Almost a week

Well, the weekend is coming to close and tomorrow will make the one week mark since we have been home. The adjustment is still going fantastic. Joracin is getting accustomed to the dog. They won't be sleeping in the same bed anytime soon, but he will let Cozmo get to about 3 feet of him.

Our week has been filled with so much fun. Our neighborhood had their annual festival and Joracin got to experience his first bounce house as well as his first icee. We even made it to church today and he did a great job sitting through the service.

It is inspiring to see the world through his eyes. The blessings are just getting started.

Here are some photos of the fun that we all have been experiencing.

All five of us after church.

Checking out the fire truck

Bounce House Fun

Playing with sidewalk chalk.

Joracin and big sis Katie.

Eli built a cool ramp for hot wheels cars for them to play with.

He loves playing basketball in the driveway.

Our adjustment is going well

Well, so far so great. I don't think we could have scripted a better transition if we tried. Joracin is doing great. We have very little issues communicating. He is not a picky eater (at all). He loves playing with his big brother and big sister. The only small challenge we have is with our dog. He is pretty scared of Cozmo. We are working on easing him into having a dog in the house, but if that is the biggest challenge we have, we will take it.

Today is the first day of school for Katie and Eli and it means the house is quiet. But, I think the three of us need it. We are all out of adrenaline and are enjoying the lazy day.

Here are some photos of our first days home.

The neighbors made this huge banner for the front yard.

Katie made an incredible Birthday cake

Grammy brought kites from Gunga

We had to check out a park and show in a long slide.

All smiles for the camera

Eli even shared his Matchbox cars

Home Home Home

We made it home this evening with no bumps, hiccups or travel delays.

Our pickup trip was just plain amazing. The orphanage had Joracin waiting for us in the guest house and we were greeted with lots of smiles and big hugs. He really warmed up to use right away.

All smiles, coloring for Mama

We spent our first day just hanging out. We brought a tennis ball and football and both were huge hits. We also had some cars to play with. And, as those of you with boys will understand, his favorite part was seeing them wreck. We also played with some bubbles. We also got to see his personality begin to come out as the day moved along. That night we also handled getting him ready for bed (bath and brushing teeth).

Look at that concentration.

The next day we had a chance to go to the new property where the orphanage is building new toddler house. It is further up the mountain and it has an amazing view of Port-Au-Prince and the ocean. When they get everything completed, it is going to be an incredible place for the kids to be and to play.

Each one of these house will hold 10 kids.

Look at that view

The next day was Joracin's Birthday. We got to celebrate with a big pancake with chocolate chips and a present that we brought from home. His two main foreign caregivers also came for the Birthday celebration and brought him a big bag of his favorite treats. This was also the day that he got to say goodbye to the kids and nannies at the orphanage. We expected him to be sad and maybe withdrawn after this event. But it was harder on us than it was on him. It was almost like a sendoff from his friends for a great adventure. He was a very happy and upbeat kid. All the kids did sing a very cool goodbye song to him.

Birthday pancake

Yes, those are cheese puffs after his pancake.

We flew the first leg of our home journey on Sunday night. He did great for his first plane ride and had a blast at the hotel. Yes, he was jumping on the bed within 10 minutes.

We didn't leave for Indy until mid afternoon, so that meant we landed around 6 PM tonight. We had a big gathering of family there to greet us. It was so great to have all of that love and support meeting us at the airport. Joracin had hugs for everyone.

Katie and Eli both so excited to have Joracin home.

When we finally got back to the house, the neighbors had made a huge welcome home sign. Plus there was a big Happy Birthday sign and another welcome home sign. It is just amazing home wonderful all of our friends and family have been throughout this journey.

It feels so good to have him home and for the five of us to begin many exciting chapters as a family. He has already filled our house full of laughter.

Thank you all for your love and support throughout this journey. As I mentioned in past blog posts, we really can feel your support and prayers.

God is Good!

Like Christmas Morning ...

