Nash Wilson's Journey To Nashville

Update as of January 2022:

THANK YOU GOD!!! & thank YOU all for your fervent prayers!!! Mountains we’re moved… Nash is in Nashville. 🧡😭🙏🏽 #NashToNashville

53 Days later, Nash has legally arrived in the US 🎉

More to come but we need a day or two as a FAMILY to breathe 💙❤️🇭🇹🇺🇸

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Original Plea from the Wilson Family:

"We desperately need your help. On Monday, December 6, Nash had an appointment for a travel visa to the US. He was DENIED. Without going into detail, Haiti is dangerous and myLIFEspeaks has been forced to make the request for all US Staff working in Haiti to evacuate. Missy and Nash are still behind because he can not travel legally to the US at this time.

If you would like to help us with the journey on Nash, here’s how. It is now going to require congressional help. We have people moving on our behalf but the more voices the more urgency. Feel free to reach out if you feel so inclined.

Please consider calling or sending an email on our behalf to both of your Senators and your member of Congress with the email we created below (especially for those in TN where the Wilson's reside!) We’ve done all we can to make it as simple as possible for you to do so. We are continually told the best way to get things moving is to have congressional help. WE NEED YOU."

Thank you for your help,

-Mike, Missy, and Nash

Timeline of how Nash got to the States

How did we get Nash to the states?

• Nash’s journey to the US began on November 7, 2021, when we had 2 employees kidnapped for ransom on their way to pick up Mike & Missy at the airport.

• Nash went via helicopter from the village to Port au Prince and met Missy, where they stayed in a secure hotel for 41 days.

• During that time, Missy worked overtime to secure:

  • Final paperwork and new Haitian residency booklets for her and Mike (Permis de Sejour)

  • Nash’s official Legal Guardianship paperwork naming Mike and Missy his official guardians

  • Nash’s Haitian passport (Each of these things can take weeks on their own, but all of these were completed in 10 days by Missy)

• On day 40, Mike came to Haiti and swapped with Missy. He stayed for 13 days with Nash.

• Nash never complained once during his 53-day stay in the hotel. When he didn’t have any toys, he made up games, drew pictures, and colored each day.

• Mike and Nash went to the US Embassy in Port au Prince and received humanitarian parole, allowing Nash to legally enter the US and stay for 180 days.

• Mike and Nash were able to travel to the US on December 30th, 2021.

• Congressional Representative, Dr. Mark Green, and his office were crucial in moving things forward in this case. They refused to give up and saw the importance of getting Nash out of Haiti legally. With their help, this process moved along within days (even during the Christmas and New Year holidays). It took someone willing to listen and show favor to us to make this happen.

• Multiple senators and congressional representatives’ offices worked on sending emails and making calls on our behalf.

• Many of our friends, family, and even those we didn’t know called their congressional representatives on our behalf. Our case was well known in the US State Dept as well as USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Services).

Ultimately, it was the prayers, support, and connections that helped make a way when seemingly there wasn't an easy path. Connected to the right people advocating on Nash's behalf, mountains were moved.

Why didn’t you adopt him sooner? Wouldn’t that have been easier?

• Mike & Missy are residents of Haiti. They are American Citizens with legal residency in Haiti.

• As residents of Haiti, they can not complete an international adoption. Instead, they must complete a national/domestic adoption in Haiti.

• This process takes at least 5 years of approved Haitian residency (which they completed in November 2021).

• Mike & Missy still must finish the adoption in Haiti and are praying that Haiti calms down enough for them to return soon to take care of much of the paperwork.

• Many of the offices where one must travel are often blocked off and/or the areas around them have violent protests and burning tires.

• Traveling from Mike & Missy’s home in Leogane to Port au Prince puts them in one of the most dangerous parts of Haiti on one of the most dangerous roads in the country.

What is Nash's status?

• Nash has Humanitarian Parole, which means he can legally stay in the US for a period of 365 days (more than the original 180 days we expected)

• .He is in the United States legally under humanitarian circumstances (he is in danger in Haiti through his connection to his American family).

• Children are kidnapped in Haiti

• Children face violent crimes in Haiti.

• The village of Neply is safer than most but leaving Neply presents chaos and danger.

How your prayers and connections moved mountains in Nash's case.

• If it wasn’t for the prayers and people reaching out on our behalf, we would not have seen Nash get this opportunity.

• Prayer got our employees released from kidnapping.

• Prayers provided us with safety in Haiti.

• Prayers provided us with safe travels on the streets of Haiti. Often, a street would experience a roadblock, burning tires, a shooting, or a kidnapping within minutes of us passing by.

• Prayer got us favor with authorities and those in positions that could help us move to the next steps

• Prayer helped us remain calm during situations that were beyond our control

What is Nash is doing now? What will he be doing for the year he is in the US?

• Nash is adjusting to LIFE in the US for a while.

• He is struggling and misses his friends but he also shared multiple times that he is glad that he doesn’t have to worry about anyone getting kidnapped in the US.

• Nash can not attend public school or receive any government benefits since he is on Humanitarian Parole status. So, we are looking at a private school option that will allow him to experience LIFE in the US with his age-appropriate peers.

• Nash has Facetimed with many of his friends back in Haiti

• Nash is becoming more comfortable talking about his emotions and feelings during this time…something that we all struggle with. But Nash, a 7-year-old, has shown tremendous maturity with this.