Village Bible Church || Aurora | Indian Creek | Sugar Grove | IL

Please continue to pray for Jake and Amy Whipp as they attempt to adopt an abandoned handicapped little boy, named Jean, from Haiti.  Below is the latest on their story.  If you don't know the story, here's the short version:  Amy went to help in Haiti after the earthquake - and returned feeling called to adopt a specific handicapped little boy.  She knew from the start there would be a lot of red tape - and that has certainly been true.  However, God continues to knock down some amazing barriers.  Let's all be in prayer for Jake, Amy and little Jean.  Read below for some exciting new news.

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April 9: I was reading today in Mark about the mustard seed, and even though my faith is small, when combined with the kingdom of God around the world, great things are accomplished. This has been such an amazing journey with Jean and Christ grows my love for Jean more and more everyday. I miss him SO much. The LORD has provided so many people to help bring us together. God has used Jean to touch the lives of so many... - Amy

April 7: "I got preliminary approval from Children's Memorial today!!!!!!! :) That's just so cool that he will get access to the BEST pediatric medical care in Chicago. I love it." - Amy

April 6: Lots of red tape.  Even if Haiti allows Jean to come to the states on a medical visa, our government won't allow it unless it can be proved that Jean will not be a medical burden on them.  So, Jake and Amy are talking with hospitals in the area trying to get one of them to agree to diagnose and treat Jean free of charge while he's here on the medical visa.  (Once the Whipps adopt Jake, their insurance will cover those costs, but not until.)  "I got the run around from almost everyone except Children's Memorial - they are supposed to get back to me tomorrow, so i am hoping and praying they say yes." - Amy 

April 5: No word yet regarding Jean's mom or if Amy's contacts in Haiti have talked to her yet. However, Heather, a missionary at Danita's is currently serving as Jean's personal caretaker. and has been able to email Jake and Amy almost every day with pictures and updates about Jean. She gives him hugs for them they and tells him how much they love him. She is even going to try and Skype in on Saturday with Jean on her lap so they can see him!!!

March 30: Jean's mother is found!  Pray that she can be taken to the orphanage so Jean can see his mom again. Pray that the orphanage can explain the situation with Amy and Jake being willing to adopt her son.

March 27: Jake and Amy find someone in Haiti who is willing to attempt to track down Jean's mother. 

March 13: World Magazine publishes an article about the orphan crisis in Haiti and specifically about Amy and little Jean - without Amy even knowing about it.  Amy then contacted the journalist, Jamie Dean, who ended up being instrumental in helping Jake and Amy find Jean's mom. Doesn't God work in amazing ways?  Click here to read the article!

March 4: The next step is to find Jean's mother. Jake and Amy have been told that is their only hope. So there are people trying to find her, but no one knows who she is. Pray that she will make herself known. "I know this will just be one more miracle in the story so that God gets credit for it." - Amy

Feb 17: Amy is given permission by the orphanage where she was serving to adopt Jean. This is a step, but the Haitian government is still not allowing any children to be placed into adoptive families - partly because it will take time to determine if a child is truly an orphan or if they are just temporarily displaced from their parents.

Feb 8: As Amy returns home, she and her husband Jake sense God's call to adopt Jean. They know there will be many hoops but begin to pray that if this is God's plan that He would begin to open the impossible doors.

Feb 1-7: Amy heads off to Haiti with Visiting Orphans to help with the orphanage, Danita's Children.  help with the earthquake catastrophe in Haiti.  During the week, she interacts with a lot of children, but God grows a special place in her heart for one named Jean who is very crippled, having very limited mobility of his arms and legs - apparently having cerebral palsy. 

Jan 5: Passport in 2 hours?  After a morning getting nowhere by phone, Jake and Amy decide to head to Chicago and try the impossible - to get a passport hours before the office closes down for the weekend.  Long story short, God opens the door and the impossible becomes possible - Amy walks out with a passport in hand and heads to get a long round of immunizations.

Jan 4:Amy receives a text message from VBC asking her if she could go to Haiti to help with children who have been impacted by the earthquake catastrophe.  She is open to the idea but has no passport or plane ticket.  Is it possible to pull off such an effort in one business day? Amy and her husband, Jake, begin to pray.