In a way it feels like a dream to me. It's like I woke up and things are different now. I got groceries today and I saw things I don't need to buy now. It was hard.
There is a girl from Texas at the Rescue Center, (Jamie knows her), named Caroline. She posted a picture of Sonel on her blog! I was thrilled when I seen it. If you want to follow her blog... ohsweetcaroline.blogspot.com He's in the back of a truck in the black t shirt.
A funny note...before I left I told Sonel I would send him a package and I asked him what he wanted in it. One of the things he wanted was a "Hot Wheels B Pack". I don't watch toy commercials, so I told him I would ask Hope what it was when I got home. Hope thought for a while and said "I know, there's a commercial that says, Hot Wheels, beat that!" We got a good laugh from that. It's just a hot wheels with a crazy track.
I'll keep everyone posted if I hear anything about Sonel. Thank you all for your prayers. God is good.
Brenda

A HARD TRIP

This is a hard post. I'm so full of emotion right now.

When we first were driving to Chicago to catch our flight, the next morning, Sonel started saying "I don't want to go to Haiti". He realized we were actually going after talking about it for so long. He would say it kind of jokingly, then he had tears running down his cheeks as he said it. He was remembering. Haiti is hard. It's unlike anything you could possibly experience in the US. I could have bawled at the drop of a hat, but I silently cried inside. We caught our flight the next morning. Sonel did good. We went from Chicago to Miami. When we got on our flight in Miami, he had a hard time. He could hear all of the Haitians on the flight speaking Creole. Anytime anyone from the US would speak Creole to him, he wouldn't answer them. I think he would think they had come to take him back to Haiti.

All went pretty well, Sonel fell asleep on the trip to the Rescue Center. On the first day, Sonel cried, he would say "Can we just go home, I don't want to live in Haiti". It tore me up and we cried together, but I cried alone, a lot, for the next week.

Kenny, Sonel & I were pretty much left on our own the whole week. On the 4th day, Lori talked to us about Sonel's future. I felt better after the talk, but something was really strange about whole trip. I don't know what it was, if we came at a bad time or what, but it was awkward and not very enjoyable. I didn't want to leave Sonel, but I was ready to go home. I cried everyday...pretty much all the time. I pray that things are going better for everyone their.

Sonel loved playing with all of the kids. He started adjusting pretty well to the routine. I've never seen a child sweat so much! His shirt was wet all around his neck from wiping his head with it. On the last day, I told Sonel that he needed a bath, (which was really a stand up, pour water on your head, kind of bath) and Sonel asked me if I would give him a bath in the river across the road! He saw kids bathing in the river and he was ready to try it. I think the bigger kids at the Rescue Center do take baths in the river. It's very shallow. I told him he could do that when I'm gone.

Zach gave me a call from Haiti while we were driving home from Chicago, at about 8pm, to tell me that Sonel did great that day. He said Sonel got up, took his clothes to the bathroom, got dressed and went down stairs to play with the kids. He said he was very mature for his age and that it was a miracle.

I think while I was holding a 4 year old that was skin and bones, from the Rescue Center, that I realized that Sonel hadn't been starved by his parents, they did walk 10 hours to get him some help. Even though they said they didn't want him back, I can only hope that they will treat him well. I pray that they will love him, like we do. He is so sweet, so tenderhearted. I miss him so much.

LAST POST....FOR A WHILE

We had such a nice turn out for Sonel's open house. I took a picture of everyone that came, with Sonel. Poor boy, he kept saying "Again?" I had to get him off the trampoline with all of the other kids here, and he wasn't too pleased. He still had the biggest smile ever with every picture though. I couldn't possibly post them all, but I will post a few. The nicest surprise of the evening was Dr. DeHeer came!!! I can't say enough about his BIG heart. God bless him in all he does! (You will be in my prayers always, as you bless others with you selfless heart.)

This is our son, Josh...whom like his father...can't smile for a picture, unless he's heard the funniest joke on earth. Also, his wife Amber and son, Elijah.

Another son, Ben, with his two boys, Gabriel and Michael. Ben can't smile either, so he just does the best mean look he could muster.

Sonel and Gabriel are best buddies.

Another son, Bradley, his wife Jennifer and sweet grand baby, Zoie. Bradley has no trouble smiling...must have took after me.

Hey, Kenny's cracking a smile!!!

Our daughter, Nikki, her husband Sam and beautiful daughter, Delight.

My Mom, known to Sonel as "Grandma".

We were prayed for this morning, at church, and it brought out a lot of emotions that Kenny and I have held in. It will be so very hard when we leave Sonel. I just believe that he will grow up to be a man after God's own heart, no matter where he lives. He is in God's hands. He is so special to us, I can't imagine how much more God loves him. This will be my last post until we get back. I hope to have a lot of pictures and movies. Please pray for us.

Brenda

4TH OF JULY

Playing with sparklers. If you put your camera on Manual, you can set it so the shutter will stay open. I set it for 2 seconds. The kids had a blast making designs.

This is Sonel. He's blurry from all the movement, but it was still cool.

Hope made small circles, then big ones.

Hope making figure 8's.

Sonel making circles.

I can't believe we will be taking Sonel back in 3 days. I thought I could post his photo book, with all of the captions, but it will just direct you to an album of his photos. Most of the pictures in the album are ones on his blog anyway.

I have a few pics of our "cold" camping trip. The kids we being crazy in the camper.

We are having an open house for Sonel this Sunday. I'm going to take a picture of Sonel with everyone that comes. I will make an album for Sonel, (really quick) and also copies for everyone to hang on there fridge, so they can remember to pray for him.

I will probably post one more time before we leave. Please pray for Sonel's transition back to Haiti culture. He is so Amercianized now. He can't remember any Creole. Everyone says it will come back to him. It will still be hard for him. He is so smart. He is a whiz on the computer and he always asks to play games on my iPod. I only put games on it for the kids to play.

He's a kid, he will be resilient and bounce back. I just want him to keep smiling.

Brenda

THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES

Last Sunday we went to my husband's family reunion. After it was over, my husband and his two brothers paid a visit to their mom's grave site, nearby. While we were all there, I told Sonel that Kenny, Jeff and Steve's mom was buried under the grave stone. I told him that she died and that they put her in a box first. I didn't want him to think they just through her in a hole. He walked off. About 5 minutes later he came up to Steve and pointed down and said "I think you mom needs some fresh air". I laughed so hard. I'm amazed at his grasp of the English language.
We just came back from camping today. We had horrible weather. It was so cold for July, I couldn't believe it. NO SWIMMING. Bummer. Plus, I sprained my ankle as soon as I got the camper all set up! I can walk on it now and it's turning all kind of lovely colors, but it still hurts like the dickens!