Blessed

A lot of prep work has been going on for us to be able to go to Haiti,
Here are some examples of things that needed to happen,
1 formal adoption which came with a new legal name
1 new birth certificate reflecting that name, with us listed as the parents from birth (like that is not obviously false)
1 new social security number, which is a bit of a pain to get
3 new passports
1 that had to be rushed because we needed a new birth certificate and ss number first
3 passports that had to be renewed. They do not expire until about 4 months after we return home but you have to have 6 months left on your passport before the expire when you actually return home. Who knew?
2 kids who got away with no shots for the trip
4 kids who did not fare so well
3 who needed MMR and Typhoid, both tough vaccines, at once
(Those 3 happen to all be 2, so imagine the after vaccine whines x5 because it is Typhoid and then x3 because there are 3 of them...)
1 set of tired parents
6 sets of vaccines between the parents, we try to whine less. One more successfully than the other
11 prescriptions to take with us, just in case
1 daughter who was able to come off oxygen, something even the Dr's were shocked by
another daughter who had a medical scare that turned out to be less than we thought
2 children with special medical needs who can have those needs met in Haiti
1,500lbs of formula getting to Haiti without a fee

1 house that we were finally able to purchase
The same house that we were able to rent out quickly, to the right people, for the right amount of time and right amount of money
1 great house to stay in in Haiti, with lots of beds for visitors :)

1 amazing girl, Rachel, who is coming with us to help with the kids/homeschooling
1 driver, Vlad, we met while in Haiti who wants a job and speaks French, Creole and English beautifully
1 Haitian woman, Rosaline, who wants a job helping us cook, clean and wash
1 mother who is really excited to give these things up :)
1 orphanage who needs that same mothers "other" skills (see separate post)
1 set of parents who have learned and proven they can love children that were not born of them and are excited to love on, but not take home, some more
Life experiences that have created a love for the "different" people

1 car that is close to being sold here so we can have the funds to purchase one down in Haiti
A trip to Haiti along with beautiful blessings that have helped to ease our fears


2 sets of parents who have raised us to think outside of the box, follow our hearts and the Holy Ghost, serve others and love all
Bunches of great friends and other family members who love and support us, who are amazing examples to us and who we learn from daily
New friends in Haiti who have taken us under their wing and helped us find our way

2 jobs that are willing to give us leave of absences with jobs held for when we return
1 job that will give us health benefits that we can use while in Haiti while they hold the job
And what started it all. 1 sets of unique skills (geotechnical engineering) that can hopefully be used with the people in Haiti by a Man who trusts in his Heavenly Father to guide him

We recognize how incredibly blessed we have been. This has not been without work but, everything is coming together so beautifully that we can not deny the Lords hand in our journey. When we first learned about this opportunity about 3 months ago we made a list of 11 "deal breakers" for us. Who makes a list of "deal breakers" when dealing with God, oh wait we do.

They included
1- Justins job, leave of absence
2- Kids Schooling
3- Formula & Meds for kids
4- Izzys Baptism timing
5- Adopted kids insurance when we return
6- Savannah's oxygen
7- Renters for our house
8- Shipping supplies
9- Housing
10- Safety
11- Izzys health

In our minds they have all resolved. Some of the seem silly now, for some the resolution is nothing short of miraculous.

The Orphanage

My favorite day on our visit was the day we were able to go to the Orphanage.
Since the earthquake, I have been in contact with, donating to and hoping to visit another orphanage (Foyer De Sion) which is located about an hour from where we will live. We did not have much time on our visit and really needed to compelte some logistical things, but we decided to stop by an orphanage a friend had recommended. The problem was even after our driver picked up a local kid on the street to drive us through the country hillside using 4WD for close to an hour we still could not find the orphanage our friend had recommended. We took different roads, if you can call them roads, on the way back and ended up driving past another orphanage called Gods Littlest Angels. I asked the driver to stop and after he convinced the guard to get someone for us to talk to an American woman came out to talk to us. She told me she was from Colorado Springs, CO and the orphanage is based there. So their home base is less than an hour from our home base.
I asked her, Holli, if I could volunteer with our older children. I told her I was a NICU nurse and she was really excited. She said they had been hoping & praying for a NICU nurse to come to them as their NICU was overfull at this time. I can not find it a coincidence that we arrived at this orphange, who was in need of my work experience, totally by accident. This is one of (if not the only) orphanages in Petion-ville that serves only babies. They currently have 54 baby's under 2 years old at this building.
As we toured the orphanage I felt completley at home for the first time since being in Haiti. I know Heavenly Father guided us there that day and I am so excited to be able to learn and work with the people there. Especially the littlest people. But, I am most excited for my kids to be there.

Beyond Mountains There Are Mountains (Haitian Proverb)

In January I will begin work with a non-profit organization, Build Change, whose mission in Haiti is to educate and train homeowners on proper construction techniques to rebuild their homes. Build Change focuses on confined masonry construction and works in concert with the local government on developing and enforcing building codes and engineering standards. Specifically, I will be working as a Geotechnical Engineer, which is my true passion, as it relates to my career. I will be responsible for conducting site assessments in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas. Much of the area around Port-au-Prince is steep and the government is looking for opportunities to level building sites using retaining structures. It is a great opportunity to use my engineering skills to benefit the lives of others, especially those in developing countries who have suffered greatly over the last couple of years. My family will be accompanying me to Haiti and they are excited about the opportunity to work in orphanages and serve the people of Haiti. As a NICU nurse Whitney looks forward to being able to use her skills in the orphages. In fact, she found the only orphanage in Haiti with NICU equipment.

In late November Whitney and I traveled to Haiti to secure housing and ensure that our family was a fit for the country. It was a very eye opening experience. There are parts of Port-au-Prince, that today, look the same as they did the day after the earthquake. Tent cities are still prevalent throughout the area. Through it all the people hold their heads high and keep moving forward. I wonder if I could do the same under those circumstances. Here are a few pictures from our trip.