Important Adoption Meeting- Please pray

Please pray for an upcoming meeting in Liberian regarding adoption. This is a really important meeting and could really effect our adoption. The details of the meeting are below from two separate emails I received, so there is a little overlap in information. The mentioned "Pastor Peter" is our boys' foster dad and a very excellent public speaker.

Thank you for your prayers.
Peggy

This is an adoption update- I was sent the message below and it was also posted on the adoption yahoo group. There is a meeting taking place on Friday in regards to the adoption process in Liberia and what will happen next. Pst Peter, Josephus, and Professor Flomo, all who represent Global Orphan Outreach and our programs, will be in attendance at this meeting. They will be your voice of adoption and for your kids. And even though adoption agencies are pushing their agendas, they are making sure that they have a right to represent you in your adoptions as well.

Please be in prayer for this meeting. Also, Professor has to travel over 3 hours one way to attend this meeting. If any of you can spare funds to put towards his gas expense, it would be much appreciated. Just let me know. I will give you an update on this meeting just as soon as I am informed.

"I have been asked by Maria Luyken in Liberia to inform all of you of a major event regarding Liberian Children taking place July 16, 2010 and invite you to attend.

I am overjoyed to share with you that Maria Luyken was able to have a private meeting with the head of the Ministry of Justice in Liberia last week. To put this in perspective, the Minister of Justice Christina Todd is who the President puts in charge of the country when she is traveling abroad.

As a result of Maria’s meeting with her, Minister Todd has announced that a public forum will be held with all adoption agencies, adoptive parents and other stakeholders in Liberian Adoption on July 16, 2010.

This public forum will allow the adoption agencies in Liberia to present their case to her regarding difficulties they have experienced over the past year in processing the adoptions with decrees. This forum will give the adoption agencies the opportunity to come together as one united voice and to confront the problems they have had with specific government facets in regards to adoption.

The President of Liberia, (Ellen Shirleaf) has requested that the Minister of Justice investigate the Adoption situation in Liberia. President Shirleaf has asked her to “fix the problems” regarding adoption. The Minister of Justice will make a final decision on lifting the moratorium (ban) on adoption here in Liberia from her personal investigation and from the information she gleans from the public forum on July 16^th. We believe the Lord has put this woman in leadership at the Ministry of Justice in order to defend these precious children of Liberia that currently do not have a voice.

All of the Adoption Agencies in Liberia are invited to participate as are adoptive parents of Liberian children and all those who are passionate about the cause of the Liberian child."

Dear All,
I spoke with all local representatives of adoption agencies in Liberia on Friday
(July 9) about the planned July 17th confirmed date for the Adoption meeting with Honorable Christiana Tah, the Minister of Justice, Republic of Liberia.

I still do not have the exact venue and time, but I do know that amongst the guests that will be invited to the meeting will include: Mrs. Jenny Bernard (sister of President Sirleaf), UNICEF, MOH, Orphanages, biological and adopting Parents, Adoption Agencies, and Children Advocacy Groups. I will write again by Wednesday (14 July) to inform you about the venue and time.

As you are all aware, this is our only opportunity to tell the truth regarding Liberian adoption to the Liberian public. With this as a background, I am asking all parents across the board to pray for this meeting so that the truth may be known that children can once again have the opportunity for a better future.

Please allow me to caution each of you to be mindful that upon entering the place of the meeting on 17 July, everyone in attendance would have heard the lies, accusation, finger pointing and propaganda. Many have been influenced by all they have heard, so the burden will be on each one of us to show and prove
otherwise.

If anyone in particular wants a specific question, issue or concern raised as a collective, I’ll be delighted to pass those along to the Minister of MOJ before the meeting.

Let us all continue to pray for the plight of the Children of Liberia and that this meeting give hope once again to innocent children for an improved life and a better future.

Bittersweet

One year ago I received the news that
our little boy, Habakkuk,died of cholera
in his village, Kpeletayama, in Liberia.
He was 2 1/2 yrs old and we planned
on adopting him. Today, because of
the love and support of friends, there
is a clean water well in that village.This 

summer, no children are dying of
water contamination diseases. So, our
sorrow is obvious, I still ache for the
little boy I never knew, and yet, I have
joy that his life changed a village. His
life brought hope to his community; 500 people in his
village and surrounding areas benefit from this well.

Habakkuk's Well has an inscription dedicating it in
memory of Habakkuk. However, no one in the village can
read it since everyone is illiterate. But, this "village with
nothing" now has a future. Plans are being made to bring
a school to the village. First, a "real" house needs to be
built since not many educated people are willing to live in
a mud and thatch house. The house will cost about $3500.
Next, we will raise support to pay the teacher and purchase
curriculum. School will be outside under a pole and leave
structure. 

If you are interested in supporting this project
please mail your donation to: 

Mark and Peggy Halvorsen 

2920 Bobbie St 

Eau Claire, WI 54703

Write the check to: Fellowship church 

Please write Kpeletayama village school 

in the memo.

Also please pray for us as we
consider more options regarding
adoption. Liberia continues to be close. There is no way of
knowing how long it will remained closed. We currently
sponsor two boys, Michael and Varney, that we would very
much like to adopt. We continue to pray for God's will for
our boys. And, it may be for them to be our kids that grow up
in Liberia. In light of that, we are open to other adoption
options. If another match was found, such as through WI
special needs/foster care adoption, we would seriously
consider it. This process has been so painful for me, as some
of you know. Pray for wisdom and peace for our family as we
look for what God has ahead for us.
Thank you for your love and interest in our journey,
Peggy
                                             Varney and Michael