Best Thanksgiving Gift

By -
Sorry, we had some technical issues posting updates via phone while traveling so this is a couple days old. We figured we'd go ahead and post it anyways...

We are off to meet our girl! Prayers for the plane journey would be amazing... The long journey (just over 21 hours) is not for the faint of heart with 3 kids 7 and under! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Peaks and Valleys

By -
Image
Nomathemba has clung to me since we first met her. It's rare that I have an opportunity to set her down. When I try, she gets upset and cries for "mommy" and tries to jump back in my arms. Each night thus far she's slept in my bed beside me waking up multiple times a night calling out for "mommy". Only after I say "mommy's here, it's okay" does she fall back asleep. At first, I was beyond excited hearing her call me "mommy" so soon. However, yesterday I learned that the children often refer to their caregivers at the orphanage as "mommy". Bummer... In time, she will know I am her mommy and connect these dots. But for now, I will meet her needs as best as I can and try to earn her trust. We have also learned that Nomathemba has rarely been outside of the walls of her orphanage. Visits outside the orphanage are generally limited to well visits at the government hospital. For that reason, she is terrified of the outdoors
Read more

A day of firsts

By -
Image
We arrived at our Airbnb last night approximately 6 pm and were greeted by some of the most accommodating hosts we've ever met (As a side note, if you're looking for a place to stay while in Johannesburg let us know and we'll put you in touch). The night started off a little rocky- our hosts welcomed us into their personal residence for a cup a tea and we reciprocated the gesture with our three year old vomiting on their kitchen floor, such is life with kids. After a quick clean-up we had a wonderful visit before leaving in an attempt to get some rest. Bedtime was equally rocky, the kids were wound up and bouncing off the walls. The ten hour time change didn't help much either. Three hours and a few rounds of musical beds later we were able to get some much needed rest. We awoke this morning to the sound of thunder and a beautiful lightening storm. The storm faded late morning and turned into a light rain as we set out to Ethembeni Children's Home to me
Read more

Visit to Cure Neurosurgical Hospital Mbale, Uganda

By -
Image
Last week we had the privilege of visiting Cure Hospital in Mbale, Uganda. One of Ekisa's patients who suffers from hydrocephalus began to show signs of a blocked shut and was rushed up to Cure for emergency surgery. For those unfamiliar, Hydrocephalus is the over accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain which leads to swelling, increased cranial pressure and probable death if not dealt with. To correct Hydrocephalus, neurosurgeons insert a shunt (drain tube) through the skull, into the brain that drains the excess fluid into the abdomen. For some unknown reason, rates of Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida are significantly higher in East Africa compared to most places in the world. Prior to Cure Hospital, patients and parents in Sub-Saharan Africa had little hope of a cure. Jenna needed to travel to Cure to check on her patient and to bring a change of clothes and some goodies to our little buddy and the wonderful Ekisa momma that was staying with him so we elected to go as
Read more