( CNN ) -- Mike and Missy Wilson sat in a meeting late Tuesday afternoon , planning a ministry trip to Haiti when they were interrupted by a text message . A co-worker read the news : a powerful earthquake had just struck the Caribbean country . In their Nashville , Tennessee , office , Mike Wilson said , `` My heart just dropped '' as he listened to the one-line bulletin . The quake 's epicenter was a few miles from an orphanage in Carrefour , Haiti , where the Wilsons ' 21-year-old daughter Katie was working , and the 5-year-old girl they were about to adopt lived . `` I felt like I could n't take another breath , '' Missy Wilson said , `` I jumped up and yelled , 'This ca n't be happening . ' '' The first bits of news were discouraging , as sketchy reports came in of buildings collapsing and widespread destruction . `` It was horrible , '' Missy Wilson said . `` We spent hours trying to get any information . '' The Brent Gambrell Ministries where she is director frequently works with churches and groups in Haiti . Any phone number they had in the country was quickly written on a board in the office . `` A group of 20 ( people ) sat and dialed the numbers over and over and over again . '' `` There are no words to explain that two people I love dearly were in the middle , and I could n't reach then , '' Mike Wilson said , his voice cracking . But it was more than 24 hours before they finally got word . A brief , scratchy call from their daughter Katie came through -- she and 5-year-old Tia had survived the quake that destroyed the orphanage . Missy Wilson said Katie was able to say , `` I 'm alive . We 're safe . Tia 's safe . Please just know we 're alive , '' before the 40-second call was cut off . It would be Thursday before the Wilsons learned the whole story . Mike Wilson , with two ministry officials , was able to travel into Haiti on a medivac plane , and the three made their way to the town . `` There was destruction all around , '' he said from Haiti , `` When I saw what was left of that building , I knew they were protected . '' Katie , Tia and 47 other children all made it out , but were living in the parking lot across from the shattered orphanage . When Mike Wilson finally found his daughter , she ran up to him at full speed and hugged him . `` I can totally see her knocking him to the ground , '' her mother said . The first order of business : a call home to a nervous mom . Wilson was able to get through on a rare working cell phone , and told his wife , `` need to you to hear something . '' Missy Wilson said the next words were from Tia , barely able to speak English , saying , `` 'Ma-ma , I love you . ' I started screaming at the top of my lungs . '' Wilson and his colleagues brought food , water and supplies to the 200 quake victims in the parking lot . He described the injured , including one with a broken leg , being treated for two days in the heat with nothing more than an aspirin . The group arranged a bus to take the children to a guest house , a trip delayed when the bus broke down . But that news was minor , knowing they would have shelter and supplies . For the Wilsons , the next struggle is how to bring Tia home . They had been in Haiti just last week finishing paperwork for the adoption , but the office handling the case was destroyed in the quake . `` All that paperwork , God knows where it is , '' Mike Wilson said . `` That building was five stories , now it 's five feet tall . '' For Missy , waiting for news at home , `` I feel like I 'm floating on top of my body . '' `` Like I 'm living a dream and waiting to wake up , '' she said . This week has gone `` from hopelessness to hope to tears to ' I ca n't take another phone call because I do n't know what will happen , ' '' she said . Wilson said he is working with the U.S. Embassy seeking emergency help to bring Tia to Nashville . `` We are going to do it , '' he said , his voice the strongest it had been all day .
Wilsons ' year - old daughter , and the 5-year - old son they were about to adopt live in Haiti . ` ` We spent hours trying to get any children , '' Missy Wilson says . Daughters and 47 other children all made it out of orphanage alive . Father traveled to Haiti on a private plane for joyous reunion .