Day 8 - the craziest yet

Ok so I sat down to type this update and told Mark that no one is even going to believe this stuff anymore.  Seriously.  We have experienced and witnessed the absolute craziest things over here!  So are you ready for today?  It's a doozy . . .

We left the hotel at 6:00 a.m. to get to the IOM clinic before it opened.  We got in and out of there, no problems - they even took us back first!  Maggie is 30 pounds, had a negative TB test, and checked out fine.  Thank you God!  

So we head directly to the embassy.  On the way, however, Hamza was a little slow getting moving from a stopped position in traffic, so he got pulled over.  ?!?  Dumb.  And then the cop took his license away.  We got swept up in the moving traffic, so Hamza then had to find somewhere to stop and park and WALK back through traffic to find the cop who had his license.  Uggh.  It's total insanity here, people. 

We get to the embassy aka Fort Knox.  Good grief they have that place locked down - it's rather intimidating.  The point of this initial visit was to: 1) hand in all our paperwork, and 2) request our visa interview.  We immediately had problems.  The enormous online form I’d spent I-don’t-know-how-much-time on yesterday didn’t load to their system (yes, it has to be done online) so we were told we needed to re-do it with a new case number.  And Hajji’s (Maggie’s father) consent and affidavit were photocopies – they needed originals – AND they needed a consent in his native language. ??  New requirement.  They can change the rules at any point in the game, and to say it’s unnerving is an understatement.  The good news was that the official told us we could get an interview TODAY at 2:30 p.m. if we could produce the above-referenced documents and get the online thing done again – by 12:30.  It was 10:30 a.m.

So we tear out of there and tracked down an internet café – which was a shack about 16x10, crowded and hot.  I sit there with all my documents and managed to pluck it all out in record time.  Next stop: our law firm, where they were to be tracking down  the “originals.”  Upon arrival, we learned they didn’t have the consent in Hajji’s native language, so they drafted one quick, and sent Hashim (remember, the passport guy?) to track Hajji down to sign it.  By the time we got there, Hashim was back, consent signed in Lugandan.  They managed to pull all that off in 45 minutes – we were stunned.

Back to the embassy we went, 3 original documents in our hot fists.  Mark “ran” them into the embassy (it took almost an hour) while we waited in the car and ROASTED.  Mark gets back to the car and says there’s trouble on the horizon, because they warned him they may want to see Hajji in person anyway.  Fabulous.

So I sent our attorney a text, and told her someone should at least warn Hajji that he may be needed this afternoon.

Then we grabbed “lunch” at a gas station – ha – which consisted of milk and peanuts for Maggie, chips and pop for Mark and the boys and water and a protein bar for me.  You can’t just grab safe food here – there are select few restaurants we would trust in the whole city, let alone in the neighborhood we were in.

And then back to the embassy for the 3^rd time today.  Mark and I both had pits in our stomachs and were very anxious, so Hamza promised us he would sit outside and wait for us and “play” (pray). J  We head in and see our TN friends just as they go in for their interview.  They come out 20 min later, all smiles – they get their visa on Friday.  Ok, that helps.

We get called in.  The first questions are about our tax returns – yes, we can support this child.  Then she asks about Maggie’s background.  I report it as I know it, and it isn’t more than 3 minutes in when things get ugly.  She sees discrepancies.  (Okay – this is Uganda – you are not EVER going to find 4-5 witnesses who are all going to say the same thing – it just isn’t possible).  She starts firing off questions we have no idea how to answer (i.e. why was Maggie taken to that particular orphanage?  Describe her parents’ marriage – describe their divorce)  ??? REALLY?  We have NO IDEA!  MANY total left-field questions that were unanswerable – and the worst part is she was enjoying this interrogation.  I have to pause here and tell you how disheartening it was to be on American soil, and be treated like criminals.  We expected this to be an oasis, a place of support from fellow Americans – ha – NOT.  Then she grills us about why we chose Uganda to adopt from.  She was extraordinarily suspicious and we could see we were in trouble.  She informed us that with such a “complicated” case like this, she needed to see the father and question him – and then would determine what the “next steps” would be.  ?!?!?  She asked us to bring him back tomorrow at 2:30.

I’m biting my cheek, holding back tears as I turn around and go out to the waiting room, making a beeline for the door before I cry.  The guard at the door starts motioning at us to turn around. 

We turn around and THERE SITS HAJJI.

