Day 2

Still going great! The girls continue to get along with each other and with me so very well. There were some definite moments of sibling tension at times today, which I’m actually glad to see. I hope it means they are starting to feel comfortable enough to let a tiny portion of their guard down. Ada is fully stepping into her role as oldest sister, and is already trying to boss Kaiya around. As you might guess, this is one of the things that makes for a bit of tension, as Kaiya is not really buying into this whole idea. And since I want Ada to be able to be a child, without needing to act like a little mother, I’m encouraging her to step back and let me handle the things that need to be handled.

Ada is independent, competitive, and not the least bit afraid to ask for what she wants. It’s so hard not being able to understand what she’s trying to say sometimes! But with some sign language, a lot of pointing, and a French translation app, we’re getting by. J Tonight as we were reading a story before bed, she gave the first signs that she’s interested in learning some English words. And voila! She can now count to 10 in English. She’s also so sweet to Kaiya (when she’s not bossing her around). This morning, Kaiya found a box of hair beads that I’d packed and was enamored with them. Ada immediately sat down behind her and started tying them into her hair. Kaiya was thrilled! Sweet sisters. J

Kaiya is my little clown. Her smile could seriously light up the darkest room! She loves to laugh, loves to sing, and loves to be silly. She doesn’t stay still for long, and truly does have a little mischievous streak. She’s also so generous and kind. She shares her food with Ada, which is a huge thing for a child who has known hunger! She also occasionally shares her toys, though that’s a little more up in the air. J She’s also a little snuggler and loves to be right up against me.  When we Skyped with Papa (and then Nana & Mati too) tonight, Kaiya was imitating everything she saw Papa do. So cute and funny!

Both girls are back in bed now. They’ve been so good about bedtime. Yay! Hopefully this will continue without issue. J

And now it’s time for me to follow them, I think. 

Gotcha & Honeymooning

Ah…what a day!! Both of my 2 new beautiful girls in my arms at last! Oh, to have Mati here with us!

The morning was long and rather boring, honestly. The car we were supposed to ride in was having problems starting up, so we spent the first 3 ½ hours at the mechanic, waiting while he tried to fix it. I was able to have some productive conversation with the man who will be helping coordinate things with the girls and me while I’m here, so all was not lost. I was still glad though, when he finally said we would have to get a taxi to take us, since the car was still acting up.

First to Kaiya’s orphanage. The building was Spartan and not in great condition, but the children were still quick to smile or laugh when given attention. And my smiling girl met me at the gate with beautiful flowers! The children sang us a couple of songs, saying goodbye to their friend. Then we visited with the orphanage director for some time before heading out. Kaiya wiped a few tears out of her eyes as we left the place that has been her home until now. Then, as we got in the car, she snuggled up to me and wrapped her arm around me. J

It was a long drive to Ada’s orphanage, which is more in the country just outside of Kinshasa. Kaiya was well on her way to falling asleep when we arrived. As we got out of the car, Kaiya held tight to my hand as though afraid she would lose me. We went into the director’s office and waited there for a few minutes until Ada walked in. She had a huge grin on her face as she came in, and the three of us had a group hug and picture before moving on to other things. We briefly walked around to see a little bit of the orphanage grounds, then back to the office to spend a few more minutes before we piled back into the car to return to the guesthouse. Both girls fell asleep on the way back to the guesthouse; Kaiya on my lap and Ada on my shoulder. A couple of other precious car memories: Ada’s huge smile (almost disbelieving) when I handed her and Kaiya some brightly colored sunglasses, and her whispered “Merci!” And Kaiya giving the rest of her PB crackers to Ada when she was finished with them.

Back at the guesthouse, it might as well have already been Christmas Day here. The girls “oohed” and “aahed” over all the clothes, toys, and activities that awaited them. We ate dinner, played for a while, and then called home. It was a pretty amazing time talking to Papa, Nana, and Matani. All 3 girls did great, especially considering the total language barrier. What a precious time!

