Well, the response to my first blog post was amazing! We’re so overwhelmed to have so many awesome comments of congratulations and commitments for prayer. Since it was my first blog post I was super nervous!
As you may have noticed, there are a few things I cannot do on mass media–no photos of our kids or names. Don’t worry, if you’re around me long at all, you’ll see them! And…I’ll make up for it after we get them home:)
Mindy and Cheryl have been in Uganda the last couple of weeks taking care of some details, one task was to tell our kids that we wanted to be their parents. How should they tell them for us?
Since I’m a bit of a scrapbooker, I decided to put together a little scrapbook so they could see their future family. I put a photo of Stan, Chelsea, Caitlin and me on the front and then a photo of the kids inside with a letter saying we wanted to be their family. The kids don’t get photos of themselves, so I knew they’d like that! Then each of us wrote a letter and I put it with a photo. Even Gus and Snickers wrote a letter introducing themselves and telling what they liked to do…eat, sleep, chase a ball…
So a few nights after the grandmother gave her blessings, Mindy and Cheryl invited the kids to the guest house, along with Joseph and Arnold, the pastor and administrator of Suubi. They gave the kids the book and a couple of other presents we sent, then translated the letters into Luganda, asking them questions and having them practice their sisters names. “Did they understand what adopted meant?”, “Where will they live?”, “Who will your family be?” Perfect! I loved that they could explain things to them so well. Then, “Would you like to call your Mom?”
It was so great to hear their voices! It’s an 8-hour time difference so I was in class when I got the text that they were going to call and talk to me. I had Lesley cover my class and ran out to the car where it was quiet. When the phone rang, it was my precious girl saying in her cute British accent, “Hello, Mom, how are you?” I asked her several questions to which she responded, “Yes.” So sweet. Then I told her I loved her and she said, “I love you too.” Then I was able to speak to my future son (crazy). He also started with “Hello Mom, how are you?” then when I asked him if he wanted to come live with us he said, “Yes, I want to see you.” He’s a bit older so his English is a little better. He also remembered my camera. I let him take lots of photos with it while we were there this summer. It was so emotional! I was on cloud-nine the rest of the day. I’d talked to Kampala!
Keep the prayers coming!
So, as most of you know, Caitlin and I went to Uganda this summer to help run a bible school at the SUUBI PROJECT. We had a great time playing with the kids and falling in love with the land and people of Uganda. One morning out on the porch of the guest house I was reading my Bible and praying and I felt like God was saying, “How can you leave them here?” I really felt like he was saying that about a brother and sister in the orphanage and I started crying. When I went in to tell Cheryl and Mindy, they were so excited. I, on the other hand, felt so nervous! What would Stan say?
When I first saw our sweet girl, who is probably 8 years old, it was the first day we were there and she came outside after finishing her homework, saw the boys playing soccer, and hopped right in! A girl after a PE teacher’s heart! She loves to be where the action is–dancing, jumping rope, eager to learn new things from the Americans! Always willing to give a hug and a smile!
When I first saw our special boy, probably 9 years old, he was leading worship with the children at night before bed. He was standing in the middle of the kids and singing at the top of his lungs in the most beautiful voice just praising the Lord! Amazing! I didn’t realize he was up for adoption. I thought he was one of the house mom’s sons. He’s already a “techie”, obsessed with my camera and phone. He’s very protective of his sister and the other orphans and is always quick to volunteer to pray aloud. I took a cute photo of him with three of the little kids in his lap:)
So…how was Stan going to take it? I waited a few days to tell him…finally, I got up my nerve. He just looked at me and said, “Well, you kept your promise, you didn’t come back wanting to adopt one, you want two!” Lol. Since Caitlin, our youngest, was leaving for college at The University of Arkansas this Fall we joked I either wanted to adopt a child or get a new “empty-nester” puppy, so I got my new puppy, Gus, early in the summer! But Stan did agree to pray about it. That day after I talked to him, I read in James 1:6 “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” I felt such a peace that these kids were to be our kids.
Stan kept his promise and prayed, asked all his friends’ opinions, hoping for someone to tell him he was crazy…no luck. Stan kept saying he was waiting for a sign from the Lord…a billboard with their names on it, anything, but no big signs. Finally, late one night after school started, he quietly said, “Yes. My answer is yes.” He told me he’d been feeling for a couple of weeks that it was God’s will but waited a while to tell me. I cried and cried with relief! We started the process the next day!
Up to this point, we’ve had our home study, taken a 10-hour online class on adoption, turned in lots of paperwork for the home study, and contacted a Ugandan lawyer. There are still many, many steps to go, but we’re on our way! I’ll be updating more in the future and giving more bits and pieces of their incredible journey up to this point, but I wanted to get everyone possible praying as we begin the process. Love you guys!
To donate to the Suubi Project, go to http://www.thesuubiproject.org
slowdownanddie 