Berline October Update

Happy Fall from GLA Andrew and Christy,

Things here at GLA have not yet slowed down and there is not much sign of it slowing.  That is to be expected with around close to 150 kids in residence though.  We are still working to get the funds to the children in the school sponsorship program and welcome new volunteers, teams, and visitors weekly.  We have been blessed to see a number of families come to meet their children for the first time this month and a few of them who got to go home with their forever family!  It is a true honor to witness these milestones in the lives of each child we call ours and in the families that are welcoming them into their hearts and homes.  This month, I have been reminded why I do what I do in a big way as I watch families open their arms to their children week after week.  I would like to thank each of you for opening your lives to these precious angels.  I hope these monthly updates bless you and give you just a little relief as you wait for Berline to come home.

This month’s theme for our Toddler House updates is School.  I took class photos of the kids and am going to highlight their class schedule for you this month.  I am also including a little biography about their current teachers along with a little bit about what their teachers had to say about how they have done in school so far this year.  From an outsiders perspective, it is evident that the majority of the kids at the Toddler House look forward to school each day and that they look up to their teachers and treat them with respect.

I hope you enjoy seeing and learning a little bit about Berline’s teachers and friends in their school day.

Berline has a full day of school here at GLA.  From 9am-12pm she attends French/Creole class with Elange and Michaelle. Elange has been teaching at GLA’s Toddler House for 5 years.  She is from Petion-Ville and has one baby, who was born this year.  She has two classes that she teaches each day. One is held in the morning and the other in the afternoon. They cover all subjects and are taught in both Creole and French.  Elange says that she likes teaching the children at the Toddler House because she gets to teach them many things and they are intelligent.  She is an excellent teacher and all the students in her class look up to her as a role model.  Michaelle just began working GLA this year as Elange’s teaching assistant.  She is from Kenscoff and has one son.

After lunch Berline has computer class from 1pm-2pm.  There are currently two computer classes at the Toddler House, each of them is an hour long.  It is has been exciting to be able to expose the older kids to computers and how they operate.  Dave is from Austrailia and has been a part of GLA’s international staff for just under 2 years.  Dave is the primary computer teacher at the Toddler House and ensures that all the computers and games are up-to-date and fun.  John teaches the majority of the computer classes.  He is the foster son of the missionary couple who runs GLA’s guesthouse.  He recently graduated from high school and is a great help with our computer classes! Next Berline has English class with Joyce from 2:00-3:30pm.  Joyce has been a part of GLA’s international staff for close to 9 years.  She is in charge of the school program here at GLA and is passionate about helping the kids excel in their education.  In addition to teaching 4 English classes, Joyce assists Molly with the daily operations of the Toddler House.  The kids all love Joyce because she knows how to make learning fun and exciting.  

On Sunday mornings Berline attends Sunday school and you will see a few photos from that attached as well.

Berline seems to enjoy school a lot.  She likes to call her teachers “Petit Bondye” which means “child of God” but she translates it as “You Baby Jesus” and then laughs at herself. She really does have a great sense of humor.  Elange says that Berline needs to work on her reading and math but that she is one of the best behaved students she has in class.  She is never naughty.

It was great to see you both again on your visit here this month! I am sure Berline was pleased with your visit and that she was so happy to see you again and to meet her sister.  I am praying the rest of your process goes quickly and that you are here again soon to bring Berline home!

Berline is healthy and growing:
Height: 128 cm
Weight: 56 lb

Visiting Berline

We had a great trip visiting Berline again.  We are ready to bring her home, but it will be this summer at the earliest.  The trip was productive however, because we were able to file our i600 at the US Embassy and go before two Haitian judges.  This was the only step that required us being present in Haiti.  Now the orphanage can do every other step for us.

