For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.
I have had this verse memorized since I was in middle school and it has been a constant reminder of God’s goodness in my life.
I grew up in Beaumont, a small town in Haiti. There I lived with my parents and two older siblings.
When I was nine my mom gave birth to my beautiful little sister. What should have been an exciting and celebratory time ended up being the worst moment that I could have experienced as a nine-year-old. My mom had died from giving birth.
A few months later my father did what I believe was the hardest thing for him, but the best thing for my siblings and I. He placed us in an orphanage called God’s Littles Angels (GLA).
Life at GLA was good. I made a lot of friends there, I am still in touch with some of them, thanks to social media. It was at GLA where I learned English, where I learned how to write my name. It’s where I got some basic education before coming to America.
My baby sister got adopted when she was about one year old to an amazing family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For my two older siblings and I our time at the orphanage would be longer than most…three years total.
The older you are the harder it is to get adopted because not many people want to adopt older kids and I don’t blame them. Adopting older kids is a risk and it’s challenging.
On July 2007, our time at the orphanage finally came to an end. It felt good to finally be the one that got chosen, that got to go be with their forever family. My siblings and I got adopted to a wonderful family in the beautiful Nashville, Tennessee.
For I know the plans I have for you, “declares the Lord,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11.
By then, I was 12, my brother was 14 and my sister was 18. At the age of 12 I had a good understanding of who I was, I knew what had happened, so building a trusting relationship with my new adopted parents would be hard, I was extremely shy and I could barely speak English.
It took me a while to call my parents mom and dad and it wasn’t because I didn’t want to…. I just couldn’t. Adopting older kids is giving knowing that you might not get anything back in return. I had to choose to love my parents and to accept them as my mother and father.
How could I not love these people? They gave my siblings and I a second chance in life. They were obedient to The Lord and I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision for them to adopt us.
I’m so grateful for everything they have done. I’m grateful for adoption.
When I came to America I had little to no education and now I have a bachelor’s degree, which is a great accomplishment for me. There are many people in Haiti who will never get an education and it’s not because they don’t want to, it’s because they don’t have the opportunity or the resources. One time I was looking through my adoption papers and there was an x where my biological dad was supposed to sign his name. There was also a note that said father does not know how write his name. I stood there crying, filled with embarrassment and a broken heart. My own father, the person that helped brought me into this world couldn’t write his name. I have been so appreciated for my education ever since I read that. I love learning and I am grateful that I have the means to do that here.
I’ve had some amazing experiences in my life and I believe that if I wasn’t adopted my life would be completely different now. Even though it took the death of my biological mother for me to get a better life I’m grateful and try look at with a positive perspective. God orchestrated everything for me before I was even born. There are still moments when I ask God “why?” Why did my mom had to died? She was one of the most beautiful people I had the privilege of knowing. Even the worst days of our lives have a purpose and are part of our testimonies.
Being adopted has been good to me. I’ve met so many wonderful people in my life. I have traveled to different countries. I now work at one of the most amazing hospitals in America. I am here and I’m alive, healthy and growing. I have health, vision and dental insurance and for that I’m grateful for adoption.
Adoption is a beautiful thing, domestic and internationally!
My name is Miklene, but you can call me Miki. I used to be a shy little orphan girl and thanks to adoption; I’m chosen! I’m loved! And I have been made new. I believe strongly in adoption. It changes lives.
God’s Littlest Angels was founded by John and Dixie Bickel on Christmas Day, 1994, when a 1 pound 15 ounce baby was born at the local mission hospital in Fermathe. Because of her size, she was not given much of a chance for survival.
With the parents’ permission, Dixie took the baby home. John put his skills to work making an incubator out of a cardboard box and a heating pad. At the time, Dixie didn’t have access to IV supplies, so she kept the baby alive by feeding her with an eye dropper every two hours. Within four days, she was drinking from a doll bottle. After four months, Angel Noël was able to return home to her parents.
God’s Littlest Angels (GLA) is a Haitian orphanage located in the mountains above Petion-Ville, in the village of Fort Jacques. The majority of the children brought to the orphanage are between the ages of newborn and eight years old. We also have sibling groups, and children with special needs. GLA offers short term assistance to children needing a place to stay due to ill health or the death of a parent but who are not for adoption. These children will return to their biological families once their circumstances improve. Some children who cannot return to their biological families are waiting for adoptive parents.
God’s Littlest Angels has ministered to the children of Haiti since 1994 and has been involved in international adoptions since 1997. In the year 2000, GLA implemented a school sponsorship program for children unable to attend school due to the lack of funds. Today, around 200 children attend school sponsored by people in North America and Europe. To learn more about their work and how you can help please visit God’s Littlest Angels.
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