When we reluctantly hung up, I had some moments of wondering if bedtime was going to be difficult. Far from it! Ada actually asked me if they could go to bed, saying they were tired. We brushed teeth, showered, put brand-new jammies on, and sat on the bed to read a couple books and the Bible. After we finished, Ada asked if we could pray. We did, and their sincere little faces as they breathed out fervent prayers in a language I don’t understand nearly took my breath away. They laid down and were asleep by the time I finished getting ready for bed myself. It may just be the honeymoon, with our more challenging days ahead, but I’ll take it! J

Thank you Lord, for finally bringing this day. My heart aches tonight to be with Matani again…please hasten that day!

First Impressions

I’ve made it! Yes, I’m finally here in the Congo, and will be going to pick up my daughters tomorrow morning!

So many mixed emotions…thrilled and anxious to get Ada (Adalie) and Kaiya (Mikaiya), missing Matani and my parents and family at home, and many others which are more difficult to identify.

The country and city are much as I expected to find them. The sights, sounds, and smells remind me a great deal of India. Great beauty mixed with great poverty. The people I have met thus far have been delightful. Standing in the airport baggage claim, realizing in dismay that all the luggage carts had already been claimed and trying to figure out how on earth I was going to carry all 180 pounds worth of luggage out of the airport, two separate people came up to me and gave me helpful advice on finding a cart. Then, before I really had opportunity to jump on their suggestions, a driver from the guesthouse where I’m staying came up to me (with my name on a little hand-written sign) and introduced himself. I told him my dilemma and he immediately told me not to worry and guided me over to the conveyer belt before disappearing briefly. He reappeared moments later with a cart. Problem solved and the Lord continues to take care of me. J

The city itself is bustling, with a constant flow of people walking or selling on the side of the road. There are many friendly faces, much loud and boisterous conversation, and just the general cacophony of city life. Welcome to Kinshasa!

As a footnote, when I called home to let everyone know I’d arrived safely, Mati really wasn’t particularly interested in talking to me. Her first words to me, “I want to talk to my sisters! Where are they?” After telling her I’d go get them tomorrow, she was slightly mollified, but still clearly impatient. J

A Long Overdue Update

Wow…so much has happened the past few months that I hardly know where to begin. I know I’ve neglected this blog terribly, so I’ll attempt to make up for it in the few posts.

Here I sit on an airplane, on my way to pick up 2 beautiful girls and bring them home. It’s not happening quite the way I originally planned, but it’s happening nonetheless. The original plan was for me to go and spend about 10 days in the DRC while the very last step of their process was completed: their exit permit. But now, I have decided to go early and stay there with them as long as it takes, until I can bring them home. There are still a few steps left in their processes, but the general summary is that the adoptions of both girls are final (they are legally mine), but I am still waiting for them to receive their US visas. Both of them are lacking one or more documents which must be present before their visa application can even be submitted to the US Embassy. This means I am looking at perhaps a 4-6 week stay. Quite a big difference from the 10 day trip!

So why did I decide to do this, you might ask? To be honest, there are a few reasons, but the biggest one, and the most important, is that I truly felt like the Lord said, “It’s time.” And so here I go!

The downsides to this? The biggest one: leaving my Matani for so long. Not an easy choice, even though she’s in good hands with Nana and Papa. Secondly, it’s not cheap to live here, so it increased my costs significantly. Ugh!

The upsides? More time spent here with the girls, bonding with them in the context of their own culture and language. I am also hoping that my presence here will help to speed things along a bit and minimize unnecessary delays.

Prayer requests: Please pray for speedy processing of all our paperwork and the girls’ visas! Pray for our health and safety while there. Pray for the bonding process with the girls, particularly with the language barrier. Pray that I will be a light for the Lord while there and that I will be able to impact those around me. Pray that I will be wise and frugal with our finances. And please, please pray that we will be able to come home soon!