Garrett Adoption Update - 05/24/07 - Happy Birthday to Jude!

Family and Friends,

While we don’t have a green light to travel (and won’t have one for several months), we thought it was time for an update, as it has been two months since our last one. Much has happened since our last update. A flu virus has ravaged the entire country of Haiti. People were dying all over the country throughout the month of June. Our orphanage lost four babies and many staff members were out sick. With no place within the orphanage to quarantine the sick children, and not enough staff to help, the director had her hands full. Praise God “this too shall pass” – and it did.

We wish we had new photos to share, but since our last message we learned that the lady who did the updates has left the mission orphanage and a new couple has taken her place. They are still getting settled. Between the flu last month and the staff changes this month, we imagine things need time to settle down before we’ll get new photos of Jude, so we wait.

We have filled out paperwork for the James Fund grant, as mentioned in our last message. Please continue to pray that we would be awarded that, as it would be such a help to us.

Today is Jude’s first birthday. Last week we sent a rubber ducky to him as a birthday gift…the first thing we’ve sent to the orphanage. Now we are working on a small photo album that the orphanage director requests all the adoptive parents to send to the orphanage after their referral (match to a child) takes place.

We have had many ask us “What takes so long?!” So, we thought this would be a good time to give a few details. When we accepted Jude, his paperwork was coupled with ours and now has to make its long journey through the Haitian government offices. This is fairly complicated, but can basically be boiled down to a four-step process.

1. IBESR (Haitian Social Services) – paperwork needs four signatures – time: 3 – 5 months (has consistently been 3 lately)

2. Parquet (Haitian Court System) – paperwork needs two signatures which legalize the four signatures obtained in IBESR – time: 1 – 2 months

3. Passport Application – time: 4 – 6 weeks

4. Visa Application – 1 week

To our knowledge, our paperwork is still in step one, and likely will be through the summer. Currently, adoptions in Haiti, however are in much turmoil. Parquet seems to be challenging the authority of IBESR to approve adoptions, even though by law IBESR does have the authority. While most adoptions are still going though, this has precipitated much clearer legislation that will be voted on in Haiti in November of this year. The issue that is really pressing at this point is that the Minister of Interior (who has to approve passports) isn’t signing passport applications. Some have been in his office for over five months. Recently a delegation from the US and Canada traveled to see the MoI and the President of Haiti regarding this issue. The MoI agreed that the new process he put in place for passport processing is not working and that he needed to do something. He committed to personally looking into any passport applications that had been in his office for over a month and many adoptive parents were asked by our orphanage director to call Haiti to be sure their case we being looked at. Two days after that, a huge package of passports arrived at immigration. At the time of that update, it had not yet been verified whether those were for the adoptions in question or not.

It is our prayer that by the time our paperwork makes it out of IBESR most of these wrinkles will have been smoothed.

The other thing we’ve heard a lot, both in question form and statement form is “This must be so hard for you!” All we can say is that by God’s grace, we are doing just fine. We decided from the beginning that we would choose not to make ourselves crazy with the wondering. We would trust God and go about this knowing that this child doesn’t belong to us anyhow – he belongs to God. Certainly we have rare weak moments of longing for the child we love but cannot touch, but the reality is that Jude is in the hand of the Almighty God, and that’s the safest place to be. We go about “doing life” and practicing patience…learning how to let go well before the years will come when Jude’s age will require it!

There is something amazing about this journey. Adoption is as much a miracle to us as conception. The adoption world is a volatile one, full of quick changes, hurry-up-and-waits, hoping, longing, excitement, and opportunities for God to reveal his unending faithfulness and unwavering trustworthiness. As we look to Him daily, we can honestly say…it’s a good ride.

Thanks for your continued prayers,

Matthew and Valerie

Garrett Adoption Update - 05/24/07

Friends and Family –

This is the message we’ve been waiting to send!

We received a call on Monday afternoon with a referral from Haiti. Djouvens, born two months early on July 24, 2006, was brought to the orphanage we are working with two months later, on September 25, 2006 (our wedding anniversary). At that time he weighed just 5 lbs 6 oz. He was immediately placed on IV, as he was both malnourished and sick. He responded well, and as you will see from the attached photos, has had little trouble catching up – he has all the baby chub he needs, and more! At ten months, he is now around 17 pounds. He’s a bit small for his age, they say, but that’s to be expected. His progress has been very good – he’s nearly caught up – and we’re told by the orphanage director that he’s a happy baby who smiles a lot.

