We received this from Haiti a few days ago.....

Just wanted to update you that we are having Grace evaluated at Healing Hands ofHaiti, a Canadian ministry that provides physical therapy services. I was therewith another child on Fri., and when I inquired about getting her into therapythey suggested that we bring her in immediately as they had an ortho specialistthere. Dr. Anderson did see her and ordered x-rays of her feet which were donetoday. Should have them back in a couple of days, then he will see her againFri. to give some advice about treatment options. He agreed that she hasvertical talus, as opposed to club feet, but wants to see the x-rays beforegoing any further... She is doing great with her hands, moving her fingers,grasping things, and while riding around town today going from doctor todoctor's appts with several kids, she spent a lot of time styling my hair. Sheloves playing in my hair! So, will keep you posted about what we find out Fri. Blessings! Chris

We got to Skype again with the girls last week- first time we saw Grace smile!

Please pray for HIS HOME- there are pre-election riots and violence going on in the city. Chris and Hal have "insider" gang members who they can call to find out the areas to avoid while running kids around.

We are looking forward to our new hairstyles.....

Hey Everyone
Sorry there has been no posts for awhile. We have run into some pretty serious roadblocks that seem to be heading towards some possible legal actions and are in some serious need of prayer. The last few months have been full of ups and downs. I can't really get into details because of the possible pending legal actions.
We have started "Skyping" with the girls- twice a month we do an internet video phone call. We talked to them last night- they are looking great. Daphna is learning to walk (we have pictures) and Grace has started using her hands in a somewhat functional way, which rules out some really bad stuff. The doctors are guessing a possible syndrome that has some serious long term effects, but we won't know for sure until we get her here and do some genetic testing. Pray for us as we continue to pursue a medical visa for her.
Thanks so much for following along with us on this journey- it has been one of the hardest things we have ever done, and we often know we are being lifted up by our prayer warriors.
Please keep Judy's folks in your prayers as well. Dad has Alzheimers that seems to be progressing quickly- Judy is in Chicago this weekend to begin looking into Dementia care for him. Mom's heart is damaged and she is having lots of difficulty breathing (she had congestive heart failure 11 years ago).

Dinner is served

Our girls are healthy and doing well. A recent stomach flu passed through the baby nursery. 15 out of 18 babies were sick. Daphna and Grace were two that remained healthy!

Happy New Year!
2008 was quite an adventure, we can hardly wait for what 2009 has in store for our family. Some rather discouraging news on medical visas. Apparently the American Embassy in Haiti is getting reluctant to issue visas for children who are in the process of being adopted. There has been some problems with children not returning when the visas expire and the adoption is not completed yet. As of last week getting Grace to our home for treatment has began to look doubtful. It is possible that she can go somewhere else in the country with a family willing to host if suitable people and medical care can be found.
We are definitely looking to God to do His will here, so please be praying that His perfect plan for Grace would be done. Who knows, maybe He has plans for her in His kingdom in another family for awhile before she come to us? Our responsibility is to wait patiently and watch and listen as His will is unveiled at the proper time. Oswald Chambers spends some time in his book "My Utmost for His Highest" exploring what it means to wait quietly and patiently for God to move and then always be ready to go when He asks. That is our prayer right now, that God would give us peace and calm as we wait.
Our dossier is moving through the appropriate offices in Haiti. All seems well and on track as far as the adoption goes. Word is that Daphna is moving around great and is happy as anything with all the kids in the orphanage. Apparently Grace is beginning to use her hands a little bit, and is interacting (smiling, cooing etc.) with others. These activities are great indicators of proper developmental progress for a 5 month old- so we continue to pray for her health and body as she grows.
Thanks so much to all who have been praying for us in the last year, and God's blessing on you all in this new year.
What an awesome and surprising God we serve!

A Possible New Diagnosis

After looking at some photos of Grace, our specialist says Grace does not have club feet. Her feet turn outward instead of the typical inward twist of club feet. Her condition is called congenital vertical talus (CVT) or rigid flatfoot. This condition will most likely require surgery as well as some casting treatment. This condition cannot be treated the same way as club feet. We hope that will help our case at the US Embassy in order to bring her home. We are so grateful for the people who have come forward to help us by taking pictures and with offers of medical help.

Medical Visa's and such

We talked with Chris in Haiti last night and have started the process of trying to obtain a medical visa for Grace to come to Grand Rapids to begin treatment on her hands and feet. An Orthopedic surgeon at DeVos Children's Hospital has expressed interest in helping us out with treatments, and we are currently pursuing whether our insurance would cover medical expenses for Grace. A couple things to specifically pray for: We could find all the right people who are willing to team with us to get Grace treatment sooner than later. We could find how to pay for this treatment, whether through insurance or doctor and hospital donations. And of course that the American Embassy and Haitian government would allow the visa to happen. There is also some concern that Grace's hands and feet could be indicative of a type of joint and muscle syndrome that could be a lifelong medical issue, so definite prayer that there is not a bigger issue here, and if there is that God would give us all what we need in any circumstances.

Please also be remembering Baby Myriam. She is one of the hydrocephalic babies who had surgery last week to relieve pressure in her head. It turns out that she has disease that is destroying her brain. Her life expectancy is short and alot of pain is expected.

Please also remember the orphange in this time of economic crisis. The reality is that most people will cut giving out of their budget first, and there are real financial needs at the orphange for food and medical care.
Thanks so much for all your prayers, encouragement and support. We certainly feel lifted up.
Geoff, Judy and the kids