Week 9...Almost there

Hi Friends,

We are definitely missing you all and the comforts of home, but we are learning to live simply and humbly, a lesson I think we should all have at some point in our lives. We are getting into the rainy season here which complicates things a little bit, but otherwise we're plugging along and making the best of each day. The boys are falling into our routine a little better every day, but we still have daily struggles. Some days Paul and I are filled with energy and patience and the difficulties don't seem so hard, but other days, when we are tired and weary, it's hard to remember how far we've come. We often have to remind ourselves that every day is a milestone and a new beginning, and regardless of how yesterday was, tomorrow will be better. Every morning we get up and say "today is a good day for a good day", and off we go. Many days I feel like I'm running on empty and that I will never quite feel rested or healthy or prepared, but then I take a breath and remember that God is on my side and despite the mental and physical fatigue, He will sustain me.

I can't believe we are on week 9. Some days it feels like we've been here for a year and other days it seems like it went really fast. There are still many things on our to do list before we head home, and we are excited to let the boys experience a bit more of their culture before they are in a world filled with muzungus (white people)!

Monday this week was a Kampala day and IOM (medical) day 1. We got up at 3:45am and got dressed and ready...we got the boys up at 4:40am and got them dressed and ready...then headed outside to wait for our driver. We were told he would be there by 5am, however he didn't roll up until 5:40. Grrrrr. I mean who doesn't want to wait outside in the pitch black with 2 toddlers for 40 minutes with nowhere to sit but on the concrete ground? Regardless, we put aside our frustrations, greeted him good morning and hopped in. The ride there was fairly uneventful since it was so early, however traffic was worse in the city so we were a few minutes late arriving (it doesn't really matter though because Ugandans are always late!). We got there at 8:10 for our 8:00 appointment, checked in, then sat down to wait. At 8:45 they took us back and did our intake. She asked us some questions about the boys, we asked her some questions, we signed consent forms and we were done. We then went back into the waiting room and waited for about 30 more minutes, before they were called back for their shots. The waiting room was outside and the boys went in 1 at a time for their Tb test and HIV blood draw. The worst part was being able to hear other children screaming before our boys went in; it definitely didn't help with their peace if mind! I went in first with L and he sat in a big chair and I held down his legs and other arm while he got his Tb shot. He cried and cried, but otherwise did great. For the blood draw, I had him sit on my lap and had to restrain him again. He did great though overall, and I gave him a dum-dum immediately after which heals all wounds! Paul went in with J, as I knew I wouldn't be able to restrain him by myself, and it was good he did. It took Paul and another male nurse to hold him down, and he screamed bloody murder at the top of his lungs! It was horrible to hear and horrible to watch, but as soon as it was over and he had his "sweetie" all was right in the world. Phew! We were done by 9:45am and headed into town to meet a friend for lunch. At 11, me, Paul and the boys had lunch with a Bishop who does discipleship training and workshops for people in the Entebbe/Kampala region. He has met my parents and their friends many years ago, and really wanted to see us while we were here. It was nice to talk with him and hear his take on the boys, and besides the chaos of having 2 really tired children out at a restaurant, we were blessed that he took the time to meet with us. At 12:15 we were back on the road to Jinja. The boys slept on us for about an hour in the car, but did really well overall. It has made a HUGE difference for just our family to be in the car. My anxiety levels have dropped significantly, and even though it's still a lot of work, it's been doable, which is all I ask for! We got home about 3pm and let the boys run around inside and out. They were pretty tired, but enjoyed being out of the car. At 5:30 we headed to dinner at a restaurant and it was a bit of a mess. The boys were so over-tired, but thankfully there was no one else there, so it wasn't a big deal. Once the food came they were happy as clams and gobbled up all the goods quickly. At 7:00 we headed home, but we couldn't do a bath as we were not allowed to get their Tb tests wet. So we did a quick wipe down, brushed teeth, book, prayers, bed. They were out by 7:45 and it was a good thing because they needed it! IOM day 1 success.

Sneak peak at a car trip. #allIwantisacarseat!

Lunch with Dr. Benjamin!

L sleeping on Paul

Home and learning how to do airplane!

