Some of the Boys

Daniel spent part of the morning with Megan and I. He is getting so big and so handsome. And so so cute when he calls Nicot "Co".

I don't know what inspired Herman to make this face but I love it. He has so much energy, i mis him everyday .

And little Dave. I love those teeth and he is so cute and smiley.

Jeffy just keeps growing on me. I couldn't believe how big he is now. No matter how bi he gets, he still comes and gives me big hugs many times a day. He's my buddy.

Issac Nicot Burnit (yea i know it's spelled wrong but I just wanted to let you know how he says his name.) Even though this picture doesn't show it, he is such a big goober. I cn't wait to share more of the pictures so you can see what a big goober Issac Nicot really is.

Who's the best Monkey?

I don't know why but every time that I try and get pics of Nata, she always makes faces at me. So of course we had to act like monkeys in this one.

Can you guess what happened next? Thats right everyone one decided to be a Monkey. First came Daniel.
Then came Steeve.

Of course Jonas had to join (most of the time he acts like a monkey though, haha) I love you Joe!


Then came along Fritz.

And who can forget Ti Moun and her cute little face.

This was an eveing of enjoyment and monke faces. Not long after these pictures Reggie came out ot join us. In the spirit of animals he led the kids in singing 'Who let the Dogs out' and let me tell you once they get started it is the longest version of who let the dogs out that I have ever heard.

The First Supper, puzzle pooker and Good Eight!

This was the team and I right before we left to go to the airport, it was a sad day at least for me.

Reggie!!!!! He is amazing, Jimmy and Reggie taught us Haitian Casino and we taught Reggie Poker. The of course is my friend Megan but she is now known as the Queen of Puzzle Poker

And this is the !st Supper. Our team re-painted the dinning buildt tables, painted cabinets and much more. The Kids and the Nannies were very excited to have a new dinning area. This was the First meal, Dinner on Thrusday Nov. 13th.

Happy Birthday Jeffy!!!!

I can't believe you are four already. You have grown up so much since I meet you in December 2006. I remember the first day I meet you and how you and I became a team. It was on that day that we took the last picture here on this page. Two years later we are still best friends. I can't wait for you to be home with your mama and papa. I miss you Jeffy and I love you!

HAPPY FORTH BIRTHDAY JEFFY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally

One of the many faces of Nata! I love her energy it is amazing.

Caleb is getting so big but is still so happy.
Cara I had to share this one I took it on the last day after we were back at the "O", your boy cracks me up.
John tooks this picture, it is supposed to me as a haitian painting hints the wooden frame.
Jeffy, best friends for almost wo years!
This is a crew, Steeve, Sarmara, Nata, Matu, Samu, and Herman. No trouble here, hehe.

I This is Matu and John, at the beginning of the week she didn't like him but by the end they were best buds.

I know I have been back for over a month and I am just posting pictures it is shameful. O well at least I am posting them now. I hope you enjoy them there will be many more now that i have finally put them on my computer.

And O yea Happy Birthday Nicot! He turned three today! I love you little brother!

Trips and Proposals

I got back from my 6th trip to Haiti last night. Like all my other trips it was one of the best times in my life. I got to know the gets even better this week and I miss them already. I don't have any pictures loaded into my computer yet but I will post as soon as I do.

On the way there my flights got all messed up and I had to fly in later than the team but was so so blessed to get to meet up with Mia, Hope and Michelle. It was great to see them on thier way home. Then the week started. I meet some amazing people who had so much love for the kids at Angel House. I got to learn new things about my siblings. I grew closer to God. We had a birthday party. I got to experience a haitian beach. I got to see Steven and Belle. I even got proposed to. I'm not kidding either. Though this was a proposal that was unexpected and not by someone i was in love with. The man sitting by me one the plane from Port -Au-Prince to Fort Lauderdale proposed marriage to me like three times. It was so funny but extremely akward, I mean I was stuck there was no way I could walk away I had to sit there. That is sure one flight I will never forget.

All in all it was a great week. I loved it and will always treasure my time in Haiti. I will post again as soon as I get mmy pictures loaded.

Pou Papa Troy

Dad,

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!