No, seriously. Sitting in the waiting room.

I had no idea how or why he was there but I wanted to hug the man.  (But I didn’t).

Mary, one of the social workers at the law firm, brought him.  We run back into the interview room and tell Ms. Visa Nazi that HE’S HERE!  She arranges for an interpreter and brings him in.

We head outside for some fresh air while he’s questioned.   During that time, Mary sits with us and tells us some very interesting things.  Evidently Hajji is still celebrating the Muslim holiday that occurred yesterday – in his sect, it’s 3 days.  So when asked to come to the embassy, he had told them no.  Mary – I love this girl – said “Ok.  You don’t have to come.  But when the Roisums get denied their visa, we are bringing Maggie directly to YOU, not back to the orphanage.  She’s your responsibility.”  He told her “ok, let’s go.”  She also told us his history of being not very cooperative and playing fast and loose with the truth, so we were not optimistic about what was going on in the interview room.

He came out after ½ an hour.  We were called back in, and the gal wouldn’t even make eye contact with us.  Said Hajji’s testimony was concerning because it didn’t match some of his other statements and she had “serious concerns” about this case. Whatever.   

But she decided to grant our visa application anyway.  We can pick up Maggie’s visa on Friday at noon and we are FREE TO LEAVE.

There were tears.

We all headed outside and took some pictures – with Maggie’s father – because we decided it may be important to her later on in life.  Then he went on his way, and it was the strangest thing for me to watch this man walk away from his child. 

Here’s the kicker, though – once in the car, we told Hamza the story, and told him we had no idea why Mary brought Hajji to the embassy.  He told us he was sitting in his car praying for us, as he promised he would, and had the notion he should call our attorney (Alice) and tell her they should bring Hajji.  !!!  Oh yes he did.  He called Alice, and – get this – she told him that Mary already had Hajji at the office, and she would send them immediately.  !!!

IS OUR GOD AMAZING OR WHAT???

There seriously aren’t words to describe what it’s like to see something like this play out right before us.  HE MOVES MOUNTAINS, PEOPLE –  and not just one – SEVERAL.

I’m sure some of you are thinking – well aren’t you concerned that the embassy was concerned about your case?

No.  We aren’t.

God has made it absolutely crystal clear to us that this little girl belongs in our family, and we are indeed comfortable with the facts of her case.  Yes there are minor discrepancies but THIS IS A 3^RD WORLD COUNTRY for crying out loud, and none of the questions change the fact that this little girl is an orphan and has sat in an orphanage for a year and a half.

People, our agency told us this remaining 3-step process would take weeks.  We finished it in 6 business days.  This is UNHEARD of.  People here are in shock.  Our God is SOVEREIGN and FAITHFUL.  We all know Him now in ways we never thought possible.  This has been a long, tough journey – but oh, to have a front-row seat to the workings of the Almighty God is a spectacular thing.

So we are COMING HOME.  Hopefully this weekend but that will depend on available flights.  We received a warning from the Embassy today about a terrorist threat to Uganda similar to what happened in Kenya, so we are feeling the urgency.  And I may just kiss American soil once we’re on it again!

There aren’t words to thank you all for praying – I hope you can see answers to your prayers in all these crazy stories.  HE HEARD.  HE ANSWERED.  HE IS GOOD!

Day 7

We are having a quiet day around here, which we needed after yesterday, and in preparation for whatever awaits us tomorrow!  Maggie's had a great day so far - no major fits, so we are happy and thankful for that.  She finally got into her Color Wonder markers and thinks they're fascinating, so that's kept her busy, which is helpful.  We all tend to get a little stir-crazy here, her included.  I worked on embassy paperwork most of the morning, the kids all played well, we spent some time outside with our TN friends and now Maggie's been having a good nap.  That's about it!

What we REALLY, REALLY, desperately need, though, is a great deal of prayer for tomorrow.  Starting now!  I'm having major anxiety, and Mark is having a fair amount as well, about what we'll encounter next - mainly at the embassy.  It seems we are never prepared for whatever curveballs come our way, and we are weary of being bowled over time and again.  We don't anticipate problems in finishing up at the IOM clinic in the morning, but pray that it goes smoothly anyway!  As for the embassy, pray that:
1) We have all the correct documents, and they are completed correctly;
2) That they WON'T ASK FOR WITNESSES.  This one is big.  If they ask for Hajji to appear in person, that could turn into a nightmare (getting him to come, and when, etc.).
3) And then for the "big ask" - that we could have our visa interview tomorrow afternoon!  That would be AMAZING.

