This post is hard for me to type. When we signed on to be Sonel's host family, we knew he had parents, but we knew before he came that his parents told Lori that they did not want him back. I hadn't even met him yet, and my heart broke for him. After he had been here for several months, my husband suggested that we see if we could adopt Sonel. (That has been my desire forever, but we haven't been in harmony on the subject.) I was thrilled beyond words that my husband wanted to adopt. When Lori contacted his parents about a possible adoption, the father had a list of demands...he wants us to send them money every month, Sonel would not be allowed to call us Mom and Dad, we would have to take Sonel to Haiti several times a year to visit them, and when he is 18 he has to move back and take care of them until they die. Sonel's dad is 72 years old and his mom is 34. They are not married. Lori told them that this was illegal and couldn't be done, then he told Lori that they want him back when he is well.
I pray every night for God's will to be done in Sonel's life. I want what's best for him. Living in the US isn't what's best, but being loved is. I want him to be loved. I show him picture ID's of his mom and dad and talk about them. He knows them, even though he hasn't seen them, since they dropped him off at the Rescue Center 2 days after his 4th birthday. He's 5 and 1/2 now. Sonel talks total English now and today he told me that he's not going back to Haiti. ( I've told him several times that he came here to get his feet fixed and his mom and dad want him to come back when he is all better.) I told him again that his mom and dad want to see him. He just kept saying that he's not going back. It's going to be so hard for him, and my family. Hope has already bawled about it a couple times. One time Hope and Sonel were playing and Hope was asking Sonel questions and he was answering in a microphone. She asked him his name and where he was from. Then she asked him if he liked Haiti and he said "No, Haiti hurt me" . She said "What" and he repeated it. My heart sank. PLEASE pray for Sonel. Please help me pray that he has a happy life. I know that there is NOTHING that God cannot do.
Brenda