Only better. Way better.

Last night was a rotten night for sleep, and I loved every minute of it. I know we both tossed and turned with our minds racing. Last trip to meet J I didn't sleep at all the night before. This was similar but also different.

Last time there were so many unknowns. This trip there are still the unknowns, but we get to be a more active participant. For example, how will Joracin handle the plane ride? We don't know, but we will be able to shape that experience.

It's 5:30 this morning. Any time now Mom and Dad will let us know we can go look at the presents under the tree. I can hardly wait to unwrap the one with the adorable six year inside.

Packed and ready to go

Well, we are packed, checked in and waiting at the Indy airport for our first flight today. We get to Ft. lauderdale tonight and then have a 6:30 am flight into Port-Au-Prince tomorrow. If all goes well, we will be able to hug and kiss Joracin by noon.

We both had a lot of stress and anxiety yesterday as we finished packing. That has melted away and we are filled with excitement and trepidation. This really is going to happen. We are going to be adding to our family. Wow!

I know the emotions will continue to run an amazing gamet. I am going to try and soak this all in and treasure every step.

More to come tomorrow.

Our travel dates are set

We got the news we've been waiting so patiently for today.

We are headed to Haiti this next weekend, on the 10th and 11th.

We head out on Thursday the 8th and get into Haiti on the 9th. Then we head home (with Joracin) on Sunday the 11th and get back to Indy on Monday the 12th.

Sunday is his Birthday. What an exciting way to spend his 6th birthday.

Today was (and is) a Great Day!

Big Day - Today is J's Visa appointment

Well, today is Joracin's Visa appointment. If all goes well today, the orphanage could leave the appointment with the Visa and then we can finalize travel. If they don't get it today, it shouldn't take but a couple of days.

We received some photos of our Little Mister getting ready to head off to the appointment.

Today is a GREAT Day. Huzzah!

All Smiles

Looking like the first day of school

Maybe a little unsure, but in the van and ready to head to the Embassy

Prayers for Patience

This post is going to be a bit of a downer. I know. I should be filled with joy knowing that we will have Joarcin home with us soon. And, I know that with the passage of time, all of the dips in the process will get smoothed out.

But, right now I feel pretty crappy.

We found out last Wednesday (7/17) that the visa appointment had been set for August 2nd. That date came quick and is great news. When we talked with our adoption coordinator, she let us know that families typically travel a week after the visa appointment. That meant that we might actually be in Haiti around the 10th or 11th of August.

We waited all weekend for news on when we could travel. This afternoon, I couldn't take it anymore and asked when we might get travel dates.

Well, know we have been told. we won't know travel dates until after they have his visa in their hands. That means that we won't know travel until at least August 2nd.

Simply put, that SUCKS!

I know, I know, I should be happy that we are in the home stretch, mile 25 1/2 of a marathon. But did we have to get told we would travel a week after the visa appointment only to have it changed? I understand why they want to wait. They don't want Leslie and I to have to be "stuck" in country while they work through paperwork (and you all know how much we love paperwork).

But, this just SUCKS!

Prayers for patience for me, patience for Leslie, patience for the kids too. We are all so excited and it can't come fast enough. All in God's time right?

Approval of his I-600

We got the great news today that Joracin's I-600 has been approved by US Customs and Immigration in Haiti. Here is the text from the email we received today.

"USCIS in Port au Prince, Haiti is pleased to inform you that the I-600 petition, which you filed at this office on October 9, 2012 on behalf of Andre Joracin, seeking to qualify him as your immediate relative has been approved. Your case has been transferred to the Adoption Unit of the Consular Section for the visa process."

I am sure you are saying, what the heck does that mean? Well, it means that the orphan investigatation by UCCIS is complete. All of the I's have been dotted and T's crossed for checking paperwork and the background on Joracin's situation. USCIS is saying this is a legal adoption. This is fantastic news. This is also the last step before the visa appointment date is set.