I love you so much. And I know I should tell you that way more often than I do. I just wanted to let you know again that I love you. Thanks so much for being there for me as I grew up. I always thought I had the best dad. Thanks for always supporting my decisions and encouraging me to follow my heart. Thanks for understanding when I didn't think I was supposed to be in college last year and for understanding the reason why because I know that not all parents would do that. As I told Mom, the closer the day gets for me to go to live in Haiti the more excited I get. But the closer it get I realize just how real that is going to be. I know when I am there my Daddy isn't going to be there to fight my battles for me. I know you can't be there to reassure me that I am doing the right thing. I love you so so much.

I hope that by next year Nicot and I can spend your birthday with you and the rest of the family. Love you always, Bethany

Pou Mama Cathy!

So today is of course Mother's Day and my Mom is again celebrating it without all her children. I am included in that because I am currently in Yorktown with my God-Family.

Mom,

I love you more than you will ever now. I am so glad that God called you and Dad to adopt Matu and Nicot. This is not only becuase it lead to me being called to be a missionary to Haiti but it also lead me to take a year off of school. The last year of my life I have learned so much. One of the best things I learned is that you can be one of my best friends. At times when I am at my lowest point you are there to help, cry with, and to pray with me and for me. You have taught me to listen for God and the importance of drawing closer to him everyday. I am so so glad that God's plan was for me to be your daughter. I don't know what I would do without you. I am so looking forward to the day when God tells me that its my turn to go to Haiti and fullfill his call on my life. But I know that especially after this past year that when that day comes I will also be sad because my mom won't be there with me.

I am praying along with Matu that we will get to be a family soon! I love you so so so much.

Bethany

The Questions

I am: Going to post again soon.
I think: that this weekend is going to be just what i need
I know: that today is my God-Brother Bradens 17th Birthday
I want: To be in Haiti
I have: to finish my laundry so I can pack for my trip up north
I wish: I was at Three Angels
I hate: when people are mad at me
I miss: Matu and Nicot, all the kids at the O, and my friends that are away at college, and Sophie
I fear: always being alone
I feel: blah
I hear: J.D. talking on Scrubs
I smell: finger nail polish
I crave: a closer walk with Jesus
I search: for excuses to go to Haiti and stay
I wonder: When my turn will come
I regret: not always telling people how i feel
I love: My parents, my siblings, the TA's kids, my best friends, and JESUS!
I ache: to hold the TA's kids in my arms again
I care: the way I look.
I always: try to serve God and be the best friend I can
I am not: sure when my siblings will get to come home
I believe: That God will give me the desires of my heart as long as they are his desires too.
I dance: even though i am not very good at, ask Belle and Mia they will tell you how bad I am.
I sing: All the time, for no reason at all, I love singing!
I cry: a lot more than I used to.
I don't always: feel confident in my-self
I fight: thinking negative about everything
I write: all the time, in my journal, on my computer, all the time
I never: stop thinking about Haiti
I listen: to music a lot
I need: to clean my room and my car
I am happy about: Getting to go and visit my God-family this weekend

So there you have it. I will post again soon and by soon in mean sometime in the next week.

Home

I love Spendy, he was so much bigger than I remembered, he is consistently in mt heart and prayers.

I could never get enough of Anchise's smile, this little girl is contangious.
My little buddy Daniel, I love this boy so much. He has such a wonderful and loving spirit. Him and Mati are awful good friends too! I have stories about them for a later post.

Reece and the red cup. I just love this picture, Reece is such a handsome boy and how could his smile not melt you.

Fritz, what can I say I love you too! Since Fritz had the chicken pox he couldn't go to school so me and him got to spend some time together while the non infected kids went to school. He is still the same entergetic boy but it makes me love him even more.


My trip was all in all way to short, but it was good. I enjoyed every moment with the kids. I tried to soak up as much Haiti as I could. Enough of Haiti to last me until I can go back. As much as you soak in though when you leave it hurts. It was hard for me to leave as it always is. When we got to the airport and on the plane and it actually soaked in that I would not be going back to the orphanage for a while I just wanted to fall apart it took everything in me not to cry. When we got to Miami, Lizzie noticed that there was a flight going back to Port Au Prince, I was so so tempted to go and exchange my ticket and go back. If Gretchen and Megan had not been there, I think Lizzie and I both would have been on that plane. But I am here, I know I have to wait. So I am going to cherish the time I was there and hold on to it. Part of holding on to it is sharing it with you. I know since it took me almost a week to post this it might seem unlikely but I promise more updates soon.

