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These are some emails about Kirk and Jane Yamaguchi, he is pastor at Canyon View Vineyard Church here in Grand Junction. They have been in the process of adopting a little girl (Guerdie) from Haiti for some time now and Jonathan Hunt was on FOX this morning holding her and a couple other kids at an orphanage in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The orphanage has been devastated by the earthquake last week. I even heard later today that a group had come into the compound (the wall fence is gone since the earthquake) and were stealing food and water from the orphanage. It has really degraded there. There is a lot of theft and looting. There is so little water and food that people are fighting for it. Basic survival instinct, I guess.
Let's all pray for Guerdie and the other kids there as they are the most vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Haiti update
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:09:09 -0700

Dear Canyon View Vineyard family,
We know that many of you are deeply invested in what is happening with our kids in Haiti. Here is the latest update from Jane (below). Note the need to send requests to our congressmen and the white house to approve the "Safe Haven". Thank you very much for your prayers and support. We have been lifted up by all your kindness!
Pastor Kirk

Evacuation update: get all the kids to place near Embassy & Airport w/ security, food, etc; process in groups, take to embassy & grant visas or humanitarian parole; board plane for New York- medical assessments, then can be picked up. The US Office of Disaster Assistance NEEDS TO APPROVE THIS 1ST!! You can help: Contact congressmen & White House to request that this "Safe Haven" be approved today!

In this conference call, we did find out we do fit into one of the 4 categories of children that will be evacuated! Guerdie would have humanitarian parole (HP) and we'd have to go through loads more paperwork, costs etc. to finalize the adoption. We would be a foster home for her until that process is completed. So, now we wait to see what happens and when! The kids who have gotten out are ones who have gone to the Embassy in Haiti and waited to get the Visa or HP. They tell us that it is chaos at the Embassy and not very safe, and little food and water. So, that's not a good option, so the "Safe Haven" needs to be approved quickly. Babies are severely dehydrated and will die if they can't leave soon!

We'll keep you posted, but it looks like Guerdie IS COMING HOME soon!!!!! Thank you God! I also received a personal email from Jonathon Hunt at Fox News who was the reporter in the orphanage in Haiti (holding all the kids).

{This is Jonathan Hunt from Fox News. I heard through a contact at the ABC station in Grand Junction that you saw our reports and were able to see Guerdie.
I wanted to let you know that she seems healthy and since our first reports the Salvation Army and other aid agencies are getting some food to the children there.
I talked to Guerdie a little (in my schoolboy French) and she said she is looking forward to getting to be with her mom. She asked me if I knew you. I told her I didn't know you personally but I knew that you were a wonderful person and that she will have a beautiful life with you. She cried a little, but not through great sadness I think, rather at the bittersweet thought of knowing the life that is waiting for but not quite being able to get there. I hope and pray that we shamed the US State Department into taking some action and that Guerdie is with you very soon. You have a beautiful daughter with a wonderful spirit. It was my honor and privilege to meet her. My very best wishes to you and your family.}

God is so good- please pray we can get some sleep and be prepared for when that phone call comes! Reminds us of waiting for the phone call to be matched with Gracie 3 1/2 years ago!

Love to you all

Jane