stay tuned - we have a new blog that will be going public soon.

As always, thanks for your love and prayers.
  

Black Hole No Mo'

We have some great news - after 7 months, we are out of IBESR (aka black hole)!  YAY!  This is typically the longest (single) step in the process so we are very thankful to hear we are out and moving on to other steps!  



For those keeping track, the highlighted steps have been completed.  


1. Homestudy - 1-3 months
2. Dossier Completion - 1-3 months
3. USCIS Approval - 45 days
4. Dossier Translation at Haitian Embassy - 2 weeks
5. Dossier Processed in Haiti - 4-6 weeks
6. Dossier Entered IBESR - 4-10 months (entered March 26, 2012)
7. First Travel Trip to Haiti - signed I600 at Embassy (September 24, 2012)
8.  Exit IBESR (exited October 12, 2012) 
9.  Parquet where the adoption becomes legal (entered October 15, 2012)  2-3 months
10.  New Homestudy for USCIS Approval (which expires after a year) 
11.  Birth Parent Interview (November 17, 2012)
11. MOI (Minister of Interior) - 1-3 months
12. Adoption File to USCIS for Final Approval - 3 to 6 weeks
13. Haitian Passport for Joseph - 1 week
11. Visa Appointment - 3 weeks 
12. PICK-UP TRIP!!!!!!!!

As usual, we ask for your prayers.  We would love to have Joseph home as quickly as possible so we are praying for mountains to be moved.  
 

Would you?

What if we told you you could adopt a child and there would be NO fees?  Would you do it?  What if we told you you wouldn't have to travel?  Would you do it then?

There is a little boy in Haiti who is waiting for a forever family.  His roommates will one day leave to live with their forever families but he will still be there.  His name is "Josiah" and there are so many hearts burdened for him that people are coming together to ensure he has a full grant.

Let me share a few reasons someone should adopt "Josiah" from Haiti:

1.  If you do not like to travel or you are unable, they will have an escort bring "Josiah" to you!
2.  So many countries stipulate how young you have to be to adopt. In Haiti, they want you to be at least 35!  Think you are too old to adopt?  THINK AGAIN!  "Josiah" needs you!
3.  "Josiah" has the most pleasant smile.  He looks around the room with joy on his face. This little boy just wants to hear all about Jesus' love for him!
4.  If money is an issue, I guarantee it will be available.  This is a BOLD statement coming from me.  I am standing out on faith and there is no doubt in my mind the fees to adopt this sweet boy will be covered in full. I am not just talking about country fees and homestudy fees.  I am talking about ALL OF THE FEES.
5.  Your faith will grow.  It's inevitable.  Our God is HUGE.  Just watch.

 http://reecesrainbow.org/22146/josiah



We need your help.  Please share this sweet boy with others, shout it all over your media sites, and pray for his forever family to come forward quickly. 

Heartache

From the title, you must think my heart is hurting because I miss Joseph.  And that is true, I do miss him immensely.  But peace dwells in my heart knowing God is faithful and one day Joseph will have a forever family.

This morning, my heart is really aching for a few other little boys who do NOT have families coming to get them.  These sweet boys are living in the same home, in the same room, as our dear son.  Thankfully, there are some lovely women who take care of these boys.  They feed them, they dress them, they bathe them, and they brush their teeth.  These nannies work 24 hour shifts and take care of all 7 children with special needs in this room.  We praise God for these women..

But these boys need families.  They need the same mommy and/or daddy to love them daily.  It's time for them to attach to a family.   I understand it might not be easy to take care of a child with special needs.  I also know a great God who gives us strength and mercy new every morning. 

Take a look at these precious children.  If you are unable to adopt, consider being an advocate for these boys.  They need someone to be their voice for them.  They need someone's heart to ache for them.

"Josiah"

"Zeke"

"Peter"

"Neil"





Ezekiel 34:17
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak..."

Guatemala: Pana and Chichi continued...

Pana is about a two hour drive from La Antigua, where we are staying. Pana is located on Lake Atitlan. I have never seen a more beautiful lake. It is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. Absolutely stunning.