While we traipsed around Port-au-Prince (not the safest place in the world), Kimberlyn stayed at the Baby House and loved on all the babies.  She was a natural and spent two full days there.  She played with several babies that had not been on the balcony in several weeks.  The balcony is the special place that has all the toys.  She even named a new baby--Coady (and yes that is the spelling she chose).  I was very impressed with her love and hard work.  This was a shock to me because on the way to Haiti she begged us not to make her work in Haiti.  I guess she has heard one too many stories of all the digging, painting, and projects from Jachin.  But she was the perfect volunteer.  I guess if you don't make her do manual labor she is OK.

After we were done with all of our required errands we spent as much time with Berline as possible.  She definitely remembered us and could name every family member.  She was sad that Jachin did not come this time, but she loved meeting her sister.  They painted their nails, sang, colored, and played Littlest Petshop.  She was still very shy but she understood more English.  She started talking more to us near the end of our stay.  She calls us Mama and Daddy, and loves to snuggle.  She is definitely the little mother of the orphanage.  She is the one that the younger ones go to if they need something.  She even brought a little friend upstairs on the balcony with her.  The balcony is for the volunteers and staff, so it is a privilege to be allowed up there.  They always allow the adoptive families to spend time with their child on the balcony to give them space.  We had to leave everyday to allow Berline to attend her school classes.  She is improving in every area.  I know by this summer she will have an even better grasp of English.  We have been trying to learn a little Creole, but it is definitely harder for old people to learn something new.  I think she will have better luck.

It was really hard leaving her again.  The only thing I could focus on was the next time we see her, we will be bringing her home.  Please pray for a speedy process.

We are going to Haiti!

We are all booked to leave on Saturday Oct 13th to go to Haiti.  We are taking Kimberlyn with us and she is so excited!  We will be spending the night in Florida so that we can make it into Haiti on Sunday.  We should see Berline on Sunday!  That is just over a week away!  We will be doing some immigration paperwork and going before a judge to say we still want to adopt Berline.  I can't wait!  We will post pictures of the trip as soon as we get back.

Berline's Sept Update 2012

School has started!

Berline is healthy and growing:

Height: 128 cm 

Weight: 55.5 lbs

We got our Presidential Dispensation!

What does that even mean, you might ask?  We get to see Berline again!

Let me explain: We have been waiting since January for the President of Haiti to approve us as an adoptive family.  The issue was we have biological children and Haiti doesn't allow that--they also require you to be 35 years old and married for 10 years.  I guess being old helps us in this case :)  So we waited 8 months for the actual signature to allow us to adopt. Their dept of social services approved us to adopt as well, so Step One-Check.
Now we go before a judge and say we want to adopt Berline and to the US Embassy for immigration paperwork. So we are waiting to hear when our Embassy appointment is scheduled.  We can't wait to go see our daughter again.  We are hoping to be able to take Kimberlyn this time.
Berline loved meeting her brother last time!

Berline's August Update

For the month of August we annually give out teachers a break from the school year.  With the 85 inhabitants of the Toddler House out of their usual daily routine it’s been an intensely high energy month.    As many parents can relate we have heard the statement “I don’t have anything to do” too often in the last four weeks, and everyone kids and adults alike are looking forward to Monday morning and the start of the new school year. 

During the month teams and volunteers worked to scrape, clean, and redo each of the kids’ classrooms.  They are freshly painted with bright colors and decorated with their photos as well as typical learning posters.  We are excited for their surprise when they first walk in to take their seats on Monday, and hope that the fresh rooms will give them a fresh and excited outlook on the new and challenging lessons that will come with advancing in their education.

Last weekend we felt the wind and rains of Tropical Storm Isaac.  Anticipating the possibility of strong wind and heavy rains, Joyce and the kids prepared the yard and balcony’s for what might come.  Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we were pelted with rain and at times strong winds, the neighbors lost a few trees, and broke the hinges off our yard gate, however the kids stayed warm and dry and other than being cooped up in the house were completely at ease.  The nannies very rarely let the kids play outside when it is still wet on the ground but by 4pm on Sunday when the clouds broke and the rain subsided everyone was out and running around on the still standing puddles of water in the yard, more than ready to burn off some energy.    

