Pics say it all...

Got there at 3:00. Went in at 5:30. Out at 5:45 - these tell the rest of the story...

Zeke: "I'm the little brother"
Zuri: "I'm a big sister"

Outside the court with happy, but tired kiddo's

So many emotions (happy and sad at the same time...)

Surprise...

Today was like our wedding day. We were married in the afternoon, so the wait until those moments was excruciating! We waited today, as the sand ticked down the hour glass in slow motion. It was forever - and that was just to leave to go to court. Once we arrived at 1:45 p.m. we did some more waiting. Guess what we did until 6:30? We waited some more. Yep, we waited through nap time and snack time and supper time in this little room watching everyone else go in to see the judge. When it got to be around 6:00 we were really thinking we might just be asked to come back tomorrow.  It was hard to believe when Claudia poked her head in at 6:30 with a smile on her face and said "quick, get your stuff, he is going to see us"!!! Couldn't believe it - the judge agreed to see us.
Now Gayla picks up the story...

Our view from the window in our holding room

Waiting...

Public docket posted in hall

So we quietly enter the judge's chambers...all the Renslow's, Charlie Zeke, Charlie's bio dad, and grandfather, and Claudia.  Angel Claudia had packed some suckers for the little ones which were the perfect thing that kept them quiet during this most respectful time.  After the judge got some info from the attorney, he then first asked Leia to come before him!  She did great!  He asked her things like "If your mother took you out shopping, and she had only enough money to buy all your siblings treats but couldn't buy you anything on that trip, how would you feel?"  Leia did an excellent job answering the questions and kept her cool and remembered her "yes sir's".  You know Leia, always the charmer....I think she set the tone for the family! The judge interrogated Jimmy and the bio-dad and Claudia and then said, I have heard enough, come back on Thurs. for the ruling!  What we were expecting to take hours, only really was about 30-45 minutes.  We left feeling a huge weight off.  The judge complemented our family and we feel that he was in favor of the adoption!

These two days were terribly long and I hope to not have to repeat it again on Thursday, but I see how the Lord used this for us to get to know Zeke's dad and grandfather.  We took them to the photo shop while we were waiting and had their picture taken with Zeke.  This will be a great treasure to have that not many adopted kids have.  The grandfather gave us a picture today of Zeke with his mom and dad, grandfather, and aunts and uncles (which were sightly older that Zeke) just before his mom died.  What a blessing!

Well, I have given you the highlights.  To be honest, this day has felt sacred.  The odds were not for us but we knew God had decided how our family would be shaped before this day happened so I wasn't worried.  We feel grateful to our heavenly father who has held our hand through this whole journey.....boy what a trip.  We will update more on Thursday!

Delayed until tomorrow

Wow, what a day of waiting, entertaining the kids, and waiting, waiting, waiting...We showed up at the U.S. Embassy this morning and I waited to get a form. I waited until I had to leave for court. I left without the form. We arrived at court and waited until lunch. We were told to come back at 2:30. We came back at 1:30 and waited. We waited until 4:00 and were told that we would have to wait until tomorrow at 2:30 to be seen by the judge.

Claudia brought Charlie, the matron of the Children's Home, the biological mother's dad, the biological father (neither of whom speak English) with her and now they have travel back to GSF and do this all over again tomorrow.

It was really strange with the relatives there with us. We got along fine, but it was just weird and too much for me to write about publicly.

So, we wait. This is all part of the process here. No agency could help with this, no regular person can avoid things like this happening (an MP could)- it is what you sign up for when you enter this process.

On the bright side, some people left and we have a room upstairs now that the boys will take advantage of tonight. That will leave Gayla and I with the two girls downstairs and they will both have a bed:)

Thanks for walking with us Saints.

Tick-tock

I read so many blogs and facebook posts of people who are anxious the night before court and call upon their community to pray. We add our list to those names. Tomorrow we go to court to be heard by the judge to see if Charlie-Zeke is going to be a Renslow during this trip. I know very well that tonight we could be worried about a million things, but truthfully the things that we often worry about never materialize and the unexpected is what brings the stress and grief. So, we choose to not worry and trust in this moment. We are in Kampala tonight and staying at the Baptist Mission Guest House and we are all in one room-we will just use a positive word - uhm..."cozy." Our proximity and our seeming omnipresence to one another has certainly caused an increase in jokes that have turned to cut downs that have resulted in sarcasm and knit-picking that is beginning to drive the parents crazy! Sorry to burst your bubble if you thought we were not like every other family in the world, but community is difficult I tell you.

We need your prayers, we are asking for your prayers, and we expect God to be with us tomorrow. Despite what happens in court, we are at peace that Yahweh is with us and tonight we rest. Maybe not tomorrow, but tonight we are experiencing Shiloam.  With Shiloam you do not have to experience perfect emotional comfort, but you rest and are at peace in the belief, the faith, and the fact that God is with you and has your best interest in mind-He is in control.

So, it is off to bed and up to play the wait and see if we get heard tomorrow or not game. We will let you know and we ask the Saints of God intercede on our behalf and for Zeke's.

Our new "home" and neighbors

We are settled in here in Jinja. We are learning the boda system and how much to pay for a ride into town. It has been fun to see the kids on the back of the motorcycles going into town. I would not let them do this in Kampala, but without a car, it is our only transportation. From our place to town costs us 1000 shillings, which is about 40-45 cents. We are enjoying our time here and I am able to get a lot done in the quiet of the house and proximity to Jinja. Next week we will move to Kampala for the first part of the week and then travel to the far southwest corner (close to Rwanda) to visit our friends who work in a hospital there. We knew them from the old days at Grace Community:)

Thanks for your prayers for court on Monday!!!

The boys with the team from California

The front yard looks out to Lake Victoria

Our rental

Zuri making friends with the kids

Zuri making friends?

Going to court and Face Painting Day at GSF

We are moved into a house in Jinja now right across from Lake Victoria. It is in a great location and we feel so blessed to be able to stay here for the next five weeks. Going to court on Monday and we will await to find out if the judge will hear our case or not. Lots to juggle to get that arranged with taking Zeke's biological dad with us. Nothing is ever a sure thing around here, but we trust that the LORD is in control of the decisions of man for our good and Biggie-Z's.

In the meantime, here is a picture for you:)

Four wheelin' adventure

Fun night out with part of the family (the older ones) and the interns...
One hour in the bush and deep villages
Stop on the side of the street to get a soda
45 minutes later, stop in a local house for a FEAST
30 minute ride back in the dark