We are obviously praying too - but probably not as thoughtfully, thoroughly or eloquently as those of you who are more "removed" from the situation.  :)  The only reason we are surviving this is GOD, and His providence, and we believe He listens and answers.
Thank you so much for all you are doing, and have already done for us - this is such a group effort, it amazes me.  We couldn't do this without all of you!!
I will update tomorrow as soon as I am able.

Day 6

We are EXHAUSTED, but saw a miracle take place today - seriously - and I think that's the only reason we're still functioning.  So here goes (grab a cup of coffee - this gets long because I want Maggie to know all of it someday):

We leave the hotel at 6 a.m. to beat traffic - even then, it takes an hour and 15 min to get to our attorney's office.  Upon arrival there, the receptionist informs us that the IOM clinic likely isn't open today because it's Columbus Day.  ?!?!  We said our understanding is that it's a Ugandan-run clinic?  Yes, she said, but they observe both US and Ugandan holidays.  Oh.  Well isn't that nice?  Good for them.  We decide we're going to check it out anyway, and head over there with Stella, the social worker with the firm.

We arrive, and good news - they're open!  Happy dance.  Stella goes to the desk and chats for a while, then comes back and says we have a problem.  My heart hit the floor.  When someone says that in Uganda, it's usually a BIG problem.  The normal procedure is for families to come in, pay their fee, hand over their paperwork, get their file started and then come back the next business day for their appointment.  We were hoping for an exception - that we could be seen TODAY.  They see children only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.  Tomorrow is a Ugandan holiday (Muslim - something to do with the moon phase), so they are closed.  Next business day for children is Friday.  Oh, but guess what - the doctors are in training that day.  So we can't get an appointment until next Monday.  At which point they have to administer a TB test (which is fluid inserted under the skin and you wait for a reaction for 48-72 hours), so we wouldn't be finished with the IOM until a week from Wed. - - except they don't see children on Wed., so who knows when the test can get read and be finished.

I ask if we can go talk to the reception/scheduling guy.  Stella says Mark can, but I should stay put.  (Cultural thing - you know, a woman's place).

So Mark goes and pleads our case with the guy but he's not hearing it - there is a procedure in place, this is policy, yada yada yada. 

Mark comes back looking like he'd been punched in the gut.

And this is where Mark flips out.  He looks at Stella (and this isn't her fault) and says "Well, I'm leaving." 

?!?!  Say what?

I'm thinking "YOU'RE leaving? And the rest of us . . .?"  But he told me afterwards he meant "us."  I hope so.  :)

She looks back at him like he's crazy and then he tells me he needs some air and leaves the building.

My head is spinning at this point and I can't even comprehend what this means.  I do a fast calculation and it appears like we'll be stuck here for another two weeks, minimum.

Mark comes back (thank GOD!) and says we're changing our tickets and going home tonight or tomorrow, and Stella can finish up the medical process for us and we'll come back in a month or so and do the embassy stuff.  Stella says "ok." (What else can she say at this point?  She could tell Mark was on the verge).

So there's our plan.

But first we have to sit and wait to pay the fee and get our appointment time for next week.

So we sit for an hour, and finally get to pay our fee.  The gal at the "fee desk" tells us to go back and wait, and we'll be called again to receive our appointment time.

So we sit for another hour.

All the while, thinking "Really, God?  How can this be?  Why did you give us Maggie's passport in 2 days - RECORD time?  Wasn't there a reason for that?  This doesn't make sense!"

And all the while with Mark rattling on endlessly to Stella about everything that's wrong with Uganda.  Seriously said some things he shouldn't have.  But she found him funny, and she was fine with his tirade, thankfully.

The waiting room empties, and it's just us and a couple other people left.

A nurse, who has walked back and forth past us numerous times in the past 2 hours, approaches me and kindly says "Did you have an appointment?"

I tell her no, we've paid our fee, but are waiting for our appointment time, and isn't there any way we could please possibly be squeezed in today?
She says, well, let me see what I can do - and immediately grabs a doctor walking by.  Explains to that doctor that we've paid our fee, and could we have our exam?  The doctor (witch) says "No.  We are finished here today.  You come back next Monday."  And leaves. (It's 10:15 a.m.)

The nurse then goes over to the appointment desk and talks to Mr. Procedure, but he won't budge - yammers on about the TB test and the scheduling just doesn't work, etc.