The kids have been asking for a “pool day” for quite some time now, so as a final farewell to vacation and in taking advantage of the excess rain that we collected in our cisterns from Isaac tomorrow we are having a full Saturday of pool play for them.  We’ve never had this many kids at once before, so it will be a challenge making sure everyone gets enough time, but also a good practical lesson in taking turns, which we can never have enough of.

Berline is healthy and doing well. 

Current measurements:

Height: 127 cm 

Weight: 55 lbs

Orphan Love Mud Run

Come join Andy and the kids as they run in the Mud Run!  

 

Sept 29th in Ada, OK

 

For more information visit www.itsachildslife.org  

or search  

Orphan Love Mud Run on Facebook 

*5k obstacle course with mud *Kids fun mud run 

*Register @ www.earlysignup.com/orphanlovemudrun 

All proceeds go to adoptive families, and we are one!

If you can't make the run, we will have sponsorship info soon

July Berline Update

Hello Andrew & Christy,

This month in honor of the women who are making the most impact on Berline’s life we snapped a photo of her with each of their three primary nannies.   It is very traditional here in Haiti to refer to a “motherly” woman in your life as “Mommy”.  So here at the Toddler House the kids refer to their nannies as “Mommy “ + followed by the woman’s first name.  Such as “Mommy Marielle”. 

“Mama” is the title we keep reserved for the woman who raised your child before they came to GLA, whether it be their Haitian birth mother, or grandmother, or aunt, or whomever took the place of mother, and it is also the term we refer to for YOU, their new Mama.  We try to keep these terms very separate to help signify the permanent importance that YOU will have in their life, when they are able to become a part of their new family with you. 

Your child’s three primary caregivers are:

Clarna 

Se Ketlie

Nadia

Summer vacation is about to begin here at the toddler house. For the teachers it means a time to become refreshed and prepare for the next year ahead. For the rest of us it means eighty- five kids ready for summer activities. The kids have so many ideas of what summer vacation means and have no problem sharing those ideas with us all day long. Pool parties, late movie nights, walks in the neighborhood, trips to the soccer fields and so much more. Berline doesn’t seem to have too bad of a case of summer fever. Berline enjoys being busy and not having school for a month is a bit of an overwhelming thought for her.  

Berline is working hard in school and desires to please her teachers. She is kind and respectful to both her teachers and her peers. At times Berline will become overwhelmed and needs a few minutes to remove herself. Berline will ask to sit outside for five to ten minutes then knock on the door and be ready to get back to work. Berline tends to do much better with the short break and has a much better attitude when returning to class. Berline prefers hands on activities that involve a lot of movement and actions. She does well with crafts and art which grabs her interest more than reading and writing.

Berline has become very good friends with the kitchen ladies here at the house. Usually wherever they are she isn’t far behind. Berline loves to be called on to help with dishes, sweeping or washing down the tables. The ladies love Berline and they have a great relationship with each other. Berline is often found joking around with them and even sits and takes breaks with them at the same time.  J

When Berline is in the yard during free time she is rarely found without three or four of our youngest girls nearby. She continues to desire to teach them and love on them. Berline has an incredible amount of patience and will sit and teach them for as long as they are willing to sit. Her kind heart and gentle spirit is enjoyed by all the younger girls as they have such a strong desire to be sought out by her.

