A Chip To Bed

My sweet son knows something is different with his daddy, brother and sisters gone. He may not understand why they have left and that they have gone home to prepare for his homecoming...he wants them here!

Thankfully, we had a good day. We walked to the market and visited with a few friends, had dinner, watched a soccer match, came home cleaned dishes and then he had a bath. It was time to head to our room and sing a few songs before I cover him with kisses and prayers and lay him down in his crib. Tonight, he was absolutely insistent that he take his last Pringles chip to bed with him. I thought about it for a moment and was just about to open my mouth and let him know that we do not take food to bed (especially crumbly chips:) when he looked at me with his big, sad, beautiful brown eyes, I couldn't break his heart for another time today.

We are both grieving the departure of our loved ones and wish we were on that pane with them..PLUS, I have been sick the past few days (sore throat= voice not working quite right), so I decided to let him take that chip that was oh, so precious to bed with him.

He still tossed and turned for the next hour as we cuddled and I tried to fill his love tank right back to the top again. It's all quiet here now!

Sweet moments to treasure!

Gone home!

I just watched Jeff and my 3 older children drive off in the big white van to the airport. I am sitting here on the couch with tears streaming down my face. I am going to miss them!

This family journey has been so good. Really more than we could have dreamed of! We had the privilege of coming here and meeting our son whom God has placed in our family and has such a great plan for his life.

We were able to introduce our older kids to the country of Uganda which we love so very much! Our friends, the people of Uganda are so welcoming and precious and they hold very special places in our hearts. The people and the countryside are so beautiful. My kids have fallen in love as well! No one wanted to leave today!

I believe that God has planted a seed for this country and it's people deep in the hearts of my children as well! They all said they want to return someday and see their friends and new loved ones.

We have been planning this trip for 2 years and to have come was like a surreal dreamlike moment and then for it to be over so quickly is heartbreaking. I look around and the house is fairly empty, their room is all cleaned out and it's so very quiet (partially because the little storm is taking a nap).

Jeff and I were both very emotional as they prepared to leave. Partially, because I am being left behind to finish up the passport and visa and partially, because this family experience is over. You wait and pray for so long and then "poof" it's over!

The kids have loved their time here!

Ranger caught more bugs and critters than one can imagine. Maybe he will post all of his pictures and stories and his adventures one day. He made great friends here at the university and was so enjoying their time together. I think his ultimate high was the safari. To stand in a truck with the wind blowing in your face, watching and taking pictures of God's beautiful creation is RIGHT up his alley.

Bella fell so in love with our babies home and this country. She DID NOT want to leave. She has already asked if we can come back and adopt again (we told her its her turn next time:). She grew up so much this trip and discovered some things that she loves and enjoys that she didn't know before. She is such an awesome helper to me and her new brother.

Andie grew to love Uganda more and more as time went on. She wanted to come home that first week because she got sick for a few days. Who doesn't wanna go home when you are sick? She also loved the safari and learning many new things. She made some very good friends here at our new home. I actually have barely seen her the past two days. All the girls have been building a fort and campsite this whole past weekend! Besides, being a bit too hot here for her she also has loved her time.

We have such a wonderful life to come home to...wonderful friends and family, great schools, church and lots of fun activities. Our new little son has no idea what his home will be like or the things that God has prepared for him in Oregon. But there is a sense of closure happening in Uganda and it is just hard to let that go!

Thanks for letting me grieve with you!

As excited as I am to come home and introduce our sweet one to you all, I am also grieving my last bit of time here. Maybe my heart also hurts for our sweet boy. He was born into a country that gave him a very rough start to life. God has redeemed his life and has brought him into our family and we are so thankful and grateful for Gods love and provision over him. But grieving the loss of all he has ever know breaks this Mama's heart. I know he has a great future to look forward to (and HE WILL be back someday) but to get to the future you must give your present hurts and pain to Jesus. He can heal and bring a new start after "the storm" has come and cleaned out the pain. The storm brings an opportunity for a thorough cleansing and allows you to take a deep breath and a new start as we continue to walk with Jesus!

I am hoping to keep you all updated as much as possible as these next days move on!

Thanks for all your comments! They are life-giving in the midst of this journey!

