June Photos and Update from GLA

Dear Angie & Philip,

I hope you have had a great month!

Things have been quite busy here, but all in very good ways that advance us in improvements in the orphanage and care of the children. As you know we vacated our Toddler house and moved into a new compound consisting of not one but TWO smaller buildings and a massive FLAT yard for the kids play in! It has definitely been a God send. It seems we searched for months for a larger home for all the toddlers. We needed something in our area, but large enough to house all 60 kids, up to 12 volunteers, and 13 child care workers. We visited one place after another, nothing fitting, it was getting quite discouraging… and then one morning a very non-excited bunch of us jumped into the car to see “another place”. That was it! It couldn’t have been more perfect if we had designed it ourselves. I can just see God chuckling up there, as we walked around in amazement at how perfect it was in every sense; size, layout, location, lease, landlord, etc. Of course it’s perfect, because He knew that at just this time we would need somewhere to live and He had it build long ago just for us! No one has even lived in it before! He knows our needs before we ever ask, and is provider for them all, each and every one! As the kids say, “Our God is a Great BIG God!”

Moving went smoothly. Many hands make light work. We are thankful for all those whom pitched in to get the job done. It was precious to see the kids’ faces when they arrived last of ALL. We had unpacked all their stuff and had cooked dinner, so when they arrived all was in place for them. The energy in the cars on the way over was immeasurable! They were so excited. When we arrived no one could get out of the car fast enough! The idea was to get them right in for dinner, but a few escaped the herding and ran the length of the yard just laughing at how big it was! The next amazement then for them was of course, “this room is so big we can all eat in it together at ONE TIME!” something that hasn’t happened in over a year’s timeJ.

Ronaldo got a brand new metal frame bed, and new pajamas in the “big boys” room. Also known as Chanm 5. The medium and older boys live in the smaller house, sharing with the volunteers and the school rooms. The girls and small toddlers all sleep in the other building.

Ronaldo’s current measurements are as follow:

Height: 114 cm / 45 inches
Weight: 45 lbs

I am sorry this cannot be more personal and more informative about Ronaldo. There is so much I’d like to write, but alas… where can I pull the time from? I hope you will understand as we have had such a busy month and I am just now getting started on sending out photos. Next month things should be more settled.

God bless you,

Have a wonderful week!
Molly

A new building for the older kids at GLA

Hello All!

Our Toddler House has become too small and we have been searching for 6 months for another house that is bigger. Nothing seemed to fit. We found very fancy homes that were impractical or houses that were falling down but nothing that reached out and said...."THIS IS THE ONE!"

Then our landlord sent us a letter saying that when our rent was up in August, that he wanted us to move. We had been having trouble with sewer back up and water problems for months. He said the kids made too much noise since he lives next door to the orphanage. So both of us would be happy if we found a bigger house for the kids!

Then 2 weeks ago, someone came and told me about a house on the road where we live that was for rent. When we went and looked at the property, it turned out to be 2 houses on the same property. The houses have never been lived in. One house has 5 bedrooms, a place for 2 classrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a kitchen and living room. The second house has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a huge dining area where all of the kids can eat at one time instead of in shifts, a nice storage room that was a small bedroom, and an indoor kitchen and an outdoor kitchen!

I knew as soon as I stepped inside the house that it was perfect for the kids! It also has play area that is about 3 times the size of the present Toddler House! Another nice thing about the houses are that when it rains the rooms are big enough and there are big balconies on both houses that will allow the kids to be able to play inside the house!

I've attached some photos to this email so you can see us on the first day of moving. We will be busy again today and Saturday getting everything from one house to the other. Today, we hope to move the children. We will move the kitchen after breakfast and hopefully, it will be set up in the new house in time to fix the evening meal for the children.

Please pray that all will go well today and the transition will go smoothly! We will not be answering any emails until Monday probably. I could hardly crawl into bed last night because my back hurt so much! Thankfully after lots of pain medication I was able to sleep for 4 hours and do not feel so bad this morning.

Please also say a little pray for all of us doing the moving!

And life in Haiti goes on....

Dixie Bickel, RN
Orphanage Director
God's Littlest Angels

June Photos and Update -- Sneak Preview

From: Angia Macomber
To: GLA-Haiti Molly
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 8:11 AM
Subject: June update?

Good morning! I hope all is going great there at GLA!

I was just wondering if this month's update & photos had been sent yet, since it seemed to be time again (and we were hoping for something for Father's Day today). I don't mean to bug you, but just wanted to make sure we hadn't missed it. We're looking forward to finding out how R.J. enjoyed the package of things we sent with Kristin (a volunteer from Michigan). Life has probably just been very busy for you, so we'll keep waiting patiently but anxiously.

Have a fantastic day, and be sure to give Ronaldo a great big hug & kiss from each of us,
Angie (for Phil and Charlie, too)


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From: GLA Haiti - Molly
To: Angia Macomber
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 12:49:05 PM
Subject: Re: June update?

Hi Angia,

Thanks for the email. I am not sure if you got the GLA email which Dixie emailed out on Friday.

This week we have been moving the GLA toddler house and all its inhabitants to a new location and two new buildings. So little to NO office work has been attended to. I am sorry. I had believed that Father's Day was next Sunday, and as I had wanted to send out updates by Father's Day, I thought I had more time. But I found out Friday that I was mistaken.