I did throughly enjoy every second of my trip and the time I got with my siblings and of course all the other children. I praise God for the blessings of all the time I have gotten to spend at my home, with the people I love and in the country that is part of my every breath.

Desires

Alright so Kathy I am glad you got yours earlier this afternoon. It isn't yet 3, thank goodness but hey 11 is late when you have to be a work by seven. When I read these verses I knew I needed to share them. They are a group of verses that I know you all have read and I even talked about one of them on my last blog entry but they went right along with what we talked about today. But no matter who you are these verses I think are just so strong. These verses have got me through a lot. So here you go.

Pslams 37:1-9

Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the lord and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your wway to the Lord;
trust in Him and He will do this.
He will make your righteousness shine like dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him,
do not fret when men succeed in thier ways,
When they carry out thier wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret -it only leads to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord will inhert the land.

Just a little food for thought. I hope those verses help you as much as they helped me.

I am so excited to that I only have seven more days until I get to leave the cold behind and go to the much nicer temperatures of Haiti!

Rays of Light

Homesickness... it is the only way I know how to describe what I feel. A longing that reaches down to my very soul. A longing to just be there. To hold on to each one. To play kids games, to be taught by a little girl. To simply laugh and love with all the Gad has given me. To do the Lord's work. To dance. To get peed on. hear your name called over and over just so you will turn around. Some days I just don't know what to do with myself. I go through my day and do what I am supposed to but deep inside I feel like part of me is gone. My heart is not fully complete because a piece of it is not here with me. It belongs to the children of Haiti.

Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

This verse right now is the verse I think of often. God is so good and I know that his will is going to fullfilled but it is so hard to wait. He gives me so much.

He gives rays of sunshine.

He provides me with pictures of home, they are on my wll so I can see them when I wake up in the morning.

He has provided me with a job that in turn gives me money to fund my trips. Right now Feb.22 seems so far away, though I cannot wait to be back.

He gives me scriptures and he is there to hold me when I want to just cry and cry and cry.

Looking back and forward all at the same time

First of all I hope everyone had a good Christ-mas and New Year.

Wow looking back at 2007 is crazy. So many things happened this year.
Here is a small look into how my life changed.

We added the 7th member, Nicot Issac, to our family.

I went to visit "my home" a.k.a Haiti three more times. In Febuary, August, and October. Each time reaffriming the the call God has placed in my life to be a missionary.

My best Friend April got married.

Life changed but it really just got better. I am so excited for what the next year holds. I know Gos is preparing me for change and I am ready for it. I am ready for my family to be together and I am ready for Haiti. I can't wait until Febuary, until Iget to see the kids again.

I make one goal for the next year simply to draw closer to God. I want to become closer and gain more understanding. I want to follow were he leads and be content with where he has me now.

I hope you can make the same goal as I did!

Hi. This post is from Bethany's mom.

Troy and I received one of our best Christmas presents on Friday.

We received Christmas cards from Manthania and Nicot in the mail!!!!!

There were new pictures of both of them and handprints and footprints.

It really touched our hearts. If we couldn't spend Christmas with them-the cards were GREAT!!

I realize that Manthania and Nicot didn't address the envelope and take the cards to the post office and they weren't even mailed from Haiti-BUT IT SURE FELT THAT WAY.

Thank you, thank you, thank you whoever had a hand in this!!!!

As Troy and I have been shopping for our other three children, I have to admit I have been a little sad thinking about the fact that I won't be able to spend the holiday with all of my children. I have been praying about it. I don't want to be even a little sad on Jesus' birthday. I want to be filled with the Joy and Hope that His birth brought to this world!!!

The cards from Manthania and Nicot are going to help me do that!

Thank you Lord for your birth and what it means in our lives. Thank you, also, for such thoughtful friends!!!

Love you all and Merry Christmas!!!!

The Story goes on!

