Thursday, April 5, 2012

Meet Phoebe :)



My sincerest apologies to you guys who are using the blog as a main way to keep up with me in Gressier… I have totally been a slacker. Well, that and I could not share up until recently what I have been doing with the majority of my time since I arrived in Haiti. I am so thankful for the sequence of events that has occurred and I am happy to share what these last few months/weeks have held for me. I will start from the beginning.

On February 24, my favorite little person in the world, was released from the orphanage. Most of you have heard me talk about Phoebe (formally known as Sandra). Phoebe came to me as a 4 week old in Passe Catabois after her mother died from child birth related causes. I have maintained as much of a relationship with her as I could over the last 2.5 years while she has been in an orphanage but I sincerely felt called by God to fight for this little one. After a long battle, she was released! I flew down to Haiti unexpectedly on February 25 to pick her up in Port-au-Prince and bring her to our new home in Gressier. It was in Gressier that I had to leave her until I could come back full time (which I was planning to do anyways).

When I arrived back in Haiti on March 29 I was reunited with Phoebe. She has been joyful and walking on clouds ever since I returned. Everyone says she is so much happier now that I am here with her. I think she, too, has a deep sense of knowing that we belong together. 

I am also SO HAPPY to announce that I am now her LEGAL GUARDIAN. Which means what we are doing is validated by paper work and is totally legal. Praise Jesus! It is only by the grace of God that we have all of this paperwork. God has orchestrated this in ways that only He could take the credit for… He has brought my daughter to me by the strangest of circumstances but I could not be more affirmed that I am walking down the path that Jesus has set for me. I am just going to keep putting one foot in front of the other and see where we end up :)

God has used a very good friend of mine, Chrisnet Fertilus, to help me with Phoebe. He was the one who brought her all the way from the Northwest and met me in PaP. He stayed with me for days as we got her settled in Gressier. When I came back to Haiti in March, Chrisnet brought Phoebe’s father to PaP so that we could complete her paperwork. I give ALL of the glory to God for this victory but I also think of Chrisnet as a very crucial piece of this journey. God used him to accomplish His purposes! Chrisnet was Jesus in the flesh with me as I walked this road… and I could not have been more thankful for him!

So… all of that being said… I am now a mother of a 2.5 year old precious little girl. Phoebe has consumed most of my time since arriving in Gressier. I have enjoyed bathing her, reading to her, eating with her, sleeping with her, playing with her… I have just enjoyed getting to know her more and more. Now.. don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been all a bed of roses. She is 2.5. We have our moments… and she HATES the word NO :) But we are learning together and I am asking for guidance every day from the Most High God how I can best parent and love this child.

In the mean time we have been getting settled and I have been trying to make a life here. Things like getting a bank account, getting a phone and internet service are all time consuming tasks here in Haiti. Megan and I went to see the house where we will be living and sooner than later will run a medical clinic/birth center from there too. It still has some more work to be done before we can move it but it was fun to walk through and envision how we could use the space to walk out what the Lord has placed on our hearts.

Rays of Hope has offered us medical equipment, furniture, and supplies and will be sending some of our first supplies down on the container to be shipped on April 16. So that’s exciting! Thank you all who have donated online or given donations to me… I will be using that money to get the supplies here!

I have also made contact with a guy named Phil Harris. He works with an organization here in Haiti who is passionate about the medical community here. He invited me to go to a meeting today at 11 am with the Mayor of Carrefour and some important medical personnel. We met with the mayor and a few other important directors and they have approved for us to have a medical conference in March of 2013 where we will bring MD’s, nurses, midwives, and any other medical personnel and educate them on topics they feel they need further education.  I will be working with Phil and the leaders of Carrefour to make this happen. An exciting step in a good direction!

He also invited me to meet another woman who is in this area working in a clinic. Megan and I will meet with her on Friday. So.. lots of meetings and contacts to be made over the next few days.

Please keep Phoebe and I in your prayers as we continue to make our lives here in Gressier and as we grow as mother and daughter. I intend to devote the next few weeks to her and our relationship before we do anything major with the clinic. During this time I will continue to coordinate supplies, volunteers, and the start of this crazy vision that the Lord has placed on my heart for a birth center and medical clinic in Gressier.  

Thank you all for your love, support, and encouragement. Stay tuned… the blogs will be much more frequent! 

10 comments:

  1. great update and so glad to hear how the Lord is providing so richly for you guys right now. Praying for you and sweet little Phoebe! :)

    love you jess!!

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  2. Oh Jess! I couldn't be happier for you. Our prayers are with you and your sweet daughter!

    Love,
    Becca, Paul David & Kids

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  3. Yay! Give Phoebe -- and Chrisnet -- a big hug from Aunt Les!
    Love you so!

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  4. Wow...I am amazed at the work God has done....the impossible was made possible for you and her! This testimony brings so much hope! I will be praying for you and Phoebe! God has got both of you in His hands! Thank you so much for following Him! Misti

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  5. Jessica, I look forward to your blogs about your life with Phoebe and the medical clinic. My love and prayers are with you on this journey. God bless you both.
    Pat Reeves

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  6. Wow! What a Wonderful Life! God is Good! So Happy for you and especially Phoebe.

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  7. :) all smiles from over here! so glad Phoebe is now loved by so many more! :) thankful for the Lord's hand on every single second of Him bringing you two together...it is only through Him. and for Him using Chrisnet and her father. Hallelujah! :) sending you 2 hugs and 2 cheek kisses! :)

    mwe renmen ou anpil Jessica and Phoebe!

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  8. So proud of you, Jess! Praying for you & Phoebe as you become a family. Love you!

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  9. I don't think I could possibly smile any bigger and feel any more joy as I do when reading this epic update! So freakin beautiful and awesome. God is surely a God of Provision and Protection and is with out a doubt provide for you in the coolest of ways. Praise Him!So thankful He has blessed you with such a precious and sassy little girl =) Continuing to pray for you and your transition. Much Love sister

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  10. Hi Jessica. :-) I have kind of followed you since you were down in Honduras with the other Jessica (I'm married to Joe's cousin). I am so excited to see how God is using you to reach out to the beautiful people of Haiti and how you have stepped out in faith to be obedient. I am also a Phoebe and a mom of a 2-year-old, so I will remember every time I think about my own daughter to pray for your precious Phoebe.

    I have seen you correspond with Chelita about cloth diapering and the possibility of making them available to Haitians there. Would there be a need for them for the people of Gressier? I've seen people get together here in the U.S. to sew cloth diapers for those in need and would love to head up something like that if there's a need. What about for feminine hygiene, as well? My email address, if you'd like to be in contact about that, is: phoebejmthomas@yahoo.com.

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