Playing their new game where they are "driving their boat" to Kampala

Tuesday we were all tired from the day before, but we enjoyed having nothing to do in the morning. We all got up and hung out in our PJs, before making some oatmeal for breakfast. The boys were in a bit of a funk this morning and they were refusing to eat their oatmeal and spilled juice their all over the floor...twice. My patience was running thin and it was only 8:30am. I needed God to give me peace and quick! After breakfast we got them cleaned up and dressed for the day. They played inside for a bit while Paul and I got ready, then we headed downtown for coffee and snack. For whatever reason the boys love "going for coffee" (even though they only eat the snack we bring for them), but it's nice to get out of the house for us and we're grateful they get excited for small outings like this. After their snack and a bit of caffeine for us, Paul and I did some gift shopping at the local vendors. We have loved being able to support these beautiful people in a tangible way and the things they sell are really one of a kind. We weren't able to get through everyone on our list, but we got a handful of things, and at 12:30 headed back home. We gave the boys lunch before book and nap-time and thankfully they both went down fairly easy. They woke up around 3:30, but were both still groggy overall. We just lounged in bed with them for a bit before getting up for snack. In the afternoon we went outside to play with one of the other mom's biological son, who is 5. He just came the day before but was too tired and jet-lagged to meet the boys when he arrived. So now that he was rested, we went over to meet him, then went outside to play. J was LOVING kicking the soccer ball back and forth, which was such a delight for Paul. He was enjoying playing soccer with him, and this is one of the first activities J has done for an extended period of time. L was enjoying having a new friend to play with, but still often prefers to play with us :) At 5:45 we headed to town for dinner and the other couple, Mitch and Lindsey, came with us. The boys were better behaved tonight, but were still antsy overall. They ate all their food without difficulty, and Paul and I enjoyed some adult conversation during this time! At 7:15 we headed home, but since we still couldn't do a bath, we had a repeat of the night before. We had bought the boys little stuffed elephants from one of the street vendors earlier in the day, and decided to save them for bedtime, as they often get restless without us laying with them. Once we gave them to them they were SO excited and thankfully both went to sleep fairly quickly. We were SO grateful because we had to get up early again to go to Kampala and we knew they would need their sleep. That evening I worked on paperwork for the Embassy while Paul made some work calls. It's been hard for Paul and I to have any kind of quality time together as he has to work when the boys are sleeping (nap and bedtime) and I often go to sleep while he's still working away. Even though we spend all day together, the boys take up so much of our capacity, and it's been hard to have any time together. We are praying that once we're home and settled we will be able to plan in some time for us.

J playing soccer!

Coffee date! We let them play with some ice cubes (which they've never seen before). Thank God we were the only ones in that room! :)