My mom came for her yearly visit this month and with that came all types of fun. New crafts, fun movies, outdoor activities and by far the best, a huge flip-flop shaped piñata. From the day she arrived the kids would follow Barb around asking over and over “today piñata?” Well finally the day came and eighty five sets of eyes were glued as the piñata was lowered to from the balcony. With so many children and one piñata we were worried about the younger kids getting pushed around so we stationed volunteers all over the balconies with bags full of popcorn, lollipops, gum sunglasses, cars, kids jewelry and so much more ready to cover the yard as the piñata busted open. Knowing we needed to give every child a few whacks at it we reinforced the piñata with packing tape ahead of time to ensure the piñata could stand all eight five kids. From oldest to youngest the kids came up and took their best swing at the sandal trying to release the good inside. Finally after all the kids went through we picked one of the larger boys and told him to go nuts. Finally the piñata came down with cheers from the crowd as treats came showering down on them. We watched as the children shimmied across the yard scooping up all in their paths. With arms full and candy still on the ground the children would bring their treasures to their nannies and ask them to guard it as they dropped down and scooped up more. The rest of the morning was full of excitement as the children wandered around making trades and showing off all their new prizes.

Berline is healthy and doing well. Her current measurements are

 Height: 126 cm

Weight: 54.5 lbs 

Blessings,
Joyce

Video Contest

We are trying to win a free trip to an adoption conference.  Please help us by voting for the McDonald Video at the following link.  You can vote once a day until noon on Saturday.  Thanks!
http://www.togetherforadoption.org/?page_id=13873

Berline's June Update 2012

Happy Summer from GLA, Andrew and Christy!

This past month has been very busy and adventure filled here at God’s Littlest Angels.  We started off the month by taking in 23 kids from an orphanage that was shut down up the mountain from us in Kenscoff.  If you check with our blogs you can read about how they came to be with us and how the adjustment has gone.  Most of them were older then 3 years old so they are staying at the Toddler House.  Despite space issues we have been making it work for them to sleep in one of our classrooms since May 31st.  We are praying that their parents will be located soon so we can determine a permanent solution for each of them, whether that will be with us and a forever family or with their biological family.  Besides that we have gotten more volunteers and teams in the last few weeks.  We are grateful for each person who comes to stay with us and give of their time and gifts to assist the kids in their growth and development until they can be home with you.

You may be surprised that this update has come a little early this month.  This is because I will be going home to Wisconsin for a couple of months leaving on June 21^st and returning on August 22nd.  The Toddler House director, Molly Little, will be writing and sending your updates to you for July and August.  They will continue to come from this email address but they may look a little different then you are used to.

This month the theme of the photos at the Toddler House was “Imagination”.  The idea behind it is that each of the kids got to dress up how they would like to and use their imagination in how their photos would look.  I set up 2 backgrounds and the older kids had the chance to choose the background that they liked best.  One was colorful and the other was shimmery.  For their outfits the girls got to choose a princess dress or some regular clothes. The boys got to choose what clothes they would like.  Then they were allowed to choose from some funny shoes or no shoes and finally they were able to choose to wear some other things like hats, glasses, and other random props.  We had a lot of fun with it and each kid enjoyed choosing their outfit and using their imagination.

Berline has had a great month.  She absolutely loved having options of what to wear for her photos this month.  She chose to wear the sparkliest dress available and then chose the background with shimmer as well.  She beamed when she saw the fairy wand that she could hold onto.  Her friend Judith helped her choose the purple star headband for her head and she really wanted to wear the pink sunglasses for a few photos.  It seems to me that you have a girlie girl on you hands.

There has been a fair amount of change and adjustment happening at the Toddler House but it has been a joy to watch the current children welcome all the new faces with open arms.  They have been great about sharing their toys and helping the new kids to feel welcome.  Berline was very willing to spend time with the new kids and show them all that the Toddler House had to offer.  She really was one of the most welcoming and inviting kids at the Toddler House.

There was another cinema night this month and it was fun to see all the new kids enjoy this event with all the kids. They watched the movie “Hop”. Because there is now 85 kids at the Toddler House the little ones became a little more restless faster then usual. Berline sat very well in the back of all the chaos the little kids were causing.  She did her best to pay attention to the movie and what was happening on the big screen.

Berline is healthy and growing:
Height: 125.5 cm
Weight: 53.5 lb

May Update 2012

Happy Mothers Day from Berline!