After receiving photos of him (throughout his time at the orphanage so that we could see his progress) on Monday afternoon, we received his medical translations on Wednesday morning. As we looked through his documents, we discovered that he was born at the Hospital Jude Anne in Port-au-Prince. Months ago we had chosen the name Jude as one of two boy names. After much prayer, and reviewing his medical translations with a doctor, we called our caseworker this morning. In reverence for a sovereign God, we gave her the official acceptance of this child as our son, to be called Jude Manson Garrett. Jude – for the New Testament leader: a clear, strong, and unashamed voice to God’s people. And we are proud to make his middle name Manson, for Matthew’s paternal grandfather.

It has been a strange week for me. Matthew has been clear and steady, as always, with “big shoulders” as they say. I, however, found it so strange and almost disconcerting that we actually had a choice in the future of this child…that we could choose whether he became ours or not seemed so odd to me even though we knew that decision was coming and is just a part of the process. Having worked through that and other turmoil, however, I am now caught up to my husband and my God, and with worship in my heart, am very excited to have a son.

The question of the hour: how soon can we bring him home? Well, it’ll be at least six months (although some of you are sure it will be shorter – pray!). We are hoping he’ll be home by Christmas. We are thankful that the orphanage will begin sending us monthly updates with new photos, his new weight and length, and development and eating news so that we can see him grow from afar. We’ll be sure to send those along to all of you, along with any news about our standing in the process.

There are some delays in the process within the Haitian government. I have attached a document from the orphanage director that details these delays, so that those of you who wish to partner in prayer with us will know what to pray for. In the meantime:

We praise God for:

• His unchanging character
• His faithfulness to us
• Jude!
• The GLA orphanage and its director and staff, for whom their work is a calling (not just a job)
• Our caseworker, Belinda, who is truly a gift. She sat with me for an hour and a half on Tuesday, just letting me “process” out loud.
• My sister-in-law, Laurie, who sent a very encouraging message to us this week. There was much content, but the end was just what I needed to hear: “…here for you both…no matter what you decide.” Thanks Loulabelle.
• Our mothers, who also helped me through the week

We pray for:

• Obstacles within the Haitian government. Please see attached.
• The James Fund – a grant our caseworker is recommending us for. Now that we have a referral, she is proceeding with the paperwork for the grant. It would be very helpful financially. It also would require us to share our adoption experience at Family Christian Store before groups of people, which we would be delighted to do.
• Jude’s continued development and health.
• Wisdom on the part of our orphanage director, as she considers petitioning the Haitian President over what’s happening with adoptions.

Thanks to you all for sharing this journey with us. It’s not over yet, and there is much to be done! Enjoy the photos. Be warned – you might want to pinch the cheeks. We wouldn’t want anyone breaking a finger as they hastily move their hands toward the computer screen!

Matthew and Valerie

Check out www.glahaiti.org

Garrett Adoption Update - 03/26/07

Praying Friends and Loved Ones,

I suppose I should start this message by telling you that we do not have a referral yet. Sorry to disappoint if you just tuned in hoping for a cute photo of our babe. We thought it would be good to send an update anyway, as we have many asking how things are going and if we have had any news. By the way – never avoid asking; it will always be okay. We’ve had some people express concern that it might be a sore thing to discuss if we haven’t any news to share. However, we expect people to ask how things are going; we know they will ask because they care, and we are happy to talk. Expecting otherwise would be unreasonable on our part.

As we wait, there is no lack of things to do to keep us busy and occupied. Life, as they say, goes on. In February we attended a workshop on African hair care (yes, Matthew went, too, and loved every moment of it even though he wasn’t brave enough to practice on the kind people who were trying to help us learn). It was a great workshop. It was really nice to have a forum with people of another race during which we could ask questions (that we knew were ignorant questions) and not worry about being offensive. They were there to teach us, and they knew that we were there with a heart to learn. We owe a debt of gratitude to them, as they have made themselves available to field our questions anytime in the future. On a lighter note, you can begin to feel sorry for our child now. I didn’t do so well at the hair thing. I’m not really much of a preen-before-the-mirror woman. I spend about ten minutes before the mirror – tops – every day; that includes cosmetics and hair. (Those of you who are snickering, thinking that I’m stating the obvious and that you could guess that about me the moment you met me…it’s okay – laugh it up. I’m good with it.) Anyhow, I’ll need to buy a baby doll to practice on. I wonder how many thirty-year-old women Toys-R-Us sees…buying for themselves!?

