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.