Farewell to Loving Hearts

Today was our farewell party and official goodbye to everyone.

I was dreading this a bit.  When we moved out of Loving Hearts last week, I was quite emotional.  I'm not sure why.  Those of you who know me, know that I am not an overly emotional person but sometimes they hit in such a powerful way.

We drove up to the home and were telling Drew what was happening and that we were having a party to say good-bye to all his friends and Aunties and then he was coming home with us forever!  He seemed to be fine and was excited to see everyone.

We had a VERY special time there. The girls were excited to see all the special babies that they had fallen in love with.  The staff brought all the babies out into the back yard and put them in chairs and on a mat.  They had gotten sodas, juices for the toddlers and a cake with white and pink frosting that said, "Farewell Andrew" on the top.  It was so very sweet!

The party started and our social worker had all the staff go around and share what they knew and loved about Drew.  We recorded the whole thing and one day I can't wait to show him all the special things everyone said.  No one said anything that surprised us.  We have been living with him for 3 weeks and we have seen the good, the bad and the ugly!

A summary of what most people shared was that he loves to SING, he loves to CARE for the other babies (he has been the oldest at the babies home) he loves to DRIVE around in the moto-cars and he has a HOT temper!  We laughed because no one told us that until now. But now, everyone is telling us.
We don't believe his hot temper is a strong will, but rather the way he learned to communicate without being able to speak yet.  He is learning his boundaries with us and what is acceptable - with lots and lots of love to go with it.  We are covering him in prayer each and everyday!

After the staff shared, Jeff and I got a chance to express our gratitude and thanks to them for loving our son and teaching him about Jesus until we got here.  We affirmed them that we will love him and teach him to love Jesus and know God's Word.  They clapped and shouted "Praise the Lord!"  It was really a special time.

We also gave gifts. The students at the girl's school MITCH Charter, raised a lot of money that we used to purchase they things they needed like diapers, formula, & bowls.

We also gave each of them some homemade soaps donated by Oregon Rain Soaps - which the Aunties loved.

These two year olds really know how to party and this took almost two hours. I didn't know what to expect when we returned but Drew fit right back in caring and helping the little ones and was happy to say good-bye when the time came to leave.  That sweet home with always be very special to us!

A crazy busy day!!

Yesterday we had a VERY LONG and EXHAUSTING day!

Jeff was up at 6 am to head to the US Embassy to have a meeting about moving our case forward!  He was excited to be only third in line, but then sat there for 2 hours before he could be seen to review the file and sign off on all his paperwork before heading out on Monday.  Thankfully, the rest of us slept in, had breakfast and a lazy morning.  He returned to get us around 10 am and off we went!

We headed to the Friday market.  It's a great market meant for Mzungu's (white people) to purchase all sorts of wonderful crafts,  jewelry, clothes and so much more at a higher price than the locals.  We wandered through and looked through all the treasures.

It was a very hot day and thankfully, the crafts are mostly under these big tarps so you can be protected from the direct sun as much as possible.  The kids picked out different treasures and enjoyed talking with the ladies who made the crafts.  We were just about to finish up.  Bella, Drew and myself were looking at a few things and I had a great conversation with this wonderful lady.  We were walking away and I heard Bella trip over a stand so I turned around.  She was white as a ghost and looking at me with a desperate look.  I could tell she was fainting from the heat!  I quickly handed Drew off to this nice lady and grabbed Bella and helped her to the ground.  I called Jeff over and he was quickly by my side.  He picked up Bella and carried her to our van to get her some water and lay her down.

I followed a few minutes later after I helped clean up.  The nice lady said, "Don't forget your baby!"  I laughed and replied, "Don't worry, I won't ever forget him!"

I made our way out to the van and Bella was doing much better.  Jeff had poured water on her and gave her some to drink.  She was going to be fine. We sat in the van and waited for Jeff and the other kids to finish shopping.

Within a short time, we were off to our babies home for Drew's "Farewell Party."  (see Farewell to Loving Hearts post for details).

After the party, we were off fast and furious to the Ugandan Immigration Office to start the process of Drew's passport.  I do not have the right words to explain the passport process through the Ugandan Immigration office.  Wow!!!  I don't think I have been so overwhelmed as I was there! Seriously, we do not have pictures but the words fail me to express the chaos!