May holds a number of special holidays.  Haitian Flag Day is on the 18^th of May.  This year that day fell on a Friday.  The children at the Toddler House enjoyed a parade of singing and flag waving through their neighborhood on the morning of Flag Day.

Haiti is a truly beautiful country and if you have had the opportunity to come visit GLA you will know that the view from the balconies of all of our homes is truly breathtaking.  In order to honor that beauty we have been blessed with, I wanted to highlight the incredible landscape we see each day by taking pictures of the kids with this view as the backdrop.  The lighting posed some problems with the sun coming in and out but I think this months photos capture a small glimpse into the beauty that Haiti holds.

May also holds a special holiday we call Mother’s Day, which is celebrated the last Sunday in May here in Haiti, the same as it is in France.   It is an honor to recognize the mothers that are waiting for their children to come home.  It is certainly a special calling to be a mother of an adopted child and whether this is your first adoption or you have adopted several children, we at GLA want you to know that you are appreciated and loved by us and by the child who is waiting to be at home with you.  I am sure with the passing of Mother’s Day this month you have thought about the child this update discusses.  This month I did my best to write the update from the child’s perspective to give the update a different sort of spin.  I hope you enjoy it!

Hi Mom and Dad!

I have had a fun month here at GLA. 

We had a parade on Haitian Flag Day.  It was so much fun.  We knew that it was flag day when we saw Molly getting all the red and blue flags and t-shirts out.  I got to choose if I wanted to wear a red or a blue shirt and then waited to be called to the yard. I chose to wear a blue shirt. Once we were called to the yard we lined up in two lines and got a flag to hang onto.  I was so excited to see if this flag day parade would be the same as the one we did last year.  Next we started singing and making music as we marched down the street we live on. We walked all the way down to the end of the street before we turned around.  I loved singing the “Mon Drapo” song and waving my flag as much as I could.  After we returned to our big blue gate and made our way back into the yard there was a balloon drop!  The visitors had blown up balloons and dropped them from the balcony above us.  I reached up as high as I could to get the balloons as they fell. It was so much fun to have so many colorful balloons drop down!  The rest of the afternoon I played wth my friends in the yard and enjoyed the left over balloons.  It was a very busy day and I slept really well all night.

All the biggest kids at the Toddler House got a chance to go to a soccer field up the mountain in Kenscoff for a couple of the boys who have birthdays in May.  We spent the afternoon playing and enjoying the open space.  I especially enjoyed jumping rope and throwing a ball around with some of the other kids. We played many different activities and then we all came together and played Red Rover for a long time.  I made sure to spread my arms and legs as far apart as they could go so noone could pass me.  After the game of red rover we ate some Chiko (cheeto type snack) and water before heading back to the Toddler House.

I can’t wait to see you again and come home to live with you.  I want you to know that I am doing well here at GLA. I get lots of love from my nannies, my teachers, and Molly and Joyce.  I am looking forward to the day I get to come and live with you!

I love you.

Your little girl, 

Berline

Berline is healthy and growing:
Height: 124.5 cm
Weight: 53 lb

Happy Mother’s Day!

April Update 2012

Happy Easter from God’s Littlest Angels, Andrew and Christy!

Here at GLA, we are praying each of our adoptive families had a blessed and fun Easter this past month!  There has been much activity happening around here.  We have had a new team in each week since the end of March.  Each of them has been a blessing.  Some worked on building/maintenance projects while others did ministry in our community and with our kids.  Our Easter holiday here in Haiti was a true blessing.  The kids at the Toddler House enjoyed dying Easter eggs, having a special meal, and learning about how Jesus died for their sins while the babies at the main house received a special treat and spent time with their nannies and volunteers.

The Toddler House has really been brimming with activity this past month.

