Another Day in Nairobi

We had an early morning as we started the business side of things in Nairobi today. Dave and Philip, our driver, dropped me off at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Medical clinic to get Zeke's medical exam done for the visa. That was a long day of jiggling a fussy baby while waiting in various waiting rooms. We met some cool people, though, all also getting meds done for visas to the US. We talked for quite a while with a family from Rwanda who knew of Zeke's orphanage and are trying to immigrate to Indiana. We eventually got his report around 2pm. Meanwhile, Dave was at the US Embassy getting information and all the forms we need to fill out. They asked us to come tomorrow morning at 8am for our interview. It will be so wonderful to have that step done. Then all we need is to wait for the Adam Walsch check to come back, and we're out of here. I think there is a good chance (because of God) that we may make our plane on Friday evening. We are having a wonderful time here in Africa, but we are seriously missing our other 3 kids! We cried yesterday as we saw pictures of them hunting easter eggs on email. WE LOVE YOU, ADDIE, ELLIE, AND JACKSON! Please pray God does put a rush on the Adam Walsh business, so we can get home this weekend.

Here are a few more pics of our fun day out yesterday.



We went to a giraffe preserve and a preserve for baby orphaned elephants. So cute.


Here's Dave and Philip, our driver. We really enjoy him alot. He's a beliver as well. Our fellowship has been rich.


Here we are with Otto. Well, that's what he told us to call him since we can't pronounce his name. He is a fellow guest at our guest house and has a pretty amazing story. He is from Sudan and is here hunkering down in this quiet little retreat center to finish the final draft of the Old Testament which he has been translating into his tribe's language, Shiluc (my spelling:)). He started in 1990! The first 5 years he spent learning Hebrew. The past 15 have been spent doing the translation. This month he is here doing the proofreading. Each night at dinner we ask, "How was your reading today?" He says whenever he gets stir-crazy from reading so long, he dances! He's a really cool guy. His father was one of the first 8 people to believe in Christ in his tribe. That was in 1909, when he was 8 years old. He said some missionaries came to the village next door and the kids flocked to them. His father became an evangelist. He raised his kids to know Christ, and now here's Otto, a bible translator. His tribe had a coming of age ceremony where they would mark their faces (using fish hooks and razor blades!) with round scars across the brow. Otto says he is of the last generation to do this, as they've realized it causes division among tribes. Last night at dinner, we were discussing his translation work and Dave asked him if he's ever heard of the Jesus Film, the film Crusade has made and translated into over 1000 languages. Otto lit up and said, "That is the first thing I ever translated into Shiluc!" Amazing!! We are eating dinner with the guy who translated the Jesus Film into Shiluc! Again and again on this trip, we are blessed to see God's work in the world in up-close-and-personal ways.


And a post wouldn't be complete without a few cute pics of the reason we're here- ZEKE! He's really coming out of his shell, and we feel like we're already bonding. On Sunday, Sammy took him from Dave to hold him and Zeke looked back at Dave and started crying! Sammy said, "Wow! He already knows who his daddy is!" And today at the doctor's office, quite a few people commented on how well bonded we seem to be already. We are so encouraged. Thank you, Jesus, for our son!