Thankfully, Charles connected us to his wonderful friend (who used to work in the immigration office) and she had come to help us.  If she would not have been there I would have sat down and cried...literally!  She worked her way in and out of lines, sought out friends for help and directed us where to go. She seemed quite frustrated as well, but never gave up.

It had been pouring rain when we first arrived so Drew was walking in all the mud and puddles and getting red clay all over him.  I did not care one bit because he was happy.  He was running on a 10 min nap and farewell cake for lunch.  A ticking time bomb ready to explode!

Bella had come with us to the immigration office and thank goodness for that!  Drew loves her and he was excited to have her there to play with.  She is going to be an awesome mama down the road.  So, 2 1/2 hours later and 4 processing rooms (packed with hundreds of people) later, we left confused.   

The last office told me to come back on Monday morning (and not to bring our son.) We came home exhausted again. The kids ran off to play with their friends and try to burn off the energy that they didn't use by sitting in the van outside for several hours while we did battle inside the immigration complex.

All the while, the clock is moving quickly and Jeff and the kids leave in only a few more days. How am I going to go back there on Monday and get anywhere without them?

Our new home!

Can I just say how God has blessed us so much!!

He has provided for us in so many ways and mostly in things that we hadn't even thought of!  As you know, we left our babies home last week (which was an adventure in itself).  We were praying about where to move to.  We could have stayed there but the expense was too much and we needed to move our big family into a new setting for us and for our new little son.

We had been praying about where to go.  Our good friend whom we spent some time with here in Uganda so graciously offered us an apartment for a very inexpensive price.  The only problem was that it was VERY remote.  We knew we would have had to spend a lot of money on hiring a driver to come and get us to go anywhere.  There wasn't even a local market we could walk to.  We kept praying about the right spot for us...we knew it was out there!

A few days later, our good friend Charles called and said maybe we could stay at a guest house on his university's property.  He wasn't sure if it was available but he would check.  We decided to go and look at it.

We drove in and I fell in love!!!  I didn't care what the house looked like.  The grounds were beautifully landscaped and would provide a safe environment for my 4 kids to RUN FREE!

We meet one of the professors and his family and his wife gave us a tour of the 2-bedroom duplex and we fell in love with it.  Charles needed to get the ok that we could move in and what the price would be before we could move forward.

Jeff and I had decided that we were moving out of our babies home the next for sure!  So, we began praying.  Our only other option at the moment was this guest house that was too expensive and way too small for our family but that's all we had at the moment. We went to bed that night praying desperately that God would open the door for us to move into the university guest house.

The next morning, we packed up all of our 10 bags and countless bags of loose items and put it into our van and we still hadn't heard from Charles with the official word.  We headed over to our friends at Kirabo Seeds to have lunch and play with all of their awesome kids.

While we were there Charles called!  He said, "Good News!  The house is ready for you to move into and they decided to cut the price in half to help out your family!".  Can you believe it??

We shouted for joy and our friends celebrated with us!

After lunch, we headed over to the university to get settled in and set up our new life for the next few weeks!  We will post pictures soon and show you how wonderful it is here.  Jeff wants to sell our home and live here forever:)  If it wasn't for me...he just might!

The Ugandan court has officially granted us legal guardianship of Andrew Asiimwe! Now we can post some photos! Here is our son:

First FULL-ON Tantrum

After we left our babies home and we headed out to the grocery store, Uchumi.

Both of my daughter's classes at school raised money for Drew's babies home and an orphanage we have befriended Kirabo Seeds…I talked about them a few days ago. One class did a coin drive and one class made Christmas wreaths and sold them.  We also received 20 sweatshirts and little embroidery on the collars. 

So, we decided to venture off and hit the grocery store and buy all the supplies and necessities that are vital in a babies home.  Uchumi is pretty modern so that even had carts with the little cars attached to it.  We grabbed one and Drew was not sure about it.  But once Andie went in he saw what to do so he pulled her out and got in and loved it.

The whole time we also had these 3 young boys following us everywhere we went.  I think that thought our girls were cute:)  Half way through our shopping trip I could tell he was getting a bit overwhelmed but I thought he would be fine. 

