How to spend 10 plus hours in the DRC

I could wait to give you some news, but that would be rather mean, so I will start of with this.  WE RECEIVED OUR PASSPORTS FOR THE GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Okay, this is where I should be able to hear praises to God half way around the world.  This is only a miracle.  Never has this happened yet in all of the adoptions taking place here.  Thank you for the prayers.

Next request is that tomorrow we get to go to the embassy.  We did not get the passports until late tonight, and where not able to confirm the appointment.  Pray this happens.  Then pray that the girls doctors appointment goes well on Saturday and they get the report to the embassy early in the week.  Then pray the investigation goes quick and we receive our visas. Then we can pray about our exit interview to leave the country.   I will send reminders for things daily.

Now for the rest of today..  We start off by preparing cups of Cherios for the girls when the wake up the night before.  Hopefully they sleep until 7 or 8 depending on the day.  After waking up we do a potty run.. The girls are almost potty trained.

Next we start the breakfast.  Today was pancakes, syrup and scrambled eggs.  The eggs were a hit, but not the pancakes.  After breakfast begins the hard part.  Medicine!!!!!  This part sucks.  For the most part they take it, but they still have to take the malaria medicine and it tastes awful.  I tasted it and all I could possibly think that it might taste like would be gasoline or some chemical.  I think the would rather lick a toad or something than drink this.  Unfortunately this requires that we hold them down and force open their little mouths to swallow it.  You can imagine how this presents a problem when attempting to bond to them.

An hour later and we are ready for snack number 1.  We get a quick snack and we head outside with bubbles.  As soon as they saw them they said "bubbles."  This was a hit for a while.  Another family staying right next to us came out and the girls played with their son Eli.  They had a blast until they saw a gate to running water open.  Of course they bursted through the gate to gaze and discuss the water.  Shut the gate and lock it.

Back to bubbles.  Not good enough, so lets go to the pool.  A much better experience today.  Today was a bonding moment for Katie and daddy.  She let me hold her in the pool and we actually played today.  She even fell of the steps of the pool a couple of times and plunged in face first.  I was able to rescue both times.  With these moments something in her heart changed.  She now calls me "papa."

We spent over two hours at the pool.  We even had lunch there because our room was being cleaned.  After the room was clean, we head back in for a nap.  This was a challenge, because they were hungry again.  Snack four or five.  Who's counting?  Snack over and the girls are napping for a couple of hours.  This gave Valerie to work on her charts from here while I napped also.  Oh, did I say we were waiting for  a phone call from David to tell us we had received the passports.  By the time the girls woke, Valerie was begging me to call.  I did remind her that we are on Congo time.  2pm means 6 sometimes (most of the time)

Girls are awake.  Snack again while we go outside.  Time is passing and Valerie is pacing.  I say don't worry, it may not happen.  Didn't want to get my hopes up.  I was trusting God, but did not want my heart to feel a crushing blow.  I text David asking about them.  He responds 20 minutes later saying he will call in an hour.

Time to fix dinner.  Katie decides she wants to follow me in and hang out.  This is a first.  We fix "cat food."  Okay we didn't really, but Valerie called it that.  Our dinner....  Noodles, tomato sauce, and packaged salmon.  Not the greatest.  Not even close, but you have to eat, even when it tastes like cat food.

During dinner Valerie gets up to get something and realizes our phone is ringing.  Okay not ringing even though I set the ringer yesterday to very loud.  It is David.  She is almost dancing.  She tells me the news then runs out the door to tell our neighbors the good news.  She is ecstatic to say the least.  I am almost crying.

Dad cleans up while mom showers the girls.  Medicine time again!  Crying, spitting and biting.  Not a fun time at all.  Snack time!!!!!  Anyone hungry.  Typing this makes me hungry.  I think I need a snack.

Judith did not eat all of her cat food and started saying something over and over and over again.  Finally I ask if she wants peanut butter.  She nods yes.  Wait.  Not just peanut butter but bread also.  Now her sister wants the same.  She takes her time eating and acts like she is sick.  Is she?  No just stubborn and hungry.
Twenty minutes later they are both done.

Oh yeah, somewhere in between dinner and snack we skyped Kate and Abby in Oklahoma.  Katie was saying "I love you to everyone."  Judith did not, but now we know she needed snack.

Lets get the girls calmed down and let them watch a movie.  I don't know who's idea this was, but it was not a good one.  We put on Cars 2 and then Katie would not stop chattering about motor cars.  Dancing, singing, yelling about moto cars in Swahili.  Okay, enough.  Time to go to bed.

Judith is exhausted and falls asleep on a "pillow" quickly..  Katie is still a little wound up and struggles, but does not fight.

Anyway, that is how you spend ten hours in the DRC.  Thank you for prayers, support and love.  It is greatly appreciated.

Katie and Judith Josee with babies and backpacks

Judith Josee in pool

Katie relaxing

Judith Josee, Eli, and Katie

Bedtime digs for Katie

Judith Josee 

Katie

asleep on pillows for the 1st time