We left for Pana after school on Friday, around 1:00 pm and arrived in Pana close to 4:00. The roads along the way were very narrow and the air was full of smog so there were a few sick little ones in the car along the way. ;) We spent Saturday exploring Pana. We met a young boy in fourth grade, named Tomas. We saw him selling items and he followed us around all day. He would say, "buy something and I get new shoes for school." We bought a lot from him, it was hard not to. His eyes were so tired and his body fatigued. When I asked him if he learned his English from school, he replied, "no, from the streets." After walking around Pana, we went down by the lake. The locals hang out by the lake and the gringos, too. There are many run down boats and men crowd around the tourists, asking to take them for a boat ride. The lake was a bit choppy by the afternoon but some of us were determined to take a short boat ride to another village, Santa Catalina. Annabelle stayed back because she informed us she has a "pathological fear" of boats since reading about the Titanic. My dad didn't want to go so he stayed back with her and the baby. ;) The boat ride on Lake Atitlan was phenomenal, just absolutely breathtaking. The village was like many others we have visited in Guatemala. Women selling their weaved textiles, men lying in the streets, young children running around without shoes, and older children, like Tomas, selling items. Something we have learned - every town seems to have a stage and a microphone. Usually a young man is talking and we have no clue what he's saying. There is never a large crowd, just a man talking and a few other people around him. I'm not sure if anyone is actually listening to him. It's a bit bizarre to us, but surely not to them. I love Guatemalan culture and when something stands out to me, I want to know more. I need to inquire about the microphones. It just seems very random and out of place.

So after our boat ride, guess who was waiting for us? Tomas. When we grabbed a bite to eat at a local restaurant for dinner, guess who was waiting outside? Tomas. It was getting late and I wondered where he would go for the evening. Throughout the night, we all thought about our friend, Tomas.

The next morning we woke early and drove less than two hours to Chichicastenango. Chichi has a large market on Thursdays and Sundays and many Indigenous Mayans travel on Sundays to the large church, Santo Tomas, where they burn incense and worship. Along our drive, we saw many truck loads full of people making their way to Chichi to sell their handmade goods. After we arrived in Chichi, guess who we saw right away? Tomas. Apparently he sells in Pana on Saturdays and Chichi on Sundays. He probably hopped on one of those many trucks we saw early in the morning to make his trek to Chichi. I started to wonder if he indeed went to school at all. He followed us around all day. He took us to the people who sell "good stuff" and talked to us about the new shoes he would buy. Talking about his family was a closed subject. I tried to ask questions but he clearly didn't want to talk about that. He introduced us to his friend and his friend also walked around with us. They were two very sweet boys and I haven't been able to get them out of my mind. Please say a prayer for them, for their health and future.

To Haiti and Back...

Joseph is incredible.  We love him.  We knew that before we even saw him, of course.  Spending time with him was a blessing.  Leaving him was as painful as we anticipated.  He is the cutest lil' man and I know each of you will love him instantly. 

 

Bon Swa (Hello) Joseph!

Thursday afternoon we received the long awaited phone call from our agency telling us to go ahead and make reservations for our first trip to Haiti.  Our plane leaves Monday, we arrive in Haiti on Tuesday and will visit Joseph for 24 hours.  On Wednesday we will fly to the capital to sign papers at the American Embassy.  Then we will fly home and wait and pray for the adoption to finalize quickly. 

Elated, blessed, glad, excited, nervous, eager, thankful, joy-filled, crazy woman - just a few words to describe me today!  ;) 

Psalm 34:3 Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt His name together. 

Thanks, as always, for following our journey. 

Choosing Contentment

Recently I was told I am a bad blogger.  ISN'T THAT THE TRUTH?!  I apologize.  My pics look all funny, I don't write as often as I should and my posts really aren't interesting.  On the other hand, I just read another blogger say how blogging is therapeutic.  And I need therapy.

Let me tell you, I am blessed beyond imagination.  I shouldn't complain.  Life is good.  God is SO good.  But to be honest, I have been restless since we left Guatemala.  I credit two reasons for this season of restlessness.

When we brought Pearl home from Guatemala, we knew we would be back.  Our hearts were pulled toward Guatemala, long after we brought our daughter home.  Going back just confirmed our love for the country and people.  Perhaps we are meant to go back during the summer time or maybe we are meant to go back long term.  For now, we pray and wait for the Lord to direct us.  And choose contentment among restlessness.

