One Day in March

One Day in March
There was one day in March, 

you stole my heart and it will never be the same.

There were children all around, you never made a sound, 

just stood and smiled and waived.

Through the destruction and fear your smile shown clear, 

God held you that January day. 

When the world crashed down all around 

and Haiti would never be the same.

That day in March when you stole my heart 

who would have ever known. 

The day would come Christmas 2011 

you would come home and be my son.

March 12, 2010 I was on my way home from Haiti back to my "normal" life. Who would have ever guessed that one week trip would change our life forever. God knows what he is doing when he put it on my heart to go to Haiti. 

I never dreamed I would go on a mission trip (especially without my husband)  but I think God had bigger things in mind. Not only have we expanded our family by adoption, I feel that we have a new outlook on everything in life. Be careful thinking you have no Idea what God has in store for you. It took an earthquake to shake me and realize there is so much more out there and to step out of my comfort zone and do something about it.

I thank God for that week in March 2010 and all the wonderful people I was in Haiti with. It was truly a LIFE changing experience.  We hope very soon to be living in Haiti as missionaries, still not knowing exactly what we are going to do, but we both know that GOD is in control and HE will show us and lead us through.

As I was thinking about my trip to Haiti a poem just came to me. This is the first for me and I hope many more to come. When I first went to Infants for Jesus Orphanage and became friends with Kerby, I had no Idea what was in store for us. I didn't even know he had a sister and brother for the first few days.  After he and I bonded I think he realized it was special, even though we never spoke like it would be forever. A lot of times (most of the time) we never even talked, just sat close. The last few days he introduced me to his brother and sister. 

Blondy was older (aged out of adoption) and Kerlandy was a little small very energetic little girl. Blondy was like Kerby and quiet. Kerby brought Kerlandy over to me and put her on my lap, well she is not really just the sit on a lap kinda girl and wanted down to play.  He would go get her and put her back on my lap. She just sat there one day for about an hour and fell asleep one me. She knew NO English and I knew NO Creole so we just sat.  Little did I know Kerby wanted me to love her as much ad I did him. 

Kerby told me after we got home to Kentucky that that day when he told me his name "Kerby Michel" and I thought he was saying my name and his together. But Michel was his last name. He said that was the first time he EVER told anyone his last name.  He said he never told any white person that, only his first name. I asked him why he did this and he said "I don't know I just felt like I should".  I know it was GOD putting us together.

I so thank God for that wonderful week in March 2010.

I'll be Home for Christmas

We got the call a week before Christmas to book our flight for Haiti.  We were so excited I worked all day to find the perfect flight, although it was so hard, prices are sooo crazy at Christmas. We could only book a one-way because we still did not have the paper from IBESR so we were not sure if we were going to be coming home Christmas Eve, Day or a day or two after. We never gave up hope that we would be home by Christmas.

While in Haiti the orphanage gave us and the kids a "Celebration" as they called it. It was such a sad day and a wonderful day all at the same time. I cried ALL day!!! That was on Friday. As we were getting ready to head over to the orphanage that day we got the call that they had the paper work from IBESR and we could book our flight home. The adoption was FINAL!!!! We made a couple phone calls home to see if someone could help us book our flight, we didn't have any electricity and our computer was DEAD..... We then had to leave on a tap tap heading to the "Celebration" and leave our flight in our family's hands. We told them we want to leave Port au Price ASAP.

They called us about 15 minutes later and said we have a flight for the next day Christmas EVE.  We could not leave early that morning because we had to go to pick up all the Adoption paperwork and get the kids Passports and Visa's. So they booked our flight to leave PAP at 4:30 p.m., have an overnight in Ft. Lauderdale and arrive home in Tennessee at 8:30 a.m. Christmas Morning.  Wow what a Christmas Present.!!!


Week 1 and 2

Things so far have been pretty good. Kerlandy has had a few melt down's.. LOL if things don't go the way she wants she will pout or cry thinking this will work, we are trying to be very strong and not give in. Everyone I have talked to said they went through the same thing and for us to stand firm and she will realize we are the parents. If the orphanage, its usually survival of the fittest so its a struggle a little, but not bad at all.  So far with Kerby he has done great, but he is older than her. She just turned 8 and he just turned 14. Although I would guess not only by size but by maturity they are both seem several years younger.. I told someone I feel like I have to half grown 1 year old children. I have to really watch their every move. There are so many things they don't know that we take for granted.

Everything from using the restroom to turning on the water and not burning their self with the hot water.  It has been so amazing.  The one thing that has surprised us is it seems like they have been here forever. Nothing has really overwhelmed them, not even the plane ride.

As for speaking, Jonathan and I know a little Creole, but not much. We do speak it some to them, but we told them in US they have to speak English. Kerby already knew a quite a bit, Kerlandy not so much, but I can already see a big difference in both of them.

Missing friends??? they don't really talk about it much. We have been looking at pictures I have of  kids in the orphanage and Kerlandy kisses her finger and touches the screen. I don't want them to every forget their friends and family. We told them we would put minutes on their older brother's phone and he can call every Sunday. He is 17 and was to old for us to adopt.

Kerby made a facebook page before we left Haiti that way he can keep up with a few friends from his school who have a facebook and the orphanage director and his 2 sons have FB too. So he can stay in contact with them. He will ask me to take a picture and put it on his FB. Like the one in the chair in front of the TV. he wanted to sit their and have me put on FB so his friends can see him.

We went to the Doctor today and both of their ears were really bad, they put drops in them and tried to flush them out. They got stuff out of one of Kerby's ears but nothing out of Kerlandy's. They let me look and they were bad packed with wax.  They said there is no telling how much better they will hear when we get them cleaned out. So you might want to get some ear wax softener drops and use them.  They are doing test to see of they have any parasites but other than that they looked pretty good. We are going to take them to the Health Department to get their booster shots next week.  I think we may try to enroll them in School in the next month or so. They want to go.  They both like School a LOT so I went to the Parent Teacher Store and got some stuff for them to work on.

Thats about all that has been going on in the Carver house hold.

Oh the food. I have been making rice and beans pretty much for every meal and then including some "America" food with it. That has went over pretty good. One day we had ALL Haitian.  Chicken, Rice and beans and Picklez.. Kerby said "Oh mom you could be Haitian" lol  He loved it.

well I could just go on and on, but I guess I better go to bed, they get up at the crack of dawn.
Talk to you soon,
Michelle