Wonderful news from GLA! I can't believe these kids have been at GLA since the earthquake, while we (US, Canada, Netherlands, etc...) have been so blessed to have them home for almost one year. Thank goodness the French government finally allowed these children to go HOME.
Feed: And Life In Haiti Goes On
Posted on: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 7:21 PM
Author: Dixie
Subject: Children are evacuated to France today…
The French government decided that all children that had been proposed to French families before the earthquake could now join their families in France. Families have been fighting to get their children home and have marched in Paris, written letters, gave interviews in different newspapers, etc. Finally, their voices were heard and the children still here are being allowed to go to France.
Fourteen of the GLA children have already joined their French families, but that still left three children here. We also had seven BRESMA children that had not left. Eight children left today. We had to have the children to the French Ambassador's residence between 8 AM and 10 AM. We got there about 9:15. Then we sat and waited until 6 PM for the French families to arrive! The French government chartered a plane for all of the parents and so they came to pick up their children.
Our children did very well. They played and there was a grassy area where the children ran and played. most of them had never seen such nice grass!
The families actually came on buses from the airport and met their children with us there with them. It is not the best scenario. The chil dren did not have enough time to adjust before we left them and many of the babies cried, but I think they will be ok once they get settled on the plane. Our kids were tired and cranky. I think they will probably go to sleep and sleep most of the way to Paris!
By the time the parents arrived, it was dark. They only spent maybe one hour at the location and then they were all loaded back on the buses and taken back to the airport where they boarded the plane for France. It is a long 10 hour flight to Paris!
Another group of children will leave on Thursday. We have been fighting with IBESR to have them release a dossier for a a child who is supposed to be going to France on Thursday. We got the dossier today and the lawyer took it to the French Embassy right away. We are praying that it was in time to get him on Thursday plane! Since I was down with the children all day, I have not heard if he will be allowed to travel on Thursday. Please say a quick prayer that Jerry can leave on Thursday to join his family in France.
We did not arrive back at the orphanage until 7:30 PM. It was a very long day. But it was really great to see all of those children meeting their new "forever" families and starting their new lives with their families and just in time for Christmas too! A couple of the older children were not happy to be leaving before Christmas because they were supposed to be in the Christmas pageant at church, but being with their new families in France will make up for not being here!
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