2pm update: Skipping today's update to ask for big prayers...
1. Asher, Mercy, and I are leaving for Kampala at 6 in the morning to go get Mercy's passport and our written ruling (thank you, Jesus!). Please pray for our safety and that we can get both items with no hassle.
2. Kenzie and Abby are going to help out at the Sole Hope jigger removal clinic tomorrow under the watchful eye of our friend, Heather (thank you, Heather! ❤️). Please pray they have a meaningful experience and that God uses them to be a blessing to others. I got to also help out with a jigger removal clinic when I visited Uganda last summer with friends. Sole Hope is such an amazing organization & it's so neat to be able to participate in a clinic and see first hand how the process works from a shoe cutting party, to the tailors in Uganda making the shoes, to the jigger removal clinic, to kids receiving new shoes after their treatment.
3. As soon as I receive the passport and written ruling tomorrow, I can email the Embassy and request an appointment for our document check. Please pray that we get a date very soon. I heard they are issuing dates 2 weeks out or later so we are praying its sooner!
4. I mentioned a while back about the Uganda Parliament voting soon to pass a bill requiring families to live in country for 1-3 years to foster if they want to adopt. Well, apparently it passed today. σΎσΎ¬:-( There are people here (several of whom are Westerners) who don't approve of international adoption that have been working like crazy to get this bill passed. They think most all adoptive families are child traffickers and are stealing Ugandan children. They also think it's a simple process where we just fly in and take the children back home with us. It all makes me sick to my stomach, it's pure evil, and in the end thousands of orphans will suffer because of it. The Speaker of the House and the President will have to sign it into law before it will go into effect. So please pray it does not pass at that level. I am hearing that the U.S. Embassy may even stop issuing visas because of this which would be so detrimental to our case and all those after us. Like Steve told me tonight, "That's how it goes in Uganda. Get great news and then this in the same day. Can't ever get too excited or too down." We know this is all in God's hands and we are trusting He will see our case through to completion. Looking forward to the day we are on U.S. soil as a family of 6 so I can breathe again. σΎ Thank you so much for your continued prayers. Seriously. They keep us going!
Here's a few pics from today...
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| An adoptive family moved into our guest house tonight! We are so excited that Mercy & Asher have new friends to play with! |
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| Drinking a smoothie at The Keep |
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| Marabou Storks we saw on our walk at night. These things are as big as humans and so ugly! |
Day 37: Thursday, March 3, 2016 - 7:30am: Thank you, Jesus! We have Mercy's passport and written ruling!
And while in Kampala, we ate at a cafe that had wifi so I wrote the Embassy and told them we are ready for our doc check. They already wrote me back and said we have an appointment a week from Monday! Thank you for covering us in your prayers!
2:15pm update: So things have really progressed today - all glory to God! We left Jinja a little after 6 this morning and arrived at the passport office at 9 where we met our lawyer's assistant, Jackie. She has been a God-send in this passport process and has really worked on our behalf. At one point, they told her our passport was lost but she reminded them she just saw it on Monday and they refused to give it to her then. So they looked in a particular box and low and behold it was there! π Jackie also was able to get us copies of our written ruling so now we are able to begin the visa process!
I'm trying to not get real concerned about this, but so many cases have been sent to Rome lately because of small errors or unclear cases. I feel like our case is pretty clear because we can prove that Mercy is truly an orphan but the decision is ultimately up to the U.S. Embassy. So please begin praying now that our case does not get sent to Rome or else we could be here another 2-6 months!
Kenzie and Abby had an amazing experience today helping out at the Sole Hope jigger removal clinic. Here's a few pics thanks to our friend, Heather...
Day 38: Friday, March 4, 2016 - After the girls finished their schoolwork today, we went to a "real" dairy for some ice cream. I say "real" because they have cows on site and they make their own ice cream and yogurt and have milk for sale. It was a nice treat on this hot day!
Since our Embassy appointment is a week from Monday, we've decided we'll move to Kampala a week from tomorrow. We hate to leave Jinja but I don't want to travel the 2 1/2 hours, mostly sitting in traffic, for our 3 Embassy visits and for Mercy's medical checkup.
