Current Adoption News from Dixie

I am still in the States visiting churches and special goups, but I received word yesterday that 12 dossiers came out of IBESR last week! That is wonderful news since we had many dossiers in there more than 1 year! Keep praying that the children's files will move quickly through Parquet and the courts, so they can go home to their forever families quickly!

Jeans Day Fundraiser Update

At the bank we ended up collecting $301.00, Ambur & I threw in $150.00, and my mom and dad had already put in $126.00. So the total that was collected was $577.00, I am so glad the bank agreed to doing this to help GLA.

November Update

Happy November, Brandon and Ambur!

As the year is coming to an end, things have remained busy here at GLA. The end of the year is always a time when many children’s adoptions are complete and they are able to join their forever families. This year is no exception, as we have had 4 more children go home in November, and we look forward to several more going home in December. Additionally, we have had 15 families come to GLA to sign before the judge.

Dixie and John are continuing their fundraising tour in the US and Canada. We ask for your prayers on their behalf, both that they will be able to raise the necessary funds and also for their health and strength during this busy time.

Here in Haiti there are several different flower seasons, but the flowers blooming this time of year are some of the most vibrant. There are big yellow daisies growing wild everywhere you go and, in the mountains around and above us, bright red poinsettias grow on bushes and trees. In many parts of the world poinsettias are a symbol of Christmas, but here in Haiti they are a natural part of the landscape! In honor of this beauty and the coming celebration of our Savior’s birth, this month’s photos have a poinsettia theme.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever. ~ Isaiah 40:8

Steevenson is a fun little boy, and he is also particular and precise. He knows exactly how he wants something arranged, toys, for example, and will sit in concentration until he gets it just right. Then, once Steevenson has arranged everything just so, he will start over again with a new arrangement! J Steevenson is also very curious, and he likes to touch and feel everything around. If something is put out of reach, that tends to make him even more determined to get to it.

Roselaure is continuing to grow and develop, and she is doing very well. She is a happy baby, and she is cooing and babbling all the time these days. Roselaure loves watching everything going on around her, and she especially enjoys watching the people around her. Roselaure can reach out and grasp objects, and she is age-appropriate in her skills. Roselaure is a happy, smiley baby, and she is doing very well.

Steevenson:
Weight: 18 lbs 10 oz
Height: 29.75 inches (75.5 cm)
Adoption status: Pre-courts

Roselaure:
Weight: 13 lbs 8 oz
Height: 24 inches (61 cm)
Adoption status: Pre-IBESR

Blessings,

Melanie Wright, GLA Update Coordinator

Steevenson & Roselaure




Steevenson






Roselaure

Jeans Day Fundraiser

We raised $251 through our jeans day fundraiser, Ambur & I are going to do a 50% match to that which is $126 and my mom and dad are also sending in $126. So that is $503 that was raised total this will come in very handy to the orphanage.


We are still receiving more money in from branches so I will update with the correct amount colected when we receive everything probably early next week.

And Life In Haiti Goes On by Dixie Bickel

Well, it is 3 AM and I am wide awake...again! I have had the worst time sleeping on this trip! I was so tired when I went to bed and as soon as the lights went out, I was wide awake!

This weekend we have had a retreat for the board members of GLA USA. The retreat was at a wonderful hotel in Denver that was only $35 per night and each room is a mini suite. It is really nice for the money. The board has spent until 10 PM on Friday and 7:30 PM on Saturday, brainstorming ways to raise funds, make people more aware of GLA, and how to just better run the ministry. It has been a great learning experience and also has really helped me to better understand just how much our board members are there to help and guide us. They have had some wonderful suggestions for us in our present financial crisis and it is nice to have them working along with us in our ministry work.

We will finish up today at noon and then head back to Colorado Springs. I have 1 1/2 days to finish the December Newsletter before we leave for Illinois to visit more churches. Please keep me in your prayers as I try to stay healthy and get everything done that needs to be done during this busy time! I am still not completely over the virus I got in October and continue to have throat spasms any time I cough. I have learned to deal with my vocal cords closing off and shutting off my airway but it is never a comfortable feeling to not be able to breath for several seconds at a time!! It is getting better but please pray with me that it will go away completely!!