Things are going well, we are mostly moved now, though there is much rescheduling, organizing, and altering to do yet. Both nights we have had extended issues with electricity and as we speak John is still plugging away working on wiring. We are very blessed to be in the new location! It is wonderful. And though we have a long road ahead yet to get settled in, everything has gone quite smoothly.

Ronaldo is doing GREAT! and LOVED your package that you sent!! Just LOVED IT! (In the new Toddler House, ...) He also loves his new room, new bed, new pajamas, and new fantastic yard! I will write more when I get the chance.

Ronaldo wants to wish you a great day! Here are a few photos so you can see your happy boy!

Molly

Our dossier entered IBESR

Hello Angie and Phil,

We got news today that your dossier was submitted into IBESR*! Your IBESR number is 13480. Unfortunately, this number doesn't mean a whole lot. In our North American thinking, it would seem logical that dossiers would be looked at in numerical order, but not necessarily so in Haiti. Dossiers that come out of IBESR are not necessarily coming out in the order that they have been brought in. But, at least this number gives you something for reference.

Congratulations on moving to the next step!!!

LaDawn

*See Timeline for completing the legal process in Haiti

May Photos and Update from GLA

Hello Philip & Angia,

I hope all is going well there, and you are having a pleasant month of May.

Ronaldo is happy and healthy. He started showing signs of a scalp rash earlier this month and has now been on medication for a week, so it clearing up well. Many of our kids get it from time to time, and it is easily treatable so no major concern. It doesn’t bother him at all, only the fact that he has to take nasty tasting meds for it. The first few days a spoon of peanut butter covered up the flavor for him, but that wasn’t even good enough after a few days. So now he gets it with a spoon of pudding. He has been on no other medications, and apart from a few toe splitters on the soccer field he’s been doing very well.

Ronaldo has enjoyed some fun activities since I last emailed photos. It seems that we’ve had so many activities lately, the kids haven’t stopped talking about the last one, and a new one comes about!

Just after last writing you we had a fun morning of Easter Egg dying. Ronaldo was in one of the older groups (because of the number of children involved we spilt them into groups). He used crayons and markers to color his egg. After that he chose a color and dyed his egg, in shock he pulled it out of the cup and realized I wasn’t kidding when I said that the egg would not be white anymore. He blew on it to try to get it to dry faster. It was a great morning and I am very thankful that the kids had such a great time, it was nice to do something new with them, to teach them a completely different “craft”, as egg dying is not part of normal Haitian culture.

The end of April we were blessed to have a small team of volunteers come in from Florida to spend some extra time with our toddlers. Most of our volunteers come and because of the needs of the babies are most often working hard at the baby house, with a smaller amount of time allotted to the toddlers. However this team seemed to try and focus on our toddlers. For five days straight we had 7 sets of extra arms to hold, hug, and play with the toddlers! One event in particular that Ronaldo seemed to enjoy the most was a long hike to the nearby stream. We call it a waterfall. But just because the stream cascades down rocks about 7 feet. :) And it makes life a little more exciting. :) Ronaldo doesn’t get to go usually, because he is often in school at the time we go. LET ME TELL YOU IT WAS A BLAST!!!! Oh so much fun!! Ronaldo was lucky and found his way onto the shoulders of one of the guys on the team whom carried him pretty much the whole way down and back again! Once there it took him seconds to have stripped off his shirt and shoes and be playing in the water. Unfortunately we haven’t had much rain and there was not much water, BUT this didn’t bother your boy at all, he was quite pleased just to be there. He splashed around for a long time, the boys all had a splash fight and their lips quivered as the water droplets cooled them off. We wore him out and at supper he almost fell asleep. A very pleasant and memorable afternoon.

It’s been a pleasure to be able to share a little about your son with you!!

Have a wonderful day today!!!

AND A VERY HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY TOMORROW!!!!!

Blessings,
Molly

April Photos and Update from GLA -- First One!

Good Afternoon Philip & Angia,

Congratulations!!! I have been informed of your decision to accept Ronaldo's proposal!! This is very good news! I am already excited for YOU as well as for Ronaldo, he is a very special boy.
My name is Molly, I have been working with God's Littlest Angels in Haiti for the past 3 years. Through time I have held different responsibilities, but currently my main focus is on running the GLA toddler house, where your son lives. It is a true blessing to have him with us until he is able to go home to you.

I will be emailing once each month with new photos a brief update on his activities and progress. Hopefully more than brief! But at times things get too busy and I cannot go into detail. I hope you'll understand.

Ronaldo is healthy and doing well. He has had a good start to the month, with some fun activities. One being the first ever GLA hot dog roast! Ronaldo was one of the sellected few who were given permission to join the campfire gang, and roast hot dogs, play, and sing. It was a very nice evening, and the kids still talk about it. Another event which took place just last weekend, was a piñata fét. An adopting mother brought a piñata for the kids, and Ronaldo stepped up to bat with enthusiasm. Not breaking the paper mache open, but putting a good dent in it!

Ronaldo's current measurements are as follows:

Height: 112 cm /43 1/2 inches
Weight: 44 lbs

Hope you enjoy the photos! I'll be in touch! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Blessings,
Molly