Earlier this month we attended an educational session through our adoption agency that was all about becoming a multicultural family. This, too, had very helpful content. There was a panel of adult adoptees who discussed the importance in their own lives of learning about their home country and talked about their individual experiences. They also talked a great deal about working through relinquishment, coming to terms with the fact that someone, somewhere gave them for adoption, whether by choice or not.

Other than the adoption education, we are both working (two jobs for Matt), serving at church, and I’m still teaching aquatics one or two times a week, depending on the week. We have joked that we need a child to slow us down. You parents who think we are crazy or stupid to say such a thing should know that we only say it facetiously. The only thing that makes us believe we are ready for parenthood is that we serve a God who can create beauty in our children from the ashes of our mistakes – and I’m sure there will be many.

Now, on to the issue of a referral: The week before last, our social worker copied us in on an email message to the Haiti contact in the corporate office of our agency requesting an update on our referral, as she thought we had been waiting for a long time. We have tried not to focus on the calendar, but as it turns out, this Friday will mark three and a half months of waiting time. Anyhow, we heard nothing last week. Today we received a message from her that had been forwarded from the Haiti contact. Expecting news of possible timing, below is what we read:

“It is really very hard for me to say how much longer for a proposal. The families that have asked for a child under the age of 12 months will likely have to wait longer for theirs, as the demand for infants is definitely the greatest. Unfortunately I can't tell you much more than that. I'm very sorry. I can tell you that we are starting to take more children in as we see the potential of a number of children leaving soon. We are in the process of collecting paperwork for these new children. Again, I apologize I can't give you more specific information.”

So, more waiting is in store for us. While this is difficult for us as an individual waiting couple, we praise God for kindling passion in His people for the orphans of Haiti, as that is the cause of the delay. It’s a beautiful thing to be part of His work. The Haitian orphanage/adoption workers at our mission orphanage have been overrun with families wanting to serve God by defending the cause of the fatherless (Psalm 82:3-4). So, tonight, we trust Him through tears, knowing that He knows what’s best for us. We remember daily that God’s plan and timing is perfect. He will give us a child when He wants us to have one. He knew before the foundations of the earth that here, now, in 2007, we would be waiting for a child. And tonight, we wonder where that child is, and we are on our knees. Hopefully, again, our next correspondence will include a picture of our babe to share. Thanks to you all for sharing with us this journey we call adoption.

Seeking God’s face,

Matthew and Valerie

Garrett Adoption Update - 01/06/07

Hi Friends!

We have just received great news from our social worker. It seems that the Haitian government has relented on their stringent rule changes for now, and we have been accepted by them! Below is a quote from an email sent to our social worker by the director of the orphanage we will be working with.

“We are telling families that at least one parent must be 28 years old, married at least 5 years and no more than 3 biological children for now. Exceptions, if they have 4 boys by birth and they want to adopt a girl or two, a situation like this, Haiti would probably let them.” -Dixie

This is truly the work of God. You see, there are some people in the Haitian government who believe that adoption is human trafficking. They, of course, have not had contact with any adoptees or the families who have adopted them, so they do not understand the blessed miracle of adoption. However, the orphanage director and her attorney worked hard to meet with the director of Haitian social services (IBESR) to discuss with her the reality that these new rules were not in the best interest of the many little ones who need forever families, and that many eligible families had to be turned away to other countries.

Apparently, the heart of the director of IBESR was changed as a result of that meeting. Our agency is now contacting some of the families that had to consider other countries. As for us – we forge ahead! We didn’t expect any news from Haiti until the end of this month, or possibly the end of February. Hopefully our next update will include news of a referral for a little son or daughter.

The most wonderful thing about this is that it’s so much bigger than we are. This isn’t about us. This isn’t about God giving us a child. This is about God Himself being a Father to the fatherless, caring for the orphan by ensuring that many will be welcomed into forever families. We simply have the privilege of watching Him work before our very eyes. So tonight we leave you with the beauty of the scriptures. In Psalm 10:14, the Psalmist says of God, “…You have been the helper of the orphan.” Isn’t it great that He still is, these many hundreds of years later?

Matthew and Valerie Garrett

Garrett Adoption Update - 12/23/06

Merry Christmas to all! Some of you have been recently added to our list, and as always, if you don’t wish to get updates, just drop us a note and we’ll be glad to remove you. Again – we won’t be offended…life is just too short for that.

