I've been avoiding posting anything because I'm having a hard time dealing with being apart from Ronel and I don't really have much to say other than that.
Since I've been home from Haiti, I've been calling Ronel nightly - even if it is only to say goodnight and to say "I love you". I really thought that this trip would make the waiting a little easier but it has now had the opposite effect - We are both totally done and most nights one, if not both of us end up crying before we hang up. If I thought it would help, I wouldn't call every day but I know that it wouldn't help either of us, it would only make things worse! I have even begun checking the CIC application status site daily hoping & praying that the status will have changed from the day before.
I'm having a hard time because it isn't like I don't believe that God is still in charge of this whole process and I still believe that this was and IS God's plan for Ronel & I, but this isn't what married life is supposed to be. I'm not meant to be separated from my husband for more than 20 months, with no end date in sight. The fact that it is getting harder for Ronel as well is also making it harder for me - Ronel has been the one with the most patience and confidence through this whole thing and it is now wearing on him, and it is quite obvious even over the phone. My mom overheard our conversation tonight (it is over my computer and I use a microphone & speakers so anyone within hearing can hear Ronel) and she came back after I said goodbye and asked what was wrong. Without understanding what Ronel was saying, she could tell by the sound of his voice that something was wrong.
I don't doubt that Ronel will one day get his visa and be able to come to Canada, but it is when that one day will happen. I want to start life together with the man I love, I want to start a family, I want to kiss my husband goodnight and to tell him I love him in person. I want to introduce him to my family & friends. I want to go to church with Ronel, at my home church. I want to set up a home with Ronel. I want to come home to my husband after work.
so please keep praying for us and the paperwork process. It is getting harder but that just means that we need your prayers even more!
--- if you made it this far... wow! I know it was a long post and a vent at that, but that is where I am at right now.
And I will get more stories and photos from my trip to Haiti up soon!
Baby Ticker
Monday, September 29, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
adoption
Saturday when I was home sick, I watched a show on domestic adoptions in Canada and learned that there are over 22,000 (yes that would be twenty two THOUSAND) children who are waiting to be adopted in Canada. I cried alot during that show on Saturday and it reminded me of a conversation I had in Haiti with Chris & Leslie who are in the process of adopting in Haiti where they live. Chris really brought back to my attention domestic adoptions and that there are children here who are waiting for forever families. Well, tonight while I was doing some other things online I decided to look up some more info about domestic adoptions in BC especially and the ministry of children & family's website has a list of children waiting to be placed - there are more than a 1000 children right here in BC who need a family! Well, you can pick a name and learn more about the child and reading through some of the profiles I started crying! I just want to take them all in and give them a loving home!! But it really started stirring up my heart and reminding me that there are children right here who need a family! Who knows what the future has in store for Ronel & I but we both are quite open to adoption and we had always thought it would be from Haiti but now who knows!!
Anyways - I just wanted to let you all know what is going through my head and ask you to pray for us that God would reveal quite clearly to us what HIS PLAN for us is in this area (well, really in all areas, but especially in this area!)
Have a great night! (oh and please keep Haiti in your prayers as they are having more rain as there is a tropical low pressure system above them right now! (It isn't yet a tropical depression or even a storm yet but could still cause flooding and other damage to an already struggling country! )
Anyways - I just wanted to let you all know what is going through my head and ask you to pray for us that God would reveal quite clearly to us what HIS PLAN for us is in this area (well, really in all areas, but especially in this area!)
Have a great night! (oh and please keep Haiti in your prayers as they are having more rain as there is a tropical low pressure system above them right now! (It isn't yet a tropical depression or even a storm yet but could still cause flooding and other damage to an already struggling country! )
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Finally, stories from my trip to Haiti
Okay, so I decided that it is finally time to tell you some stories from my trip.
It started off smoothly with my good friend dropping me off at the Vancouver airport for my LONG trip... first stop was in Dallas, then onto Atlanta where the problems started! I arrived in Atlanta at 1:30am and was scheduled to leave at 6am. I woke up from what can barely be called a nap at about 5am and went looking for a bathroom. On the way, I came across a lady from my previous flight and she asked me if I was on my way to Miami. I said yes, and she said that our flight had been CANCELLED! What! So the two of us went out to the ticket counter and had to wait to see what could be done.