The nurse then finds another doctor, explains the situation to her - - an angel in disguise - finally, someone who had a heart.

They devise a plan in which we have Maggie's TB test administered right now, and then read at her exam appointment on Wednesday.

Wait a minute - what?  Wednesday?

Yes, we'll make an exception for you - you bring her in at 7:30 and we'll check her out quick.

If I wasn't concerned about the cultural aspects of public displays of affection, I would have hit the floor and kissed their feet.

Mark grabbed the nurse and hugged her.

She was thrilled she was able to help us, and proceeded to apologize for the inconvenience this morning. 

COULD. NOT. BELIEVE. IT.

And oh, you should have seen Stella's face - remember, she's done this with several families.  She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

As we walked Maggie back to the lab, once again I felt like I was living someone else's life - a few minutes ago, we were talking about coming home, and yet here we were - the waters had been parted again.

The nurse gave us her name - Michelle - and told us to ask for her when we get there on Wednesday.

We just may use her name for Maggie's middle name. :)

As we walk out into the parking lot, Stella, still looking shocked, looks at us and says "that was A MIRACLE!  They made a special exception for YOU!"  I think she was stunned for several minutes.  As were we - so strange, being completely overwhelmed at what in the world to do next, and then having God step in and solve it.  Love having the front row seat to His hand at work, but oh my, the highs and lows - and the vast space between them - are exhausting.

And so we are watching this little spot on Maggie's arm, praying it doesn't react and get bigger (no, I have no idea what happens if it's positive).  After we're done at the IOM place on Wednesday, we'll head straight over to the embassy to have them look over our paperwork, and hopefully schedule our visa interview.

Our victory this morning was followed by a tough afternoon with Maggie - thinking she got overtired (she was up at 5:00), didn't like to get poked with a needle, and really didn't like it that Jack and Noah went swimming (she saw them in their suits) and she didn't get to (can't get her arm wet).  The combination of all those really set her off (even AFTER her nap) and by the end of the day, Mark and I were taking shifts off and on to clear (and cool) our heads.  This evening, she was delightful again.  ??  We braced ourselves at bedtime, but she only fussed for about 1 minute and that was the end of it.  Thank you, Jesus!

So I need some sleep!  I know I have one round of photos I haven't posted yet - haven't had the time, and the internet is not good most of the time.  Will try to post them tomorrow.

Prayer requests:

- No more difficulties at the IOM clinic - that we could be in and out quickly, with no hiccups.

- That the embassy interview could be scheduled quickly and that they would NOT ask for any witnesses (we realize this isn't likely, but it doesn't hurt to pray about it).

- Peace and calm for Maggie and whatever she's experiencing in her mind.  Patience for the rest of us.

Day 5

Nothing too exciting to report today (which is good) - just stayed around the resort today and continued our adjustment to Maggie, and her adjustment to us.  Things are progressing with her, which is good and bad - she's getting more comfortable with us, which is good, but with that, the defiance comes out too.  We've been trained that kids from orphanages will often be on their best behavior for quite a while until they "attach" to you and then start showing what's really going on inside.  We think we're already there.  The best behavior thing?  Long gone.  :)  So thankful we were prepared for what we are experiencing!  Also thankful we have Mary and Leighton here from TN, who are going through the exact same stuff with their 18 month old.

Remember the bedtime battle last night?  Well it continued at 3:00 a.m.  :-/   She got up and decided that was IT, she was done sleeping.  As Hamza would say, "oh my Lawd!"  Thankfully it was shorter go-round this time, and she finally stayed put and went back to sleep. 

Today brought more drama - mainly when we enforce something, such as quiet time, or taking something away that she shouldn't have.  That sets her off, but I think so far, we're winning.  :)  She doesn't realize we can be MORE bullheaded than her.  Ha.  Mark had a good analogy for it today - he said it's like breaking in a colt (interesting analogy for Mark, yes?), and he's totally right.  So I guess in some ways, this time spent here is useful in getting that process started, and making some headway before coming home.