Boy was I wrong!

He reached out and wanted something on the shelf but I said, "no, thank you" and walked away.  He dropped to the floor and started crying.  I tried picking him up but he wanted to grab me and get down.  So, eventually I would set him down and he would hit the floor screaming, kicking and crying.  We did this over and over again for at least 20 minutes…even though it felt like an eternity.

Of course, everyone was staring.  Everyone here is always staring…that's another post!  But when there is a white woman and her whole family walking through the store with a screaming Ugandan child, everyone REALLY stares!  I tried to keep breathing and pray for him.  I realized many things.  He had never been to a big store like this and it was very overwhelming and he was already on edge from leaving the babies home and we were bordering on nap time. 

Finally, a worker came up to me and asked what was wrong and if she could help.  I told her the situation and she completely understood and felt bad for his struggles.  I couldn't do it anymore so I told Jeff I was heading to the car to let him scream there.  Of course, I told him we were going to the "moto car" and he stopped screaming and pointed to the parking lot.

We got in the car and he was happy as a clam!  He climbed into Ranger's lap and we drove away.  Within 3 minutes he was sound asleep.  I was so glad that was over.  My heart breaks for what he is feeling, although I am not sure exactly what it is.   He has only been left once before and probably thought we were leaving him too.

I kept reminding him we were going NOWHERE! I hope he hears me and that this soaks down into the marrow of his soul.  Only Jesus can heal his wound and hurts, but I am hoping He will also use us.

A hard day . . .

Today we packed up all our of bags and belongings and prepared to leave our babies home.  Andrew could tell right away that something was happening and he didn't like it!  He had a full on tantrum and there was nothing I could do.  Actually, I couldn't do anything right, no one could!   He fell on the ground kicking and screaming not wanting me to do anything.  It's a surreal moment when you try to think back to all the books you've read and try to remember what you are supposed to do in this situation. 

It dawned on me why he was reacting this way.  He knew we were packing to leave and I think he was concerned that we were going to leave him there.  Once, I figured that out what was happening it made it easier to deal with.  I tried to hold him and tell him that I loved him and that he would never have to be alone again.  I reminded him that he will always be with us and we would never leave him! 
Jesus would never leave him!   Jesus has always been with him these past 2 1/2 years.  He knows what he has gone through and He grieves with him the loss he has had to endure.

Our driver Charles showed up at the home at 10am.  Drew loves "moto cars".  When he hears a car coming he runs out onto the patio and shouts "Hello, moto car".  He wanted us to go downstairs and get in the car and leave right away.  We took him downstairs and let him sit in the car while we brought down our bag.  Once he got in the car he would not get out.  He was crying and wanting me to get in the car with him and go.  I am pretty sure he thought we were going to leave him and he was not going to let us.

The car was all packed up and we were doing a last look around and one of the Aunties of the babies home came over to the car.  She wanted to say good-bye to Drew.  I told her he wouldn't get out of the car.  We talked about how he was doing, about court and coming back someday.  She said she was proud that he would be an American and have an American-English accent.  I told her we would give anything to have him keep his sweet little Ugandan accent. : )

I gave her a hug and told her thank you for caring for my son the last year.  I didn't think that I would be emotional but she was sad so sad to say good-bye so that caused my heart to break.  I promised we would show Drew all the pictures and videos that we have taken of the babies home and of his aunties and friends there.  He will know where he came from and who loved him until his family could come and bring him home.

 I also told her that I didn't know how she could love these little ones and then send them off with their families to most likely never to see them again.  She told me it was hard but she knew that is the way God has designed it and the most important thing is that Drew has a mommy and daddy's love and the love of Jesus!  I told her that we would love him and teach him all about the Bible and God's love  for him as well!

We drove off and Drew shouted out the window "Good-bye".  He also repeats almost everything we say so I, shouted out the window and Drew repeated it, "Good-bye.  Thank you Loving Hearts".

He was so happy to be driving away with us.  For that, I am so thankful!!

Speke Resort

We ventured out yesterday to give our kids a break! 