In 1 to 2 weeks, we will get notification of the visa appointment. Once that date is set we will likely travel a week after that. This gives GLA the opportunity to go to the visa appointment (they have power of attorney for us), and if they need additional paperwork, there are a few days in the schedule to allow for that. This prevents us from being delayed in Haiti.

We are so excited to get continued good news. We do not have a travel date yet, but we know that date is just around the corner.

Thanks for all the continued prayers and words of encouragement. We are getting close.

Joracin with a photo of his Nanny, Liliane

His Passport is Printed

We received fantastic news that the orphanage has Joracin's completed passport.

We have been told we can begin to look into flights, but we don't have a specific travel date yet. This is the first time they have let us know we could look at flight options.

They are going to schedule his medical exam in the next few days. They are also working on pulling all of the paperwork together to submit to the Embassy for creating his Visa.

Here is the best part. They let us know that they estimate travel in 5-8 weeks. We should be able to travel and have him home by the start of school.

Hallelujah!

Happy Flag Day!

Happy Day! We are out of MOI

You have got to be asking yourself, "That sure sounds good, but what the heck is MOI"?

MOI is the Ministry of the Interior in Haiti and it is the stage that we were in were Joracin's passport was getting processed. Notice how I used past tense there.

Yep, we are out of MOI and his passport is in the process of getting printed. We have been told that the printing will take 2-4 weeks. Once the orphanage has his passport, they will submit everything to the US Embassy to start working on his visa.

We were also told that when the orphanage has his passport they can begin to estimate travel dates. Yes, travel dates. Needless to say, we are excited.

And here is a little humor/head scratcher for your day as well. Take a look at this post from the Orphanage Director on their blog.
http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/andlifegoeson/2013/05/27/im-back/

At the bottom of the post you will see an note about crazy travel delays in a 3rd world country. Leslie has informed me is we get stuck in Miami and are unable to fly to Haiti that we will buy swim caps and start swimming. Glad the neighborhood pool is open. I better get in shape.

Another step in the process

We got word yesterday that Joracin's dossier was submitted Joracin's to the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) on May 7. This step is a two part process- final approvals/signatures on the adoption and passport printing!

We are encouraged by the forward progress and understand that the only way to finish the marathon is to put one foot in front the other. While small, the steps continue to move us closer to bringing him home.

We also wanted to share a couple of photos from our April update.

Look close and you can see his two front teeth are missing.

Yes, they had bunny ears for the kids to wear.

A couple of people have also asked how citizenship works. They were great questions and I didn't have an answer. Well, I did a little research.

He qualifies for automatic citizenship based on the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 and based on these criteria.

• Have at least one US citizen parent
• Are under 18 years of age
• Were admitted to the US as a lawful permanent resident
• Are in legal & physical custody of at least one parent who is a US citizen

All the paperwork we have and will get will allow him to be admitted to the US as a lawful permanent resident when we bring him home. 

Thank you again for all your words of encouragement and prayers. Having you be part of this journey with us means the world.

More Positive Progess

Boy does it feel like this update has been a long time coming. I don't know if it was the length of time or perhaps that we feel like we can see the finish line, but Leslie and I both have been very anxious for our next Joarcin update over the last few weeks.

Thankfully, we received our update today. His paperwork got through a bunch of signatures and is now headed into the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) where they will begin to work on creating his Haitian passport.

The good news is we have only four steps/hurdles left. We need to get his passport completed, all the paperwork needs to be reviewed, he needs to get a medical exam and then they will begin the process of applying for his US visa. Then, yes then, we will get the call to travel. Four little steps left. The not so good news in all of this is that the range of time it will take to complete these remaining steps is wide. We are talking six weeks to ten months wide.

We can't begin to thank you all for your support through all of this. We can feel your love and prayers. And, I think we are going to need them more now as we head into the homestretch than ever.