And oh, do I miss home.  I think everyone else is doing better than me - today it really set in for me - missing my shower, my bed, my washing machine and dryer, my home in general, the smell of the air there, just good old American life.  We are really struck this trip about how HARD life is here for people.  It's just total chaos and insanity and stink and masses of people and filth, all. day. every. day.  Absolutely everything imaginable is different here and I've decided it's both physically and mentally exhausting - even staying in a nice place like this.  As a minor example, the restaurant doesn't open for supper until 6:30 - and we wait for our food for about 45 minutes every night - making it very late for the kids, but that's the culture here.  For them, eating at 6:30 is very early.  So Maggie is DONE by the time we get back to our room - which is likely a contributing factor to the bedtime issue.  Although tonight she didn't get out of bed once.  Like I said, we're winning.  :)

I don't mean to focus on Maggie's difficulties - just giving you a real picture.  She is totally delightful 80% of the time - smiley, lively, curious, funny.  She's repeating more and more of what we say, which is good - although today she chattered on and on and on in her language and we were dying to know what she was saying, so that's hard.  She's incredibly self-sufficient - she'll see me do something once, and she's got it down herself immediately.  It's amazing, but I can see her survival skills there.  She's orderly and cleans things up - Lane, Mark says she gets that from you.  :)  And she's brave - the resort had one of those giant blow-up slides today for kids, and she went up in the thing and down the slide with Jack twice, and then was on her own.  No fear whatsoever.   She also started going under water today all on her own (more than just the face in), with no suggestion from us.  ?!?  It's amazing.  This bravery will serve her well in some areas, and I'm sure cause us grief in others!
So anyway, we're here, we're fine, Jack and Noah are great, Mark is good (enjoying the workout facilities!), and mama just wants to come home.  PLEASE pray that we can get the IOM appt. DONE on Monday.  That would be a big step in us getting home quickly.

Day 4

WE GOT MAGGIE'S PASSPORT!!
Oh yes, yes we did!  With no errors, which we've heard is a miracle in and of itself!
After being told it would be a week or more (we applied on Tues, and Wed was a national holiday so they weren't even working that day), I was praying it would be Friday or Monday, but knew realistically that it wasn't likely.  We were shocked when the phone rang this afternoon at 2:15 and our attorney said "I've sent Hamza to get you, you need to get down there NOW!"  Well by the time Hamza got here (remember we aren't in town) and we got through traffic, we didn't get there until 4:00 . . . which turned out to be no big deal because we stood around with a whole big group of waiting Ugandans for an hour and a half.  We've decided these poor people must have insane stress levels - everything about everyday life here is so difficult, so chaotic, so unorganized.

I'll post pictures on our shutterfly site, but we all just stood outside waiting to go into this tiny little office to sign for and receive the passports - and the only way you knew it was your turn to go in was because someone would *speak* (not yell) the name out the window.  People were plastered to the wall, trying to hear.  We were so thankful for "our guy" Hashim - he was totally on the situation - had us stand off to the side - was on his phone, monitoring the exact location of our passports (we were waiting with the family from TN), giving us updates - when the thing was signed, when it arrived in the tiny little office, etc.  So at one point he calls all of us in - we go through the crowd of Ugandans into the building, and Mary and Leighton happened to be first, so they were waved in, and we stayed in the hallway at Hashim's direction.  Then some woman who worked there started YELLING at us to GET OUT because we were blocking the fresh air.  ?!?!  We looked at her bewildered, and she continued to yell GET OUT and pushed us out.  Back to the waiting group outside.  Sheesh.  Nothing like calling more attention to us, which we don't really need.

So then we start hearing talk of closing the office (it was closing time) and we were still outside.  My heart sinking, I thought we came THIS FAR and now we won't make it in.  By the grace of our Almighty God, we were one of the last - if not THE last - people called in.  But they wouldn't let Jack and Noah in the door.  So we had to leave them standing with the other Ugandans who were NOT getting their passports - but after a few minutes Mary and Leighton came out and were able to stay with them.  Thank heavens.  So finally inside, we were asked to sign some big book with our name, cell phone and email address (??) to get the passport.  And what a mess - there were papers all over the floor - no rhyme or reason to anything going on in there - people yelling - THROWING passports to each other - total insanity.  I happened to see a box of passports being knocked around - ones that were never handed out today because they closed the doors.  Crazy doesn't describe it.  When we walked out the door with that passport in our hands, I got choked up.  Jack and Noah actually had a conversation with a Ugandan couple who had been waiting there SINCE 11:00 AM this morning (this was at like 5:00!) and never got theirs. 

