Life in Popayan

Okay!  SO much to say . . . will just try and categorize all that’s been happening!  First an update on Nola . . .

Her first couple nights were good.  She would go right to sleep and lay next to Nancy.  After the second night, the honeymoon period wore off.  Nancy would lie next to Nola and pretend to be asleep.  When Nola would wake up, she’d look at Nancy and then crawl out of bed and lay on the floor . . . precious girl.  This is a sign of some attachment issues.  She has essentially “programmed” herself not to need physical affection.  It really breaks the heart to see it play out. 

But we’re on it!  In many of our pictures you see Nancy walking around with Nola in an ergo baby carrier . . . she is doing that about six-hours a day . . . she’s a champ!  This is one of a bunch of things we are doing right now to attack the attachment issue head on.  Some other things include long baby baths, bottle feeding, lotion rubs, tons of smiles, and lots of hard work.  Experts say every minute of investment now saves a day of pain later.  Serious stuff, so please being praying for an extremely quick attachment between Nancy and Nola . . . we are starting to see some great improvement already in that she wants to be with Nancy all the time!!!  Praise God :) !!!

Cute things Nola does and says . . .

“Cajo” means “horse” . . . she LOVES horses.

“Chi-chi” means she has to pee.

“Po-Po” means she has to do the opposite of pee ;)

“Aresh” is what she says after EVERY picture I take . . . it means “let me see the pic!”

“Arriba” means “pick me up”

“Ciao mama” is what she says when she wants to play with Dad.

“Vamanos” is what she says when she wants us to get moving or leave the house.

“Nay-na” is what she calls Nina . . . she LOVES Nina.

Nola has a games she started at breakfast with me.  She sits on one end of the table and I sit at the other.  She bends underneath to table and starts  shouting “adios papa!” until I put my head underneath the table and say “Hola Nola!”

She is just so hysterical! 

Nina . . .

Nina is just blowing us away.  Being the only Asian girl in a small mountain town in Colombia . . . she sticks out.  She has been amazing in how she has stepped up to bless the many people that want to see her and to work hard at helping with her baby sister.  She has so impressed Nancy and I with her maturity and selflessness.  She is a wonderful young lady!

Sleeping sisters

Fredericko and I

People we are meeting . . .

Fredericko is the husband of the owner of the place we are staying . . . I had opportunity to spend an afternoon with him driving around Popayan, sharing with him how much Jesus loves him (btw . . . if there is anyone reading this blog that has never experienced the true, saving love of Jesus . . . please text me at 309-533-4911 . . . I so much would like to talk to you about it).  It was an amazing, God-directed discussion.

Luis Moncayo, our translator, is a great guy that God has put in our lives for this time.  Asking God how He would have us to invest in his life.

The process . . .

Doctora Margiolis and Nina

It’s moving along!

FAST!  Our lawyer Doctora Margiolis, went with us to the justice center last Thursday and said to pray that we get assigned to court 2 instead of courts 1 or 3.  She said they move one week faster than the other courts.  So we prayed . . . and  . . . COURT 2 it is . . . we found out just today!  So . . . that means one more week in Popayan and then 1-2 weeks back in Bogota.

Justice Center

Our Integration Meeting at La Casa de Mima

We found out at our Integration Meeting today.  Basically, for the last week we have been on a “trial period” with Nola where they evaluate us and we evaluate Nola.  We came back together with the entire Popayan adoption team which includes a social worker, psychologist, interpreter, general secretary of adoptions, and our lawyer.  It was a powerful meeting where God gave us great favor with these people.  I told them all about our church (Journey Family Fellowship) and what God is doing through adoption there and among many of the friends we have in our community.  They asked if we could help them find a family for five siblings from 4-12.  The trust they showed us was immense.  It was humbling to us.

If you are interested in these children . . . or know someone who is . . . PLEASE let us know!  This is a WIDE open door!

As we finished the meeting, I asked if we could pray for them.  I don’t think that has happened much in the past, because they didn’t really understand what I was asking.  After a little more explanation they understood and I was able to ask God’s blessing on them . . . it was an honor to be able to pray for these kind people and ask God to meet all their needs and help them to come to know him personally.

Integration Team

Daily life . . .

Life in La Casa de Mima is good . . . we have two large bedrooms and a large villa mostly to ourselves.  Breakfast is prepared for us each morning by a sweet and feisty woman named Arhenis or her niece Nagee.  We spend much time in one of the three courtyards. 

Bible Study with Dad

School in the Courtyard (those doors under the arches are our rooms).

"Puchita" . . . Spanish for "poochie lips"

Kole on dish duty in the kitchen after dinner

The food here is awesome!  We have breakfast each day at the place we are staying.  Arhenis does a great job.  We eat in an open air dining room of the house facing the back courtyard.  A hummingbird comes and visits us every day.  

Breakfast!

                                      

Our whole family eats lunch everyday at the Casa Blanca and other local places for about $8.00 total.  That is good, because when we go back to Bogota the food is supposed to be very expensive.  We also shop and use the kitchen to have dinner . . . many peanut butter sandwiches and popcorn :)

Our favorite lunch place . . . Casa Blanca

Few interesting notes . . .

Went on a hike today to a large hill a few blocks away.  Saw a young man getting searched by police and pretty scared.  They let him go.  After we got to where the boy had been, we saw why he was scared . . . found the bag of Marijuana he had ditched right before the police reached him . . . decided not to pick it up :)

Boys watching a soccer game on TV

There are elections going on in Popayan right now . . . very tense.  The day we came, we had to wait for a while to get to our house because of student rioting.  The department of Cauca (which is like a state in the US) is the new headquarters for FARC . . . the primary anti-government drug cartel in Colombia.  The elections in Popayan are so charged, that the CEO of a local company has moved into La Casa de Mima until the elections are over to “protect his family”.  I call him “the Godfather.”  Seriously . . . that’s exactly what he is like . . . and he and his wife are in the bedroom next to us!  Honestly . . . I was afraid for my family for a day or two . . . but God has given us a love for this man.  I prayed with his son yesterday and have spent two nights talking to him in the courtyard while we work on our laptops. 

Popayan

SO . . . here’s a cool twist . . . the owner of Casa de Mima told us yesterday that a wealthy business person heard of our stay in Popayan to adopt a child.  She said this person had given us an unlimited pass to his Country Club for our entire stay (a country club in Popayan??).  Arhenis walked us several blocks to an old building . . . a man opened a little window to see who we were.  A moment later, the door opened up to a beautiful building with large pools and terraces.  I was dumfounded at the favor we had found.  When we got to the top of the stairs, I found the Godfathers son whom I had prayed with.  His father was the one who gave us the passes. 

How great is our God.

Also, met some high school girls out in the square.  They were shooting a video for a school project and asked if I could answer a question for them . . . "What is my position on abortion?"  I answered them by sharing how important each one of them is to Jesus, how valuable their lives are and how glad He is that each of their moms chose to have them.

Sharing with the girls in the square 

Please pray for . . .

Continued bonding for Nancy and Nola

Kole to recover from a 103-degree fever

God to help us see people saved

Continued protection for our family

Love you all . . . more soon . . .


Feel free to leave a comment :)