DNA

We just found out that the interview took place and from all accounts everything went well. Now we are being told that the Consulate still needs to complete the DNA investigation. I have no idea how long this will take. When I hear, I will let you all know. Thank you for your continued prayers!
Allison

Delay

We found out the following late yesterday...

Unfortunately, the appointment didn't go well... They weren't even seen today. The birth mom arrived on time with everyone and sat in the waiting room where apparently the word was never passed on to the appropriate person that she was there. After a few hours, they were told they weren't going to be seen because they were late (even though they were not). They now have a new appointment for next week.

This is obviously not what we anticpated, but hopefully all will go well next week. I will let you know when the new appointment is, when I find out. Thank you for your prayers! We trust in God that this is all for the best and the girls will be here exactly when they are suppose to be. God's timing is perfect! He needs to work on our hearts a little longer.

In Him Always and Forever!
Allison

Prayers!!!

Just got the following information tonight...

Great news for Brian and Allison! The girls' orphan investigation has been scheduled for Wednesday, June 25 at 8:30 am (9:30 our time). GLA is now trying to locate the girls' birthmother to make arrangements that she will be able to come on the 25th. We need to be in prayer that everything goes smoothly - their birthmom can be located, she shows up on the 25th, and she responds appropriately to the questions asked at the orphan investigation. Provided everything goes well at the orphan investigation, we should hear within 1-2 weeks that the Shiras can travel. If they need to have anything corrected, or need to investigate further, it could take longer.

The orphan investigation is done by the US Consulate in Haiti, it is part of the visa approval process. This is our last step!!! So looks like we are traveling in early-mid July, as long as nothing goes wrong in the investigation.

Please pray on the 25th that everything goes smoothly!

Wednesday is my last day in school. A lot of you have asked me about that and things are settling down, most of my work is done. Thank you for your love, prayer, and support!

Love,
Alli

Passports Printed

We just got word today that all three passports have been printed. Now we are onto the final step before we go down to get them, the visa stage. We just got word from Homeland Security that our visa applications have been approved to bring the girls home. This approval will be sent down to the US consulate in Haiti, this takes 1-2 weeks. Then the orphan investigation begins. This includes an interview with the biological mom, medical exams of the girls by a US physician, and a form that GLA need to file. This whole process is suppose to take 1-2 weeks. Then we are approved for travel. So it looks like sometime in the beginning of July we go down to Haiti to get our girls.

We are so excited, nervous, happy, and a million other things. Pray all continues to go well! Pray for no hurricanes! Pray I get through the last 2 weeks of my class! Pray the boys don't get sick of seeing me sitting in front of this computer. Pray I get some special time alone with them before the girls come home. Thank you for all your help and prayers thus far, they truly have been felt! Will continue to keep you updated.

Love,

Allison

Passports Approved!!!

We got great news late yesterday, the girls' Haitian passports have been approved!!! We are getting very excited, we think we only have about a month to go. The printing of the passports takes about 1-2 weeks. Then we wait upon their US visas to be approved, that takes about 1-2 weeks (we hope, there has been some delays here). Then we make plans to travel! We are hoping to go get them at the end of June, early July. YEAH!!!! Finally!!!!

Life just got super crazy. I am taking a class to keep up my teaching certificate and that ends on June 15th, but I have a ton of work to get done for that. Plus our preperations to travel and to get ready to welcome our girls home! So let me get back to writing one of my school papers, but just couldn't wait to share our good news!

Again, thank you for your many prayers, keep them coming!!! Will keep you all updated on the progress.
Love,
Allison

The Boys!

Hummer Limo

Walker Brian at home

Just had to share these pictures of Brison and Walker. Brison was one of the top money collectors in his school's Walk-A-Thon and got to take a ride in a Hummer Limo to get pizza. The picture of Walker was at his Trike-A-Thon.

Hoping to hear some good news real soon on our adoption, will pass it on when we hear.

Allison

2 Months

Well we are officially 2 months in MOI! The average time is 3 months, so getting closer. We have been busy re-upping some of our information. After a year some things need to be redone. We are scheduled to be fingerprinted again (just in case we committed a crime in the past year and developed a new set of fingers!). Ahh the government! Also our 2007 financial information has to be filed. Brian and I also got some immunization shots done, so that when it comes time to travel we will be good to go! Lots and lots of stuff to keep us busy!

Our latest update was encouraging. Sounds like things are settling down in Haiti once again, but that the cost of food has gone way up. The good news is that it is the rainy season and the orphanage no longer has to rely on the water truck to bring them water. They have a cistern and it is overflowing, praise God!

I thought I would include the following from our update. I think some of my Holland (MI) friends would appreciate this celebration. Lots of people from the Netherlands adopt from Haiti by the way.

We have a special holiday planned for all of our kids, though I think it will have the most meaning to our kids being adopted to the Netherlands. April 30th is Queen’s Day in the Netherlands, and will be as well at GLA. We’re going to celebrate by playing a game where each child lines up in front of a string with their hands behind their back, and competes to eat a piece of spiced bread/cake from a dangling string the fastest without using their hands. Friends from the Netherlands introduced us to this game two years ago when they were visiting and it was a great hit. Even our nannies participated, though laughed to hard to really concentrate on eating theirs the fastest. We of course also have to have orange punch, balloons, flags, and what holiday is complete without a little Haitian singing, music, and dancing!

We learned a little more about how the girls are doing with their English. Falancia (the oldest) is doing great and that is all the workers speak to her in. Jiovenda is not enjoying it so much, but can understand it. And the following is the description of Sivencia's (3 yrs old) love for English...

Sivencia does not seem to understand much but the simplest things. Come here. Please sit down. We are finished. Are you finished? Do you want more? Simple things like this. She is often, I guess I would say annoyed, for lack of a better description. Annoyed that I or Joyce would use English with her when we clearly know that she speaks Creole.

So wish us luck, hopefully they will all learn quickly once they get here. I guess they will have no choice.

They also told us that the girls recieved a package that we had sent down and showed us pictures receiving it. That was exciting!

Well hopefully we will hear more soon! Thank you again for all of your many prayers!

Love,

Alli