So while it may seem like no big deal to get a dumb little passport, we can all assure you, this was a miracle by God Himself - no question about it.  We are so relieved.  Oh, and a sidenote - I'm also so relieved I'm not sitting in jail!  I decided to discreetly take a couple of photos of the scene there - WHOOOPS.  Some lady at the security checkpoint at the entrance started screaming at me, and a heavily armed police officer came over to me and yelled "NO CAMERAS!  NO CAMERAS!"  I think I lost a year of my life.  Yikes.  No more photo taking in places like that!

We were exhausted by the time we got back, but Miss Maggie was WIDE AWAKE because she'd slept in the car the whole way back.  Uggh.  So we did what we could to wear her out, but at 8:30 decided it was bedtime.
Ha.
NOT on her itinerary. 
We knew this would happen but on night 3?  We buckled down and put her back in bed at least 15 times (she'd hop out and follow us the minute we turned and walked away).  She was MAD.  Oh so very MAD.  But this is the whole establishing authority thing we've been warned about, so at least we were well prepared.  She finally gave up and went to sleep.

Part of our struggle is she can be so stinking funny when she pulls an attitude, we have to try not to laugh.  :)  She does this funny chicken-wing thing when she's upset and at one point Mark looks at me and says "can I do that right back at her?"  Of course he wouldn't, but oh my word, funny.  And then Jack and Noah want front-row seats to sit and watch because they find the whole thing enormously entertaining.  Of course we didn't let them do that either.  And we reminded Jack that he had similar rebellious/stubborn qualities.  No idea where that came from. :)

So, that's day 4 in Uganda.  Here are the next steps, as a refresher:

• Next we need the "IOM" medical done (not sure what that even stands for).  We had to have her passport to do this, and this part must be done for our embassy interview.  We will go there very early on Monday morning, in the hopes of getting a same-day appointment.  PLEASE PRAY FOR THIS!  This is big, because Tuesday is another national holiday and it won't be open. 
• Once IOM is done, we can go to the embassy and request our interview.  At this point they verify all our immigration paperwork is accurate and complete (and I'm not kidding, we're going to need a PhD to fill this stuff out), tell us what witnesses we may need, and then give us an interview time (which only happen on Mon and Wed afternoons).
• Once the embassy interview is completed, they issue Maggie's visa, which allows her into the U.S.  THEN we can go home.

So please pray that we can get the IOM appointment done Monday!  And pray that we can continue to get good sleep - it's so important here, especially now with a 2 yr old!  And don't forget to GIVE THANKS that we have this passport in our hands! 

Days 2 and 3

Sorry for the lack of an update yesterday - we now have a 2 year old and find ourselves quite busy. :)  Good grief, it's amazing how quickly you forget what toddlers are like!

We spent some time at the orphanage yesterday morning when we picked up Maggie - and it continues to be Jack and Noah's favorite place in the world, which is still fascinating to us.  We took almost two suitcases full of clothes and toys, and there is NOTHING more fun than handing that stuff out.  Wow.  The orphanage director was overjoyed, and immediately started handing out clothes to all the kids and ALL the kids - even the little ones, even the boys, were elated.  We had kids stripping left and right as fast as they could to get their new items on.  It was absolutely adorable.  And then they all wanted to model their new looks for us.  I put pictures up on our photo site - https://5happycampers.shutterfly.com/.  They capped off our visit with a little concert - I tried to load a video of it but the internet connection here just isn't good enough - will try again tomorrow. 

Then we got some pictures of Maggie with her special "mamas" and the staff and kids prayed over Maggie before we left - such a precious moment.  The time we spend there is always so draining - so, so hard to see what we've seen, and yet we've been so touched by these precious little lives.  Our hearts are marked by those kids forever.

Since leaving the orphanage, we have been getting reacquainted with Maggie and learning how to be 5 instead of 4.  She was very nervous and scared at first, but seems to be coming out of her shell quite well today.  Even had a little temper tantrum when Mark wouldn't allow her to swing from the mosquito nets in our room.  :)  Go figure.  All in all, she is doing really well - very curious, has an awesome laugh, and repeats many of the things we say.  She is totally attached to her big brothers, and them to her.

And so our days will continue to look like this - staying close to our resort and by the phone - until we get the call that her passport is ready, which we are PRAYING will either be tomorrow or Monday.  That would make a huge difference in shortening the timeline of our trip.  So we'll leave you with that prayer request - and for bonding between us and Maggie, and continued protection of health for all of us.  Thank you!

