A documented account
of our family's journey back to Ghana, thru the lens of Georgia (aka: Mama) via
mostly text messages from Jason (aka: our adventurous friend) while Scott (aka:
Da Da), along with Jason, took the actual trek.
Amazing Race…
That just might be
how Scott & Jason would describe their recent trip to Africa.
It was a planned
trip.
The main goal: FILE
FORM I600!
Now that we had
passed regional court with both boys and were legally declared their parents,
it was time.
Of course, this
meant taking time to bond with our boys again too.
We decided not to go
back to Africa together.
It was hard on our
kiddos back home.
We would divide and
conquer going forward.
And that is exactly
what happened for this trip.
Me at home.
Scott in Africa.
Thankfully, Jason (a
dear, dear friend) wanted to come to Africa too.
Probably for various
reasons.
But we were thankful
for the companionship and help, nonetheless.
As I write this, I
doubt either of them knew what lay before them…
Saturday.
They landed in Accra
on Saturday evening.
And our wonderful
driver, Joe, was there waiting.
I had contacted
Moses (a friend we met on our last trip) via FB and he was able to coordinate
with Joe.
They bought some
water upon arrival, checked into Starlite and called it a night.
Sunday.
Oh, Sunday…
Check out of
Starlite.
Meet up with Joe and
Moses.
Go to GMI (Great
Mission International). AKA: Francis' orphanage.
Gave bin of
donations to Irene (Director's wife).
And monthly fees for
Francis' stay there.
Time to take
Francis.
Who was shy and
pulled away at first when seeing Scott again.
John, Director at
GMI said, "Francis, you are going to go for a drive with your
Father".
And he got in the
car with all the above.
And he got to eat
skittles (courtesy of Uncle Jason).
Jason picked up
quickly how strong-willed Francis is.
The volunteer at GMI
said he loves school, but Moses said he's crazy in school.
A little interesting
tid-bit of info on our little one.
Long drive to Cape
Coast…4 hour +.
Stuck in traffic.
Windows down because
the air in the car is broke.
Lots of exhaust.
Francis started to
light up seeing pics of himself and Jojo.
And finally, able to
check in at Mighty Victory Hotel!
Oh, and Francis got
to drink a Fanta. ;0
They picked up
Jojo!!!
Jason commented
about how hard it was seeing CHOH (Children's Home of Hope). AKA: Jojo's
orphanage.
Kids starving for
attention.
They notice boils on
Jojo, but said no one knew what was going on.
The mamas were at
church.
All the kids there.
Alone.
They gave the bin of
donations to the person "in charge" (who was only 18).
Kept a few things
back to give directly to the mamas on Tuesday (when they needed to travel back
to the Accra area).
They take pics and
send to me and Nancy of Jojo's boils.
Trying to figure out
what might be going on.
Bantering back and
forth via text messaging…
Will Vaseline help?
Hydrocortisone? The guys had some meds, but unsure of what to use.
Jojo snuggled up to
Scott that evening at bed time.
Not nervous at all.
Our only choice was
to go to clinic the next day.
Oh and they went to
dinner.
After 2 whole plates
of food, Jojo says he wanted more food.
This hurt my heart
hearing that.
The trauma he went
thru as an infant, the malnutrition, will always play a big part in his life.
It's a good day.
It was one heck of a
day.
And ALL that was
JUST ONE DAY!
Scott texted me this
evening…(I got a nightly text from Scott with an update of each day. He was WAY too busy being Daddy to be giving me updates throughout the days. So, that is why I was so very thankful for Jason on this trip. The pics and info he shared were priceless to me throughout the week as I endured the trip from afar).
"I love you.
The boys are laying between Jason and I right now. Very sweet. It's hard to
believe that the Lord has called them to be ours. Adoption is a scary thing…and
it has me way out of my comfort zone. However, I know that the Lord has called
us to it."
Yes, The Lord most
certainly has...
Monday.
Off to the health
clinic.
They said they need
3 days for test.
We don't have 3
days.
Off to the pharmacy.
Antibiotics,
cortisone, anti-fungal, de-worming and dial soap.
Ok???
They go out to eat.
Jason comments that
Jojo likes sausage and meat and eggs and rice.
Neither of the boys
like the pancakes.
A lot of text
messaging back & forth to keep us in the loop.
Evidently, the other
kids at CHOH didn't have these boils.
The mamas would have
a lot of specific instructions to do to get our boy well, could they really
follow thru?
They had the day to
just enjoy after the pharmacy.
Fort Victoria and
Elmina Castle. Chilling.
The boys were doing
well.
Francis doesn't like
to listen, they confirmed.
But Scott was doing
good at keeping his ground.
