For Such a Time as This

The Bible is full of stories of men and women who could not have done the great things God called them to without going through previous training and trials. It was those things that made them perfect for what God called them to. Think of Moses being raised in Pheroah's household. Without that he wouldn't have had the education to write the Pentateuch. And Joseph having lived in Egypt for years and rising in power allowed for him to be able to save his family from starvation. Esther could only step in to save her people because she was queen and was able to win her husband's favor. Paul had a strong grasp of the Old Testament due to his training as a Pharisee. Once God opened his eyes to Jesus being Lord, this deep theological education served as his foundation for writing much of the New Testament. I am in no way comparing us to the Bible greats. But what I am saying is that God has completely paved the way and prepared us for this trip. When we started this process, one of the reasons we chose Taiwan was because it wouldn't require a long trip. We had a 6 week trip when we adopted the big boys and didn't want to spend that much time away from our kids. We also picked Taiwan because we knew that it was a well established program that had a manual with a pretty predictable guidline of what to expect. Lifeline Children's Services (our agency) has great training and social workers to help us. We knew what we were signing up for and were content with that. Uganda had so many unknowns and variables that we were looking for something with a little more predictablity. Little did we know that 2020 would be the least predictable year of our lifetimes! Our one week trip to bring Caleb home has turned into 4 weeks. The manual for travel to Taiwan was pretty much thrown out the window. I read it right before we left and more than half of it no longer applied due to new COVID-19 protocols. However, we have seen this movie before. This is adoption 2.0. Thanks to Uganda, we know what it looks like to be in another country for weeks waiting to meet government requirements so you can bring your child home. We know what it is like to be stuck in one house for weeks with foods that aren't your norm. We know what it is like to try to navigate a place while not speaking the language. So this time we were more prepared for this journey. I brought an entire suitcase of foods like peanut butter, gluten free wraps, oatmeal, protien bars, food pouches, etc and activities like marvel bears(orbees), magnatiles, tegu blocks, playdoh, imagine ink, cards, board games, etc. It has kept us busy and well fed on this trip. The hotel has given us some pretty amazing meals but there are times when you just want your comfort foods. Also, my picky eaters haven't liked everything they have provided for us. The kids have been absolutely amazing. They have been so patient and kind. They haven't really even complained about being stuck in quarantine. I fully attribute that to God, prayers, and the fact that we were quarantined this spring. It fully helps that we have a time line. Knowing how much longer you have to do something makes it so much more manageable. Honestly, I think Nathaniel could do just about anything and do it in stride without complaint. However, absolutely no one was sad to pack up our bags and break free to explore the country! God has completely blessed us with a new friend. A friend from Westchase contacted me and told me that one of her friends was currently in Taipei. She connected us and hours of conversation ensued. She has been such a great resource. She has told us which grocery stores carry more american products. Which train stations to go to for different things. Where to buy souveneirs. Where we should eat. Where to get travel cards and tickets for the train to get down to where Caleb lives. Where to take the kids to play. We are going to meet up with her and her kids on Friday at the zoo. God has also provided another friend of a friend in Taichung (where Caleb lives). Their family has graciously offered to pick us up from the high speed train station and take us around the city. I cannot explain what a blessing it is to have a local show you around and truly show you the culture. I don't mind exploring a city on my own but a local knows all the best places to go...including which grocery stores will accept interntational credit cards and have labels in english. :-) Having lived in London, I understand how big cities work. Big cities have their own culture and feel but for the most part the structure is the same. Walking to the MRT (subway) station and getting on the train felt like home. It was second nature to me even if it was a city that I have never been in before. Nathaniel and I went to the grocery store and it was exactly how I expected it to be...small and packed...but full of everything I needed. I love being able to share my love of other cultures and cities with my children. They have been sharing their own observances and of course it amazes me how much they take in and how things that I don't even blink at are noticable to them. Just like with our last adoption, we have experienced and will continue to experience trials. Adoption is HARD! And Satan does not want us to adopt! But we also know that whenever we step out in faith to what God has called us to do he also equips and provides exactly what we need. The many prayers of everyone at home are a huge part of how God works this out. We have felt your prayers moreso now than at any other time in our lives, and we take joy at the fact that God is glorified through this entire experience.

