Some Questions

I have some questions for some of you who have recently been through the adoption process.  I’ve been trying to join the yahoo Rwanda adoption forum, but for the last week or more it’s been pending so I think this is my next best option for picking your brains.  If you have any answers I would really appreciate you sharing,

1. In Kenya (where we have to get his travel visa) did you hire a driver?  Was he just your driver for the entire time you were there?  Can you recommend him to me?  How much did it cost per day or week?  How & when do you go about contacting him?  Anything else we know about this???

2. For those of you who adopted older children (three or four years old)… did they speak any French or English?  Did they understand any French or English?

3. How did you book your place to stay in Kenya when you couldn’t be sure when you’d actually leave Rwanda and arrive in Kenya? 

4. Our child will be a little over 3 years old, do you think he will be toilet trained?  How about at night?

    5.  Where did you stay in Kenya?  Our agency suggested some guest houses, but the least  expensive is about $30 per person per night.  I see other hotels online but I'm not sure if they are 'good'  We are trying to do this as inexpensivly as possible while still being safe.

 I’m SURE I have so many more questions.

Thanks for answering any of these questions … or, if you have answers to questions I haven’t asked, please share!!!

Juanita

Not normally the lucky one

I’ve won a few things in my life—I’ve been given some great opportunities, but I’ve never been the one to win the car or the big trip.  But now that it looks like we are actually going to be able to pick up our little boy I feel so humbled and blessed.  I am excited beyond all measure, but I am haunted by the knowledge that there are families out there whose files have been closed.  How bitter sweet.  It hurts to know that there are wonderful families who have prayed, seen miracles, experienced confirmation and trekked through the same 2-3 year adoption journey as us, yet their files are being closed.  How devastating.  I know all the Christian truths and ‘silver linings’ (I’ve come to hate those well intentioned silver linings by the way), but it’s still hard to digest the situation.  We were no more deserving or faithful to receive a referral.  I am so grateful and filled with joy, yet I shake my head and tears fill my eyes with the knowledge that years of hope, obedience, sacrifice and longing are met with such an abrupt halt.  It’s hard because I still believe that God is amazing, in control, Holy, perfect and much much, more, but I don’t understand why this happened.  I pray for a miracle for the families.  I pray for comfort, and that they would feel God holding them close. 

Am I Dreaming?

Throughout this process I have had a number of dreams about holding my Rwandan child or going over to get him.  I had one the other night and although it was odd (as most dreams are) it was wonderful to hold my little guy.

The day after my dream, my husband and I were at a fundraising banquet with friends when we got a call from our adoption agency contact.  She said that the Ontario ministry was willing to wave the restrictions on their licence (that our child must be a true orphan) and change it to either being a true orphan or being abandon)!  This means no 2 hearings we can just continue!!!  We have been waiting for this news since September and now it looks like we can keep going in the process—one big step closer to bringing our little guy home ... PRAISE GOD!  So the entire evening at the banquet I was teary and excited and so very scared that this was just another dream.  I’m still worried that I’ll wake up and have the hearing looming over my head, but I’m pretty sure it’s for real this time.  I hope this brings some of you waiting moms and dads some hope.  Good news for one of us is good news for us all J

I hope this means in just a couple of months we will be flying out to see our little boy... and that he will be able to be home with us for the summer.