As soon as I told the girls we were leaving soon, Abby got out a piece of paper and started making our schedule for the next week - a list of her favorite things to do while in Jinja. π While we want to be home so badly, we will also miss this home away from home. We've made some new friends and special memories here. π❤️π❤️π❤️
#bringmercyhomebyeaster
Side note: Below is an article about the amendment to the Children's Act. It's so sad that so many Ugandans, and even Westerners, think we just come in quickly and take their children away. They have no idea all that we have to go through (before traveling to UG, while in UG, and after we are home) to adopt and we do it out of love. I agree there needs to be reform but keeping those from other countries from adopting will only make their orphan crisis worse... http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/784-parliament-passes-children-bill-restricts-guardianship-to-nationals
Day 39: Saturday, March 5, 2016 - Saturday's are swim days around here for us and we really look forward to them. We took the new family here at our guest house to the Jinja Nile Resort for their first time and they loved it. There were lots of monkeys again and one took Asher's pizza! They are so fast! We have to be on guard and ready to shoo them away if they come close so we are quite a sight to watch lol.
Mercy is learning how to say "Oklahoma" (it's pretty cute with her Ugandan accent π) and we've been showing her pictures of airplanes so she'll know a little of what is to come hopefully in the near future.
Funny how you can love a little human that you just met so much. Grateful to God for our family of six and praying we can be reunited with Steve soon!
Day 40: Sunday, March 6, 2016 - This morning we went to church at Arise Africa Jinja Town Church with Pastor Smooth Via. He taught a great sermon on relying on God - a huge lesson we've had to learn in this adoption process. We couldn't have made it this far without Him and we continue to rely on Him each step of the way. Only He knows how this will all turn out in the end so we continue to have big faith and press on.
After church, we ate a delicious taco meal at the home of our friends, Natasha and Adam Perryman. The Perryman's are from our area back home in Oklahoma. They packed up their stuff and moved to Uganda about a year ago to begin Luket Ministries. If you don't know who they are, please check them out and follow them on Facebook! They are doing amazing things in Uganda!
Apparently food was the highlight of our day today. π We had dinner tonight at the Space Cafe with 3 other adoptive families. It's so great to have a small community here of other adoptive families. We share experiences and learn from each other, cry and rejoice together, and pray for each other.
Speaking of prayer, here's our requests for this week...
1. Asher and Mercy have had croupy coughs for a while and Abby has developed a cough within the last few days. We are so thankful for the good health we've had so far and appreciate prayers for their coughs to go away.
2. Mercy has been waking up most every night crying for me and having night terrors. Please pray for restful sleep for her.
3. I cut my foot on a rock tonight and it's throbbing, pretty painful, and hard to walk on. Praying it feels better tomorrow.
Only 5 more days in Jinja then we move to Kampala Saturday. And our first Embassy visit for Mercy's visa is a week from tomorrow! Thank you for praying big prayers! They are so appreciated!
Day 41: Monday, March 7, 2016 - Today was a "typical" day of school in the morning, lunch at The Deli then a little shopping at the craft booths on Main Street. The girls both have opportunities to go on missions trips this summer so they decided to purchase some craft items to sell back home and help them raise money to help offset their costs. They have mad bargaining skills and were able to search out some great finds! π
Late today I received an email from the Embassy that said an opening had come up for this Thursday! I was so torn on whether we should take it or not but the girls really wanted to help out with another Sole Hope jigger removal clinic this Thursday. So I told the Embassy we would pass because we had another commitment that day. Then I received an email from Sole Hope that said the clinic was cancelled. Ugh. So I wrote the Embassy back to see if that time was still available and they said regrettably it was not. So we will just stick with our Monday appointment. It probably would have stressed me out anyway because we'd have to pack up all our stuff (about 10 suitcases worth), find a driver and a place to stay, etc. Reminding myself God's timing, not mine π
We also had a visitor stop by our guest house tonight. Scott Panella and his family adopted from the same babies home we did about 2 1/2 years ago. We have stayed in touch on fb for over three years now and finally got to meet in person tonight. Scott has begun an amazing organization called Give A Goat where you can purchase a goat for a Ugandan family or organization in need. They are doing great things in Uganda so please check them out at http://give-a-goat.com .
A few pics from today...