I can't believe it. One year ago this week I was seeing Haiti for the first time. I was holding the children that I now love more than I can ever put into words for the first time! It doesn't seem like a year has gone by but it has. Yesterday the 11th was my birthday and I had intended to post this then but I got sidetracked and so now it is after midnight, o well. I just can't believe it has been a year since I shared magic popcorn, hehe, that You-You made, with some of the children that hold my heart. Most days I miss the children like crazy. I miss the feel of them in my arms, their laughter in my ears, and I just mis being with them. I miss Haiti like crazy, I miss everything about it and would pack up and leave tomorrow to go if I could. But today God reminded me that a year can fly by. Even though the day may be hard to get through the time will go quickly. Soon it will be my time to go, it will be my turn to help the children everday, to pray with, play with them, laugh with them and love with them. Until then I will remember that God has a plan bigger than mine and he knows and will help me each to see that the time will go by quickly until I can go home to Haiti. Thanks God for one more year, One more amazing year, a year in which I grew closes to you in more ways than I ever imagined!

One more year behind but so many more still to come. I can'tt wait till next year, maybe then You-You we can share some more birthday popcorn!

17 Letters

Ok it is now 12:14, by the time I post it will be later than that. Michelle I hope the volume on your computer is turned off, hehe. Well anyway I have been sitting here in my living room looking up at the Happy Thanksgiving sign my brother made earlier and hung up for tomorrow. It simply says happy thanks giving and then above each letter is a name.

Pop=our grandpa

Meme= our grandmother

Terryl=our great uncle

Troy

Cathy

Kristina

Todd

Bethany

Alyssa

Jessica

Kaleb

Megan

Lillie

Manthania

Jonas

Nicot

Ellie

They exact number of people that we have thanksgiving with each year is the same number of letters in the words Thanksgiving. And that is only 17 reasons why I am thankful. Looking at this simple sign has made me realize that I have more to be thankful for the number of people that will sit in my church on Christmas play sunday.

I do want to say that I am very thankful that Jesus is my best friend. He is amazing. He has placed a desire in my heart for a counrty and for children that a little over a year and a half ago I knew nothing about. He took a little girl who asked God to please call me to be anything but a missionary and turned her into a girl that could think of nothing else. Thank you Jesus for your compassion and never ending love. And thank you for playing more than 17 letters in my life. Thank you for the children like Daniel that hold mt heart. Thank you for holding me when I cry and giving me scripture to read. Thank you for dying so I could live, Live for you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope that you all can find as many things to be thankful for as I have.

Love always in Christ.

The Entrance!?!?!

We finally made it!!!

We are now in IBESR. We have been for a few days and I haven't got to post about it yet. God has moved on behalf of us and our files and finally put us in IBESR. We don't know how but God does.

So my new favorite numbers are now 15923 and 15924.

With each passing day we are closer to the day Matu and Nicot will come home and our family will be together.

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for us over the past year and four months. Please do not stop praying! We love you all.

The month in recap!

Since I can remember my best friends name was April. Our mothers were friends and so it was destined that we too would be best friends. We have been there for each other through the tough times but also through the fun times. We have been friends for so long and are families are so close you might as well consider as sisters. That is what she is to me, my sister, the person I share everything with. For everything we have in common, there is one thing that has always made us closer and that is our faith in God. God blessed April with finding a wonderful guy named Brooks. Well in July Brooks proposed, so for the last three months we have been planning and putting together the wedding of a lifetime. Last friday night on October 26, 2007 at seven o'clock my best friend got married. I am so so so happy for her. I do have to tell you that it was a very strange thing signing the marriage license, knowing that my best friend has a new best friend, her husband. But as I had realized before hand I didn't loose my best friend, I gained a new friend. Brooks is a good guy and is always fun to have around. April, I am so glad that God provided you with a great guy, a guy who not only loves you but loves God. I pray that God provides me with a guy that loves me as much as Brooks loves you and who also loves God. Congrats again and I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



And now back to everything that happened before the wedding. I went to Haiti, my forth trip. And as with every trip I loved every single minute of it. I got to see Steven and Belle see their Mom again. I got to see my Mom with her children for the first time. I got to love on the children who hold most of my heart. I also got to experience Mother Theresa's hospital and orphanage. God opened my eyes that day for sure. Everytime I am there I fall more in love. In love with the Country, the orphanage, the nannies, the workers, the boys at St. Joe, with God. My everyday is filled ith thought of how and when I can go back "home", to the place that is my life. I have only been away from there for a few weeks but it seems so much longer. I long to be back, I long for the children to yell Bet-tany. I long for them to want to sit on my lap, I long for them to fill the emptiness when I hold out my arms. I long for thier kisses and thier smiles. I long for hearing them sing. I long to talk to Angela again, I long to try and talk to the nannies. I long for Haiti.

