We're Finally Home!

Friday night at exactly 8pm we drove up the driveway to our home. We had left our home the previous Saturday at 7pm to begin our adventure of driving straight to Miami, Florida to retrieve our two girls. Last Saturday we were a family of six. Now we are a family of eight!

It was a long, but really fun trip home. We sang. We played cards. We listened to music. We laughed. Everybody but me slept. We stopped at various rest stops and fast food joints and hotels. We began our bonding process. It was awesome.

All six of my kids were awesome. I am so proud of each and every one of them. Conor (17) is a loving, caring big brother. He is a leader. To see him interact with the new girls is something that blows me away. Kolten (15) is so considerate and kind. He is constantly making sure everyone is comfortable and safe, while making all of us laugh our heads off. Maria (14) is quiet, shy, and a little freaked out. Yet, with all she's been through recently, she is kind and shows an excitement for what lies ahead. When she experiences something brand new (like snow, Wal-Mart, or sour patch gummy bears) she simply smiles and widens her eyes without saying a word. Caleb (13) has, too, been such a great blessing. He can get our youngest (Merci) laughing like no one else. He let Maria braid his long hair, which I know was painful for him, but barely even whimpered. Michaela (10) is so happy to have two more girls in the family! At times I'd watch her in my rear-view mirror (remember we just spent three days in a van) and marvel at how beautiful and loving she is. Merci Klarrah (5) I've started calling 'Klaire-Bear' for some reason. She is just fun. Everything is new and everything is exciting. Ever since I've known Merci, since meeting her almost four years ago, she has had a curious habit of sucking on three of her fingers with her opposite arm covering her eyes. I've come to learn that she does this when she is feeling nervous or scared. In the past three days I've only seen her do this twice! She is sure loved... and I think she gets that.

We were so excited to show the girls our home. Wow, were we surprised. As we were gone some magic elves came into our house... and transformed it!

Our upstairs bathroom was completely gutted and re-done. New beautiful tile is now on the floor, in the tub, and around the sink! The faucets in the sink and shower/tub are new and super cool. New towels and shower curtain that actually match are hanging.

The upstairs attic was cleaned out, the doors that were falling down were taken out and replaced with drywall, insulation, and a new 36" door that completely keeps the cold out of Caleb's room! (This may not seem like a big deal to anyone, but you just have no idea what a burden this was on me... and what a blessing it is to have done.)

The girls room was rearranged to have three beds, three dressers, and set up cuter than you can imagine! Notes were left for Maria that she immediately read with a huge smile on her face.

The house was dusted from top to bottom. The ceiling fans, that previously had a special science experiment taking place on them in the form of one entire inch of dust, had been wiped cleaner than a plate of food put in front of Merci!

Perhaps the best part, or at least the most meaningful to our new daughters, was the fact that there were pictures of THEM all over the house! Right alongside Conor, Kolten, Caleb, and Michaela's pictures in our main dining room were new, big pictures of Maria and Merci! This actually made Kelli cry and me so appreciative of the friends and family that we have here in Liberty!

I could go on and on, but won't for sake of time. I just want those involved (you elves know who you are) to know that you can never understand what you've done. I love you, I love you, I love you. More than words can say,... I love you.

We were all tired, so after an awesome meal (that was prepared for us and waiting in the crock-pot... another 'thank-you') we got ready for bed. I read a book about monkeys to Merci and brushed her teeth. Maria and Michaela tried on new clothes that had been left for them in their dressers. The boys showered in their new bathroom. Kelli started doing laundry. And then we all held hands and prayed together as a family - thanking God for His mysterious love and care, and for the many blessings we enjoy.

Life is good. We're finally home.

Adoption Update - Day 4

UPDATE:

It's Wednesday morning. Yesterday the embassy 'processed' twenty one families, who are on their way home right now, or already there. It's hard not to be jealous. There is still twenty three families to go, of which we and the Pinas are two of those. This whole process is ridiculously long and tedious. Yesterday, they finally caved and let us see the kids. This made the day much better and re-lit the fire in our hearts as to why we are going through this tremendously hard situation.

The girls: They are awesome. They are happy to be away from where they were, but sad to be leaving their friends and the life they've known up to this point. They have no clue what 'tomorrow' holds. Their skin is dry and cracked and their hair is wirey and mussed. They've been living in make-shift tents for the past two weeks and have had no way to care for themselves. They haven't been eating well and they are weak.

But they are awesome.

