My Busy Little Bees

Back in the village again!  My mom and I had a very long and wonderful two-and-a-half day journey halfway around the world, full of laughter and sleep deprivation and memorable moments, and this morning we finally stopped moving!

3 airplanes

lunch in the city

shopping at the tourist stalls

warming up with tea and croissants in this lovely little bakery

seeing the sights

early morning on the train

taxi ride from the train to the village

Checked into the hotel, dumped our very large suitcases stuffed full of toys, orphanage donations, and little boy clothes, and took off to visit with the boys.  


Oh, my sweet boys!  I certainly did miss them!  Gideon was a very busy little bee today, so eager to run and play and explore. 

Not such a surprise, really, since he is always busy (too busy to smile for a picture, as always).  Micah, on the other hand, really surprised me by also being a very busy little bee!  In the past he has preferred to lay quietly on the couch and hold my hands and smile at me.  He used to be content to just lay down and do nothing.  I think every time I visit him I see more of a spark of life in him, and more reason to hope.  

Well, the last time we saw Micah, a little over a week ago, Derek and I let him lay on the floor for a few minutes to play.  And today he remembered that, and he wanted to get down on the floor and play again!  He tried to dive head-first off the couch a few times before I finally took the hint and let him down on the carpet.  He scootched himself all over the room once I let him down on the floor.  He threw a ball out ahead of himself, then worked his body like an inchworm to get himself over to the ball, threw it again, giggling like crazy, and took off after it again.  I have never seen him so active!  I can't tell you how excited I am to see him show such spunk!  Although I do have to say that Micah's new-found spunk will definitely make the long journey home seem much, MUCH longer!  :)  So much for him just laying his head on my lap and gazing into my eyes for that 12 hour flight, right?  My mom is probably starting to wonder what she has gotten herself into!  

Tomorrow, with the help of our wonderful facilitator and my mom, I will start the great paper chase.  My first order of business is to pick up the adoption decree.  Then I will go to the cities where each of the boys were born (in two opposite directions, naturally) and get their new birth certificates.  After I have those I can apply for their passports.  Once I have those, I will be able to finally get my sons out of the institution!  


We will travel back to the capital city with the boys, take them to a series of appointments (medical, visa, and embassy) and once those steps are all complete, they will be free to leave the country and begin their new lives with their new family in a new country.  


New mom.  New dad.  New siblings.  New grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.  New pets.  New language.  New food.  New customs.  New smells.  New sights.  New rules.  New bed.  New sounds.  New routine.  That's a lot of NEW for two little boys to take in, isn't it?  Please be praying for my sweet little sons as they are dealing with so much that is new.  They are about to have so many changes thrown at them, all at once.  And it all starts off with this head-spinning whirl-wind trip.  And even though you and I know that these are good changes, the boys will probably not really know that right away.  They have spent their entire lives in a laying-down room.  Absolutely everything in their lives is about to change . . . except for one thing:  they will still have each other.  These dear boys have grown up together.  They have always been together.  They were transferred to the institution together.  I am so very thankful that the Lord is allowing Gideon and Micah to become brothers and to stay together for life.  They can face all of this newness together.  


And I am praising God that I am here today, in this village, at the beginning of the end of this adoption journey.  Soon, my sons, so very soon, we will be home, our whole family finally together where we belong!