A pretty big change

I've been a little behind and a lot to update you on.  January was a busy month and February is shaping up to be the same!

But first,  we have a big change happening which we want to share with you.  Bill's sister had a baby  in October and she is unable to care for him. So after much thinking and praying Bill and I have decided to adopt the baby.  He is another little boy and his name is Jacob.  This decision involves us leaving Haiti and living in Canada until the adoption process is completed.

Social services were in contact with us at the beginning of February and informed us that one of us needed to be in Canada by 16th February to sign guardianship of Jacob or he would be taken into the care of social services.

So Bill left for Canada on Monday past and arrived in Alberta on Tuesday.  He met with his sister and the adoption worker on Wednesday and they both signed papers giving us guardianship of Jacob and parental consent to adopt. Bill is now at his parents farm in Youngstown,  getting to know Jacob and his routine!

I needed to stay behind to sort out a few things at the new PT clinic at Bethesda, so the boys and I will leave Haiti on 1st March and arrive in snowy Alberta on 2nd.  Bill and I are currently working on getting all the papers together which we need for the adoption application.

This is not a decision we have made lightly, we have prayed and feel that we have a responsibility to our family and we can give Jacob a loving, stable home which is exactly what he needs.  God has given us complete peace about this decision.

Bill will continue to teach his class online and he will back in Haiti a few times as he is studying the EBS Masters degree in Education.  During those weeks he will teach his class in Haiti.  He will also be representing OMS at recruitment events and speaking in churches over the next couple of months to promote the work of OMS in Haiti.

I am wrapping things up at the clinic and making sure everything is in place for Altidor, my Haitian PT tech, to take over.  Altidor has been volunteering with me since the beginning of January and I feel confident she will do a good job when I am not there.  Please pray that we would find the funds to be able to pay her once she starts working full time.

When in Canada I will be focusing on looking after three little boys and will continue to do some of the communication work for Bethesda.

Once the adoption process is complete we hope to return to Haiti for the next school year beginning in August 2018.  As the adoption is family adoption and is being done with the consent of Jacob's mother the process should be considerably faster than an adoption through and agency.

When we left Canada last August, we never thought we would be back this quickly!! The boys are excited about having a new baby brother and also seeing their grandma and grandpa.  Please pray for us as we go through this process. We really have no idea how long it will take and it will also be a big transition for Sam and Joel.  The boys are so used to just running outside to play in their bare feet and staying out all day but in Canada they will not be able to go outside without getting all their layers on! Sam will not be able to go to school either which will be hard on him as he loves going to school.

We have so much to pray for, but we also want to give thanks to God for how he has directed us so far and given us peace. We have our own home to live in at the farm and a car to drive.  The boys and I are very much looking forward to meeting Jacob and welcoming him into our family!