There you go Megan I have finally posted. I am so glad you all haven't given up on me. I promise I will post some more pictures from my trip soon!

SISTERS!!!

Three sisters! I love them all.
The day Alyssa was born I am rumored to have ran down the hall at the hospital shouting, I have a little sister, do you want to come see. And though somtimes she doesn't think so I am so proud of the person she has become. She truely has God shining from her. She is beautiful both on the outside and the inside. She is the first sister God gave me and I thank him he made her patient and just the way he did because she puts up with me like no other person can.




Then there is Amber and although she may not share my last name she my sister. Her parents are my God parents. She is not only my sister but my friend. We share everything with each other. We love the same things and always like to be crazy and have fun. She is the sister that tells me everyday that she loves me and always is the one to put a smile on your face. She is full of life and love for everyone. I love being with her and her family they are so much of the person I am.




Then there is Manthania, or Matu as I and so many others call her. The sister that God choose for me. She is so much more than I could ever imagine. Her attitude is me all over again, and yet we are so different. We may be seperated by many miles but my love for is so strong that she is here in my heart. I can hear her laugh and see her smile. Somedays I sit and watch my videos of her and the kids over and over. I miss her dearly but someday she will be here and not just be the sister in my heart but the sister in my arms.

To my three sisters. The biological sister. The God sister. The Adopted sister. The one thing is we are all sisters, and better yet the three of you are my sisters. I could not have ask for any better sisters than the ones he can me. You have helped make me and mold me into the person I have become. We have shared the worst of times and the best of times and still somehow we make it through.

Alyssa thank you for always putting up with me. For knowing how dumb I can act and how nerdy I truely am and still letting me talk to you. Thank you for not only putting up with me at home but at church to. For being quiet to make up for my loudness. For being realistic and liking reality to balace my love for all things not realistic. For laughing with me, for crying with me, for being clumsy and sometimes as silly as me. Thank you for loving God! I love you so much.

Amber thanks for loving me for who I am. Thanks for baking cookies with me and letting me sleep in your room. For always making me laugh. For being my sister friend. For knowing the underlying meaning of the word maybe even on the internet. For making me feel that I am always wanted no matter the hour or what you have going on. Nowing that no matter how dumb we are we are going to have fun. I heart you my dear dear sister.

Matu Mwen renmen ou anpil anpil! Ou tre' espesyal. Ou bel, Ou bel, Ou bel, hehe, (I was going to do this all in creole but it is one in the morning and I took a night time tylonol cold, and so my creole sentence making skills are not working so well right now.) Anyway Matu, you have such a wonderful laugh and spirit, no matter what has happened to you in the past I know that you are loved by so many now. I am so glad God choose you to be in my family and you make our family complete. I am coming soon and we will have lots of fun with Mama, Papa, and Nicot. Mwen pa janm sispann renmen ou.

The Other kids in my life

Malaki, this little boy is the only boy I think could give Fritz a run for his money.

Sophie and I, I love her so much, even when she gets mad and talks to me in German.
Alec has the most amazing eyes, and when he smiles it can light up any day.




Sophie, Lily, and Malaki looking outside.

Sage Micheal Patrick Mullen, the boy who makes going to work everyday worth it.










For as much as sometimes I hate getting up in the morning, once I get there and get to see there faces it is worth it. Some of these children come from homes where love is pouring out, whether from parents, grandparents or something even from a foster parent who just got there adoption process started. Others come from homes that are not that good. Everyday though they come together and brighten the day of anyone who walks into the different rooms where they maybe located in the Childrens Learning Center. It amazes me how much the remind me of the children at Angel House. Little things they do will remind of the out pouring of love and joy I feel when I am in Haiti.
One more thing I can be thankful for... a job, for now, with wonderful children.