Progress to date

Even the boys at the orphanage love to take the living room furniture and make a fort

It's official, Joracin's a Manbeck

We received another exiting update yesterday on the status of Joracin's adoption. His adoption file is out of Courts. The Court stage is where the civil court document and Act of Adoption get created. This means that Joracin has legally become our child and has taken our family name of MANBECK. How very exciting.

The process continues to move at a consistent and steady pace. It is certainly not happening at lightning speed, but we continue to be pleased with the progress and that it seems to be moving forward with no unexpected delays.

The next big step is getting his Haitian passport. The orphanage is working on some additional signatures and then they will start that application process.

These photos are from our February update from GLA (the orphanage). Since it was February, they focused on Love. The love that God has for each and every one of us and the love that we can share with one another.

The person putting the update together asked Joracin to name some of the things he loves and here is what he had to say.

"He told me that his favorite thing to do in school is science experiments.  He loves the colors white and green.  When he is in the yard at the Toddler House he loves to ride the bikes and scooters and his favorite people to spend time with are Papouche and Mickenson.  If he could choose to eat anything he would pick corn flakes and cereal.  If he could have any animal he would chose a dog.  He told me it would be brown but he is not sure what he would call it."

Now when we shared this with Katie and Eli, they thought it was really cool. They said they love science experiments  The school colors for our High School are Green and White. And, we have a little brown dog at home just waiting to lick Joarcin's face.

We are no longer in the month of Love, but I want to encourage you to carry that theme throughout this spring. Think of how you can share God's love among those that you interact with. Peace to you all.

Our Dossier has exited Parquet

We got great news today. Our Dossier was approved by Parquet. Here is what GLA the orphanage sent to us.

"Great news! Your adoption of Joracin has just been approved by Parquet. This week, we are preparing your dossier to enter the courts, in which we will create the civil court document and the Act of Adoption. This is when Joracin will legally become your child and take your family name of MANBECK."

After the Court stage, our Haitian documents are legalized in both the Department of Justice and Minister of Foreign Affairs (MAE). These steps together – courts, attestation signature, legalization, and MAE – should take approximately 2-3 months to complete.

It is still to soon to predict a travel date as there are steps after the ones listed above, but we continue to make progress. I was just talking to friends recently about how we needed some good news on movement related to the adoption. It felt like we had been stuck in a holding pattern or stuck in the doldrums. Then low and behold, we get some fantastic news.

And in case, you didn't catch it above, there will legally be a Manbeck loose in Haiti in about 3 months. LOOK OUT Haiti!

Let's celebrate the Dossier clearing Parquet

In front of the Christmas Tree at GLA

Another Milestone

We made it on to the next stage. Our Dossier moves from Parquet in the Court.

Three Years Ago

Yesterday was the three year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti. I've seen a handful of people share thoughts and reflections on this anniversary and it allowed me an opportunity to do the same.

A good way to summarize my thoughts and feeling is with the word juxtaposition  On one hand, you have the death, destruction and heartbreak caused by the earthquake. On the other hand, I believe that it raised global awareness of a huge amount of need for the people and the country of Haiti.

Granted, I am much more tuned into the activity, aid and goings on in Haiti now that we are in the process of adopting. But I really believe that a lot of the great things happening there are the result of people being moved by the earthquake.

And on a much more micro level, the earthquake was the catalyst for Leslie and I consider adoption. We thought we had the plan for our family figured out, but God had a different plan.

I've always struggled with the idea of tragedy and how God allows it to occur. And, I always hear how good things, amazing things come from those tragedies. That never really registered with me, and least not in my heart. Now, we get to experience the amazing things that come from tragedy.

Joyeux Noel

Here is a link to some photos of the Christmas celebration at the Toddler House at GLA where Joracin is living. This is yet another example of what a great and loving orphanage GLA is and continues to be.

As a bonus, Joarcin is in 4 of the photos. Can you find him?

In terms of progress with the adoption, we don't have an official change in status since our last blog post. We are still at the Parquet stage. However, we are not discouraged. We know that things continue to progress and that he will be home with us before we know it.