The Whirlwind

Sunday, we decided to attempt going to church.  We made it through the service, but during the break between the service and Sunday School, someone hugged me.  I could not handle it.  I felt myself breaking, and couldn't see how that would be productive for anyone.  It was sorrow, fear, but mostly exhaustion at that point.  So, Steve quickly ushered me out at my request, and the tears flowed quietly all the way home.  I took some benedryl and slept for an hour and a half or so.  Benedryl usually knocks me out for HOURS. 

That afternoon, I awake to emails from the Embassy in PaP.  The Vice Consul had begun to request our information, thanks to the connections with Diana Boni and our particular U.S. agency.  I gave her everything she requested, to be told that they would want to see Joshua the next day for his visa. 

Then, it got super crazy and we (along with another family) began to attempt to find a flight out of our town Sunday night (and it was already Sunday night!) for our husbands to be able to board a ministry plane leaving Florida at dawn the next morning.  In the end, we had volunteers ready to fly us, even a private plane, but were told to wait for a "big announcement."  At that time, I think there was the hope for a massive evacuation.

So, again, very little sleep.  I couldn't seem to leave my computer.  So, early Monday morning, my mom convinced me that she wouldn't leave the computer while I slept.  Somehow, that worked!  I snoozed, and woke up to a crazy conversation my husband was having with Haiti!!

He had managed to contact the dad over there, Mike.  Mike was trying to no avail to convince our Haitian director that the embassy was asking for Joshua.  Finally, they managed to get him to read the emails that the embassy had sent us.  He agreed to take Joshua and our friend's son to the embassy.  But, we could tell right away that it would take lots of prayer. 

Once he agreed to take them, we were told to hop a plane to Florida right away, and even if it took a few days, it would be worth it just to be there, waiting.  So, in about an hour's time, we had packed, went to Walmart, bought airline tickets, and met the other family.  As we drove to Nashville, we make contact with Mike again.

Our Haitian Director was overwhelmed at the embassy, soldiers told him to get into the back of the line of thousands, so he left.  With our son.  We made contact through our U.S. liason with the embassy, and they agreed to proactively do what they could to get him in the doors.  They had been looking for Joshua all morning.  We let Mike know this, who has also just been told that he will be allowed in the embassy with his daughter and he's off with a news crew.  He convinces our director to meet him at the embassy once more. 

So, with Mike's help, NBC news, and some nice officers on the inside, our baby boy is escorted into the embassy by a soldier...we'll never know his name, but we saw him on NBC Nightly news taking our boy inside the building. 

At that moment, we knew he was finally in the safe zone.  They began to treat the kids for mild dehydration and check them out, while they finished up paperwork. 

Mike would agree to take Joshua along with his daughter on a late private flight into Florida.

Meanwhile, in Florida...

We land in Miami, and my great aunt and uncle pick us up.  We stop to eat at our favorite restaurant, only to find out during the meal that our friend's son will not be on this particular flight home, which made us lose our appetites. 

We head to Homestead, where my aunt and uncle live.  We had been told that the flight would come into Homestead if it was a military flight.  Then, we're told they may fly into TEXAS.  Finally they decided on a private plane into Ft. Lauderdale, so my family escorts us in the middle of the night to Ft. Lauderdale.  We were dropped off into a private plane hanger around 1:30am, and we women sat on the floor waiting on the plane, while the men went to get a rental car. 

Seriously, how much can happen in 24 hours?  I mean, Jack Bauer, get a real job, man!! 

Steve calls from the rental car place.  Mike had texted him.  "Touchdown."