The second reason for this restlessness is our dear son,  Joseph.  Sadly, we were unable to go on the mission trip to Haiti this month.  This decision was made by his creche (home/orphanage) and though we respect their advisory, it was a HUGE letdown.  Our dreams of finally meeting our son and holding him will be put off just a little while longer.  God has a master plan.  It's a perfect plan.  I just need to accept it and wait.  And choose contentment among this restlessness.

So that's our update.  I apologize if it was a downer.  I'm finding peace in Isaiah 41:10: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Blessings.

Guatemala Day 13-15: Panachajel and Chichicastenango

We spent this past weekend in Panajachel and Chichicastenango. When we adopted Pearl five years ago, I wanted to visit these two areas but we didn't have time. I am so thankful to have a month here this time. It's not enough. I've been very melancholy lately just thinking how few days we have left. I need to write a post about our time in Pana and Chichi. So little time!

Day 12 - Meet Juana

Juana is a mother to 9 children. She has lived in the village of San Pedro her entire life. She has always worked. Before a girl can attend school in Guatemala they must know how to cook five meals, clean a house and weave. All before the age of five years old. Juana came to our home this week to teach us how to make a popular Guatemalan dish, called Pepian. First she took us to the local market to buy the foods. What an experience! She told us if she was not with us, everything would have been double the price. After shopping, we walked back to the house and started cooking. The best part of the experience...she doesn't speak English. What a fun time we had trying to communicate with one other! Juana is a lovely woman and spending the afternoon with her was. very special blessing.

Guatemala Day 8: Small Blessings

My dad and I took the chicken bus to the small village of Esperanza yesterday. Everything in Guatemala seems to be a mile or so walk. The Spanish school is a mile from our home, the market is a mile from our home, etc. So when the chicken bus let us off at Esperanza Village, it was no surprise we had another mile walk to the school. We are getting lots of walking in!

My close friends and family know that I have a terrible fear of dogs. It stems from my childhood and I haven't been able to get over it. It's irrational, I know, and I try not to show it in front of my kids but my heart beats out of my chest when a dog, big or small, comes near me. So as my dad and I were walking along this long dirt road, there were random dogs just following along. No leashes, no owners, just dogs meandering. Surprisingly, I was not scared. Later, as I was contemplating this, I was reminded of what the teacher at Esperanza told my parents when they asked if she ever felt any fear working in the village. She told them she really isn't scared at all and she has an unexplainable (God!) peace working in this dangerous area, because it is where God planned for her to be. We aren't staying in Guatemala for a year like she is but I had a taste for how she felt today. There is no doubt in my mind if we were walking similar roads in the US, I probably would be terrified. Add in a few stray dogs and I would have been jumping out of my skin.  God's peace is amazing. 

Guatemala Day 8: Why Guatemala?

In all honesty, if we knew we would be adopting JJ from Haiti when we started planning this trip, we probably never would have come. We would have saved the money and put it directly towards our adoption expenses. Clearly God had other plans because within a month after we booked our flights to Guatemala, we were feeling a tug towards JJ. I think that was God's way of making sure we came here because travel expenses were non-refundable so we were going to Guatemala, no matter what! When we adopted Pearl five years ago, Jack and I both felt an immediate connection to Guatemala both on our visit trip and on our pick up trip. Our daughter was born here and that was definitely a significant part of it. Guatemala is in her. It is part of her birth heritage, her birth culture, her birth family. Her biological family resides here and that means a great deal to us. We don't know exactly what God has planned for our relationship with this beautiful country but a piece of Guatemala resides in our hearts. We are so blessed to be here.

Guatemala Day 7: One week already?

It's hard to believe we have already been here a week! We had someone ask what Jack has been up to so I thought I'd fill you in. Each morning Jack walks the girls to Spanish School (one and half mile walk from our home) and then he walks to a small worshop behind the church. He helps two men who have been prepping materials for metal structured homes. Usually Jack grinds and paints. Both men don't speak English so Jack has been improving his Spanish! ;) He is enjoying the work and I can tell he's already looking forward to tomorrow's job. This weekend was very restful. Yesterday we took a walk around town for a few hours and came home to a pot full of homemade tamales. Yum! This morning we went to church and had another outstanding worship experience. It poured during the service (yay for tin roofs) and then we walked home in the rain and mud. After getting showered off, we decided rest time and a fire in the fireplace was in order. Hope you're doing well, friends!