Wednesday was another Kampala morning for IOM day 2. We were up early and on the road by 6:30am. The drive there was fairly quick in comparison to other days, but L was SO fidgety and he was pushing the limits quite a bit. This is very different than usual, as L is normally a people pleaser. He LOVES getting things right, knowing information and showing us how well he can do things, and he HATES getting in trouble. Even when he thinks he MIGHT get in trouble, he immediately begins crying HUGE tears as his feelings are SO hurt. So for him to be consistently pushing our buttons, we knew he was way past his point of fatigue. We arrived at IOM at 8:45, but our appointment wasn't until 9:15 so we hunkered down to wait. Thankfully they took us back at 9:05 and the nurse took the boys height, weight, vitals, arm circumference and measurements. They both came back as moderately underweight, but we know that will change once they're home with us. Once the nurse was done, we headed around to the outside waiting room for their Tb tests to be checked. J went first and they cleared him right away. L however, gave them some concern, so they made some markings, measured with a ruler and sent him in to get a second opinion. Thankfully the second technician said he was fine and this momma breathed a HUGE sigh of relief. If they suspect anything from the Tb test, they make the kids get a chest x-ray and perform 3 days of sputum testing to rule it out. This would've put us back at least 2 weeks, and I was praying under my breath the whole time they were checking him out. Thank you Jesus all was well! Once their tests were cleared, we went back outside to wait to see the doctor. At 10:20 the doctor called us back and we went into a back room to see Dr. Jacob. He was super friendly and kind to the kids and he instantly made them feel at ease. He did a complete physical on both of them and then told me, "your children are healthy." It was a relief to hear he was pleased with their current state and he also put my mind at ease about a couple markings on them that concerned me initially. Overall, it was a good visit and the boys enjoyed all the attention :) We were done by 11:00 and we were excited to be heading home. We went out to the car to get in, however our driver was no where in sight. We were puzzled. We looked around but didn't see him, so we gave him a call and he said he was nearby and would be there soon. So we sat in the hot sun on the grass and began to wait for what we thought would be a few minutes. Well an hour and a half later he shows up. What the heck. We were SO frustrated and beyond upset as we were sitting in the grass, on a busy road, with no food, no water and nothing for the boys to do. It was such a disaster and I couldn't believe a few minutes to him was over an hour. When he arrived, we immediately got in the car and tried to be kind despite the want for dragon Bettina to come out. He was on the phone when he started to pull away which was probably a God send because it allowed me to calm down a bit. The ride home was difficult as we were all hungry, tired and SO hot from sitting outside in the sun for so long. It began to pour soon after we started driving, so we had to roll up the windows most of the way to keep from getting soaked. L napped on Paul for 45 minutes, but J was fighting sleep the whole ride home. I finally got him to sleep around 1:30, but 15 minutes later he was wide awake. Come on, kid! Momma wants a nap too! Paul and I both had such a headache from not eating and we couldn't wait to get home. At 2:45 we pulled into our guest house and got the boys quickly inside for lunch. They scarfed down all their food and I felt bad they were so hungry! Paul and I were seriously on the struggle bus so we put on a movie and made the boys have some quiet time. They did well for about 45 minutes, but then lost interest and it was like pulling teeth to get them to "rest." So Paul and I peeled ourselves out of bed and headed outside to play. The boys were SO tired and ornery, but there was not much to do, so we let them run it out. At 5:30 we headed to the orphanage to chat with the directors regarding some of the paperwork we need for the Embassy. We ended up being there over 45 minutes, but it was a good conversation and I was pleased with their answers. To be honest, Paul and I were a little concerned, as this was the first time we brought the boys back to orphanage for more than just dropping off our laundry. We didn't know how they would respond or what they would think, so we made sure to sit them down and explain that they were not staying there, and they would be coming back with us as soon as we were done talking to "Uncle William." Thankfully, our hard work was confirmed as they wanted nothing to do with that place. They refused to play with their old friends, they refused to go see their caretakers, and they refused to leave our side. It was SO confirming for us, and Paul and I realized that all the tears and hardship and difficulty IS paying off, as we have 2 beautiful SONS who love us and want to be with us. My heart was full. At 6:30 we headed back to our guest house, as our landlady was making us dinner. The boys ate so well (and so did we!), and I was glad to not have to walk anywhere. We headed back inside around 7:15 and did a bath before their bedtime routine. They were so tired and were both out by 8:00. We were so grateful they went to bed easy because we were both still fighting headaches, and to be honest I was just plain grumpy. It was all I could do to shower, journal and get in bed. Paul worked until after midnight, and I felt so bad there wasn't more I could do to help him. I'm so thankful for his sacrifice and provision for our family. I'm a blessed lady. 

Beautiful view on our drive to Kampala

L getting his Tb test checked. Very official as you can see!

L "taking pictures" while waiting to see the doctor.

J sitting on me while waiting to see the doctor :)

Their physicals! They're so cute in their little undies!

Waiting outside IOM for our driver. So frustrating.

Movie time!