You may remember that in our last update we told you of some changes taking place in Haiti, and we had a deadline of 12/22/06 to get out dossier in country. Well, much has happened since then! The only word that consistently comes to mind is: intense. This adoption journey is intense. In short, our dossier made it to Haiti by the 22^nd and we are in awe of God! Read on for details, and what’s next…

Praises:

*The man who did our psychological evaluation (required for our dossier, and yes – we passed…just in case you were wondering) is also an adoptive parent – he was an encouragement to us.

*The translator we were connected with is not only an adoptive parent, but her daughter is from Haiti. She still follows what is happening in the adoption world, knew of the changes in Haiti, and agreed to turn our translation around more quickly than normal and for no additional charge. She has also been an encouragement to us.

*We both have flexible employers which was a huge help in getting more than a month’s worth of paperwork around in a week and a half.

*The mission orphanage we’re working with in Haiti was trying to raise funds for a land purchase to build a new building. All financial needs have been met for this part of their project, and all by the deadline set.

*Safe travels as we have chased documents all over west Michigan in the last couple of weeks!

*This week’s miracle: On Monday we sent eight documents to the Haitian consulate in Chicago. I sent them overnight, with a return envelope that was also for overnight delivery. They needed to authenticate these documents and get them back to us so we could put them with the rest of the dossier, get it to our agency’s corporate office in Grand Rapids and make five copies so that all could be sent to Haiti. The catch: The Haitian consulate has a normal turnaround of about a week. We were getting skeptical about meeting our deadline. In fact, I remember telling one of you that if God wanted this paperwork in Haiti by the 22^nd, then He would need to do a miracle. Tuesday I checked the tracking numbers for the packages online to be sure they were received by the consulate. The consulate got the documents at 11:39am on Tuesday. Just for fun (I’m so entertained that you can track packages online…I know, I know – get a hobby) I entered the tracking number for the return package. It had been picked up from the consulate at 3:32…the same day! This does not happen; the Haitian consulate does not turn documents around in under four hours…ever. It cannot be explained humanly. This was a miracle from God that still has us reeling. When we got the return package, all documents had a consular seal and signature and had been processed correctly.

*Our social worker, Belinda Geertsma…she loves the Lord, and is a great guide and encouragement.

*Our parents and siblings, who are walking this intense journey with us, and who pray for us continually.

*Good friends who also love the Lord, and share experiences of their own that illustrate the goodness of God. (Thanks, Dave!)

*The Haiti contact in our agency’s corporate office, Jane Bradford. On Wednesday I got the package from the consulate, compiled the documents in the proper order, scanned everything and ran off the first copy. Jane was willing to meet with me that afternoon (late) to go through it all to ensure nothing was missing. I got to her office at 4:45. I was increasingly thankful for Jane as I watched the exodus of people leaving the office, while she led me in the opposite direction to her workstation! She and I were at the office until 6:00. I am so grateful she was willing to stay an hour late that evening.

*Accuracy and completeness! Belinda gave us a pat on the back, as she said a large percentage of dossiers have to be returned to the family who sent them because of some error or something missing. Ours was complete, accurate, and ready to be sent to Haiti.

Prayer Requests:

*We did find out on Wednesday evening that our dossier not only had to be in country by the 22^nd, but also had to have gone through the first step of being legalized in country. So, it is still possible that we could be rejected by the Haitian government. Dixie, however, who runs the mission orphanage, is not concerned. She thinks that because we currently have no children, we will still be accepted.

*Patience! It is one of the fruits of the spirit as outlined in Galatians. One of the ways God cultivates it is by making us wait! (Just so you all know, my mother needs it, too. She’s already told our social worker that she’s ready for a picture of this child!)

*That the Haitian government would repeal the changes they have implemented. Many families have had to be steered toward other countries by our agency because of these rule changes. These new rules are not in the best interest of the children who need forever families. Dixie and others have spent days in government meetings trying to convince the director of the IBESR (Haitian social services) that these rules will result in fewer adoptions. This has happened in the past, and within a couple of months they repeal them and go back to the former rules. Pray that will be the case here as well.

So, now we wait. Within the next couple of months, we’ll either get a referral (photo and bio of our child), or we’ll get a rejection from the Haitian government. It is in the hand of God, and we will accept whatever He has for us. In the meantime, we prepare for a referral and we pray.