Guatemala Day 6: Props to the 'rents!

For those that don't know me well, I tend to over-research before I do anything. Especially before we go away. I like to know everything about where I am going. The good and the bad. I like to know if a hotel has bed bugs, which restaurants are yummy and not so yummy, random travelers tips and of course what kind of activities to do. So our trip to Guatemala was no different. A year ago I approached my parents about our plan to travel to Pearl's birth country and within a few weeks, they made the decision to join us. Over the last year, I compiled a list of travel tips to Guatemala and shared them with my parents long before we disembarked. So as I was sick this week, my parents went on with activities as planned. The funny thing is, they totally disregarded my research. Here are just a few of the tips they totally negated: 1. Take Probiotics every day before travel. I bought a case of these for both the adults and the children. Who took them consistently for 9 months? Me. Who did not? My parents. Who got sick? Me. I'm still taking them... 2. Eat at Gringo owned restaurants only. Before we arrived, I had a list of restaurants I researched that fully cooked their foods, washed produce well, etc. When we arrived, I reviewed the list with our landlord who agreed they were safe. While I was in bed, my parents did not consult me on where to eat and totally went off my list of safe restaurants and foods! They are still feeling fine... 3. Do not ride a Chicken Bus. OHMYGOODNESSS. Imagine my shock when my parents told me they rode a bus OUT OF TOWN to work at a school! I told them over and over we probably wouldn't do this because of safety concerns. One day I'm out of commission and they completely disregard my safety instructions! Our landlord was shocked when we told her they rode the chicken bus two days in a row. She and her husband have lived here 7 years and rode it one time and promised one another they would never ride it again. 4. Don't bring jewelry. Okay not only did my mom bring some jewelry. She's rockin' it. She goes to the school with her pretty skirts and makeup and jewelry and the kids love it. It's new for them, it's fun to play with and I'll also admit, it kept our baby busy and happy on the airplane. I am really proud of my parents. Though I assumed they were joining us to enjoy this beautiful country as an extended vacation, they have completely embraced the vision and the culture. They didn't wait for me to start working, they aren't sitting around in fear, they are getting out and being a light. They are doing exactly what they were called to do. Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Thanks again for your prayers.

Guatemala Day 3, 4, 5: sickness

Susie has been sick the past 72 hours. You name it, she has it. I took her to the doctor last night and he believes it is a bacterial infection. He will test for a parasite but she has had a high fever and that usually isn't a symptom of a parasite. She is extremely weak and hasn't eaten in three days. Please pray for her. Hoping the antibiotic kicks in soon. In Him, Jack

Guatemala Day 2: This and That

My goal is to post something about this beautiful country and our time here each day. Antigua, Guatemala is a very old city. Many homes and business are semi-outdoors in this area. Our house, for instance, has three outdoor areas which separate the different rooms. The outdoor areas in between the buildings are either beautiful(tiny)gardens or smelly allies. The outdoor areas either have tin roofs or it is wide open. Love it...even if it is rainy season and we haven't stayed dry for very long. ;) Yesterday we attended a bilingual church service, which was amazing. When I listen to Chris Tomlin's How Great is Our God World Edition, I have to stop what I am doing to worship. It gives me such joy to hear the different languages singing to God and therefore worshipping in Spanish and English with Guatemalans and Americans was an extremely special experience for me. Just awesome. For some reason I'm having trouble posting pictures on the blog. I'll post some on Townsend Family Adoption Page on Facebook until I can figure it out. Thanks for joining us on our journey!

Guatemala Day 1

Hello friends! We have arrived in Guatemala! Oh how I love it here! The memories of our prior two trips quickly came back as soon as we got in the van to drive to our new home. The girls were screaming, "we're on a roller coaster!" and giggling the entire drive. Who needs carseats, seat belts and speed limits? ;) After we arrived, we spent a few hours talking to our landlords. What a kind couple they are! There was a lot to go over including tips for us "gringos" as we learn what to eat, where to go, what not to eat, where not to go. ;) There's not a lot to update right now but we thank God for an uneventful trip! This morning we are attending the church we will be volunteering at during our stay. Can't wait!!! Thanks for joining us on our journey!