Easter brought about much excitement and fun as well.  The kids each got to use their creative skills in egg dying on the Friday before Easter. Berline chose the color blue to dye her egg. She waited patiently for the dye to color the egg, the whole time with a smile on her face as she anticipated what it would look like when she was finished. She did an excellent job using the tool for lifting the egg in and out of the dye.  After the egg was dry and a beautiful shade of blue, she carefully covered it in stickers.

Easter morning brought much excitement as well. Berline was excited to eat the egg she had worked so hard on.  She then attended church at the Haitian church next to the Toddler House, where she attends Sunday school each week.  At church they sang songs and watched the Veggie Tales Easter Carole, and received a sack of goodies.  For lunch all the children gathered around for one of their favorite meals, which included fried chicken, rice and beans with red sauce.  On Monday all of the kids received a package of Easter candy.  Each of them were thrilled to see what was inside. We were amazed to find that Berline’s Marshmallow Peeps lasted her an entire week.  She carefully rationed them so she could have one each day.  Apparently she has great self control!

Cinema Night is an event that has been occurring at the Toddler House for a few months now.  It is when, after dark, a movie is projected on a screen in the yard at the Toddler House. There have been 4 so far, held about every other Saturday.  All of the kids at the Toddler House get to be involved and it is a very exciting and fun event!

The three cinema nights held since then have been on Saturday nights and the movies have included Surf’s Up, Garfield, and Chipwrecked.  All of the kids get so very excited when they smell the popcorn cooking and see the chairs being set up for cinema night.  When they see and smell these things happening they have learned what will be coming and the anticipation and excitement is evident.  Popcorn making begins around 4:00pm and the smell wafts through the entire yard.  All of the kids begin asking one another if there will be a movie and what they might get to watch.  They go in for supper around 5:30pm and when they are told they need to go bath and change their suspicions are confirmed because typically they will be going back outside for a little while before bed.  They eat their supper and race to their rooms and will get undressed for their bathes before the nannies even make their way up to the room. Berline leads all the little ones to the room and helps them get ready for their bath. After they are bathed and ready the older kids will come help set up chairs and the little ones will stand on their balcony’s and watch their play space transform into an outdoor movie theater.  Before the last movie night we had a little dance party and Berline was one of the leaders who showed the smaller ones how to move and groove to the tunes.  After the screen, the projector, the speakers, and the chairs are all set up and the sun starts to sinks below the horizon the kids are told they can go find a spot to sit.  Everyone rushes down to the yard and finds the best seat or finds their best friend to sit by.  Music is playing and popcorn is passed out to each child as they wait for the darkness to allow the screen to illuminate so the movie can begin.  Some of the kids sit in stillness and awe as they watch the movie, others watch for a while and move to a different seat, and some will jump up from their seat whenever music plays. Berline is definitely a girl who likes to make sure everyone is comfortable in his or her spot and can see the screen well.  She also likes to do a little dancing when there is music on.  After the movie is finished, everyone heads to bed with a smile on his or her face from such an enjoyable evening.

Berline is healthy and growing:
Height: 124 cm
Weight: 52 lb

I understand that the adoption process you are currently working though is long and often painful.  I pray over each of these updates as I write them.  I pray that your patience with the process will be multiplied, as you trust that God’s timing is supreme.  I pray that as you wait, you draw closer to the Lord and that the child that is about to be yours forever will fit perfectly into every aspect of your life when she comes home.  I pray that the updates you receive at the end of each month are a blessing to you.

Blessings,

Meeting Berline

We took Jachin to Haiti with us over Spring Break.  We started the trip at Hands and Feet Orphanage with 18 people from Redeemer Church.  Then at the end of the trip after they all went home, we traveled to God's Littlest Angels where Berline lives!  We spent two days getting to know her.  It was amazing and hard.  She is such an sweet little girl.  She bonded with us so easily.  We can see how she will fit in our family perfectly.  We hated leaving her, but we are confident she is in a wonderful place.  It is not as good as having her home with us, but it is the second best place.