Back to the Books it will be for Kelsey & Kayla after we get home.  We've missed a lot of school but that's ok. Life lessons are rarely learned with heads in books.   Summer school will help us hibernate and bond as a family. 

I was reminded today again how - even though I feel the girls are bonding amazingly - that Kenzie will just go with anyone who offers her their hand or a ride. She even asks and goes up to complete strangers and starts speaking Lingala. The effects of institutional living.

So after we meet everyone, our desire is to work at the same bonding techniques as we have used in the past, including no caregiving or affection by anyone other than their immediate family. Having had dozens of caretakers and having moved half a dozen times in the past 2 1/2 years, the girls must learn that we are their forever family and have committed our lives to them as we have to all our children.  Every man in the Congo is called "Papa" and every woman "Mama".  We need to accept that until we get home. No longer is every man your papa and no longer is every woman your mama.  You are no longer orphans!  You BELONG to someone, exactly as God created the family to be.

 Kenzie is quite sensitive with anyone leaving. When we visit other Canadian families living here (there are 9 families here), even if she hardly knows them, she almost always ends up in tears when we part.  She is ready to greet anyone with a cheerful smile.
Katie is very cuddly and seems to be such a mama's girl.  She is a little goof-ball and she's been my puppet the past few days. "what's up baby" seems to be her favorite.  Such a joy to be getting to know these precious girl the past 6 weeks.  They are blossoming more each week.  Sleep each night is awesome - a good 12  or 13 hours each night, almost without any disruption.

Despite the hard times and loneliness, God is giving me alot of joy each day.  I Skype home every day and we even got Les on this morning before work.  We only see the boys on the weekend but Kenzie and Katie recognize and say all their names.   Soooo can't wait to be home so everyone can enjoy them.

Keep praying sweet friends and family.  Boshab, the Vice President, needs to sign off on the first group of accepted files.  We are not 100% sure that our files are even accepted, but feel quite confident as we have been represented by a fantastic group of Congolese lawyers..  Our ambassador has fought so hard for those of us in country and was quite urgent to the commission that she gets us out in the first round of families leaving with kids  Nothing is forsure until we hear from the Embassy, hopefully in the next few days.  But we continue to move forward in faith.  There's no other way.

We could fill a page with the amount of connections that God has put in our path over the past 6 months and especially since living here.   It's pretty amazing that without connections, you really don't get anything done.   In a mess such as this, it's good we are here fighting for our own with all of you praying.