Week 6 In Uganda

We started week six in Uganda with a trip to the source of the Nile in Jinja. We left early in the morning and made the two hour or so drive. Along the way L bought meat on a stick again and it was literally a whole chicken leg!

meat on a stick

We arrived at the Source of the Nile in Jinja and it was absolutely breathtaking, the whole city of Jinja was really. We took a boat to the actual source where the Nile meets Lake Victoria, the second largest lake in the world. It was another surreal and beautiful moment. We then ate lunch and visited some Austin friends who were also adopting and in Jinja for their stay. One moment I will never forget is when we were leaving the restaurant where we had met our friends and saw a little boy sleeping on the sidewalk. He appeared homeless, hungry, and tired. He was so young. L gave me some money while he and D walked to the car, I woke the boy and handed it to him. He was so startled and overwhelmed. As he watched us drive away and we watched him, all I could do was pray. Pray that God would love him and use today to let him know He is always watching over him. I do not know the boys name, we never even exchanged words, but the impression of his face will forever be in my heart. I pray God is using others to love on and touch his life. I pray he knows or comes to know the Lord one day.

entrance to the source of the nile

boat ride with our wonderful friend "S"

source of the nile island

fishermen

gorgeous day

ice cream...he loved the banana and the chocolate

On Monday we took all of our documents to the embassy and they gave us an interview appointment that afternoon. We took a nap with D and then headed back for our appointment. After over two hours of waiting we were seen for our appointment. At the end of the interview the lady told us we could come back in a few days and pick up his visa. Meaning we could go home. I began crying. The moment the judge told us we were legally a family was amazing, but I will also never forget this moment. It meant we could go HOME!!! We were so excited for our family to meet D and begin our new life at home. God was so very faithful.

celebrating having D's visa in hand

The next few days were spent enjoying our favorite foods and places, such as the ARA swimming pool. We said bye to a dear little boy at our guesthouse who will always hold a special place in our hearts...I cried at that too. We rode a boda one last time - a boda is a small motorcycle that we would all three fit on including a driver. These are pretty dangerous and I swore I would never ride one, but when you are there for six weeks, some anxieties fall to the wayside. We would only ride them very short distances and it was fun! We also went to the fabric market which was CRAZY and overwhelming. I did not even know what I wanted/needed Ugandan fabric for, but I just wanted some of everything from my son's country so we endured the crazy.

Our last day was spent eating a rolex for the last time (omelet rolled in chipati), lunch with friends, one last boda ride, letting D chase the chickens at our guesthouse one last time, making a rap video to "Coming Home" by Diddy, napping, eating one last Ugandan dinner, and going to the airport. It was perfect.

one last boda ride

goofy boy

playing at the guesthouse

chickens d would harass

oh...by whole tilapia you mean...WHOLE tilapia (last dinner)

visa in hand, pjs on, backpack on = ready for the airport

ready for the airport

As we headed to the airport I could not help but be sad. I took in everything as I sat in the back of the car holding D. All this time I had wanted to get home, to start our new life, and yet now when we were actually getting to do that, I was sad. I was sad that we would no longer encounter people that knew D's language, that until we come back one day, he will never be surrounded by people who live in this cultural and are like him. I was sad to leave our driver "S" - he had been so much more than a driver to us, he was a friend, protector, guide, and truly loved our son. I cried as we told "S" bye and walked into the airport.

at the airport

D did wonderful on the plane rides, much better than we ever dreamed. On the first flight we sat beside a lady who had helped start the baby home D was from, that was a very special moment. D did insist on dragging our rolling carry on (that was twice the size of him) through all the airports, which was pretty hilarious.

Once we got to Atlanta and through customs we celebrated with my husband's favorite...McDonald's! It was so surreal to be back in America. Back to air conditioning, good food, materialism, and stares. The good with the bad...we were back.

ready to fly

second flight...all laughs

inventive = busted lip later :(

plane that brought D to America

first mcdonalds

As we landed in Austin I woke up D so he could be welcomed by all our friends at the airport. He was very tired considering it was the middle of the night Ugandan time, so he was more shy and a little crankier than normal. As we came down the escalators into the arms of family and friends it was yet another, surreal moment. I am aware I use the word "surreal" way to much in these posts but that is the only way to describe most of these days. It felt amazing to be back home and for D to be greeted by such an amazing group of people. I kept watching D's reaction to everything and waiting for him to just crumble - I mean how could he not...this had been the most overwhelming 30 hours. But he didn't. He was such a trooper and only broke down over the car seat which was to be expected.

 Airport Photographs by Erika Knox Photography

People say hindsight is 20/20 and I completely agree. Looking back we can see why we needed to be in Uganda for six weeks. We see the bonding of our family that God orchestrated and graciously allowed during this time. We see the many faces of people we would not have met and come to love had our time been cut short. There were times it was hard to see His plan, but I am SO grateful for His plan as it was better than anything we could have ever written for ourselves.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." Proverbs 13:12