Journal Entry 8 and 9

* The pics won't upload perfectly, but it's the best I can get Blogger to do.
Journal Entry 8 - Day 10 - October 5, 2011

Well, I'm at the Pugh's! We have lots of space but no power or water right now, so this could be interesting. No passports yet. Safari has peed in his pants twice today. I have seat dripping from every part of my body - places that I didn't even know could sweat! We are "really" supposed to get the passports tomorrow. They actually took the kids' pictures today. Moses has a terrible cough. I hope he can sleep tonight. I'm starting to run of money. I've already spent over $2000 that I didn't expect to spend.

Rusty and Debbie took us out to eat at a Lebanese restaurant tonight. It was nice to have something other than hotel food for dinner. Safari and Sandrine did great. It was their first time with fried chicken and I think they'll both do just fine in Kentucky : )

I've had lots of things I want to write about but I forget before I write:

- Abraham the prophet from KY
- House keeper - "give me money"
- 2 men at passport office - lawyer, judge, director, ect...
- Safari carrying water on head and baby on back
- Drumming - Safari has some serious rhythm
- Moses grinding his teeth
- Sandrine's smile

Sandrine Smiling

Safari Drumming



Journal Entry 9 - Day 11 - October 6, 2011

We got the passports! I got the squirts! Life is great! Seriously, praise God that the passports came through. I'll call the embassy tomorrow morning. I pray we can get in by Tuesday. I pray I feel better. The kids are doing well here. Rusty and Debbie are very helpful. We had power most of the day, but it went off right when I was getting ready to shower. I'm pretty funky right now! Moses is doing much better today; it's like he got completely better over night.

Moses doing so much better, but you can see how malnourished he was. This was after I had him for 10 days.


Well, I'm writing in the dark while holding a flashlight and sort of feel like death right now, so this is gonna be a short one.

Journal Entry 7

Journal Entry 7 - Day 9 - October 4, 2011

Well, big shocker, no passports! Five more hours of waiting in an unairconditioned, filthy vehicle with 3 kids who can't understand me or why we have spent the last 8 days in a hot car. It's great!

Today was the first day without Flavien for the kids. As soon as we got to the taxi, they asked J.P. where he was. I'm not sure they understand. Last night and this morning went really well. This evening was difficult. Trying to discipline and set boundaries is really hard when you can't communicate and when there have never really been any boundaries in the past. Safari and Sandrine go from liking me a lot to being really angry with me. There's not much in between right now.

Tomorrow we go to the passport office - hopefully for the last time! Then we go to the Pugh's house until it's time to head back to the states. I pray we can get an embassy appointment this week. I really want to go home, and Moses really needs to get to a good doctor soon!

Moses doing better but still so sick


God, please let us get the passports early tomorrow so that I can contact the embassy. Please let them be gracious and allow me to come in this week. Please give me patience and grace, love and compassion, and LOTS of energy for the next several days. Thank you for all 6 of my children. Please claim each of them as your own and be glorified in their lives even now!

Safari and Sandrine pretending to carry babies on their backs.

Journal entry 5 and 6

Journal Entry 5 - Day 7 - October 2,2011

Overall, today was a pretty good day. It started off a little rocky. Safari and Sandrine were both bouncing off the walls. We all walked to the store to kill some time and that went well. I bought Safari and Sandrine some Mentos and an orange soda. We had some down time this afternoon. Moses and Sandrine napped and Safari sat quietly. Safari and I walked to the store again to get some water. He did great! We actually had real food for dinner, spaghetti from the hotel. It was really good! Maybe that's because it was our first real meal since arriving.

Rusty and Debbie came by this morning (the missionaries I stayed with). I won't be able to stay with them until Tuesday or Wednesday. They seem really nice, and I think it will work out well once I'm actually there. They said they have some outdoor space where the kids can run! This will be great!

Tomorrow is the big day - visa appointments. I pray that the kids have their passports well before our interview. I pray the consul is understanding of our situation. Most of all, I pray that the kids get their visas this week. This would be a huge blessing to us!

Journal Entry 6 - Day 8 - October 3, 2011

Today was a rough day to say the least. Moses is sick again. He has a fever and was up all night coughing. I literally slept about 2 hours last night. Today was supposed to be our embassy appointment, but we still have no passports after waiting at the Passport Ministry for another 6 hours. Safari ped in his pants at least 3 times while we were waiting. Flavien totally shamed him for it. It is easy to see that he favors Sandrine over Safari. He never corrects her but is always on Safari about something.

