February 11th Update – An Epic Adoption Story
So, medical screening went as hoped for everyone. No major issues. Lucas’ TB test was a concern so we had to drive to an imaging clinic to get chest x-rays. We waited an hour and had to do one x-ray twice, and it made Monday a long day. We called on Tuesday at 2:00 pm for results after having a celebratory pizza for lunch at Nandos.
On the way back to our Kampala residence we stopped for soft serve ice cream, and then walked back to our Kampala residence. We packed for a trip to Busia and in the midst of doing so the power went out. So, we decided to put everyone to bed, and just as we got settled the power came back on. Kristi was up by 4:00 am trying to make sure we had everything we needed for our trip.
The majority of soda pop is sold in returnable glass bottles. We had a number of them to return, and I left Tuesday morning in order to get some laundry detergent and to return the bottles. The little grocery refused to take back bottles that they no longer carried, even though we purchased them there. I’m not sure why, but I had to rent a boda boda to go to a grocery store downtown in order to make the returns.
We loaded up with the Thompsons and made our way to get their ruling. They also received positive rulings on both children, and have now gotten their written ruling and passports while we are still waiting even though we received our ruling first. So, now five children have officially received placement in homes from Noah’s Ark Orphanage through Promise Kids a Future. It seems like we’re going to continue this back and forth thing until we finally get home. The Thompsons have already scheduled an Embassy interview for Monday. We hope to schedule ours on Monday for Wednesday, but we need passports and the rulings to be ready Monday morning.
February 9th Update – An Epic Adoption Story
Sorry for leaving everyone hanging over the last couple of days. After my website going down I had to rebuild much of it from scratch and it took a lot out of me. Now, I have some catching up to do.
I think the easiest thing to hit some highlights, and then follow up with some specifics in the following days.
Sunday Tim, Moses, Lucas, and I, via boda boda (aka motorcycle), went to Calvary Chapel Kampala for worship. It’s a mixed congregation of internationals, Ugandans, and ex-patriots. It was a packed house. All of the music was familiar and in English, and the pastor announced his resignation. No joke. He’s been here for nine years, has risen up several elders and pastors, and the church is in a period of rapid growth and the dude is leaving it in the hands of the guy who came and helped him start the church. We ran into the replacement at lunch on Monday at Good Africa. We had a great conversation.
Sunday night we and the Thompsons went out for pizza with another couple adopting from Austin, Texas; a lady adopting from Kansas, another Ugandan couple, and our friend Lawrence. We then piled into two vehicles , ran out of gas, and then walked to the International Hotel to watch some local dancers and to see the Chelsea and Liverpool match.
Monday was our “Gotcha Day,” the day we became the guardians of three more children. At first our judge asked where the mothers were, and there was an awkward silence. After Agnes, our lawyers assistant, explained how far away the family lived the judge explained that from now on when he presents a ruling the mothers are to be present in case they have a change of heart. Needless to say it was a little tense, but the judge was willing to give his ruling and we first became the guardians of Alex Wandera and Fiona Mirembe followed with the uneventful ruling on Phiona Mukimba, respectively known as Lucas, Lilli, and Kamri. After we left the judge’s chambers we celebrated with hugs all around. This was the moment we had been pursuing for 3 ½ years. We celebrated with lunch at Good Africa, similar to a Panera, and then went to finish medical testing at IOM. More on that later…
February 6th Second Update – An Epic Adoption Story
Saturday was our first down day without a single appointment. We played with the children outside, just hung out and read, played cards, and got online to fix the blog. The kids like watching movies on a portable DVD player that was here already. We thought we’d use our computer for movies, but they push every button so, unsupervised movie watching is not an option. They like to watch parts that they like over and over again and seldom watch a movie from beginning to end. Miss Pattie Cake is a preschool movie, kind of like Barnie, and the kids love singing along and may even break out in dance. When Daddy dances it is funny. Tim and I will make an evening trip to the grocery store at the end of our road to get beverages,
Our lawyer is well spoken and understands our English fairly well. I believe he spent time in America, so that helps. His desk has stacks of files on it, and his assistants have small desks in two other offices that attach to his. It was obvious that the first time that our judge looked at the cases was the day of court. There was no homework done prior to our day in court. He took handwritten notes that his assistant will transcribe. I guess the investigation and homework part is done between court and the ruling. Both he and the lawyer referenced the Ugandan Child Act and the judge addressed our lawyer for a moment as a member of parliament asking why there isn’t more direction for government and judges in regards to guardianship. I think our judge is going to be an advocate for reform, which could mean an easier road ahead for future adoptions.
We will not make the five hour trip to Busia until we have several days between appointments. If things move rapidly next week we might get lucky and get an interview with the Embassy by Friday. If we don’t, then we may leave soon after getting our ruling for Busia. We will check with the Embassy on Monday, after our hearing, to see about that possibility.
It is my hope to visit several villages and preach, maybe even go to Mbale and preach there, and to Tororo to see a friend who has been in prison for a year for a crime he did not commit, nor has he been tried. Let’s just say that even as broken as our justice system can be it is beyond compare, and I imagine a Ugandan prison to be as different.