Saturday fun

with cousin Maia, adopted 3 years ago from Kazakhstan.

We are loving the water guns! And the hose.

Elizabeth thinks we are nuts.

But I think she likes us.

Home sweet home

Together at last!

Packing up

We have picked up the visas from the embassy and we are packing up!

Our journey in Africa is almost over. We spent part of today outside at a nice park to get the kids (and adults) some good exercise before our long flight home.

I can't wait to see my son who has been waiting. Ezra, we are coming soon!

Please pray that all 8 of us get seats close to each other. On the last flight from Kigali, we were spread out all over the place and little Elizabeth had a seat by herself. My oldest took that seat for her so she could be closer to Daddy, but we'd love to have all the seats together.

As a result, we are going several hours early to the airport. Our flight is at ten pm, we are leaving here at four to head in that direction.

Thanks for praying us through these amazing weeks!

Visas....check!!!!

The last piece of the puzzle....visas!

Completed this morning without (much) stress, with absolutely no running, with absolutely no paperwork needing a re-do.

For six families.

For eleven children.

Can you believe it?!

We are DONE!

Plane leaves tomorrow night!
Thank You, God.

Only You!

Introducing...

We wanted to share pictures now that we are at liberty to do so! We are the very proud parents of...

Elizabeth Charlenne

born January 19, 2007

and

Malachi Uwizeye

(WHEEZ-zay-yay, his original last name, meaning one who has faith)
born April 27, 2010

We can't believe that God gave them to us, but we are so grateful He did.
"the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Psalm 118:23

Embassy appointments

We have our visa interview for the kids tomorrow morning at 9am!!! We are excited to have this interview, and we are asking you to pray for us and all of us in this group. Pray that everything is in order and that we get to pick up our visas Thursday morning!

Thanks!

dream became reality

when the nuns brought them up to us from downstairs, we would just sit and play games on the floor

he liked it when Daddy made funny noises

her first real smile with us

he liked Caleb's Ravens hat...and Grandma's glasses (and earrings, and necklace...)

stacking cups were a big hit!



We are still in Addis Ababa, waiting for a phone call from the US Embassy to tell us when we can come in for a visa interview. Here are some more pictures!

This is from our second day there. The first day we spent about an hour and a half with the kids, and this pattern continued for a few days until we got our court ruling. Once we got our court ruling that we were officially their parents in Rwanda's eyes, then we got to take them for the entire day.

day two
Monday, March 28, 2011

finally...pictures!

moments later

getting some time with Daddy

isn't he amazing?

I had written a long post, full of info and all kinds of good stuff, only to lose it. I am going to send this quickly!








the day we met
Sunday, March 27, 2011

coming up the stairs for the first time

In Addis Ababa

....or alternatively titled,
We're not in Kansas anymore!

I stole this post title from Julie Farrand, who adopted from Rwanda as well, and this was her impression of the transition from Kigali to Addis.

Today we got an email from our agency about the possible government shutdown. If the government does indeed shut down, the US Embassy here in Addis will also be closed, meaning that our precious new blessings from Rwanda will not get their visas to enter the United States until the government opens back up.

This was hard news to hear. It was hard to leave Rwanda and Peter yesterday, and I think we are all just ready to go home.

Internet here is so unpredictable, making it seem like we are cut off from the world.

Please continue to pray for us.
Fun post soon with PICTURES and NAMES!

goodbyes

today was the day of goodbyes.

we went to the orphanage for the last time.

we returned in brown paper bags the clothes and shoes that the kids came to us in yesterday.

the nuns were there and called the children by name, hugging them and saying goodbye.

the children ran around and played and jumped like nothing of much significance was taking place.

we knew otherwise.

how to explain what is taking place?

our beloved Peter spoke to each of the older kids, and they just nodded obediently at the news he was giving. only one precious boy of the group went against the crowd when he said he wasn't happy with the news that he was going to say goodbye. we know he spoke for all of them, and their unspoken fears.

as we were about to pass through the magnificent blue gates for the last time, the children leaving were at the top of the staircase looking down at their home and their friends, when a group of the kids staying behind came part of the way up the staircase to wave. Our beautiful little girl waved and called out to them, and they talked back and forth for a minute, waving furiously as they spoke.

I wish I knew what they said.

Goodbye, friends and faithful nuns. We are eternally grateful for you.

They are ours!

Imagine our joy when we received our papers today!!! The papers that said the children were officially ours! And in effect saying we never have to drop them off at the orphanage again.