Random thoughts that have come to my heart these last weeks: As we continue this adoption journey...this intense adoption journey, I am struck by the overwhelming nature of God. I am not surprised that He does miracles…I am overwhelmed at the kindness of them. As He continues to pour out blessing on us, I am struck by my absolute neediness for Him, and my lack of ability to give Him anything back. I am so relieved to be saved by grace...not because of anything I could do. And yet, it leaves me with the deep realization that this also means that I have nothing I can give back to Him...no "thank you" I have is adequate. I suppose that is the very meaning of grace…unmerited favor. Throughout this process, we have seen God work, in ways both small and large. From the people He has put us in contact with to the miraculous work He did in turning around a week's worth of paperwork at the Haitian Consulate in less than four hours, we have been continually blessed.

The reality is, God has already given us eternal life with Christ Jesus, which we do not deserve. He in no way owes us a nice life here on earth. He doesn't owe us blessing; He doesn't owe us affluence; He doesn't owe us anything. Yet He continues to give because that is His character. That is who He is. He is not punitive; He is just, and with that justice comes goodness and kindness and grace to those who follow Him. That is the God of the Bible. Does that mean that none of us will face hardship? Certainly not. Have you prevented every fall your children have had? Neither does He (in our best interest), yet He is there to pick us up and wash our bloodied knees and bless us as He dries our tears. That, my friends, is the God of the Bible.

And so, it is with reverence and worship that we look toward the manger, the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection this Christmas. We are glad to celebrate the miracles of the last two weeks with our families, including my sisters, who will both be in town for the holidays…another kindness from the heart of God. And we wish each of you, our friends and family, a blessed time with your own friends and family. Until we have more news…

Merry Christmas from Matthew and Valerie Garrett

Garrett Adoption Update - 12/07/06

Merry Christmas to All!

We are delighted to report that our home study is done and our INS paperwork will go in the mail tomorrow. Very exciting! This moves us into the stage where we gather documentation for our dossier. We have twenty pieces of documentation to gather (letters from the police, birth certs, marriage cert, copies of bank statement and tax return, letters from the bank, more letters of recommendation…you get the idea). We also need a psych evaluation which I have been asked if I think I’ll actually pass because I live with my joker husband. We shall see, won’t we?

On the dossier front, we have an urgent prayer request for you all. We received a phone call from our social worker last night. Haiti is changing the rules, and one of the rules they are changing could eliminate us from the ability to adopt from their country. The catch: none of the changes apply to us if we have our dossier in country by December 22. Most of the 20 items we have to gather are in process and we expect to have the bulk of them compiled early next week. However, over half of the items have to be translated into French (one of the two national languages in Haiti). The dossier also has to be processed at the Haitian Consulate. These things – all before it goes to Haiti. With the Christmas season upon us, we have no idea how that could change schedules in the offices we need help from. We also both need to get into our doctors again so they can fill out more paperwork for us. Matt’s doc is no problem. Mine is a bit harder to get into, but I am sure if she knows what’s happening she’ll squeeze me in. We have less than fourteen days to get all this done. Oh yes – and we have to get many dollars rounded up…like several thousand. Monday I have an appointment, so I’m going to take the day as a personal day and run around the countryside trying to gather the documentation from various courthouses, police station, etc.

The reality is, we serve a God bigger than us, bigger than Haiti, bigger than adoption. He created all of it. Right now we just strive toward the deadline. Until the deadline has come and gone, none of these changes mean anything. Now, we move fast and pray hard. If God allows a hold up and the deadline comes and goes without our dossier in Haiti, then we look for His new will for us. Until then, we focus, mobilize, and do everything we can to make it happen, trusting that Haiti is still His plan for us. Barring divine intervention, we will meet this deadline. A child is chosen for us in the heart of God.

In the meantime – please pray! We need diligence, accuracy, and great speed in compiling this documentation. We need county clerks and city police and a translator and doctors who can and will respond quickly to our requests. Also, it is our desire to be used by God through this process. Pray that as the roller coaster continues to click up and rush down, our testimonies for Christ will be pure and that people would see Him in us…that we would handle this with the grace and trust that should mark our faith…that we would behave in such a way that others would see that our God is as big as we know He is.

We knew this could happen. Adoption is not a right, it’s a privilege. Any country can change any rule at any time during the game. The ball’s in our court.

Thanks in advance for all your love, support, and prayers. We appreciate you!

Matthew and Valerie