Sarah left tonight, and I lost it. It was the first time I cried since arriving. I tried not to, but I couldn't help it. Everything just flooded forward; nothing has gone as planned and I have no idea when we will be leaving now. On top of that, Flavien is leaving in the morning at 5am. I am at the hotel alone with all three kids. We are totally stuck until Rusty comes to get us. I totally freaked out Sandrine and Safari when I cried. They didn't know what to do. I just kept telling them it was okay, but I couldn't stop crying - I mean snot running out, hole in your stomach crying. Eventually we got through it. All three kids went to sleep very easy. I'm physically and emotionally exhausted. I pray that we get the passports and move in with Rusty and Debbie soon.

journal entry 4

I skipped another day, but nothing really happened except that we sat in a dirty, unairconditioned taxi for about 7 hours with just a few snacks waiting for the kids' passports. I'll add more pics tomorrow. Blogger is being really slow tonight.

Journal Entry 4 - Day 6 - October 1

Well, I am beginning to wonder if anything is definite in Congo. We still don't have passports for the kids. The embassy says we must have them before our visa interview on Monday at 12. Only an act of God will allow this to happen.

Rusty and Debbie will be arriving in Kinshasa tomorrow. I'm not sure when we will be going to stay with them. As far as the kids, there are lots of ups and downs. Safari is a lot like Blaine - taken to a whole other level because we can't communicate well. He has had LOTS of time outs, and I have smacked his hand twice. He wants to help often and has a very sweet voice. He is amused by sounds. He smiles and laughs a lot. He continually tests the boundaries. I think he will do great with Blaine and Zac! Sandrine is a lot like Kiera. She likes to be in control, and when she doesn't feel like she is, she refuses to do anything. She has a beautiful smile and I love her laugh. She is beginning to trust me more. She loves the bath now and likes to change her clothes. Moses is doing so well. He is responding to everything. He is eating more than double what he did at first. He is starting to smile a lot. He is trying to rollover. He reaches out often and even cries when he is hungry now. He is so beautiful, and I am totally in love!

I really want to be home. I need Dewayne, especially with Safari. I miss the kids. It's really hard. I almost cried at the passport office today. The embassy says the next appointment is over 5 weeks away. I've been here 6 days and have accomplished very little other than bonding with the kids - which is important. I just am ready to have my whole family together.

Journal Entry 3

I skipped a day in my journal, so I want to fill in what happened that day, and then I'll add my journal entry.

Day 3 9/28
We spent the entire day at the hospital and still were not finished with the kids' medicals for the embassy. We were there for over 7 hours. I stayed with Moses as much as possible but had to leave several times to pay for the exams or sign hospital documents. Moses was extremely weak, but he didn't have a fever any longer. After much convincing from Flavien and myself, the doctor finally decided to release him. I was very happy that I could take him home but just as nervous that something bad would still happen because he was just very sick and weak. They gave me a list of everything that they pumped into his IV, a total of 10 different medications, and three prescriptions to take to the hotel. We never were told what was wrong with him or how we were supposed to administer the prescriptions. Thankfully, Sarah was a pharmacist and was able to help me figure out some of the meds. I was also able to reach my friend Holly who had lived in Congo and is a nurse practitioner. We decided to only give him two of the prescriptions because the dosage on the third was WAY too high for a baby.

Moses fell asleep at 5:30 pm and had only eaten a total 6 ounces of formula the entire day! Sandrine and Safari went to sleep much easier. It only took 30 minutes for Sandrine and Safari was immediate. I waited for Moses to wake up, but he never did. I was so scared that he wasn't going to make it. He was so small and malnourished, very sick and reusing to eat. I tried to wake him before going to sleep so that he could eat, but I could get him to wake up. I laid him down between Sarah and myself and felt completely helpless. He slept very soundly, didn't move an inch. I couldn't sleep. My eyes opened every few minutes it seemed like, and all I could do was pray that he would make it through the night and start eating. He sucks his fingers a lot, so a couple times during the night, I pulled them out and stuck a bottle in. He drank about 4 ounces through the night.

Journal Entry 3 (Day 4) - 9/29/2011
Yesterday was so crazy that I didn't have time to write. I knew that nothing happened quickly in Congo, but now I know why. It literally takes a day to do anything. Yesterday we left the hotel at 9am, went to the hospital and returned at 5pm - no other stops, no meals - 8 hours! Moses got to leave the hospital. He is doing so well today. He ate a little rice cereal this morning (the first time he had been fed with a spoon) and has had 3 bottles so far. He is interacting a little and even almost smiles a few times. I feel so much better about his health. He is so small - 12 month clothes swallow him.