Uganda - Day 1

Disclaimer: We WILL be changing this blog title to FIVE Happy Campers once we get home!

Our trip was uneventful, which was good - just super long.  Hamza's (our driver from our first trip) smiling face was waiting for us at the airport, which was so comforting to have someone we know here!  He took us straight to our hotel - we were a little concerned for a bit because you leave the main highway and take a dirt road for 10-12 minutes to get here - and by dirt road, I mean the offroading kind.  But it is BEAUTIFUL!!!  It cost more than we wanted to spend, but we've already decided it's worth every dime.  Mom and dad, you will appreciate the fact that there is massive security here - it's gated, and there are armed guards at the gate - they check every car that comes through (including underneath with big mirror things!), and every bag and every person is searched.  So we feel very safe.  There are gorgeous views of Lake Victoria everywhere we look.  There's an amazing pool, which Mark and the boys are enjoying right now; our rooms are huge and modern; the staff is really friendly - they met us at the check-in desk with hot washcloths and fresh squeezed pineapple juice.  :)  We get breakfast and dinner included with our room, and the food is awesome - which is a huge relief to not have to worry about where/what to eat like we did last time.

Hamza had to pick us up this morning at 6:30 to get us to our attorney's office at 8:00 (actually we were still 20 min late) - the traffic is just horrendous.  Maggie was there waiting for us, and she's just as precious as ever.  We could tell she was very scared and nervous, but we did manage to get a small grin and she whispered each of our names, so she definitely remembered us.  That was all we heard from her all morning - but that's fine, we expected it.  From the attorney's office, Hamza took all 5 of us to the passport "office" - oh my.  Everything is an adventure here. We drive up and there's a large group of Ugandans waiting outside this gate - our guy named Hashim met us there, and ushered us right past the whole line, up to the front.  We were cleared to go in, and once through the gate, we were still outdoors, but went under a huge tent, with desks at both ends, and many, many people sitting in line waiting in each area.  Hashim tells us to sit so he can go do "his thing" (his words!), and he'll be back.  We sat and waited about 15 minutes.  We then see him appear at the front of one line (without waiting), getting all our documents stamped.  Then he motions for us, and escorts us to the front of the line in the opposite area, where a woman looks at Maggie, takes the file I'm holding, and we're done.  Hashim tells us we can leave, and he will stay to make sure our file gets "moved along."  That was it.  Crazy!!  I can't tell you how awkward we felt - the only white people in a couple hundred Ugandans that got escorted to the front of every line and were out of there in about 20 min. while everyone else there waits HOURS.  It's no wonder Americans are not very well liked.  Anyway, he told us he thinks we should have the passport Monday or Tuesday.  We are praying for Friday or Monday.  :)

We then went back to the attorney's office and got our file from them, at which point Alice (our atty) informed us the embassy will likely want to interview all our witnesses - including Maggie's father.  Obviously this made us really nervous, but she acted like it's totally normal, and they can get the witnesses there when they need to be.  Ugggh.  We are going to pray that the embassy won't ask for witnesses, that they'll just accept the witness affidavits.

Then we took Maggie back to the orphanage so we could finish unpacking, get organized (it literally took us hours), and get some rest before taking custody. We are dealing with some serious jet lag and felt like we needed to be a little more "stable," if that makes sense.  We'll likely be in bed at 7:00 again tonight!  We also wanted to go to the orphanage to give them our gifts, and ask some questions about Maggie's routine - and didn't want to take her back there after we'd taken custody of her.  When she leaves, we want it to be for good.   And so that day is tomorrow - can't hardly believe that tomorrow we become a family of 5!  I always thought I'd be panicky at this point, but I'm not - I have peace, which is such a relief.  Of course that may change!  :)  And Jack and Noah are so ready for this - they really touch their mama's heart with the love they have for this little girl that they hardly know.  They couldn't stop touching her today, holding her hand, fighting over who got to hold her, etc.  Renee has talked extensively to us about how our primary focus in the coming weeks is we need to make her feel safe, and as she sat in the passport "holding tent" today with her big brothers on each side, holding her hands, I felt confident that she will indeed feel safe soon.  :)

So, prayer requests for now:

1) That God would miraculously make that passport appear QUICK - Friday or Monday!

2) That the embassy would NOT ask for witnesses, and if they do, that they can be located and brought there in a timely fashion.

3) That our bonding would happen quickly, and that we can all continue to get GOOD SLEEP - even with Maggie's arrival.