A quarantine life

It's been over a year since our last post and so much has happened. We are now in Taiwan quarantining before we get to meet our son, Caleb. We will be in quarantine for 15 days before we will be allowed to explore Taipei. We will need to get another covid test before we go to see Caleb for the first time.

In the past week, we have received 5 travel visas, took 5 covid tests that all came back negative, traveled on 2 planes for over 24 hours, and settled into our two adjoining hotel rooms in Taipei to begin our quarantine. The kids have been AMAZING! They were all so wonderful on the long travel and just went with the flow. Now that we are settled here we have been enjoying some very interesting and very yummy food. It's not my typical choice of meals but I am loving it. Isaac has decided that he is going to live on noodles, protein bars, apple sauce, and food pouches. Thankfully they have hamburgers on the menu so Elijah is happy.

The last week leading up to travel felt almost impossible. I am not prone to anxiety and stress but it felt like we were hiking up an impossible mountain and I was stressed to the max. Adoption, in general, is complicated but adoption during covid is beyond hard. There are so many new rules and things to do that my head was spinning. We had to have negative covid tests within a certain amount of hours of getting on the plane but testing facilities weren't consistent about test results return time and if we got them back too early then they didn't count, if we got them back late we couldn't get on the plane. And of course we weren't allowed to do the rapid test. Then we also had to have travel visas and they didn't come back in time for us to make our first flight so we had to reschedule to a few days later. Then we had to register on a certain website, get a Taiwanese phone number, and log in and screenshot specific pages before they would even let us get to immigration. It felt like if we missed one small piece the whole tower would crumble. But this all reminded me of the passage from 2 Corinthians 1:8-11

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. 

Our "affliction" was nowhere near what Paul experienced but it was a trial nonetheless. I was reminded  that we were going through the hardship to be reminded that we could only rely on God to make all the details fall into place and that we needed much prayer. I have felt so blessed by all the people praying for us. 

Our hotel has been bigger and nicer than we imagined and the food is great. We expected to lose weight on this trip...now I am thinking that we may come home with a quarantine 15. The people here have been so kind and helpful and have offered to help us every step of the way. They made sure at the airport that everything was filled out properly. The hotel staff has been so kind in making sure that we like our food and don't need anything. Caleb's social worker has called us and offered to have toys, snacks, etc delivered to us if we want it. I couldn't ask for better hospitality in the midst of a pandemic. 

We Skyped with Caleb this morning. We could see a difference in him. He was a lot more emotional and having meltdowns. His foster family said that he is having a hard time with the idea of leaving them and has been acting out more lately. Leaving the family you have lived with for years to go off with virtual strangers is very hard for anyone to process let alone a 5 year old. And I am sure that he doesn't have the words to express all that he is feeling. These next few weeks and months are going to be very hard for him. He is losing a family, culture, food, language (we hope to help him keep it), country, familiar sights and smells, and everything that he is comfortable with. This is the hard part of adoption. In order for a new family to be formed, another family has to be split. We know that this is God's plan for him and for us but it doesn't make it any less hard when going through it. 

If you could please pray for Caleb in this transition. We hope that the week we will spend with him before coming home will help him attach to us but there is still a long road ahead before he feels connected to us. Also, please pray for us in this quarantine time. We are 3 days in and completely content in the moment as we adjust to the time change. But come day 8 I imagine we will be going stir crazy. Isaac, in particular, is an extrovert and hates to sit still and stay indoors. It won't be long before the tears come over not being able to leave this room. I have lots of activities to keep him busy and distracted but they can only last for so long. 

We will post again soon with more updates on how we are all doing. For now we are waiting and praying, which seems to be a common them in adoption. We are thankful for the prayers and support of so many back home!

