Thursday, November 29, 2007

Eight Random Things About Me…


I was tagged by my dear friend and blog buddy Karla, so here goes…

1- My first car was a red Chrysler LeBaron.

2- I love scary movies!

3- I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for four months.

4- I had two gerbils when I was 12 years old. Their names were Laverne and Shirley ~ named after the 1970’s sit-com.

5- I have a reoccurring dream that all my teeth are cracking and falling out.

6- I absolutely hate roaches!!!

7- I had a crush on Kenny Rogers when I was a little girl. (I cannot believe I am admitting to this…)

8- I have been in 16 car accidents; most of which were caused by me. :-o


...If you laughed at any of these random things about me,
TAG ~ YOU'RE IT!!!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Our Hearts Stolen Again!

Yes, we have another special little boy who has taken up a big part in our hearts. His name is Daniel and he is three years old. He lives at Angel House and we met him in November when we were on our medical mission.

Daniel was found wandering on the streets of Port au Prince in October. The director of Three Angels was at the office of Social Services when the police brought him in there. It was then when Social Services asked her if she would be willing to take Daniel to her orphanage. Certainly, she obliged.

As of right now, Daniel is in “limbo.” He is under the loving care of the people at Three Angels Children’s Relief; however, at any time Social Services can come and take him. There is a six-month waiting period before Daniel can be considered abandoned. Within that time, if his parents or family come to find him, he will go with them. Come May, if no one has claimed him, he will be declared an orphan and be available for adoption.

At the end of our week’s stay in Haiti, we realized Daniel was a very special little boy who we would like to make our son. He is sweet and quiet, loves to cuddle and thrives from attention. The more we spent time playing with and holding him, the more our fondness for him grew. As we were getting ready to depart Angel House to the airport on Saturday morning, I just knew in my heart we would seek to adopt Daniel.

Upon our return to the States, I contacted the orphanage director to let her know we would like to adopt Daniel if he is still available after the six months. We have a long wait ahead of us; however, we have faith God will do what is best for this sweet boy. For now, we pray for Daniel to grow strong and continue to be safe and loved at Angel House.



Monday, November 26, 2007

Psych Eval...? Check!

Mike and I completed our psychiatric evaluations today. Although anyone who knows us might say we are certifiable, the good doctor believes we are capable of adopting two little boys from Haiti. She is writing a letter that states this, so we now have proof for ya'll that we are not nuts. Ha! With this done, it is one more item to check off our list of things to do for the adoption portfolio.

Tomorrow I will be contacting the Office of Homeland Security to apply for a second Orphan Petition...



Thursday, November 22, 2007

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

We wish you joy and love on this day of thanks! We pray you know the Lord's blessings as we do today and always.


Love,
Mike, Colleen and the Little Turkeys



Princess Smiles-A-Lot

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Discovering God's Blessings

Mike left for Haiti with some doubts and speculation. He was skeptical about leaving for an entire week. In his mind, there was enough to be done at home. He didn’t understand why he should go "work" somewhere else while taking a week off from his very busy practice. However, Mike being the wonderful husband that he is agreed to go on a medical mission. He knew this was something I wanted to do and would go along for the ride...

Our first two days in Haiti were full of wonder and amazement. So many new experiences took place. We were in another country experiencing a culture like nothing we ever have known. We knew we were so close to our own country, however, it felt like we were worlds away from home. There was so much to take in and even more to digest. It was a new journey for us, and we were enjoying traveling it together.

Monday arrived, as did the first day of clinic. The doctors and nurses saw over 65 patients within the first 4 hours. That number alone was such an amazing blessing! Although it seemed like a lot was happening around me ~ a non-medical person, Mike was appeased seeing all those people in such a short time. We may have been thousands of miles away from our local community hospital, but Mike felt "at home" in this medical element.

Mike and I knew heading into this adventure, we would experience first-hand just how truly blessed we are in life. We knew we would be humbled by what we would see and experience. And, after meeting so many people in Haiti with so many needs, it was clear why we were there. As the week progressed, Mike realized there is much to do in Haiti in such a short amount of time. Although he may have helped only the smallest number of people over the course of a week, it made a huge difference to those people he did help. And, not only did it make a difference to them, but it made a difference to Mike. He knew his time spent in Haiti was worthwhile.

Mike does this work each and every day in his surgical practice here in the States. He helps tons of people while he practices medicine each day. I know my husband loves his job. It is apparent when you watch him interact with his patients. I saw this love, passion and devotion as I watched him practice medicine on the people of Haiti. This was one of the greatest blessings we both experienced during our time in Haiti. God showed Mike there is purpose in his medical missionary work. In addition, Mike now realizes he has a purpose in Haiti and for its people. He also knows he will travel there again very soon.



Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Monday, November 19, 2007

Note to Self: Defrost the Bird!


My family may be in a bit of trouble on Thursday. This is the first time I will be cooking the entire Thanksgiving meal. I am okay with the mashed potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie; however, the turkey makes me nervous!

Let's just hope I remember to defrost the bird before the big day!

Sunday, November 18, 2007

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5


Saturday, November 17, 2007

Haiti Part 2...