On Thursday Paul got up at 6:45 with the boys and I joined them at 7:15. I still had a bit of a headache, but took some ibuprofen which seemed to help. Once we were mostly awake, Paul made eggs for breakfast, then I got the boys dressed and ready. At 9:15 we headed out the door as I was volunteering with an organization called Sole Hope, and Paul and the boys were going to walk with me to their location. The boys were so sweet that morning, and as I hugged and kissed them goodbye, I knew I would miss their little faces throughout the day. Paul braved the boys alone for most of the day...running some errands, going for coffee, playing outside, running on our dirt road, making them lunch and putting them down for a nap. Superdad. For real though. He's a keeper. I on the other hand headed out to a remote village about an hour from Jinja and helped Sole Hope with their weekly jigger clinic. Jiggers are small bugs that burrow into your feet like ticks and then lay eggs which hatch and continue to spread throughout your body. They live under the superficial layer of dirt here in Uganda, so children and elderly who don't wear shoes and have poor hygiene, end up highly infested with them. They are terribly painful and literally eat away at the flesh of your feet. If you're brave, google image jiggers and take a peak. It's pretty disgusting so look at your own risk! We arrived at the village school around 11am and a handful of us volunteers sang songs with the kids, while the jigger team set up shop. The school was huge, I would say 500+ children, and there was no way to see them all. The Sole Hope team had asked the school to choose 100 of the most severe children and we would see them for the day. It's hard to imagine teasing out kids to help when there are so many who need it, but realistically there was no way to see them all in one day. (The team plans to go back to help more children at a later date!). The rotation in place was that the children got their feet and lower legs washed really well, then they were carried to a jigger removal station (so their feet didn't get dirty), then the jiggers would be removed with...umm, wait for it...safety pins and razor blades. After they were removed, the feet were washed again, then bandaged up with neosporin before heading to the shoe station to get fit for a pair of shoes. 97% of the children in the village don't have/wear shoes so this is HUGE for them. The whole program is so genius, and if you're so inclined, donate! They are doing amazing things for these people, and are really working hard to help the marginalized. In Uganda, jiggers are a stigma and people believe you are cursed if you have them. Therefore, children who get them are often not allowed back home because the family feels they are cursed. It's terrible. Sole Hope works hard to erase that stigma, to show it is not a curse, but a bug that is CURABLE. I mean talk about being the hands and feet of Jesus. I felt put to shame. Anyway, I started out by washing the children's feet. I sat on the ground and one after the other I scrubbed their little feet with soap and a scrub brush to get all the layers of dirt removed. After about an hour of washing, we rotated jobs as it's pretty hard on your back. Once I was done washing I went to the documentation station. For this, I sat behind one of the jigger removers, and documented on a piece of paper where they found jiggers. At the end of the removal, you tally the jiggers then send them over to get fit for shoes. While documenting was easy, watching the jiggers being removed was hard. These children were SO BRAVE and I literally did not see a single one cry. Did you read that? These children were getting their feet poked and prodded with safety pins and razor blades and not a single one cried. It was crazy. It was such an awesome experience for me and I plan to do it at least 1 more time before we head home. Once the 100 children were done, we packed everything up and drove back to Jinja. When we got back to Sole Hope's location, I got a tour of their grounds, saw where/how they make the shoes and met the team behind the project. It was an amazing day and I felt so humbled to serve those beautiful children in a tangible way. As a plug, I plan to do a shoe cutting party when I get home this Fall, so if you want to be involved, let me know! It's a great way to help these children get shoes and all it takes is $10 and some scissors. More details to follow! :) When I got home around 3, the boys were still sleeping and Paul was working. I hadn't eaten all day, so I ate a quick bite and then snuggled the boys when they got up. I sat with them while they ate their snack, as Paul had to finish some work calls. In the afternoon, we went outside again to play with the other children and both boys had fun running around, playing with cones, playing soccer, swinging the jump rope and just being kids. At 5:45 we packed up the boys and headed downtown for dinner. It was a more difficult dinner for us as the boys were a bit wired, and our service was very slow which made it all the more difficult. At 7:40 (eek!) we finally left, and decided to forgo the bath as we were running so late. We got the boys cleaned up and into bed by 8:15. L fell asleep fairly quickly and by 8:30 he was asleep. J on the other hand was so wired, and didn't end up falling asleep until 9:30...after Paul laid with him to get him to settle down. I've said this before, but it's such an emotional process for us, and ending the night this way is always more difficult. Paul had to work pretty late so I showered, journaled and hopped into bed while he was up well past midnight. As I said last week, buy him a burger or something. He deserves it.

