by Brent Frazier
Nashville, Tenn. - Haiti's earthquake is affecting a Franklin couple in a way they never imagined. Mike and Missy Wilson just want to bring home their newly adopted, 5-year-old, Haitian-born daughter.
"I'm staying here until we can figure out a way to get her home," Mike Wilson told NewsChannel 5 Sunday afternoon, from Haiti via SKYPE. "Because I know if I leave her, it could be years before we bring her home."
Wilson flew to the already blighted country roughly 12 hours after the 7.0 magnitude quake hit. The court documents of his soon to be adopted daughter, Tia, were destroyed in the natural disaster; as were the papers of thousands of Haitian orphans, eager to embrace better lives.
Getting Mike and Tia home is the sole focus of Nashville based Brent Gambrell Ministries, Mike Wilson's employer. Ever since that disastrous day, BGM employees and volunteers have been working tirelessly to get Tia, and the 47 other orphans from New Life Link, in the city of Carrefour, out of the country. Operation: Let the Babies Go is the name assigned to the nonstop effort.
Missy Wilson, who's staying home with her three biological sons, keeps vigil at the BGM headquarters in South Nashville. She said an immigration attorney advises her and her husband to not remove Tia from her native homeland without proper paperwork.
"And he said, 'I understand where you are, and I understand your heart. But know that she us going to get detained as soon as she gets here. And then, she'll go to the foster system. And Mike will be arrested and have a federal offense.'"
Brent Gambrell Ministries is also efforting one thousand pounds of food to the orphans. A truckload of supplies made it to the vicinity, but became snagged by roads that no longer exist. Leader and pastor Brent Gambrell worries the children will starve with no food and no water.
BGM will gladly accept a donation of money, or a non perishable food item. Their website is listed on this page. Gambrell says the ministry, at this time, is not accepting clothing items to be donated. Those who would like to help can also make monetary donations at any Regions Bank to the BGM-Relief Fund.
