Finding Hope in Haiti

"From that moment a child began to grow in our hearts. Just as physical conception is necessary to bring a child into this world, so a conception has to take place in the heart if two people are going to bring a child into their lives through adoption. We didn't have a blood test to prove her existence. I couldn't hold a piece of paper in my hand to verify her reality by the latest ultrasound. But God's promise of a child was as real as any physical pregnancy. A daughter was conceived in our hearts just as surely as if she had been conceived in my own body." - The Strength of Mercy. We knew we had a daughter, we knew she was in Haiti and we knew this was a call that we could not ignore.

The miracles that brought Hope home are too numerous to count and we are constantly reminded of the sovereignty of our God and stand in awe of how He brings His plan to pass. When we began the adoption process Haiti was closed to adoptions as a result of a volatile political climate and questioning the call we almost chose another country. But we were not at peace and we knew that the God of the entire universe is also the God of Haiti and He would open any door if we would trust and obey. And sure enough by the time we were done with our home study we were able to begin the adoption process through Haiti.

We finished the remainder of all classes and paperwork in June and on November 17th, 2004 we received our referral and first picture of Hope at 6 weeks old. From that time on, we thought the finalization of the adoption would take approximately 6 months, but that was not to be. The weeks began to drag to months as we waited for our paperwork to receive approval from the Haitian government. Then in May 2005 we got an email telling us that three of our documents had been lost and we would need to redo them, have them notarized, and FedEx them to Haiti. That was not the news that we were waiting for, but after crying out to God that day I knew that this would eventually be part of the miracle that brought Hope home. Sure enough, a few months later we would learn that our dossier passed up others in line because when the missing documents arrived in Haiti our file was brought to the top of the pile. And we sometimes doubt that God is in the details.

We had so longed to spend her birthday with Hope (September 27th), but again it was not to be. We celebrated her birthday without her with a trip to the zoo and days later received a call that Hope would be ready to travel on October 17th! We were thrilled and so excited to take her with us to California to meet Auntie Jen, Uncle Jer, and the boys for Thanksgiving, but once again God's timing was different than ours. We did go to California, but without Hope. Our prayers became more focused now, Lord please let her be home by Christmas. During this entire time of waiting, God blessed us with notes of encouragement, a Haitian children's book with the word "Hope" written on the side of a tap-tap, songs, scriptures, friends, and most of all His peace. He constantly encouraged us that this was His plan and that He is faithful to complete it. There are seriously too many things to list but one thing was extra special. We had randomly bought 4 tickets to a SCC and Mercy Me Christmas concert with Chris and Toni at the kids school auction. On December 8th we went to the concert and not long into it they began sharing why they chose to do a Christmas concert...to promote Shoahannah's Hope, which is SCC's ministry which helps families with adoption expenses and basically just promoted adoption in general. Then Stephen plays "All I really want for Christmas is a family" while a slide show is playing of orphans in the background. Of course at this point Toni and I are sobbing and I am pretty sure Shane and Chris were fighting back the tears and then our almighty God surrounds us with His love as everyone in the Rose Garden joined in prayer for those families waiting to adopt and for their children waiting to come home. Chris leaned over and said, "Did you ever imagine that tonight this entire auditorium would be praying for you?"

This is the God we serve. He knows the cry of our hearts, how we prayed for Hope for Christmas, how with each day that passed the longing to hold our daughter grew. He blessed us with our complete family on December 20th in the Miami airport. From the moment she was in my arms she was home. Its as if she knew how much I loved her, that she had been held in my heart for 13 months, that I was her momma, and that she would forever be my girl. I have no doubt that Hope was meant to be a part of our family, that before the creation of the earth she was meant to be my daughter. Hope's middle name is an altar, just as with Damaris and Kruse that we may remember His goodness and faithfulness and bless Him there. Her first middle name is Emilia, her birth mother's name. We are so grateful for her sacrifice. She gave up her child out of extreme poverty to have a chance with another family and she is a hero for it. Hope's Hawaiian middle name is Kahea O Akua, called of God. Shane and I were called to adopt Hope, it was an act of obedience. Hope's call is two-fold. She was called out of Haiti, a land dedicated to satan with voodoo as its national religion, whose darkness is both physical and spiritual. And she shares the call that God offers each of us; a call out of the darkness of a life without His glorious light. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness and into His glorious light." Adoption is the example of what our Lord has done for us. He has called us to be His children. Ephesians 1:3-8 says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will- to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding."

We are so blessed to have Hope as a part of our forever family and I pray that all of you are a part of our eternal forever family. Jesus gave His life to give you hope and I pray that you accept His extended hand.

Happy Birthday Miss Hopey, I love you and can't imagine life without your smile and your hugs. You make me laugh everyday and I am so glad that you grew in my heart.