Coffee date with daddy! This is such a typical picture! hahaha

The view from Paul's walk with the boys Arriving at the village school! Friday was a fairly good day, but I had a very challenging night with J, probably one of the worst yet, and I definitely hit an all time low emotionally. In the morning we got up and ate breakfast together then got ready for the day. Fridays are house-keeping days for our guest house, so we always have to change out our sheets, change out our towels, sweep and take out the garbage. So once we were dressed, we let the boys play in the room/listen to music while we got the cleaning done. At 9:30 we packed up the boys and our laundry and walked to the orphanage to drop it off. We then headed downtown for some coffee and let the boys have their snack. It was a REALLY hot day, so Paul and I were definitely feeling the fatigue of walking with the boys on our backs. However, we had a lot of errands to run, so we geared up for the day. After coffee, we walked down to the local market to get some fruit. Once we had everything we wanted, we headed to the grocery store to get a few things for the boys' snack. By that time it was 12:00, so we walked the 30 minutes back to our guest house, unloaded the groceries, then made lunch. They were hungry and thirsty from the heat, and they scarfed down all their food without a problem. We got them ready for nap and laid them down around 1:10. J actually went down fairly quickly once I laid with/on him, but L was more restless and didn't go to sleep until 1:40, after I laid with him as well. They only slept until 3:00 (there was a man cutting steel on the property and it was SO LOUD), but we made them stay in bed and have quiet time until 3:30. Once they were up, we did snack then headed outside to play with the other kiddos. The other families have been receiving not great news, so they were all in a bad mood and not in a great mental state. Because the mojo was so bad, Paul and I loaded up the boys at 4:50 and headed out for a walk. We stopped by the orphanage on our way to pick up some paperwork and make sure everything was in line for next week, then headed downtown for dinner. Paul had a 5:30 work call, so I hunkered in with the boys at the restaurant while he went outside to talk. It started out alright with the boys excited but contained, but then got bad quickly. J was just being extra defiant and so I brought him on my lap for discipline. He then proceeded to freak out (per the usual) and while he's screaming on my lap, everyone is looking at me and staring. I gave L my phone to watch some videos since I was alone, and he very contently watched while I spent the next 30 minutes disciplining J. It was one thing after the next with his aggression, and if Paul wasn't outside on the phone, I would've packed up J and left. I was just so frustrated and angry and it took all my energy to muster up some compassion and remember that he is just a hurting little boy who is going through a lot of change. It was all I could do to not burst into tears in the middle of the restaurant. When our food came, J had finally calmed down enough to sit by himself, but continued to be defiant overall. Over an hour later, Paul re-joined us and by that time I was ready to go. Paul scarfed down some food while I took the boys to the bathroom, then we loaded them up and walked home. I fought tears most of the way, and all I wanted to do was curl up on my couch at home in my favorite sweatpants and have a good cry. But seeing as we had a 20 minute walk home in the dark with a 38lb. toddler on my back that wasn't going to happen. Plus all we have here to sit on are plastic lawn chairs, so it wouldn't be quite the same :) Once we got home, we brushed our teeth, while I got the boys' bath ready. Paul was watching them in the tub while I put the laundry away and got their bed ready. Unfortunately J was continuing to not listen, so we pulled him out of the tub and made him sit with me on his bed until L was done. I was trying to keep him calm and contained, while he was getting more upset, and the whole time just praying over him. Once again he started to get a bit aggressive, and I hit rock bottom. Instead of being compassionate and patient, I simply burst into tears and couldn't stop. I spoke to J through my tears, not knowing if he's understanding anything I'm saying, and reiterated how much I loved him, but how much it hurts when he does what he does. I was literally pleading with a 4 year old to stop doing what he was doing. Mom of the year I know. It was clear he didn't know what to do, and when Paul and L came in to see the scene, L also froze in his tracks. After I was done talking to J, I just went into the bathroom, sat on the toilet seat lid and sobbed. Big, heaping, huge sobs. A minute later, J opened the bathroom door, just staring wide-eyed at me. While I was crying little J rubbed my head (that's how they say sorry here) and said, "Sorry, mommy. Don't hurt mommy." My heart melted. I had never felt so raw. At that point, I just hugged him to me and sobbed into his little body. I literally didn't know what else to do. Once I let him go and composed myself a bit, we both headed back into the bedroom and finished getting ready for bed. I hugged L too, because he was clearly worried, and I assured him I was okay. Together Paul and I finished getting them ready for bed, but I continued to fight tears the rest of the night. We did their book, prayers and tucked them in with their little elephants, and off to sleep they went. Once we finished cleaning up, I just cried while Paul held me, and together we debriefed and then prayed over our children. It's been such an emotionally charged journey, but I believe we will see a breakthrough with J before we come home. We are on the brink of something HUGE and while I can't always tangibly see the pieces coming together, I know God is moving on our behalf. While I felt weak and awful for sobbing in front of my children, I know it was something that needed to happen for both of our sakes. For the pain I feel and the pain they feel. For them to see that I am just a human and even mommies need to cry sometimes. I know God hears my cries, and as I continue to trust in Him, he WILL redeem their lives. On a ridiculous note, the night ended with a bang as we had no hot water, even after having our switched turned on for over 45 minutes (we have to turn on an outlet that heats a water tank outside our room. It takes about 30-40 minutes for it to warm up so you have to be proactive in remembering!). So after such an emotional night, I took an ice cold shower (which was miserable), then journaled and hopped into bed. All I could do was laugh at that point. Onward and upward!

