Afternoon thoughts

Lunch
Lunch was delicious. We had rice, beans, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, foo foo & beef. Dessert was watermelon and bananas. Eli loves the beans, rice, beef, & foo foo. He spits out his mushrooms on the floor. Apparently he was taught that if you don't want something you face forward and spit to your left or right. Whew! I quickly hand him a bowl and move him to put the food he does not want in the bowl. Baby steps.

We sit with our new friends from Texas. They have a beautiful baby girl. Her face is just gorgeous. Our table is next to all the CCI kids that had multiple operations on their feet. They love when I see them at a distance and blow a big kiss to all of them. They each smile with nothing but joy.

Grieving thru it all
Earlier in the day Eli was full of groaning tantrums. Andy and I finally took him back to the room and just let him moan it out. No tears just this whimpering moan. After about 30 minutes Eli stops but he still does not want to do anything that Andy and I offer him. So while he continues to pout I go and sit next to him and read my book. I ignore the behavior but let him know I am there. I place a book for him in front of his feet. He pushes it away. I continue to read my book. After about 10 minutes he gets up and sits in my lap. He then grabs his book and starts to look at all the pictures. He needs to know he is secure and loved but that we do not acknowledge his behavior as acceptable. IT WORKED! I am internally smiling ear to ear but I cannot show him that.

Eli is acting out but only out of mourning. He is grieving the loss of his friends and orphanage and even the caretakers. He just cannot properly communicate that. I can totally handle moaning. It is just going to take time. He needs great patience and love. Love conquers all! I keep saying that to myself when Eli is not acting his sweet and precious self.

Eli has a giggle that will have you rolling. He laughs we you competively play "ballie" with him. He just runs the soccer ball around and if you play with him he is just giggling and laughing. It is quite frankly....awesome. I know our Lord is heartily laughing with us. Laughter came from the Lord after all!

Beinets, Ha!!!!
I sat with some locals after lunch today to write down foods in Lingala. I try and describe a dessert we had several days ago and they just laugh at me. Finally after many motions they tell me the donut hole I am describing is a beinet. It just does not look like the ones I have seen in the US before. We all sit there and laugh and laugh. It was so simple yet I was thinking it was super complicated and a new discovery.

Hair- to braid or not to braid
First, I should have cut my hair much shorter before this trip. It is hot as everything. I know the locals look at me and are thinking that girl cannot fix her hair one bit. You see if a female in this country does not have their hair fixed properly, including babies, you are going to get yelled at.... Granted we have a boy that has short hair but I should have thought about updating the "do" before I came. So for now... I am starting to braid my hair.

Cranes
I am sitting in reception to blog and I see unusual palm trees, a church, clouds, and a crane. I am thinking Johnny Brantley would be proud of me. Everytime I see a crane I think of his kind heart and how the family at B&G would laugh with him. When he laughed his face turned red. Ahhh.... Good memories. So Johnny, all the way in Africa you are remembered.

After lunch
All is quiet after lunch. Ahhh. The days in Africa that I will never forget. I have not worried about anything while I have been here...for the most part. My only concern lately is about our exit home.

Organizing
Over the past few days I have been trying to organize the madness of clothes that are quickly overtaking our room. I am separating all the clothes and shoes we are leaving here. I filled a whole large duffel bag with clothes, shoes, and food. All these things we can do without. We slip this bag out this morning after lunch for Julie from CCI to distribute at the orphanages. Eli is territorial even over our things.

Yesterday before my friend Alyssa leaves with her baby Z to go back to Canada she tells a few of us a story of a woman outside our compound. This woman had tried to give Alyssa her baby to tKe for good. Alyssa speaks good French and explains that she cannot jsut take this woman's baby. I mean can you imagine the desperation as a mother. You cannot care for your baby so you see someone who can and just try and hand them over. We all gather after breakfast and collect food, clothing, baby supplies, etc. we are a family here and we take care of each other. We all gather to help this mother.

There are so many children who have no one to care for them. It is the most heartbreaking time we have had here. You want to help them all. One child at a time we can change this world problem. There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy to many orphans. Will you consider adoption? Will you consider helping another family adopt? I am coming back a super changed woman to boldly help families be able to bring their children home. If you want me to pray for you and yours if you are considering or if you need more information I will be ready to talk.

Africa time
Here is an example of Africa time: 4 days ago we asked for someone to fix our bathroom light. 2 days ago a ladder was delivered outside our room and we still have not seen anyone coming to fix our light. I think it will be repaired once we leave. So for now.... We shower and use the bathroom in the dark. The water is only cold. There is no warm water here. We have gotten used to it. I am grateful for the little things.

Eli is a super fast bather. He squats and rubs the soap so fast that he is done in less than a minute. Boy, he is fast! Again, he had no one caring for him every moment so he is extremely self sufficient. However, Andy and I have to walk a fine line. Sometimes we step in and sometimes we don't. We are slowly teaching him to trust his Ma Ma and Pa Pa.

In closing for today I am loving my time here. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to be immersed in Lingala. I am grateful even though my eathliness wants to be home as a family of 4. Mamma bear is missing her some Gray. For now I will enjoy the time I have and very soon we will be back home resting in Tennessee.

Thank you for the prayers. I am still hoping and praying for our exit letter.