Jason also noticed
that Francis can speak his tribal language(Twi)
better than English, but learns words quickly.
They go to place to
eat and the boys are all over the place.
Luckily, they are
basically potty trained, they ask to go
pee (aka: wee wee) or poo poo. LOL!
I sent talking
stuffed animals as gifts.
Epic fail!
They were terrified
of them!
So Jason pretends
that one bites his finger and the boys laugh like crazy!
Boys didn't nap and
crash hard that night.
Something tells me,
the big boys are worn out too. ;)
My heart was
breaking in a million pieces.
I kept thinking of
Scott having to leave Jojo tomorrow.
He had so little
time with him.
Jojo was ill.
Last time we left
Jojo, he was ill.
I told Scott to stay
as long as they could before leaving.
I could barely take
it.
Tears, and so many
more tears.
Talks of possibly
moving Jojo to another home transpire in text convo.
42 kids at CHOH, 2
mamas and 1 disgusting mattress is what Scott texts me.
I tell him to just call Bernard directly and
talk it out.
They had a really
good time of playing and talking with one another.
Scott was amazing at
bonding with our boys (witnessed by Jason first hand).
Said I should be
proud of my man.
I am.
Tuesday.
Great news!!!
We got approval to
take Jojo to the transition home in Accra!
We have the legal
right to move Jojo, but we politely talked to Elvis (Director at CHOH).
They drive to CHOH
for Jojo to say goodbye and gather his "few" things.
Mama cried. And the
volunteers said goodbye to Jojo too.
Scott hugs Mama Vic
to console her, trying to fight back his own tears.
His friends were at
school.
Again, my heart
ached so bad.
Jeff.
Jojo's best friend.
He was at school.
He didn't have a
chance to say goodbye to him.
My heart still aches
thinking of this.
Excerpt: Adoption is
hard ya'll. There is trauma, upon trauma, upon trauma. Nothing about it is
easy. Not one thing. And I feel the ache every step of the way. The ache for me
that longs to be with my boys. That ache of the friends that won't see their buddies
again (at least not for many, many years at best). The ache of our son's bio
mama's carrying the burden of being a single mama in a very difficult
environment. The ache of the mamas and aunties saying goodbye to two little
boys that are more like family to them. So many aches.
Jojo NOW gets to
spend the entire week with his daddy.
I am so filled with
joy hearing this news.
And Jason says…
"So we trust
her (Romana, who runs the transition home). That's what matters. We are
delivering precious cargo to her. She needs to give Jojo his medicine and keep
him well until you (me) come back for him. So far prayers have been answered in
every way possible. But big steps ahead."
And he is oh, so
right.
Then, I ask if
Francis could move to the transition home too. Would that be possible?
They drive back to
the Accra area, Teshie, actually.
But before they do,
they deliver a package for a friend in the states to another Ghanaian.
So many
stops…#teamsuperdads #kickingbuttandtakingnames (as Nancy put in her text) ;)
Back to GMI.
Aunties bathe
Francis.
Jojo is nervous
there.
Jason had a lot of
fun helping the kids @ GMI with their homework assignments.
Scott & Jojo
take a shower together that evening.
Scott's evening text
to me…
"Jojo is
feeling much better this evening. He is such a sweet boy and really well
mannered. Francis is a fast learner and he too will learn to be ok. Praying
that all goes well tomorrow. I have fallen in love with these boys and want
them home with us."
Wednesday.
THIS IS A BIG DAY!
Filing Form I600.
I am up very early
and texting back and forth with Jason.
Jason is pleading
for wisdom as we goes over the paperwork with me.
James 1:5-6
Trying to figure out
logistics on where to take the boys when they file the paperwork with the
Embassy.
GMI it is.
Jason realizes that
Jojo's real name is John. :)
They meet up with
Bernard to acquire the other necessary documents to file at the Embassy.
Bernard gives good
advice on the filling out of the address for the boys and to request our
originals back before leaving.
Scott also filled
out the paperwork for the passports when with Bernard.
And Bernard will do
the interview in person on our behalf.
Another step closer.
The guys filed the
paperwork.
It is done now.
They said they would
contact us if there were any problems.
The lady at the
window said that the paperwork looks good and she is one of the people who
usually checks and approves them.
This is good.
We got more good
news…
Francis is set to go
with Jojo!!!
They plan to meet
Romana in the morning.
Hectic evening…
Picked up the boys
at GMI.
Went to Busy Mouth
for dinner.
Jojo had fever.
Scott took Francis
with him back to hotel to get meds.
Jojo gets upset at
the restaurant with Jason.
He has to use the
restroom every 5 minutes.
Scott and Francis
return.