Day 42: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - Today was a tough, emotional day - especially for the other two adoptive families at our guest house. I feel so bad for them because their cases were sent to Rome a while back. They have been here for about 4 months now and want to be home so badly. One mom is here without her husband adopting siblings and the other may lose her job if she doesn't return home quickly. So our problems are small in comparison to theirs.
I do pray that our case doesn't get sent to Rome because that could mean another 2-6 months in-country. The U.S. Embassy website says, "If a case is deemed “not clearly approvable”, the U.S. Embassy in Kampala physically forwards the petition filed on behalf of a child from Uganda to the USCIS Field Office in Rome. Embassy Kampala will provide prospective adoptive parents with a transfer notice indicating when the case is forwarded to USCIS Rome. Upon receipt of the “not clearly approvable” petition, the USCIS Rome Field Office notifies the petitioner that the case has been received and will take appropriate steps to complete adjudication of the case. The USCIS Rome Field Office will notify the petitioner of the final decision. If the case is approved, USCIS will return the case to the U.S. Embassy in Kampala for visa adjudication."
So thank you for praying big prayers that our case doesn't get sent to Rome and that we can go home soon! And prayers for our friends are appreciated, too!
Today we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant called Sonrisa Mexican Restaurant. I visited Sonrisa with friends when I was in UG this past summer... It was so good but took TWO HOURS to get our food! Very, very stressful with little ones that can't sit still and mommas and big sisters that are already on edge...
Waiting on our food...
Mercy loves to eat sugar cane...
Something decided to eat me for dinner last night. I have about 20 bites on this one leg alone and it itches like crazy!!!
Only three more days in Jinja. The countdown is on! ...
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| At the Passport Office waiting and waiting. Mercy's passport was in this box the entire time. |
And while in Kampala, we ate at a cafe that had wifi so I wrote the Embassy and told them we are ready for our doc check. They already wrote me back and said we have an appointment a week from Monday! Thank you for covering us in your prayers!
2:15pm update: So things have really progressed today - all glory to God! We left Jinja a little after 6 this morning and arrived at the passport office at 9 where we met our lawyer's assistant, Jackie. She has been a God-send in this passport process and has really worked on our behalf. At one point, they told her our passport was lost but she reminded them she just saw it on Monday and they refused to give it to her then. So they looked in a particular box and low and behold it was there! π Jackie also was able to get us copies of our written ruling so now we are able to begin the visa process!
I'm trying to not get real concerned about this, but so many cases have been sent to Rome lately because of small errors or unclear cases. I feel like our case is pretty clear because we can prove that Mercy is truly an orphan but the decision is ultimately up to the U.S. Embassy. So please begin praying now that our case does not get sent to Rome or else we could be here another 2-6 months!
Kenzie and Abby had an amazing experience today helping out at the Sole Hope jigger removal clinic. Here's a few pics thanks to our friend, Heather...
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| On our bodas - our typical means of transportation here |
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| Standing outside the dairy gate |
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| Kiira Jersey Dairy |
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| Such a nice treat to have ice cream!!! |
Side note: Below is an article about the amendment to the Children's Act. It's so sad that so many Ugandans, and even Westerners, think we just come in quickly and take their children away. They have no idea all that we have to go through (before traveling to UG, while in UG, and after we are home) to adopt and we do it out of love. I agree there needs to be reform but keeping those from other countries from adopting will only make their orphan crisis worse... http://www.parliament.go.ug/new/index.php/about-parliament/parliamentary-news/784-parliament-passes-children-bill-restricts-guardianship-to-nationals
Day 39: Saturday, March 5, 2016 - Saturday's are swim days around here for us and we really look forward to them. We took the new family here at our guest house to the Jinja Nile Resort for their first time and they loved it. There were lots of monkeys again and one took Asher's pizza! They are so fast! We have to be on guard and ready to shoo them away if they come close so we are quite a sight to watch lol.
Snack time and movie after swimming...
Funny how you can love a little human that you just met so much. Grateful to God for our family of six and praying we can be reunited with Steve soon!
Day 40: Sunday, March 6, 2016 - This morning we went to church at Arise Africa Jinja Town Church with Pastor Smooth Via. He taught a great sermon on relying on God - a huge lesson we've had to learn in this adoption process. We couldn't have made it this far without Him and we continue to rely on Him each step of the way. Only He knows how this will all turn out in the end so we continue to have big faith and press on.