Not sure what's going on here, but this happens all the time :)

They were "taking pictures" together. Be still my heart.

Jman "driving to Kampala" for food :)

Saturday morning I woke up exhausted from the night before and the boys were up and at 'em at 6:30. Paul helped them go to the bathroom, then gave them some books to read while we laid in bed a little bit longer. At 7:15 they were raring to go, so we all got up and started getting ready for the day. We made eggs for breakfast and after 2 huge water spills, we finished eating our eggs. The boys played inside for a bit while Paul and I got ready. They were pushing chairs around like a "strailer" (really a stroller, but now they mesh trailer and stroller and call it a "strailer"), and going "beep, beep, beep, beep." Their imaginations are great and I hope that stays with them forever. At 10:00 Paul took them for a walk so I could have some quiet time, as we had another episode this morning with J, and I was feeling spent. Paul went to get us some coffee and gave the boys their snack before heading back to the house around 12:15. I again took this time to read my Bible, pray, worship and just rest. While I still felt emotionally and mentally tired when they returned home, my heart and head were in a better place which is exactly what I needed. God has a way of refreshing you when you spend time in His word, and that's what gives me the ability to continue this crazy, amazing journey we're on. Once the boys got back, Paul and I made them lunch before getting them ready for their nap. It had been raining all night, and the skies were still gray and overcast which helped with the ambiance of the room, and the heat! The boys were extra snuggly when we laid down and it was nice to have some calm time with both of them. They went down by 1:30 (which is GREAT!) and slept until 3:30. Yay! Once they woke up we gave them snack, then got them changed and ready as we were headed off to a photo shoot! There is a another adoptive mom here who came for the adoption of a very sick little boy, but has now also taken on a 6 year old girl with Type-1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is VERY rare in Uganda and it's a shock she was even diagnosed! Their family's story is incredible, and if you have a minute you should check out their blog at Grace and Salt. Anyway, the adoptive mom, Keary, is a professional photographer and is offering photo sessions here in Jinja to help raise money for the adoption of their little girl. I have been following her for quite some time, and we have been in contact since being here, and Paul and I have really felt led to support them. So in the afternoon we met them at their guest house, then headed down to the road to start our photo shoot. When we arrived it was sunny and beautiful, with the sun starting to go down; perfect for pictures! Then all of a sudden we started getting HUGE gusts of wind, then it almost immediately started pouring! It came so fast and so strong! We picked up the boys and starting running back to the guest house in the pouring rain. Once we got under shelter we dried off a bit then took some pictures in the rain. Who knows how they turned out, but we were already soaked so it didn't matter :) We went inside soon after and just waited for the rain to subside. Unfortunately the power also went out, so we hunkered in for a little while. Around 6:15 the rain finally started easing up, so we packed up the boys and started walking home before it got too dark. The roads were a muddy mess and filled with debris, so it was quite the walk home in our sandals! We skipped a bath since the power was out at our place too and with the sun setting at 6:30ish it was already pitch black when we arrived. We decided to skip going out tonight, and I made a simple meal of pasta with meat sauce, while Paul got the boys cleaned up. We all sat down and ate together, and it was nice to be in our own place without the worry of disturbing people or making a scene. After dinner we played a little with flashlights, because what kid doesn't love a flashlight, then got the boys ready for bed. They finally went down around 8:30, and I was happy they were asleep, because it was a crazy afternoon! Thankfully the power came back on before we went to bed, so we weren't without the fan! Thank you Jesus. All in all it was a good day and I look forward to seeing some of the pics of our family!

