Jason's Recap - First Three Days

First of all, this may not be as easy to read, Danielle is a much better writer but I will try to give the best perspective I can of how these first three days have been.

I will admit, with all the craziness going on at home, I didn’t really spend much time trying to figure out what I thought was going to happen.  I knew that whatever I could dream up wouldn’t really help me get prepared for what I was going to be jumping into. Maybe that was the best place to start.  I knew the country was poor, the culture was something I had never experienced, I didn’t know the language, and we had an agency at home that did everything they could to prepare us. All I needed to do was keep an open mind and willing to learn what I could.  Having faith started early. As we stood at the airport for 2+ hours waiting on our ride I had a complete peace that we were where we were suppose to be and our ride would get there. Didn’t expect that timeline, and the one guy that was trying to help us was freaking out more than we were.  We are still not sure when our driver showed up, he could have been in a different area looking for us but since we never went back to look we never knew. Finally a couple guys brought a sign down with our name and creche we were headed too.

Meeting our little girl was amazing and very anti-climatic all at the same time.  We got out of the car as she came down the stairs and was brought to us and the next few moments were a bit awkward.  What do we do? What do we say? We have so much to ask and so much to share and yet we don’t speak the same language.  She gave Danielle a half hug, put her hand in mine, and gave Qade a half hug as well. Introductions have been made, first impressions complete, now what do we do?

These next few days have been long, refreshing, exhausting, joyous, challenging, sweaty, and beautiful all at the same time.  It is amazing how much of a bond you can create and how well you can communicate with a child who speaks a different language and lives in a different culture.  I also believe that bringing one of our biological children with us was a great benefit. Our times are spent changing things up. This means that Danielle may be singing and dancing and then all the sudden she switches things up and acts like she is completely disinterested until you realize that she is trying make herself disappear so she can sneak up on Qade.  A quick tickle of the back of the neck and the chase begins around the tree in the middle of the courtyard. Then this chase turns into yelling for Mama or Papa to save her from her brother so we snatch her up. This leads into realizing is super fun to run and have Papa swing you around so over and over we go or maybe its to grab a ball and bounce it to each other.  After a bit of activity it’s time to settle down a bit so its coloring pictures, looking at videos or playing games on a cell phone, or one of Danielle’s favorites is when B climbs up behind and starts braiding her hair, yes this little 6 year old is braiding that thick head of hair and tying it on the ends.

All my explanations do not do it justice, this is an experience that is unexplainable and unforgettable and if you truly want to know what it’s like then you will have to put yourself in the same situation.