We're heading back to the embassy now. We are packing up the hotel room and prayerfully planning on not coming back. If, in fact, we must... we will have to find another hotel (hopefully closer to the embassy) for tonight. If we get the children today (when we do, I mean =) we'll begin our journey home and find a hotel somewhere along the way tonight. I am pretty sure I can't drive straight thru again. That was absolutely killer and something I haven't truly recovered from yet. Although last night I got my first full night's sleep. Yea!

I love you all, and have appreciated your prayers big time. I miss you all and can't wait to introduce you to my entire family. By the way,... I'm so proud of my wife and kids. Each of them have shown the love of Chirst and the patience of Job throughout this. They teach me so much every day. I am truly a blessed man... and cannot complain about a thing.

--
Michael Craft
www.DesperationChurch.org

Thank You.

Thank you World Vision. I'm humbled and honored to be called a 'Christian' when I see ministries like yours being 'Jesus' to a hurting world.

If you are wondering what a good organization might be to donate $5, $10, or anything at all... I can't think of one better than this: www.worldvision.org

God bless.

Be Prepared,... Or Don't.

I'm swimming.

I mean, my mind is swimming. With all that has been transpiring in Haiti and the adoption of our two girls that has been in process for over three and a half years looking like it could be coming to completion any moment... I'm swimming.

I want to admit something: I've been angry. I've felt cheated... lied to... stolen from... and extremely disappointed. It all started four years ago when I made my first trip to Haiti. On my last day there, I met Maria Andre and Merci Klarrah, and I fell in love. That love only grew on two subsequent trips, and numerous letters and phone calls. I consider them 'my girls'. We worked hard to finish all the paperwork... and there was A LOT of paperwork! We had to have what is called a 'Home Study', where someone comes into our home and inspects everything, and interviews me, my wife, each of my children. It was very nerve-wracking! We spent twenty thousand dollars and re-mortgaged our home. We prayed.

Nothing happened.

I became angry. Each phone call only brought on more discouragement. Each email telling us that the Haitian government was in 'no hurry' to get orphans out, we just "HAD TO WAIT"... only added to my frustration. We had done all that we could! We had done everything right! Now we were being told that we were not even supposed to contact our own government to speed things up, because that would only anger the Haitian government and slow things down. The whole thing seemed crooked, and I became more and more discouraged... and angry.

This may sound hard to believe, but I never lost faith... in God. I truly felt, prayed, and believed that God was in control. I just figured He wanted me to trust Him... even it that meant that I would never get the girls home, and that we had flushed twenty grand and countless hours of work. I had resigned myself that it would NEVER happen. I trusted that that was God's will... and I would be okay with it.

Right.

Last week, Haiti imploded. One week later we're being told that President Obamma has signed something that allows Haitian orphans to come to the states immediately if they can only get a ride here. This morning I'm told that my girls are camping out outside the crumbled Haitian Consolate awaiting their release with 60 or more other orphans from their orphanage. I'm being told to stay calm,... but be ready.

Right.

I'm swimming. My mind is a million different places. Is this really going to happen? What was I thinking? Can I be "Dad" to six kids? Are the girls traumatized? How big are they now? Are they going to like me? Can six kids share one tiny bathroom? Is Kelli going to be able to homeschool everyone? How are we going to afford food, when my four kids already eat more than I thought was possible? I can't wait to hold them and tell them it's all okay now. Will Kelli keep working at the bank? Will the church love them? Will all my kids get along? Have the girls seen those piles of bodies that I saw on the news? Am I cut out for this?

I'm not angry anymore,... I'm scared.

A few days ago I was reading in Matthew chapter 10:19-20. It states, "But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say, or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." Jesus said this as part of His preparing the disciples to go out and share the Message that the Kingdom of God is here. He's telling them to not fret or even prepare ahead of time what they will or will not say, because by God's Spirit, they will be given the words to speak. Even in circumstances where their very lives are at stake.

Can you imagine living with that kind of peace? No questioning. No self-doubt. No worries,... all because you KNOW that God's Spirit is ultimately in charge... and can bail you out of any mess you've gotten yourself into, or help you during any crisis that seems way too big for you.

As a disciple myself, I too must be reliant upon God's Holy Spirit to give me what to say. Even in times where I'm swimming. Just as Jesus is preparing these followers ahead of time for what they will one day encounter, so too I must trust that He has prepared me ahead of time for what I will encounter.

Jesus' words, "Do not worry about what to say, or how to say it" ring in my ears... and in my heart today, as I pray:

"Father, may I be guided by Your Spirit today and throughout the next few days and weeks to be the man You've called me to be... prepared me to be... and are enabling me to be. I love you."