I had been rescheduled for a flight that was supposed to leave at about 2pm. This meant that I was going to be missing my connection in Miami and I needed to contact Ronel and tell him that I would not be at the airport at noon. I couldn't get through to Haiti on my cell so I tried calling my mom to get her to call Ronel on Skype. I bought a calling card and tried to call my mom but since it was only 4am in BC, she didn't answer. But, needing to get through to Ronel, I called my youngest sister and asked her to keep trying to call Mom to get her to check her mesages. Well, it turned out that Leslie had to drive over to Mom's and wake her up. She send me a text message once Mom was awake and I called her so that I could help her get through to Ronel. It was quite interesting being able to hear my mom, sister and Ronel all at the same time but Ronel was not able to hear me. So knowing that Ronel knew I would be late I set out to wait for my next flight.
Well, it got delayed and ended up leaving almost an hour late which meant that I arrived in Miami like 15 minutes before my flight to Miami was supposed to board. So I rushed down to the next gate only to find out that the flight to Haiti was also delayed!! (not that it was a huge surprise! Flights to Haiti out of Miami are frequently delayed! This is one reason I prefer to fly through Fort Lauderdale!) So we finally boarded the plane only to sit on the tarmac as some lady searched for a missing purse. At one point, the flight attendant came on over the loudspeaker and said to everyone that if they didn't all sit down and we left within 10 minutes that we wouldn't be leaving that day! Well that got people's attention and soon we were on our way!
We arrived in Haiti about 5:30pm - only 2 hours after my rescheduled arrival and almost 6 hours after my original time. I was surprised at the changes to the Port-au-Prince airport and was quickly through immigration and at the carousel waiting for my luggage. My carry-on came out quickly (they had gate checked it in Miami) and then one of my two checked bags. I waited and waited for the second and as the bags dwindled, it became clear that my bag was not arriving. So I went over to the counter to report my missing bag and was given a number to call the next morning. I then went through customs and headed for the outside. As soon as I got through the doors I saw Ronel's smiling face and that totally made my day! I was so thankful to see Ronel that it almost made the long journey and missing bag okay! (but not quite!) We greeted each other (I'll spare you the detail! ;P) and then I greeted Jean Jean and Gerald and saw our niece and Ronel's youngest sister (she's 8) who had been visiting in Port au Prince with family. We then loaded into the truck and headed for home. -- funny side story -- When I told Ronel that one of my bags was missing and that it might be brought in the next morning, Ronel asked if I wanted him to spend the night in Port so he could pick it up in the morning. I quickly said "NO" The suitcase was not that important to me! And we'd figure something out the next day but we were definitely heading home together. I know he was only trying to help as it is almost a 4 hour trip to the airport but I just wanted my husband by my side.
We got to Borel about 9pm (which is late in Haiti) and headed straight to the house. This trip we stayed again in the same compound where we stayed after the wedding but a different house this time. This time we stayed in the house where I lived when I first moved to Borel to work with Karen & Kevan. It was kind of nice as it was a familiar space and this was where the previous missionaries had lived so it was quite americanized - fans in every room, it had an inverter (which meant that we had electricity even without the generator - as long as the batteries lasted) so the fans would still work at night and it was fully furnished.
Ronel & I unpacked and shortly after headed to bed. I was EXHAUSTED! and hadn't slept well in 2 nights. It was SO NICE to be back with my husband and just be able to curl up in his arms. Friday morning, Ronel kindly let me sleep in. We started what turned into our routine - just hanging out with each other and enjoying being together. Early afternoon we called the airport to find out that my luggage had arrived and we arranged for Marc (a good friend of ours) to head out early Saturday morning to pick it up for me (by early I mean 3:30am!!) He got the suitcase and got right back on the bus and came home - he got in about 4pm! As I said, he is a GOOD friend and a real blessing to us! When I opened my suitcase, I discovered that it had been opened and items had been stolen - some of which were gifts for Ronel, others were items for me - like my conditioner! Atleast they didn't take my shampoo!!
Friday afternoon about 3pm we headed up to the orphange to see "my kids". It was so fun to see their faces when they saw me. Moyiz just came running down the driveway calling my name with the biggest smile on his face. All the kids were so happy to see me and it turns out that they didn't know that I was even coming to Haiti so it was a total surprise! The staff were also happy to see me and all of them asked me when I was coming back to live and work there. It was so nice to see them but also reminded me that God had called me back to BC and that it was no longer the place that God had for me.
Okay - so that is my first 3 days and I'll be back with more stories and photos....