Getting in some much needed Jesus time

Sunday was Paul's 30th birthday!! I really had nothing for him, so I tried to do as much as I could to give him a much needed break for himself. I woke up early with the boys so he could sleep in, and let him lounge as long as he could. The boys don't really understand birthdays as they've never celebrated one, so it was a hard concept to explain :) Regardless, L sang Happy Birthday to Paul with me, and you could tell his heart was happy. Once Paul was up, we made breakfast together then got the boys dressed and ready for the day. They played inside while Paul and I got ready, and at 9:45 we headed out for a walk. It was a REALLY hot day, so we were thankful to have the stroller in the morning. We walked downtown to get some coffee and let the boys eat their snack. The restaurant was PACKED, for whatever reason, so we let the boys eat, but Paul and I got our drinks to go. We walked around downtown a bit, then took the long way home to just enjoy being outside. J was being very difficult on the walk home, so Paul ended up hanging back with him quite a bit while I kept walking with L. We were both trying not to get frustrated and I felt bad that Paul was having to work through all of this on his birthday. Toward the end of our walk it started to rain again, so we skedaddled, and got home just before it started to pour. By that time it was noon, so I made the boys lunch and sat with them while they ate. After lunch we got them ready for nap and I laid with them, while I sent Paul out to get a massage. I recently heard of a small place in town that's clean and good, so I thought it would be the perfect middle of the day treat :) The boys were up a little before 3, and I got them their snack before we FaceTimed with my oldest brother and his family. The boys were still kind of tired, but they did well and they enjoy seeing everyone's face on the computer :) In the afternoon, we went to Arise Talents which is a local organization, founded by a Ugandan artist named Dickson. His mission is to teach children to paint, sing, dance, craft, etc in order to get them off the streets and help pay for their education. He is an incredibly talented man, and it was such a pleasure to see his work in action. We drove out to Arise at 4pm and after a tour and brief talk with Dickson, the children sang and danced for us! It was such a wonderful "show" and we were SO blessed by them! You could see the joy all over their faces, and it is such a privilege for them to have someone like Dickson in their lives. We were taken <3 After their performance we got to look at their artwork, which was impressive for such young children! Paul and I bought a few paintings, and you could tell how proud the children were of their skill. We stayed and talked with the children until after 6, and the girls were so sweet. I was smitten with them, and they literally didn't stop hugging me until we were walking out the gate. I plan to go back one more time to see them, but also to give them most of the clothes I brought with me. They need it much more than I do, and I know it will go to good use. We got back to the guest house around 6:30, and it was again starting to pour, so we stayed in and I heated up left-overs from the night before. The boys were pretty tired, so dinner was a bit drawn-out, but they ate all their food and were PUMPED for a bath :) Every night bath time is SO exciting for them, and while Paul and I hate the clean-up after, it's fun for us to see their smiling little faces while they splash away. Boys will be boys. They went down quick tonight from all the days festivities...even with a ridiculously loud music festival blaring through town. It literally sounded as if it was in our room. They seemed to be un-phased though, and I was grateful because they needed some sleep! Paul and I had planned to go to a nicer restaurant in town to celebrate his birthday, but with the weather and the time we decided to hold off. I felt bad we didn't get to do anything special for him, but the kids at Arise Talents did serenade him with their happy birthday rendition for about 10 minutes! Mission accomplished, I guess :) 

My girl pack for the afternoon!

Paul and I with Dickson!

This journey continues to stretch us and mold us in new ways every week, and even when I find myself questioning if I can even do this, God ALWAYS gives me a glimpse of hope that allows me to keep moving forward. I can't imagine going through something like this without God. This has been, by far, the most challenging thing I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. Watching these boys slowly transform from sad, isolated, and fearful to joyous, rambunctious, and imaginative has been the most beautiful unveiling of God's faithfulness. I know as we continue to love them and provide for them, their wounds will continue to decrease and their hearts will be full. Paul and I couldn't be more blessed to be their parents; even when the road is bumpy and there is no reprieve in sight. God has called us to adoption. To these boys. To this country. His plan to make J&L our sons has been so evident and we know without a doubt that they were hand-picked for us. We are definitely feeling weary and tested, but as I wrote in my journal last night, we serve a mighty, gracious, faithful, compassionate, and loving God, and He will get us through.

At this point we don't have any new idea on timeline. We have submitted everything we need to at this point, and are now just waiting for the Embassy to receive the boys medical paperwork, to which they will then contact us for our first of 3 embassy visits. We are praying to get in this Thursday for the first one, but if not, it should definitely be the following Monday. To be honest, we are in no rush. We are trusting in God's timing, and making the best of our time here in this beautiful country. I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you again for all of your kindness and support through this process. Without the friends and family we have, this would be almost unbearable! We are so grateful for each and every one of you. Here's to week 10!

xoxo,