There is an awesome resort nearby called the Speke. All of our friends have told us to go and visit if possible (when we need that American break).  It is a BEAUTIFUL resort with a huge pool, trees, gardens, waterfalls and great restaurants.  It is not very expensive to visit for the day either.  Well…according to what a place like this would cost in America! 

You can pay a small fee and use the pool, workout facilities and showers.  So, we decided to take the kids and let them get a break and swim all day.  We met my friend Tonya and her son and daughter there on their final day.  Her son Jack is 11 and our kids have all hit it off.  So, Jack spent the afternoon with us and the kids swam ALL DAY!  We also met a few Uganda kids there who joined them that were almost done with their adoption and will be heading home to the US shortly. 

All 6 kids swam, played games, ate lunch and had diving contests for hours!  Drew decided he DOES NOT like the water.  Taking a bath or shower are fine but he protested getting his swimsuit on and wouldn't have anything to do with the kiddy pool.  Jeff and I both took him over there and put his feet in but that is all he would have to do with that. 

We drove home that night with exhausted kids…just the way we like it!  Once we got home we realized we have a big problem.  All 3 of our kids get very sunburned!  We had sunscreen put on all day and they still got burned.  It didn't take long for Bella to start feeling nauseous and needing a cold shower.  Andie was up off and on all night not feeling well.  It was our first "tragedy" here in Uganda.  Drew and I are fine because we stayed in the shade all day:)

We decided to take a break from the sun and other activities today.  The kid
s are burned and exhausted and need a day to watch movies and play games.  So that is what we did today.
A lesson well learned…life in Uganda is hard and the sun is MORE INTENSE! 

Charles

I was in Uganda 6 years ago for the first time with a team from Oregon.  It was such a great time and we met many new friends and ministry partners.  One of the special people we met was our interpreter, Charles Okiror.  He was a 19 year young man and we all enjoyed him and knew God had a great future for him.

But prior to that, Charles and Jeff had worked together. Here he is interpreting for Jeff in 2004!

Since then, Charles and I have been keeping in contact.  We email quite often and he keeps me updated on what is happening in his life.  He left his home town and came down to the capital in Kampala.  He is in seminary and is hoping to go back home to Soroti and become a pastor of his  church.  He was very excited when he learned that we were coming back to his country and that we were adopting an orphan.

He has told me that he looks to me as a mom because his mom died a few years ago and he does not have a father.  He calls me "Mama Erin".  I asked him one time why he called me that and he said any woman who is married to a godly man deserves such respect with the title Mama.  I told him that I would accept that anytime! 

We called him a few days ago to find a time to meet up. He was so excited when we chatted on the phone, he said that hearing my voice made his "heart smile" : )  So, after a busy day, Charles took a taxi across town last night to visit with Jeff and I and to meet the kids.

Jeff met him down on the main road and they walked to one of the only restaurants close to the orphanage. They grabbed some dinner for our family (they were told they would have to wait 20 minutes but it took over 90 minutes).  But that gave Jeff, Ranger and Charles plenty of time to catch up.

Eventually, I heard them open the creaky gate to the compound and ran downstairs to meet him.  I came around the corner and he ran to me and grabbed me into a huge bear hug.  There was dim lighting in the hallway so I couldn't see very well and he is very dark but... I could see his bright white smile as we met.

He came ate dinner with us and shared some of the things going on in his life with us.  Life is hard here in Uganda.  He is going to seminary and so when he gets a break he goes back home (8-9 hour bus ride) to see his younger sisters and to help take care of them.  So much burden on a young man to care for his family while trying to get good grades and finish his last year and a half of school.   He loves the Lord so much and he continues to walk faithfully and trust His plan for his life!

I hope one day you will all have the chance to meet him!

New Friends

I have to apologize for being absent the past few days.  We have been staying busy and by the time I put my 2 yr old to bed, I am hitting the sack as well!

Today, I wanted to introduce you to some of our new friends.  I'm sorry that we can't add pictures right now but to download pictures is very expensive so we are waiting until we reach a place where we can get free internet and then Jeff will go back and add pictures to all the posts.

Ok, back to our friends!