Many of you received my mini newlsetter telling you of our financial needs. Please consider how you might be able to help GLA with a small financial gift at this time. Keep the children and the orphanage in Haiti in your prayers and that God will bless us with the finances we need to feed and care for the children. God has been good to GLA throughout the year and I have faith that He will continue to provide for the children through friends, adoptive families, and donors.

My staff in Haiti are doing a great job keeping things running smoothly while we are gone. Molly is in charge and I hear that she is doing a great job. I remember when John and I could never both leave Haiti at the same time! It is very nice to have staff that can now step in and run things for the 7 weeks we will be gone! This is the longest time both of us have been gone together EVER!

And life in Haiti goes on....

Please help GLA if you can

GLA Haiti News Update


Dear Friends, Supporters, and Forever Families,

We need your help. Financially, GLA is Dixie Bickelhaving problems meeting our expenses in Haiti. I have asked my staff to stop taking in additional children for now unless they are sick or abandoned. We have sent home several children since the summer time. I am trying to get the number of children at GLA down so that we can better manage them on the funds that are coming in. The economic conditions in the USA especially, have affected the donations coming in to help the children. Our donations this year are down almost $500,000 from 2008. That is a big difference!

John and I are in the USA today speaking to churches and groups about GLA and the needs we have in Haiti. We spent seven days in Canada trying to raise awareness about God's Littlest Angels and the work being done in Haiti. We are leaving next week for two weeks traveling throughout Illinois visiting churches.

We are making changes in Haiti to trim down our expenses in every way we can. But we are in crisis right now and we need help. Those of you who know me, know that I do not panic easily, but I am panicked right now!

Please would you consider sending in a donation today to help? If you were thinking of sending in a donation for Christmas, we desperately need it now. If you still owe adoption funds, please, you could help us by sending them now.

God put us in Haiti to take care of the sick, malnourished, abandoned, premature, and orphaned children. John and I have spent more than 18 years of our lives caring for the children. If you are unable to send a gift to help the children at this time, you can still help by joining us in prayer for GLA finances to improve and for the children and all of us to get through this crisis.

And life in Haiti goes on...



signature first name

Tomorrow is our jeans day at work

Well tomorrow is our jeans day at work and in hoping that we get the most possible people to donate their $2 I talked to Ambur of course after deciding to this on Tuesday that we would match 50% of whatever was raised. Ambur was of course fine with that, so we are hoping that we get everyone donating. There are about 180 people in the 19 branches that would be allowed to wear jeans. Lets keep our hopes up that we will be able to collect some good money for GLA.

And Life In Haiti Goes On by Dixie Bickel

We are winding down our trip through Canada and Michigan. We only have two more speaking engagements today. Then we had back to Colorado for a week, before we start our next tour!

I can't seem to sleep tonight. We were in Sarnia last night and got to see many friends from the Canadian mission group, ACWAM. We finally got to bed about midnight and I was awake at 3:30 AM and cannot go back to sleep! My mind is just too busy tonight. We are speaking in a church at 10 AM this morning and then must leave by 1PM to arrive in Grand Rapids,Michigan for a 5:30 PM church service. They tell me it's about a 4 1/2 hour drive! The pace for this tour has been grueling but fun. I have so enjoyed seeing all of the children with their forever families.

The Selah/Avalon concert in Michigan on Friday night was a huge success. More than 700 people came to the concert and over $20,000 was raised through ticket sales and donations! This is pretty amazing and the concert was GREAT! I am not much into going to music concerts but I enjoyed myself tremendously and visited with so many people.

This whole visit has really lifted me up and reminded me exactly why we have gotten involved in building families through adoption. Seeing the children with their forever families, happy and so full of personality,has made this trip so meaningful to me.

The purpose of this trip is not just to raise funds but to also raise awareness of God's Littlest Angels and the needs of the children in the orphanage. We are struggling financially at the orphanage. Children are staying at the orphanage an average of 2 to 2 1/2 years. The cost of food, housing, water, fuel, schooling, and supplies just keep increasing. We are struggling to meet expenses each month.

Please pray daily for the children, staff, and that our financial needs will be met!

And Life in Haiti Goes On...