So much was going through our minds as we entered Three Angels. We were anxious to meet our little boy, curious as we stepped inside an orphanage for the first time, and nervous about everything else unknown.

It was dark by the time we arrived and the lights were off in the orphanage as the days begin and end early for the children. We were greeted by many of the older children when we stepped into the gates. They were so excited to meet the team and asked everyone whose “mama and papa” we were. Mike and I quickly became “Papa Ton-Ton and Mama Ton-Ton” as we learned Jonathan’s nickname was Ton-Ton. All the children were so cute ~ their little voices melted my heart!

Soon, Angela asked if we were ready to meet our son. At that moment, there was nothing I wanted more. We had traveled for an entire day from so far away; I was ready to meet our little guy! As we entered the orphanage, there was the sweet site of many little ones fast asleep in their beds. I was amazed that so many slept through the commotion we caused just outside the door. We followed Angela up the stairs to the nursery to learn Jonathan was also asleep for the night. Although I was a bit disappointed, I was just as excited to “just” see him.

As Angela showed us to the back corner of the nursery, we saw our little boy sleeping so sweetly in his crib. What a site it was for me ~ MY SON ~ so beautiful, so peaceful and so real!!! All I can say about that moment is it was LOVE AT FIRST SITE! Mike and I watched him for a few moments when his eyes opened. He immediately stood up and reached to be picked up. Angela so lovingly hugged Jonathan as he woke and then handed him to me. My sweet baby boy was in my arms and it felt so right! Jonathan was our son and I knew it in my heart from that moment!!!

...To be continued...

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Haiti...

Haiti… What a wonderful place! It is such a small island in the Caribbean, and it is full of millions of beautiful people. Miraculous things happen in Haiti. It is evident that the Lord is there!So many people find this hard to believe. Who would ever think one would describe the poorest third-world country in the Western hemisphere as wonderful or its people as beautiful? It is true, however. Once you visit Haiti, you will see its beauty and know the miracles happening right before your own eyes! Although those who have never visited Haiti see this country as a place of poverty, crime and hatred, it is not! It is a land full of love, compassion and happiness. As our plane touched ground on the runway, I felt my heart beat as if it was going to jump out of my chest. The adrenalin and anxiousness I felt came from numerous precautions from many people. “Don’t look them in the eyes, don’t talk to them, and do not let them touch your belongings…” I heard these warnings over and over in my head as we set foot on the tarmac and headed for the terminal. I couldn’t help but wonder what negative thoughts the airport employees were thinking about the SIX different teams of missionaries unloading from the plane.My concerns vanished as we entered the airport. Like many small Caribbean terminals, it was clean, comfortable and safe. The employees were helpful and un-alarming. I had this feeling they all knew we were in Haiti to help; therefore, we were accepted (outwardly anyway.) Angela, Three Angels’ manager, met us by baggage claim. It was wonderful to meet her and have a Creole interpreter just in case we needed one as we shuffled our way through Customs. However, there was again no need to worry ~ Angela took care of us as she lovingly does to 46 orphans each and every day. The team breezed by Customs and headed outside. Although there were several Haitians waiting to “help” us with our luggage, we had a team of security managing our big group. We loaded our vehicles without incidence and drove through Port au Prince heading for Angel House in Petion-Ville.There were many interesting encounters during the hour-long drive. The sites were not as surprising as I anticipated. There was loitering in the streets, loud music streaming from cars and buildings and many, many happy faces. Despite the poverty and corruption I read about time and time again, the Haitian people looked so happy. Again, my anxieties eased and I was in awe of my surroundings. Mike and I learned quite a bit about what we were seeing from our new friend Jennifer. She knows so much about Haiti. I was impressed with her knowledge of this country and comforted by her love for its people. I, too, hoped to embrace these feelings before the week’s end. As we pulled up to Angel House, we were greeted by many of the employees who were happy to meet us. I could feel my heart pounding once again, but this time it was for a good reason and with good feelings. As we walked through the tall gates of Three Angels, we were only moments from holding our son Jonathan for the very first time…

…To be continued…

Monday, November 12, 2007

Like Father Like Son

Could anyone be cuter in a little pair of scrubs?I really don't think so...

Where Do I Begin....?

Wow! What an incredible trip!! Haiti is a wonderful place. I am so glad we experienced it first-hand. There is so much to tell about and so many stories to share. I honestly do not know where to begin. So, I will start with some pictures...


meeting Jonathan for the first time...

playing at St. Joseph's guest house...

hanging out with Papa....

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Haiti

We are having a fabulous time in Haiti. Jonathan is wonderful and we are enjoying every minutes we have getting to know him. The medical clinic is keeping us busy. We will blog more after we return to the States!

Love and blessings!
Colleen and Mike

Friday, November 2, 2007

We're Off...!


Mike and I leave for Miami this afternoon. We will stay the night there, meet the mission team and catch our flight to Port au Prince, Haiti early Saturday. We ask that you please keep us in your prayers as we travel and pray that our children are happy and safe while we are away.

I look forward to sharing all our Haiti stories with you when we return.

God bless you!
Colleen