It's Friday night, and I thought I'd pass on some more pictures and information. Nothing really eventful has happened in the last few days as far as the adoption goes. We're mostly spending time becoming a family. And 6 excited kids are quite a handful.
The day after we arrived we met with some of the SNA workers briefly. They spent most of the time speaking with Maria Elena. They worked out the time table for how things would go. Since we are staying at the orphanage, it's a little peculiar for them. And although it has been done before, there is a new Chief at SNA and the trust between these workers and the Chief is not there yet. They must write a report saying that we visited the girls for 4 days, and then that we then left the orphanage to bond as a family and assume guardianship. However, Hogar de Esperanza is unique as an orphanage in Peru. They have apartments for families to stay in. So, Maria Elena had to explain that the normal leaving the orphanage would be us moving the girls upstairs with us. Anyway, it all worked out. The other thing that they wanted during the visit was for us to take a bunch of pictures for their report some of which I've attached. Other than that, Maria Elena has done most of the work this week, and we are just kind of hanging out here.
After SNA and Maria Elena left, I took the kids up on the dessert mountains just outside of the orphanage. It's a lot of fun, but you end up with sand everywhere on your body even if you're just walking around because of all the wind. Of course, the kids rolled in it and were covered in sand.
In the middle of the night, last night, Joshua came down with the Peru flu (diarrhea and vomiting). I'm not sure what he ate or drank that the rest of us didn't have. We've been very careful to only eat cooked foods, and drink bottled water. The poor guy has been pretty miserable all day. Hopefully, it will run it's course in 24 hours. Pray that he makes a quick recovery, and that no one else gets it.
Tomorrow, we have to take the girls to a doctor for a required check up for the adoption. They'll see another one in Lima for the American Embassy. On Monday, we will officially be there guardians, but as far as the orphanage is concerned we took responsibility of them on Wednesday of this week. Monday our whole family will meet the Chief briefly. I think this is just to make sure we are acceptable people, and that is when we will assume guardianship also.
Tomorrow night, my brother-in-law John and my nephew Michael, will be arriving for about a 5 day stay with us. Michael was also adopted from Peru 17 years ago by my sister and brother-in-law. He is getting the chance to see where he came from. We're looking forward to having the girls meet their Uncle and cousin!
Also, today I gave the girls CD player's that Kandi Hart, who is from our church, gave us to bring down along with a Spanish music CD's by Salvador and Jaci Valasquez. Each girls spent a lot of time singing along to their own CD's. They picked up the songs pretty quickly. It was kind of funny to listen to, since none of them was singing the same song! And with headphones on they were all pretty loud.
That's about all the news I have.
God Bless,
Tim
Tim and Andrea with the girls just after returning from their last day of school.
The Brooks Family
The girls with their madres.
The kids
The Brooks Family
Chillin' with a movie.
Andrew plays with his sister, Loren's, hair.
The kids on the sand dunes.
Donna
Top of the hill.
Looking down on Hogar de Esperanza
Veronica and Andrew
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