Cholera and such

Where to start? That is the question. 

Madison went to Haiti two days after Christmas to work at COTP and assist them with a pressing need to care many sick little ones.   God was in this trip from the beginning.  When she got the go ahead to book her travel within 48 hours God made a way! Her ticket was purchased through a generous donor/friend, many, many people(some we have never met and never will) donated funds to help offset ALL the cost of her travel.  Then we realized her passport had expired.  Well God was in the details and we were able to get a passport in a matter of hours.  A local non-profit that helps with medical supplies in third world countries made a personal delivery on Christmas night in several inches of snow to make sure Madi could take IV tubing, gloves, needles etc. that were greatly needed for the kids to be able to get better.    Go check out their work and "like" their page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-Regan/541973825819410?fref=ts

We were in awe at how the body of Christ came together to help “the least of these.”

‎"Sometimes when we get overwhelmed, we forget how big God is." AW Tozer

Happy 2nd Birthday

Merry Christmas

Madison was able to care for many sick children, spend lots of time with her sister! Some of the highlights of her trip were: giving blood in the local village to help a child needing surgery, visiting the DR, spending Esther's 2nd birthday with her, having a belated Christmas party with kids and watching them unwrap gifts from their forever families, make new friends, learning a little Kreyol, ringing in the new year in a third world country and much much more! 

Happy New Year!
2013

 After being there a week and a half Madison got sick herself.  She was vomiting and pretty ill and not able to eat.  She felt a little better on the day she had to travel home but by the time she made it home she was pretty sick.  It was a hard time for a me because I was not home to welcome her and not here to take care of her while she was sick.  I was in Florida with a group of moms that are adopting from our same orphanage.  I had just gotten over the flu and had to get on a plane and travel with shingles and a sinus infection.  The GREAT thing was I was going to my parent’s house so I knew I would be in for a treat and would be pampered.  They opened up their home to all five us, catered to our every need while we talked adoption, grieving together and supporting each other through life! 

Once I arrived home I was SO excited to see Madi and be able to help get her well! Her meds were a little crazy so we got them straightened out and she is on the road to recovery and feeling much better!  Boy do we ever take SO many things for granted in our country. 

Just as Madi was beginning to feel better, one of the FAB5 was booking her travel to go pick up her little girl from our orphanage AND I got an email from Haiti USCIS that our I600 was approved and Esther’s file was now moving forward to get a Visa issued! It's been a GREAT week! Many children will be going home in the next few months from our orphanage.  This will be bittersweet for many.  They have all been there for at least two years and their families 

in America can’t wait to get them home but their Haiti family will benefit from our prayers and so many changes may be difficult for the other children that are loosing all their siblings and for the nannies that have been their "mommies" for so long.

“to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him.” Is 61:3 

Here are a couple of other AWESOME things that have happened:

•  After hearing about the Cholera outbreak and the death of sweet Elijah my friend Tiffany Krumins, the inventor of our favorite medicine dispenser AVA the Elephant, felt like she really wanted to be able to help the children in Haiti by coming up with a buy one save a life program.  She came up with a program on her website that when you buy a gift basket she gives a lifesaving Cholera vaccine to children in Haiti! http://www.avatheelephant.com There is truly beauty in ashes! We know God has a plan through all of this and we have seen His hand at work daily!

•  A local quilt shop hosted a Sit-n-Sew to make several dresses for me to take to Haiti for the girls in the orphanage and in the Manna program that is provided by the orphanage.  A local restaurant provided amazing snacks and we all got a chance to sew, iron, cut and put together some super cute, very functional dresses!
• Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Delicate Fortress is hosting a fundraiser for us Feb. 5-7.  Not only will you be helping our travel fund but you will also be buying products that help women out of sex trafficking, poverty and slavery.  http://www.delicatefortress.com

How to pray for us:

• Pray for Esther’s Visa appointment to be scheduled soon.
• Pray for continued healing for all the children.
• Continue to pray for the family that lost their little boy as their hearts are broken and they have a long journey of healing ahead.
• Pray for all the families that will picking up their children in the next few months as the transition is sometimes a difficult road.
• Prayerfully consider helping fund our travel to pick up Esther we are VERY close to be fully funded!