It started off smoothly with my good friend dropping me off at the Vancouver airport for my LONG trip... first stop was in Dallas, then onto Atlanta where the problems started! I arrived in Atlanta at 1:30am and was scheduled to leave at 6am. I woke up from what can barely be called a nap at about 5am and went looking for a bathroom. On the way, I came across a lady from my previous flight and she asked me if I was on my way to Miami. I said yes, and she said that our flight had been CANCELLED! What! So the two of us went out to the ticket counter and had to wait to see what could be done.
I had been rescheduled for a flight that was supposed to leave at about 2pm. This meant that I was going to be missing my connection in Miami and I needed to contact Ronel and tell him that I would not be at the airport at noon. I couldn't get through to Haiti on my cell so I tried calling my mom to get her to call Ronel on Skype. I bought a calling card and tried to call my mom but since it was only 4am in BC, she didn't answer. But, needing to get through to Ronel, I called my youngest sister and asked her to keep trying to call Mom to get her to check her mesages. Well, it turned out that Leslie had to drive over to Mom's and wake her up. She send me a text message once Mom was awake and I called her so that I could help her get through to Ronel. It was quite interesting being able to hear my mom, sister and Ronel all at the same time but Ronel was not able to hear me. So knowing that Ronel knew I would be late I set out to wait for my next flight.
Well, it got delayed and ended up leaving almost an hour late which meant that I arrived in Miami like 15 minutes before my flight to Miami was supposed to board. So I rushed down to the next gate only to find out that the flight to Haiti was also delayed!! (not that it was a huge surprise! Flights to Haiti out of Miami are frequently delayed! This is one reason I prefer to fly through Fort Lauderdale!) So we finally boarded the plane only to sit on the tarmac as some lady searched for a missing purse. At one point, the flight attendant came on over the loudspeaker and said to everyone that if they didn't all sit down and we left within 10 minutes that we wouldn't be leaving that day! Well that got people's attention and soon we were on our way!
We arrived in Haiti about 5:30pm - only 2 hours after my rescheduled arrival and almost 6 hours after my original time. I was surprised at the changes to the Port-au-Prince airport and was quickly through immigration and at the carousel waiting for my luggage. My carry-on came out quickly (they had gate checked it in Miami) and then one of my two checked bags. I waited and waited for the second and as the bags dwindled, it became clear that my bag was not arriving. So I went over to the counter to report my missing bag and was given a number to call the next morning. I then went through customs and headed for the outside. As soon as I got through the doors I saw Ronel's smiling face and that totally made my day! I was so thankful to see Ronel that it almost made the long journey and missing bag okay! (but not quite!) We greeted each other (I'll spare you the detail! ;P) and then I greeted Jean Jean and Gerald and saw our niece and Ronel's youngest sister (she's 8) who had been visiting in Port au Prince with family. We then loaded into the truck and headed for home. -- funny side story -- When I told Ronel that one of my bags was missing and that it might be brought in the next morning, Ronel asked if I wanted him to spend the night in Port so he could pick it up in the morning. I quickly said "NO" The suitcase was not that important to me! And we'd figure something out the next day but we were definitely heading home together. I know he was only trying to help as it is almost a 4 hour trip to the airport but I just wanted my husband by my side.
We got to Borel about 9pm (which is late in Haiti) and headed straight to the house. This trip we stayed again in the same compound where we stayed after the wedding but a different house this time. This time we stayed in the house where I lived when I first moved to Borel to work with Karen & Kevan. It was kind of nice as it was a familiar space and this was where the previous missionaries had lived so it was quite americanized - fans in every room, it had an inverter (which meant that we had electricity even without the generator - as long as the batteries lasted) so the fans would still work at night and it was fully furnished.
Ronel & I unpacked and shortly after headed to bed. I was EXHAUSTED! and hadn't slept well in 2 nights. It was SO NICE to be back with my husband and just be able to curl up in his arms. Friday morning, Ronel kindly let me sleep in. We started what turned into our routine - just hanging out with each other and enjoying being together. Early afternoon we called the airport to find out that my luggage had arrived and we arranged for Marc (a good friend of ours) to head out early Saturday morning to pick it up for me (by early I mean 3:30am!!) He got the suitcase and got right back on the bus and came home - he got in about 4pm! As I said, he is a GOOD friend and a real blessing to us! When I opened my suitcase, I discovered that it had been opened and items had been stolen - some of which were gifts for Ronel, others were items for me - like my conditioner! Atleast they didn't take my shampoo!!