In the midst of loss

We have been reading and discussing the book of James at the dinner table lately. Honestly, last night I told Morgan that this book was too heavy for our younger ones and that we probably should do something different. Little did I know that God had us reading James for a reason. James says to "count it all joy when you go through struggles." I knew walking into this adoption that we would face struggles because I have yet to hear of an international adoption that didn't have struggles. But what I didn't expect was loss. I have watched it happen to others but I didn't think it would happen to me.
We received news today that the little boy we have been pursuing has been matched with another family. They think it was a domestic match because it happened so quickly and there was no flag on his file previously. We are so happy that this precious little boy is getting a forever home where he will be loved and cared for. But at the same time this is a loss for us. We have been praying for him for months. I have his picture around to be reminded of him and to pray for him. We picked out a name and the kids have started dreaming of where his bed was going to go and what toys we should get for him. When we told Isaac he cried and cried. The poor kid was too sad for even ice cream to cheer him up. He has been talking about "Charlie" for weeks and weeks and prays for him every night. He might have been the most attached to his new brother out of all of us.
But this is not the end. We feel strongly that God is calling us to adoption and is guiding us in all of this. He has another child for us and he will help us find him. We are still going to keep plugging away at paperwork to get our home study complete. We want to be ready to "match" with the next child God shows us whenever that happens.
In the mean time we still need prayer, lots and lots of prayer. And we need funds. We need people to help us match the grant that was gifted to us. We are not allowed to contribute towards the matching grant so we have to rely on faith, trust, and our friends to come alongside us. Would you please consider donating so that we have the funds available for the next step of this process?
Thank you.

Round 2

A little over four years ago, one boy's prayer changed our lives forever. Our oldest son, Nathaniel, kept telling us he wanted Jennifer to have a baby. We laughed it off because we had zero plans of having a biological child. Nathaniel said he was going to pray. We chalked it up to childlike faith and didn't think much of it...until the day Jennifer came outside and told me she was pregnant! God answers prayer! And in January 2016, Nathaniel's prayers were answered in the affirmative when Isaac Jonathan Lusk was born!

Nathaniel is now 12 and in middle school. Elijah, our middle son, is in 4th grade. They have been home for 6 years now. Some days it seems like we just were in Uganda meeting them for the first time. Other days it seems hard to remember a time without them. We have since moved from Chattanooga, TN to Tampa, FL, and the boys have all enjoyed the city and Florida lifestyle. (Fishing is the current obsession) Isaac is now 3 and 1/2...

...and he also likes to pray.

Not long ago, Jennifer was scrolling through a page that listed children available for adoption. Isaac walked into the room unaware of what she was looking at and happened to see one particular child and said, "What's his name? I want him to be my brother!" He often would ask the names of children that he would see on Facebook but never mentioned anything about them being in our family. And he had no idea that we were even thinking about adopting again! Then, Jennifer turned around, only to find Isaac with his head bowed, eyes closed, and hands folded. "What are you doing?" asked Jennifer. "I'm praying for him to be my brother!" said Isaac.

God answers prayer. He has moved mountains and changed hearts, and we believe he has led us to begin the adoption process again.

This time, we hope to adopt a son from Taiwan. We're not able to say much about the child yet. The process is different this time around. We are using an agency (Lifeline Children's Services) and Taiwan is so much more detailed and informative than Uganda was. The process is longer (over a year) and we have to wait to officially "match" with the little boy Isaac identified as his brother. But we are praying and we believe that God answers prayer. After all, we've seen it before many times! He is already moving mountains and tearing down timelines.

As we begin this new journey, here are a few things you can do to help us:

• Pray! Do you see a theme here? This is the most important part!
• Follow our blog. We will post regularly. 
• Give. God has already blessed us by moving the hearts of a donor to offer a $3,500 matching grant. If you donate to our Lifesong account, this donor will match it up to $3,500! https://give.lifesong.org/lifesong/08658-ff
• Send us a note! We would love to hear from our friends and family. 

This is going to be a long process: likely between 15 and 18 months. So we will need to persevere, and we'll need friends to walk alongside us. But the good news is we've been down this road before with our previous adoption, and God taught us so many things that we can apply this time. 

