Families Awaiting Orphans Arrival from Haiti

By Charles Bassett, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Two Texas families are in Oklahoma City awaiting the arrival of children they hope to adopt from Haiti. The children were displaced after their orphanage was destroyed in last week's devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Christi and John Barnes and Jessica and Stephen Lee came up to Oklahoma after receiving word that the children would arrive in Oklahoma City Wednesday morning.

The Barnes are waiting on 3-year-old Ava who they've been trying to adopt for a year now. The Lees are waiting for two sisters they have been sponsoring. Both couples met the children while doing missionary work in Haiti.

"Yesterday was a nightmare. I feel like the highs and lows of not only Ava and hearing from her since the earthquake, but our other friends and contacts that we have in Haiti. People that we love dearly," Christi Barnes said.

The children are in Miami with seven other children. However, the group is running into problems trying to get a flight out of Miami into Oklahoma City.

"She's in Miami right now and we're in Oklahoma City so we're waiting for her to get here, and whatever it takes to get her here we'll do that," said John Barnes said.

Cherokee Hills Christian Church got the children out of Haiti and is trying to work out the logistics of getting them to Oklahoma.

"We need a plane, we need a pilot. We need somebody to go get these kids so we can bring them home to Oklahoma to their families," said Christy Ausley, Cherokee Hills Christian Church.

Until then, there will be a several more hours of phone calls and pacing and waiting for the Barnes and Lees.

"We're here waiting on them so as soon as they get here, everything will be better," said Stephen Lee.

Late Wednesday evening the families received word that the children were able to get on a plane headed for Oklahoma City.

All of the children have adoptive families waiting for them. Once they arrive in Oklahoma City, they will be united and begin a new life in the United States.