Friday afternoon about 3pm we headed up to the orphange to see "my kids". It was so fun to see their faces when they saw me. Moyiz just came running down the driveway calling my name with the biggest smile on his face. All the kids were so happy to see me and it turns out that they didn't know that I was even coming to Haiti so it was a total surprise! The staff were also happy to see me and all of them asked me when I was coming back to live and work there. It was so nice to see them but also reminded me that God had called me back to BC and that it was no longer the place that God had for me.
Okay - so that is my first 3 days and I'll be back with more stories and photos....
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
wordle
try out Wordle - go to wordle.net and click on Create. You can use your own words or it will search your blog for the most popular words and create one for you...
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Haiti links
check out the sites below for more on what is going on in Haiti and this news article on Haiti from the Miami Herald
Haiti Rescue Center
They run a rescue center and a clinic and the work they are doing is amazing!
Livesays in Haiti
A missionary family in Port-au-Prince
Please keep praying for Haiti and all the people there.
Haiti Rescue Center
They run a rescue center and a clinic and the work they are doing is amazing!
Livesays in Haiti
A missionary family in Port-au-Prince
Please keep praying for Haiti and all the people there.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Haiti links - hurricane aftermath
Check out these links with news & photos about what is happening in Haiti
Storms batter Haiti - photos
More news & photos -
Hanna's impact on Haiti
A woman outside her home in the Artibonite, Haiti
You can also check out the following blogs for more links & photos about what is currently going on in Haiti
Rollings in Haiti
Lifeline Mission
Matt & Esther in Haiti
Please be praying for all of Haiti and for Ronel and all his family members there. The Artibonite river which is close by where Ronel lives (in the Artibonite Valley) is in danger of flooding and that would cause the canals which flow out from it to also flood their banks. There is a canal that runs right in front of the HATS orphanage where I lived & worked and it flows down and behind where Ronel lives. Both of the bridges which connect the central part of Haiti with the capital city are not passable - the one in Mirebalais has collapsed, and the one in Montrouis is in danger of collapsing and they are not letting vehicles cross it. Schools have been closed which means that Ronel is not working and is without an income - this makes life difficult. This has been hard on me as well as I can not do much from here and when I can't get through on Ronel's cell phone, I have no way of contacting him and that makes me nervous as I then don't know if he is safe.
Please also be praying for our paperwork as I don't know what this is doing to the paperwork process. With all the flooding and deaths in the country, I don't if the embassy is still getting work done on the visa applications.
I will keep you updated and will try and get stories from my trip posted.
Storms batter Haiti - photos
More news & photos -
Hanna's impact on Haiti
A woman outside her home in the Artibonite, Haiti
You can also check out the following blogs for more links & photos about what is currently going on in Haiti
Rollings in Haiti
Lifeline Mission
Matt & Esther in Haiti
Please be praying for all of Haiti and for Ronel and all his family members there. The Artibonite river which is close by where Ronel lives (in the Artibonite Valley) is in danger of flooding and that would cause the canals which flow out from it to also flood their banks. There is a canal that runs right in front of the HATS orphanage where I lived & worked and it flows down and behind where Ronel lives. Both of the bridges which connect the central part of Haiti with the capital city are not passable - the one in Mirebalais has collapsed, and the one in Montrouis is in danger of collapsing and they are not letting vehicles cross it. Schools have been closed which means that Ronel is not working and is without an income - this makes life difficult. This has been hard on me as well as I can not do much from here and when I can't get through on Ronel's cell phone, I have no way of contacting him and that makes me nervous as I then don't know if he is safe.
Please also be praying for our paperwork as I don't know what this is doing to the paperwork process. With all the flooding and deaths in the country, I don't if the embassy is still getting work done on the visa applications.
I will keep you updated and will try and get stories from my trip posted.
Monday, September 01, 2008
a quick post...
So I'm back from Campbell River and enjoying the small time I have left of my day off before heading back to work tomorrow and the craziness of back to school time!
I wanted to post this photo of Ronel - it is one of my favourite photos I took this last trip. I have no idea why he decided to wave but it makes for an adorable photo!!
Enjoy the photo and I will try and post some stories about my trip soon....
I wanted to post this photo of Ronel - it is one of my favourite photos I took this last trip. I have no idea why he decided to wave but it makes for an adorable photo!!
Enjoy the photo and I will try and post some stories about my trip soon....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)