Today Sandrine told Flavien that she likes her mother! She is doing really well. She is a lot like Kiera - she wants to be in control. It will be interesting to see how they get along. Safari really started pushing the limits today. I finally had to put him in time out. After two times, he was like a different kid. He is very helpful - tonight he helped me wash the dishes, fed Moses a little of his bottle. He likes to aggravate Sandrine. She is terrified of the baby do that I brought for her, literally freaks out, and he likes to chase her with it. She finally changed her shoes today. An, both of the actually got in the tub tonight, no soap - but got in the tub! They both have put on a concert the last two nights, drums, singing, dancing - it's great. They have learned some English words, especially "more please." It's been crazy but good.

Day 2 - 9/27/2011

Crazy may be the best way to describe today. We made plans to meet Flavien and the kids at 10am, and a little before 8 there was a knock at the door. And thus began day 2. Flavien woke us both up from a very deep sleep and said that the children were ready to meet me. Sarah and I got ready in record time and walked to their room. Sandrine and Safari almost knocked me down as soon as I hit the door. I got big hugs and lots of smiles. Sandrine wanted to be touching me at all times. When I finally got a chance to hold Moses, I could tell he had a really high fever. He looked REALLY sick. We gulped down a very small breakfast ( bread and jelly) and ran out the door to meet the taxi to head to the hospital. And all of this before we were scheduled to meet at 10am : )

Safari weighs 46 pounds, Sandrine 35 and Moses only 16. Moses really isn't doing well; he is so small and extremely weak. After checking him, the doctor said we had to admit him for observation because he had fluid on his lungs. Flavien's wife decided to stay with him until he is released. We received lots or questions and lots of stares, and the whole ordeal took over 3 hours.

We finally got back to the hotel and switched rooms with Flavien. At this point, we hadn't eaten in over 6 hours, so we went to the hotel restaurant. The kids were very curious and a LOTS! They both loved Fanta. Sandrine loved the chicken and Safari is a huge fan of french fries. We all 4 went for a walk to find the grocery and were unsuccessful, but Seraphin was at the hotel when we got back. He took Sarah to buy some water, and I took the kids to the room.


I tried unsuccessfully to give Sandrine a bath, and she was mad at me the rest of the night. After playing for a while and talking to DeWayne, Sandrine started falling asleep in her chair, so I decided that meant it was bedtime. Both resisted. Sandrine cried. Once he laid down, Safari fell asleep almost instantly on his own! Sandrine fell asleep in my arms but woke up every time I moved even an inch. After 2 hours, I was finally able to leave her in the bed. I showered, and now it's definitely time for bed!


To sum the day up: hugs, smiles, laughs, some English, lots of Swahili, videos, giggles, lots of firsts for everyone - and we do it all again tomorrow!

Long Time - No Entry

I know many of you want to know how things are going, and the truth is - very well (for the most part). Of course all six kids and Mom and Dad have our moments, but everyone seems to be adjusting very well. I haven't quite figured out when I'm supposed to clean or do laundry - or sleep for that matter. Our house went from loud to louder, messy to messier and crazy to crazier. We've had lots more chaos and tear, garbage bags filled and loads of laundry to wash, but we've also had lots more smiles, laughs, giggles, hugs, kisses and love going around too. God has truly blessed us!


I journaled almost everyday while I was in Congo, and I thought I'd share those entries with those of you who prayed along with us so that you could see how your prayers were both felt and answered. I'll start with the beginning and try to send one out every day or two (no promises here). This entry is much shorter than most. I was totally exhausted.


Day One in Kinshasa - 9/26/2011

It's been a whirlwind to say the least! Everything was pretty uneventful until the airport in Kinshasa.The best way to put it is chaos. Everyone tries to bribe you. We finally got out without paying any bribes and met Flavien (the orphanage director) and Seraphin (our Kinshasa contact). We eventually got everything packed in the car and headed out. Then - we got a flat - in the pitch black, in what appeared to be the slums, in Kinshasa - street kids everywhere, hundreds of people walking by and looking the windows and just Sarah and me in the car while Flavien and Seraphin changed the tire! Thankfully it was the fasted tire change I have ever witnessed (these guys could definitely make a NASCAR pit crew proud), and we were on our way to the hotel. As soon as we arrived, Flavien asked if I'd like to meet the kids (it was 10pm in Kinshasa and we had been traveling for over 24 hours). I still couldn't resist, so we walked down the hall. I got to meet Safari - Sandrine and Moses were asleep. He was very shy and didn't want to talk. I got him to smile little when I tickled him. He is beautiful! Tomorrow is the big day - my babies actually get to spend the first day and night with me for the first time.