The biggest thing he taught us is that He answers prayer! 

Thankful

Elijah doing his snow dance

Nathaniel trying to catch the flakes

I can honestly say that this was my favorite Thanksgiving. There was so much to be thankful for and experiencing it through the boys' eyes only made it that much sweeter. They basked in the love and attention of family, enjoyed playing board games, reading books and playing outside. They savored every bite of the "big food" and the Macy's parade. They were even able to see snow flurries. Every bit of the long weekend was enjoyed by all. 

As we reflected on all the things we have to be thankful for and how much the boys have changed our lives for the better we were also reminded that their adoption is not yet complete. We call them Nathaniel and Elijah Lusk but legally they are not. They are still Aron Okello and Dan Ogai, citizens of Uganda. The Ugandan Government gave us legal guardianship of these precious boys so that we could take them home. But it is only in our home nation that we can legally adopt them. This is commonly called "Re-adoption," and our Re-adoption journey is just beginning. 

This is a journey similar to what we experienced in Uganda in that we must continue to meet different legal requirements, hire a lawyer to represent our case, and jump through hoops in order to get the necessary documents for the boys (certificates of citizenship, passports, etc.) It is also like our journey in Uganda in that there are probably things we must do but still don't know about. The difference is we get to do these things from the comfort of our own home. But make no mistake, we have to do this and do this soon. We know these boys are ours and we know God has graciously given them to us. But the U.S. Government still views them as resident aliens, and we want that label to go away.

I (Morgan) often struggle to come up with creative gift ideas for people. I would love it if I could just go buy stuff on a list. But that takes a lot of the fun out of gift giving. If you're like me (or if you aren't) and you're looking for a creative gift idea this Christmas, how about helping to give someone (or two little someones) the gift of U.S. Citizenship? Nathaniel already thinks he is a US citizen...he has told people he is not from Uganda any more, he is American. :-) He has been here 4 months and he already has more American pride than most of us who have lived here for years. Won't it be great when that pride is based on the reality of being a true U.S. Citizen? Would you be able to help make that a reality for he and his brother? 

While these children no longer lack a family, love or basic needs they do still need to be adopted, whether they realize it or not. If you would like to help out with this, you can make your tax deductible donation at adopttogether.org/missionadoptable

Finding the new normal

Yesterday marked three months home with the boys. These last three months have been a whirlwind as we have tried to figure out what a family of 5 looks like. Goodbye are the days of sleeping in or going on a date on a whim. Hello are the days of reading Dr. Seuss over and over and over again, watching PBS kids, and listening to the same 3 songs 50 times a day. Our house is now filled with legos, toy cars, trains and nerf guns. But it is also a time of love, hugs, kisses, giggles, play and sometimes not enough sleep.

Our 17 year old seems to have finally come to grips with the fact that the boys are staying and, therefore, she will not get as much attention as before. It also means, for her, that there are more responsibilities around the house. However, in the last 3 months she has also fallen in love with the boys and deems it all worth it to have them around...even if they like to give her a hard time. :-)

Nathaniel started at the local public school a week and a half ago. It was God's perfect timing for him to start. He was ready! On the first day, he found his class and ran over to sit with them without saying goodbye or stopping for a hug and kiss. On the second day, he asked me not to walk him in to school but to drop him off at the curb like the other kids. On the third day, he saw his teacher when he got out of the car and ran to give her a big hug and beamed as he walked into the school. He is such a confident kid. Just by looking at him, you would never know that this is a new language and culture. When I drop him off in the mornings, he confidently gets out of the car and gives whatever teachers are on car duty a big smile or high five and bee bops into school almost skipping as he does so. He loves his teacher, his class, his new friends and especially computer time. :-) Now that he's settled into school, he's begging to ride the bus home in the afternoons. Admittedly, I will probably cave in soon and let him ride it. The first transition went so well that I see no reason not to let him ride the bus. Academically, he is a bit behind but he is so smart that no one is worried he won't catch up.