About 1 year ago I found this blog of a lady (Tonya) who adopted a daughter from Uganda.  She's married, has 4 older boys and her 3 yr old daughter from Uganda.  They live in Texas and she comes over to Kampala about 4 times a year.  Over the past few years she has been following God's leading about starting a ministry here that helps children who's parents have died from AIDS. 

I have followed her trials and triumphs over this year.  It has not been easy but her and her team have kept trusting God and pushing forward against the enemy to help these children have a home, an education and a place where they learn about God's love.

A few months ago, I emailed her to ask a few questions about Uganda and what things were like in the big city.  She emailed me back and we formed a friendship over email.  She vowed to help us find a place to live and get us connected to a trustworthy driver.  She also welcomed us to go to her home, "Kirabo Seeds" to eat and fellowship with her staff & children anytime that we wanted.

When we were supposed to travel in December, I was going to carry over all the Christmas presents for the children's home and we were hoping to spend Christmas with them.  Our trip was postponed with no immediate plans for January.  We were devastated and tried to understand why the change of plans.  But God in His awesome ways, has had us travel here at the end of January…the same time Tonya was here with two of her children. 

We got a chance to meet and have become fast friends!  She introduced us to her awesome Ugandan staff and the wonderful children in her home.  These kids are aged 6-13 and they have been here in their home almost a year.  Just recently, God brought in a little 3 yr old boy who was desperately in need of medical treatment and needed a home.  So sweet little Marvin has joined the family and is learning and growing along with the other children. 

We got to spend a day with them and then we all went to church together and we went back to their home to have lunch and let the kids play.  It has been a nice change for my kids to be able to play with children their age and have a break from taking care of babies all day.  The kids in Kirabo Seeds are so awesome! They are some of the most hardworking, respectful and caring children I have seen.

We have fallen in love with the children and staff at Kirabo Seeds are we are looking forward to making many more memories with them.  We are also praying to see if there may be a future here with the Berean Way as well. Jeff and Tonya have already been brainstorming through some pretty amazing plans. You will have to stay tuned!

Please, take a moment to hop over to the Kirabo Seeds blog and read all about the wonderful ministry and the awesome things God is doing amidst all the trials that have come across them!  There are also opportunities to help sponsor these kids to go to school and and get a good education.  Tonya is a great writer and she will captivate you and I PROMISE you will also fall in love with these as we have!

www.tonyalatorre.wordpress.com

Court today!

We had a fun and eventful day today!

This morning the rains came in. And being from Oregon we are used to rain but the Ugandan rain is intense!  We had a downpour with a thunder and lightning show from 8am to noon.  We were sitting out on our patio and couldn't help but get wet because of the intensity of the rain!

Later this morning, we had a visitor from our agency show up to say hello!  We had never met Josh but it was so fun to sit, share stories and pray together before we headed out the door for our first court date.

Our driver pulled into our driveway to pick us up and head into town.  There was a lady sitting in the van.  We all climbed in and filled the van quickly with our nervous excitement about what our day at court held.  I started chatting with this unknown lady next to me and something clicked in my brain and I said, "Are you the good Samaritan who found my son?"  And she said "Yes, that me!"  I was not prepared for this moment quite yet!  I had dreamed about meeting her and getting her picture to show Drew someday.  I was told there might be a possibility that I would meet her today but I had never dreamed that she would be riding with us the whole way in the court.

I can't quite describe that emotions that I felt.  I had so much love, compassion and appreciation for her.  We chatted and held hands most of the way into town.  Jeff and I shared our gratefulness to her.  She said that she felt proud that Drew was going to live in America with a wonderful family.  It was a very special time for the both of us!

We picked up a few more people once we were in downtown Kampala.  Another young woman climbed in the can and an older gentleman climbed up front.  I had no idea who they were but my new friend informed me that the young woman was another lady involved in finding Drew and the gentleman helped them search the area for any family around.

We got to court right on time.  We were told that you never know how long you will have to sit in the waiting room so be prepared.  I have read that one family had to stay there for 6 hours, oh goodness!  We were in there for 45 min and then we got the call to come in and see the judge to have our hearing.  That was so fast!! 

Basically, we met with the judge and our legal team told us that it went as best as it could have!  Praise the Lord!!  We will have our ruling on Feb 8th…so keep praying!