Okay, now for some text (photos in post below)

I don’t know where to begin this second post. I want to bring you up to speed first on the prayer request regarding our court date. Today our name went into the pool from which the judges will draw (on Monday) to see who will preside over our case. Next week (Tuesday) Sister Rosita will go and procure our date for us. We met a missionary volunteer this afternoon who told us that Sister Rosita has a lot of respect in the courts. Personally, we think a lot of her and are not surprised to hear this and are grateful we’re in her hands.

In the short time we’ve been here in Elbasan we’ve met more people than we met in our entire month in Vlora for Ellie’s adoption. In just a few days, here in Elbasan we have met someone from every continent except South America! At the pool we met an Albanian-Greek family from Australia. They have 2 young daughters and are staying at our hotel for a week. Doubtless we will see them again. In an earlier post I told you about Lilly, a volunteer from CA(adoptee from China) here for the month of July. This afternoon we met a single missionary girl, Kerri, from South Africa whose family lives in Maine. She seems very sincere in wanting to help -- we may attend church with her on Sunday. She also has known Reni since he was 2 months old and had some more info about him that we hadn’t heard before. She comes in once a week to play with the kids. It is nice to meet these individuals who care for orphans too! We never saw any volunteers at Ellie’s orphanage the entire month we were there.

Speaking of David Reni, here is an update! In 2 and half short days he has developed a strong preference for his Daddy! This afternoon Ellie and I had to go to the orphanage without Nathan. He was waiting to connect with our Bethany rep, Alma, to exchange some paperwork. Duzi was back at work today and she (against my protests) woke up our sleeping boy. He obviously has her as his ‘favorite’ and he is ‘hers.’ I get teary just thinking about it. A couple of times she has conveyed with tears in her eyes how happy she is that he is getting adopted(others have reiterated her joy). The day we take him out of the orphanage will be an emotional one on both our parts, I’m sure. The only time we see him cry is when she leaves the room. When Nathan returned, DR broke out into a huge smile and practically giggled with excitement to be in his arms again. Did I get even so much of a smile in the previous hour? Nope! ;-)

Duzi wanted me to feed him so she brought me a bowl of plain yogurt, a bib, and a spoon. As soon as Duzi left David Reni made it clear that he did NOT want me to feed him. He arched his back and about threw himself out of my arms. I saw firsthand why they say he has to be fed in arms (apparently he crawls out of his high chair). This little guy is strong! Speaking of his size, he is quite healthy! I would guess that he is wearing 18 month clothing. He is easy to hold as he holds on with a strong grip, both with his legs and with his hands. His personality though is quite content and incredibly sweet. While he enjoys being held, he does like to get down and explore, though checking frequently to make sure we’re still around. We can’t wait for you all to meet him. He is just the most pleasant little fella and we feel so blessed to be adopting him.

Oh yeah, here’s an Ellie quote for you: this afternoon we were sitting in the playroom surrounded by kids, Ellie’s in my lap and she turns to me and says, “I want a sister.” I said, “You do? Where do you think she is?” Ellie replied, “In Albania.” This is the first time Ellie has ever made this unsolicited request. One at a time, Ellie, one at a time.

This morning we had to take David out for a photo for some Embassy paperwork. It was our first time taking him outside and while I’m sure we got a lot of looks for being an obviously American family, it was hard not to feel the stares at his stumps. There is a first for everything! The sun was quite bright for him and seemed to sap a lot of his energy, but he never cried or fussed. Pictures were taken. Mission accomplished.

On the way back to the hotel from the orphanage this afternoon we noticed the streets and sidewalks were practically empty. Then a roar erupted from indoors and we realized a World Cup match was in progress. I felt bad for making our cab driver miss part of it to get us! It’s Holland vs. Brazil and personally I’m cheering for Holland in homage to my Dutch roots.

There is so much more in my heart, but I don’t have time or words to express it all. So far we are having a great time. I’m so glad Ellie can be here to make these memories in her country of birth. It’s fun to share with others that she’s adopted. Most Albanians look rather incredulous when you tell them, which I think is kind of funny (it must be her clothes and glasses, and probably the English too). They all want to know if she speaks Shqip (Albanian). I tell them that they need to be her teacher! She’s beginning to say ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ and we’ve only been here 3 days.

Thank you for following our story and keeping us in your prayers. We are truly sensing God’s hand in everything , including the peace and joy in my heart. I’ve told many that this experience will give you a peek into God’s heart for orphans and it’s a privilege and blessing to see Him work on their behalf.