Elijah is starting to become more confident when we are away from the house and is starting to let his fun little personality show at church and preschool. His English is improving by leaps and bounds. We now have full conversations. He especially likes to talk on the phone and tell you all about his day. His meltdowns are becoming fewer and fewer and he is less stubborn about getting his way. He loves to dance and sing to music. The other day he was singing in the car "Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible say obey Mommy." :-) I liked his new lyrics.




We were able to take a short trip over fall break to Florida to stay with my family. The boys had a blast in Me'ma and Papa's pool, at the beach and on the boat. They also just ate up all the love and attention they got. Since we have come home, the boys daily talk about wanting to go back to Florida. Nathaniel doesn't like having his new family live so far away so he has picked out houses in our neighborhood for his grandparents and uncles. :-)

In the past week or so, I have finally felt like I could catch my breath and have figured out our new normal. It helps that the boys no longer wake up in the night and that their English has improved so much that we understand each other...most of the time. We have our routine and they know what to expect most days. Having Nathaniel in school has helped free up some of my time but it has also helped him not be so "needy" when he is home. He is an extrovert and was always looking to me to meet that need. Now his need is met at school and when we are home we can just talk, read and play as a family without him "needing" my constant attention. I'm sure our "normal" will ebb and flow with time but at least I don't feel so overwhelmed with my responsibilities. Life in this family is becoming more and more fun. I cannot wait for the Christmas season and hope to show them their first snow.

Ahhh...to be home

Wow, does it feel good to be home. We have been home for a month now and every day I am thankful for it. I am thankful for the little amenities we have here...things like our own room, washing machines, my own car, and long hot showers. I missed my friends and family while I was gone so it's good to see them again.

So far the boys are adjusting really, really well. They are actually doing much better here than they were in Uganda. A lot of the behavior problems have disappeared and been replaced by fun, happy boys. Don't get me wrong they are still 3 and 6 and sinful but they are much less angry and much more obedient.

After a month we have finally settled into our routine. I think this has helped them tremendously to know each day what to expect. Every morning Nathaniel comes into our room and runs through a play by play of our day ahead. Sometimes he runs through the week...he especialy did this the week leading up to Labor Day because he was so excited about grandparents, uncles and cousins coming to see him. He is a very social person...an extrovert and the only one in the family :-)

Their English comprehension and vocabulary has exploded in the last couple of weeks. Nathaniel is even correcting his own sentences. While I am very happy for them I am a little sad that the cute phrases they have been saying such as "I love you three" are slowly disappearing. I have been trying to document all the cute things they say on facebook so I can later write them down somewhere but I haven't captured them all.

Right now my favorite quotes are:
from Elijah who loves Green Eggs and Ham "I do not Sam I am...eggs!" He will shout this at random times throughout the day. This weekend while we were watching a FSU game when he wasn't saying "Seminole Shirt!" he would shout "I do not Sam I am eggs!" I mean, the rest of us were shouting at the tv why shouldn't he? ;-)

from Nathaniel who sometimes is so surprised by something he can't help but exclaim what first comes to mind. Last week we were driving and he saw a convertible and he said "Mommy! Car no have helmet! Rain go in!" It was so very cute and I got to explain that they can put the roof back on when it rains. We also introduced him to Mario Cart on the Wii. The first time he played any time another car would hit him he exclaimed "Whoa, accident!" Then when his car was run over he said, "Mommy, car beat me!"

Besides saying cute things they are developing gross and fine motor skills quickly. Nathaniel figured out how to ride a bike without training wheels in under two weeks. Elijah took about 2 weeks to figure out how to pedal but now he rides around and around on his little bike exclaiming, "Mommy, me pedal!" Nathaniel is starting to read words more and more and uses his imagination when playing. He has made traffic lights and stop signs on our driveway with chalk for when he and Elijah are riding bikes. They love doing chores (I'm sure that phase will pass quickly) and helping me cook/bake.

