We're not in Kansas anymore Toto!

We made it! I am SOO sorry for the delay in communication. The internet has been spotty to say the least and the (weebly) blog we set up before we left is banned in Uganda. My fantastic brother in law, Todd, saved the day by figuring out that this blog site would work here.

o.k. so here is the scoop... we got in late friday night, and when we arrived at the hotel with seventeen 50lb. bags of luggage (filled with supplies and clothes for the orphanage, it was quite a site to see!) we checked in and I was handed a message from the front desk.  It said to call the local agency we are working with as soon as we arrive URGENT!  So we got to the room and I called. She said they pulled some strings and the orphanage decided to bend the hard and fast "NO VISITORS ON THE WEEKEND" policy, and we could go see Joshua in the morning!! Mind you, we were working on almost no sleep over the last 48 hours... and I am shaking from exhaustion. I know i  need sleep, but my baby is hours away!  Try as I may, no sleep, night 3!  but God is good, and I just dont seem to need sleep right now! (says the lady who feels like a monster without 7-8 hours of sleep a night!)

So the next morning (Saturday...yesterday!) we meet the staff at our hotel so they could brief us on what to expect over the next month, and then we were off to meet our son!  Just Russ and I went and the 4 older kids stayed back at the hotel with Nana, Papa and uncle P.K.   They said "if he bonds well with you you can take him home today".  We were originally told we would not be allowed to meet him until Monday and now we were on our way after only being in country for a few hours!  God is so Good!!! We pulled up to a gate with the name of his orphanage next to it, and were let in by a man guarding the gate.  we drove down a short dirt road that resembled a creek bed more than a road, and parked.  The children were all peeking at us through the bushes as the adults approached us.  We greeted all of the adults and made appropriate small talk and all the time I'm thinking "Any other day, I'd love to chat but...WHERE IS MY BABY?!" we walked down the "creek bed" and entered another small gate into a "play yard" (if you could call a small dirt patio with no toys a "play yard").  I instantly saw Joshua near the back being held by a nanny, looking at us with concern as she reassured him.  There were children everywhere one little boy ran up to Russ and said "Daddy!" Russ scooped him up and held him while the nanny handed Joshua to me. I tried not to bawl uncontrollably, but tears started flowing and I kissed him a million times and whispered "I love you Joshua, mommy is here. I love you, I love you, I love you."  after a few min, I swapped babies with Russ so he could meet his son.  Joshua pensively looked back and forth between the huge man holding him and  his nanny.  And then Russ busted out a green match box car and handed it to his son.  Side note: every picture we were given from Holt over the last year and a half, was of Joshua, with that look of concern... never a smile.  But then we saw what we had been longing to see, Joshua's smile!  And then that beautiful smile then turned into the most infectious giggle a parent has ever heard!  He had a toy and that toy was his very own, and his daddy gave it to him! They were best buddies!  we stayed for a couple of hours and took pictures and saw his old room. They then told us it was time to go and Joshua needed to come with us or he would be mad.  I asked what they meant and they said that Joshua thought the last 2 Holt families who came to get their children, were his parents and he was mad when they left without him. They assured him that his parents were coming and that once they did, they would never leave him. But he was still gun-shy.  Lunch was being served to the other children and they said it was time to go. They all said goodbye to Joshua and we walked out the gate.  He stared to cry, and I started to bawl.  All I could think is this is this is his home! These people were his family and we were ripping him away from them.  The staff asked him why he was crying (in Lugandan) he answered and they told me "He wants to eat lunch too, and he is mad that everyone else is eating, and he is not"  I dont know if they were saying that to comfort me, I will never really know what he said.  But my heart tells me he was scared to death and didnt want to leave the comfort of his home.  They reassured him and he stopped crying but held on to me like velcro.  the 30 min drive back to our hotel was really hard on all of our hearts.  While we were rejoicing in the gift of being united with our long lost son, we were greaving the loss that our child was undoubtedly experiencing.  We could do nothing but pray over him and ask Gods peace to shower him.  I will write more later... and upload pictures if i can figure it out...it is time to go to Watoto church now!  I love you all!!  (the story gets happier, i promise!)