The schedule I gave you yesterday did not actually happen, but I'll give you a brief run down of how it all went.
6:20 on the bus, headed to the orphanage
6:40 get to the orphanage, pick up kids
6:55 get to Ministry and get searched thoroughly (think airport security)
7:10 sit in office taking up as much room as possible (these papers are totally ready since they have had them since Thursday. All we need is for the Minister to actually sign her name eleven times)
8:10 sitting
9:05 six very important looking people enter Minister's super secret office. They look ready for a very long meeting.
9:10 still sitting, break out the snacks. Some awesome parents brought Play Doh and shared it! Thanks, Calhouns!
9:30 I panic slightly at how long this meeting will last. I ask the secretary. She says it is a "short" meeting. Uh-oh.
10:10 still sitting
10:36 the Minister walks out of her office with her purse. I start to panic. I ask the secretary if she is leaving. She says yes, but that she signed. What?! She signed!

Then the mad-dashing-like-crazy-people began to happen, and I couldn't recall it all even if I tried. Just know that it involved literal running from one office to another, complete with babes in ergos and arms, important documents stuffed here and there.

Only God.

We were told no a hundred times, but Christ is our Yes! He said Yes today, and I have a beautiful, fat baby boy on one side of me, and a beautiful little girl on the twin bed next to us.

There are no words! Only joy and gratitude.

Goodbyes tomorrow. The day got very long and we couldn't make one more stop. We didn't want to rush it. So, tomorrow.

Thank you for your prayers.

no letter

Thank you guys for praying for us today about our travel letter. Unfortunately, we did not get it. We are sad about that, sad about taking the kids back to the orphanage, sad that they are not here with us. But, we are not discouraged. We are trusting God in this, and planning on a super big day tomorrow.

Let me give you an idea of our day tomorrow:
6:20 am: board the bus (future travelers, the coffee is not ready by 6:20am here at this awesome hotel, and this is the second (or third?) morning we have had to leave the hotel so early, so bring your own (instant) coffee if this is an issue for you. This is a major issue for me. (no coffee makers in hotel room) Fortunately, I have very kind travel group-mates who share (thank you, Smiths!!!) their disposable coffee mugs with lids (think Starbucks) AND their hot boiled water because our kettle blew our converter thing. Sigh. We did bring instant coffee (via) and that does the trick when in a pinch. Bring your Splenda and your plastic spoons!

6:40am pick up kids at the orphanage (hopefully for the LAST time!)

7:00am go to the Ministry.
Sit at the Ministry.
Sit in the couches and in the hallways and take up as much space as possible. (this is where I almost tripped over the power cords, it is seriously crowded in there when our entire travel group goes)
Do not leave the Ministry until we have the travel letters.
Wait at the Ministry.
Sit at the Ministry.
Hope that many of the kids have a tantrum at the office so that they will want to get rid of us.
Do not leave until we have the letters.
Sit at the Ministry.

7:30am (see how optimistic I am?)
leave the Ministry, with the letters in hand, and go to the Immigration office.
8:00am Pick up the kids' passports!

8:30 return to the hotel for a leisurely breakfast (hahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahaha, I am so sure we will be at the Ministry begging and pleading at this time, I am in dream world, but work with me!)

After we pick up the passports, which is after we get the travel letter from the Ministry, we head to the Embassy for our appointment at 11:00am. I am not quite sure what this is for, honestly, I don't really need to know, I just need to be there. Apparently, we will be there until at least 2:00pm, (which is why, future travelers, they tell you to bring great snacks. These are NOT just snacks, this is lunch! and breakfast! and we will have all the kids with us!)

Once we get all this done, (and we WILL!), we should go back to the orphanage, where our children will say their goodbyes. I get tears in my eyes just thinking of it. My brave little girl will march on in there, in all her sassiness, and say goodbye to every friend and brother and sister and mother she has ever known. I'm sure a big deal won't be made, I know the kids are used to other kids leaving and going into families, but it hurts so much to not be able to explain to her all that is going on. My two children dearly love those nuns, those precious women who have given their lives.

Tomorrow afternoon, in all our exhaustion and stress of the day, we will go to the orphanage, give back the clothes off their back, leave our gifts, cry as we thank the nuns and the workers for all they have done, and say goodbye to the life they have known. I know it is exciting to think of the NEW life they will have, but I want to take it all in, reflect, make known that there is a death here, a deep sadness in saying goodbye to something, that while not ideal, is all my children have ever known.

Selah.

More news tomorrow. Please pray for us.

pure sweetness

we had such a great day!!!

We picked up the kids super early, and headed to the passport office to submit passport applications so the kids can leave Rwanda next week! That was fairly quick and painless, with most of the super important stuff out of our hands now. Now we sit and wait.

We are waiting for one thing before we get the kids full time and forever, called a "to whom" letter, giving us permission to take them out of the orphanage forever! Our prayer is to get that letter, and the kids' passports, on Monday!

We had a great day with the kids, with many more smiles all around and less fear. Still so hard to take them back to the orphanage, even though they are so well loved by the nuns.

Not for much longer, though!

Pictures coming soon! As soon as we are allowed! Pinky promise!