I think the hardest part has been bed/nap time. They both hate going to bed. All day long Elijah says, "No bed!" However, they both are improving. Elijah no longer screams, kicks and takes off all his clothes when we put him down for a nap. The last few days he has slightly objected but we have had him calmly asleep within 5 minutes. Last night we gave him hugs, kisses, tucked the covers around him and he said "Bye, see you in the morning!" I hope it continues down this path. Nathaniel doesn't pitch fits like his brother but he gets whiny and drags his feet when we make him go to bed. I actually think I prefer the fits to the whine.

So, as you can see everything is going well. Much better than I had expected. Not that I'm a pessimist but I have read enough books and had enough friends adopt to know that it doesn't always go this smoothly. Now, I can get back to working on the things I had started before we left, like unpacking boxes and organizing this house. We also didn't raise all the money we needed plus had extra expenses not budgeted for so I'm going back to fundraising. My goal is to get rid of all our credit card debt (mostly flight expenses) by next summer. We also need to pay post placement fees, court fees, fees to the US govt, and possibly lawyer fees to get these boys adopted here and made US citizens. I'm still trying to figure out this part of the process. Thankfully the boys go to preschool two mornings a week so that gives me a little time to try to get it all done. Although, my to do list is a mile long and 6 hours a week isn't enough time to get it all done. Oh well, it'll all get done sometime and if it doesn't then I guess it didn't really need to be done in the first place.

To my praying friends, you can keep praying that the boys will continue to progress the way they have been and continue to adjust well and attach to us.

Pray for their little bodies to heal. They both have had coughs since the day we got them and antibiotics have made them improve but haven't gotten rid of the cough all together. :-(

Pray for the adoption process here. It's a bit confusing and is looking to be more expensive than we originally thought.

Also, pray for the last bit of our fundraising and/or for me to be able to find a way to bring in more income from home without taking away from bonding time with the boys. 

Thanks for all the prayers and for loving our boys.

The Home Stretch

Here is a very quick update for you all. As many of you may have heard, we have a homecoming date on the horizon, provided that all goes well. I will be flying home Sunday so that I can get back to work. If all goes well at the Embassy and they get their visas, Jennifer and the boys will join me in the US of A on August 12th. We have really enjoyed our time in Uganda, but we are looking forward to being back in our home town.

Jennifer and the boys have an appointment at the Embassy next Wednesday, August 7th. Please pray that everything will go well and that they will be approved for visas and a trip home. Thank you all for praying for us and helping us with our adoption.

Observations from Morgan

We have been in Uganda for 16 days now and we have plenty to reflect on. I (Morgan) want to try and capture some of the things we have observed both in our boys and about this beautiful country.

One of the first things I noticed about Elijah is that he kept saying to me in Lugandan, "Ya coco va mboko" with a huge smile on his face. I could always tell when he was really happy because he would say it over and over again to me. I thought it must mean something sweet like "I love you" or "Thanks for adopting me." Come to find out it actually means "I'm going to beat you with a stick!" So yeah, Elijah is quite the little jokester.

On day 1, I was shocked beyond belief when our large child, Nathaniel, cleaned up after himself without being asked to. After many days with him we now realize that he greatly prefers cleanliness and order and he is not a happy camper without those things. He will never be the kid who is always in trouble for having a messy room.

When Elijah gets angry because he was told "no" or because he doesn't get his way, he will sometimes strip off all his clothes and lie down naked on the floor. One time he even sat naked in a plastic wash basin for like a half an hour. I wonder what goes through his little head. "I'll show them. I will take off all my clothes. That will really sting and then they won't tell me no anymore." Son, all your doing is creating fodder for blackmail later in life. Can you imagine when he brings a date home?

Nathaniel is pretty independent. But I see a lot of a battle within him between the felt responsibility to be a caretaker for his little brother and to just relax and be a kid. I see more and more of the latter, for which I am very thankful. I want him to rest in the fact that he now has a mom and dad to care for both he and his brother.

Speaking of rest, we had one of the most peaceful times of the entire trip Saturday night when we went to eat on the shores of Lake Victoria. When I say on the shores, I literally mean sitting at a table, on the beach, 10 feet from the gentle waters. Around us were palm trees and all kinds of beautiful plants. There was candlelight, peace, quiet, a cool breeze and good food. I felt like I could live there on the shores and be completely content.