After church, we ate a delicious taco meal at the home of our friends, Natasha and Adam Perryman. The Perryman's are from our area back home in Oklahoma. They packed up their stuff and moved to Uganda about a year ago to begin Luket Ministries. If you don't know who they are, please check them out and follow them on Facebook! They are doing amazing things in Uganda!
Apparently food was the highlight of our day today. π We had dinner tonight at the Space Cafe with 3 other adoptive families. It's so great to have a small community here of other adoptive families. We share experiences and learn from each other, cry and rejoice together, and pray for each other.
Speaking of prayer, here's our requests for this week...
1. Asher and Mercy have had croupy coughs for a while and Abby has developed a cough within the last few days. We are so thankful for the good health we've had so far and appreciate prayers for their coughs to go away.
2. Mercy has been waking up most every night crying for me and having night terrors. Please pray for restful sleep for her.
3. I cut my foot on a rock tonight and it's throbbing, pretty painful, and hard to walk on. Praying it feels better tomorrow.
Only 5 more days in Jinja then we move to Kampala Saturday. And our first Embassy visit for Mercy's visa is a week from tomorrow! Thank you for praying big prayers! They are so appreciated!
Day 41: Monday, March 7, 2016 - Today was a "typical" day of school in the morning, lunch at The Deli then a little shopping at the craft booths on Main Street. The girls both have opportunities to go on missions trips this summer so they decided to purchase some craft items to sell back home and help them raise money to help offset their costs. They have mad bargaining skills and were able to search out some great finds! π
Late today I received an email from the Embassy that said an opening had come up for this Thursday! I was so torn on whether we should take it or not but the girls really wanted to help out with another Sole Hope jigger removal clinic this Thursday. So I told the Embassy we would pass because we had another commitment that day. Then I received an email from Sole Hope that said the clinic was cancelled. Ugh. So I wrote the Embassy back to see if that time was still available and they said regrettably it was not. So we will just stick with our Monday appointment. It probably would have stressed me out anyway because we'd have to pack up all our stuff (about 10 suitcases worth), find a driver and a place to stay, etc. Reminding myself God's timing, not mine π
A few pics from today...
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| The kids looove to clean & mopped this floor for about an hour this morning! |
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| On our daily walk |
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| Andrew is one of the guards here at Providence Guest House. He is making me two purses from beads! I can't wait to see the finished product! |
Day 42: Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - Today was a tough, emotional day - especially for the other two adoptive families at our guest house. I feel so bad for them because their cases were sent to Rome a while back. They have been here for about 4 months now and want to be home so badly. One mom is here without her husband adopting siblings and the other may lose her job if she doesn't return home quickly. So our problems are small in comparison to theirs.
I do pray that our case doesn't get sent to Rome because that could mean another 2-6 months in-country. The U.S. Embassy website says, "If a case is deemed “not clearly approvable”, the U.S. Embassy in Kampala physically forwards the petition filed on behalf of a child from Uganda to the USCIS Field Office in Rome. Embassy Kampala will provide prospective adoptive parents with a transfer notice indicating when the case is forwarded to USCIS Rome. Upon receipt of the “not clearly approvable” petition, the USCIS Rome Field Office notifies the petitioner that the case has been received and will take appropriate steps to complete adjudication of the case. The USCIS Rome Field Office will notify the petitioner of the final decision. If the case is approved, USCIS will return the case to the U.S. Embassy in Kampala for visa adjudication."
So thank you for praying big prayers that our case doesn't get sent to Rome and that we can go home soon! And prayers for our friends are appreciated, too!
Today we had lunch at a Mexican restaurant called Sonrisa Mexican Restaurant. I visited Sonrisa with friends when I was in UG this past summer... It was so good but took TWO HOURS to get our food! Very, very stressful with little ones that can't sit still and mommas and big sisters that are already on edge...
Waiting on our food...
Having so much fun playing with our new friends...
Something decided to eat me for dinner last night. I have about 20 bites on this one leg alone and it itches like crazy!!!
Only three more days in Jinja. The countdown is on! ...
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