The next day I preached at a church in a small village about 2 hours from our guest house. I greatly enjoyed the privilege of teaching Sunday school and preaching the gospel with these loving people. God is certainly at work among the villages and people of Uganda.

There are so many more observations I could make about this experience. It really is one of the hardest but also one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

Blessed

Words cannot express how truly blessed we feel right now. We can see example after example of how God has been preparing us for this and and for these specific boys for years. This place is very similar to Jamaica, where we have done several mission trips.

So on Tuesday we went to court. It was an interesting experience full of God's blessing. We got up at 5am and left the guest house at 6. We fit 16 people in an suv designed to fit 5 then drove an hour into a smog filled city. We tried to get started on our medicals but it didn't work out so we got to go out for breakfast. Our boys can eat! By 12 it was time to go to the courts. We went into a large waiting room with no idea how long we would be there. It ended up being 8 hours! And yet, our boys were wonderful. There were no tears, no whining and a general sense of blessed contentment, despite having no meals and very little to do. There were impromptu naps and cookies shared, so it wasn't all bad. When we were called back to the judge's office we expected to be grilled for a long time. I prayed God would give me the words to say and that the judge would find favor with us. God said "I'll do one better!" For the first time ever the judge didn't question the adopting family. He said he used us as an example to show that he could hear a case in 20 minutes. We had gone earlier that day and donated to the the tribal kingdom to which the judge belongs. He thanked us for our generosity and said he would make his official ruling next week and sent us on our way. I could not have imagined it going that well.

Now we wait for the ruling ruling and then we apply for the boys' Ugandan passports, then their visas, then an exit interview and we go! The only problem is that it can take weeks just to get the passports and getting appointments at the US embassy takes awhile. Please pray that we can get our passports in a timely manner and the US embassy side of things also moves quickly.

Thus far things with the boys are going extremely well. We are quickly learning their personalities and gifts and a little bit of their hearts. Elijah is a happy child who loves to walk around singing and dancing. He started singing Jesus loves me last night and it just melted our hearts. He is big on hugs and cuddling. He has the cutest accent, and he seems to find lots of reasons to squeal with delight.

Nathaniel is a typical first born who likes rules and order. He immediately cleans up after himself. He loves to play with us especially if it involves a ball. He also likes card games. His drawing skills are great for his age. He is a good caregiver who looks out for his little brother. He loves playing on the kindle so we quickly figured out that we can use it as both reward and punishment when appropriate. He likes listening to stories when I read. Perhaps he will be our reader. :-)

As of right now we still have no idea when we will be home. But we are prepared to spend most if not all of July here. Though we can't wait to come home and start our new family in in Chattanooga, we see the benefits of being here in Uganda with the boys for a while. It is their turf and where they feel comfortable. Because of that and especially because of God's incomparable wisdom and faithfulness, our family is being strongly bonded right before our eyes.

Day 1 in Uganda

We have made it through our first day with the boys. On one hand it feels like we have been with them forever and on the other hand there is still so much we don't know yet so it feels brand new. So here are a few of the things we learned about our boys today...
They both are right handed
They both are excellent eaters...and both don't like the skins on their apples
Nathaniel is all muscle and a born athlete. I think he'll be playing fall soccer
Nathaniel's English is very good. He understands almost everything we say. He knows his colors, letters, numbers & shapes in English
Nathaniel is already a tech junkie...We are having to put time limits on his time on the kindle :-)
I greatly underestimated how tiny Elijah is. I brought 3 T clothes for him & they are falling off. Our friends brought their 3 year old and he towers over Elijah.
Elijah likes to sit down and color and has great coordination for his age (artist maybe?)
Elijah's new favorite word is Mommy... which is followed by lots of other words in Luganda
Elijah has a wonderful giggle
Nathaniel is a wonderful big brother who has compassion on all the other young children

Tomorrow is our court appearance and our medical appt. Please pray for both things as well as our passports and visas which are the next big things we need to do in order to bring the boys home.