Francis insists on
eating the chicken bones then spitting them into his hand.
Jojo won't walk and
has to be carried.
It's a good walk
back to GMI.
Then both boys need
to be carried back to Starlite.
Bathe the boys.
Jason fixes the TV
that won't work.
Boys continue to go
pee every few minutes until finally falling alseep.
Oh and Jojo had been
puking off and on this week too.
But tonight a little
more lethargic than usual.
Boils still
bothering him. :(
Jason takes notice
in how much Francis has grown in this short time of being together.
"His whines for
attention aren't required when there's someone around to love him all the
time."
This makes me smile.
Scott's text to me
tonight (part of it, that is)…
"Another day of
adventure in Accra. (A lot of the above already mentioned). As I lay here and
write this, I have both boys next to me.
Jason and I are both loving on them."
Thursday.
Agenda:
Meet Romana
Purchase soccer
jerseys for ALL kids (Snodgrass & Strebe Tribes)
Souvenirs
Hang @ GMI for
Francis to say goodbye.
Jason loves hanging
at the orphanage.
The kids love his soft hair and his tattoo.
He loves helping
them with their homework.
The boys watched
Frozen on the phone for a while and Jojo started singing along to the chorus of
"Let It Go." #meltmyheart
Jojo puking a lot.
Stuck in traffic
with windows down (again)….with no A/C.
More exhaust fumes.
This is Africa.
This is 'normal'.
The area is called
"American House".
The home,
"Beacon House."
The guys agree it's
a great place and Romana is a rock star!
She criticized them
immediately for not knowing what type of antibiotic Jojo was taking.
That shows you how
much she is on top of things.
She needs $160 USD
upfront for school supplies and $200/month/child for fees.
The boys will be
sent to Ghana public school.
They have their own
land where they grow maize and raise chickens.
She wants to grow
more to have organic food.
She is from NY and
has a masters in public health from Columbia, but hasn't lived in US for years.
She wants Jojo
tested for malaria.
They have a good
clinic near by.
Jason adds that the
Beacon House is where he would want his kids to be at if it were his call.
It's clean, nice,
only 18 kids, food is good and Romana is a go-getter.
A lot of text
messages going both ways.
I am thankful for
technology and being able to have a glimpse into their days there.
I long to be back
there.
To hold and love on
my boys.
Scott comments that
Jojo is a sickly child, poor nutrition, limited access to clean water, lack for
healthcare and an unhealthy living environment are all contributing factors
that he endured. But Scott is hopeful that Jojo will begin to get physically healthy
at this new home. That he will most likely be a different kid next time we see
him. In a good way.
This gives me
comfort.
Francis said his
goodbyes at GMI.
Walks out with a
Dora backpack and a few belongings, including the photo album we gave him
months back. Jojo's wasn’t in his bag. :(
The aunties had a
hard time saying goodbye.
Peter, who was like
Francis' big brother was also sad.
They ended up having
to just leave and say goodbye like pulling a band-aid.
More trauma.
I remember that
feeling very well.
Saying goodbye to
Francis last time.
That hurt more than
words can describe.
Constant ache inside
of me for my boys, for Scott, for all of this.
We get the test
results…it's confirmed that Jojo has malaria.
The antibiotics we
were giving him wouldn't help, so we stopped them and started another round.
He has a fungus that
is infected too and a script to help with that as well.
I was sad to hear
how sick my boy was, but also thankful.
Thankful for
bloodwork that can be taken and medicine that CAN work!
Thankful Scott was
with Jojo now, to be able to take him to clinic, get diagnosed, in order to get
well.
Scott's text to me
tonight…
"It was a rough
morning with Jojo puking. I'm wearing down both physically and emotionally.
Please continue to pray for God to fill my cup so that I can finish strong. I
really like Romana and the Beacon House. They boys will be in good hands there.
I am so happy they will be together. I never expected that to happen on this
trip. This will make life a lot easier for all."
And THE BEST PART
thus far…
"Jojo gave me a
hug tonight, patted me on the back and told me that he loves me. My heart was
full after he said that. I have fallen in love with these boys and I desire for
them to be home asap."
Friday.
Time to take the
boys to Beacon House and say goodbye.
Flight out is too
early in the morning (Sat).
Pitstop at a
Playground for some fun.
This is Jojo's first
time on a playground.
His daddy pushes him
a little too hard on the swing, and Jojo quickly screams.
Note taken. ;)
We run into some
trouble with the social worker at GMI.
We didn't have
copies on hand of the court paperwork.
It took some time,
actually a lot of time and I won't go into all the crazy (yes, crazy) details,
but we were able to get in contact with Bernard.
And we were able to
have Francis released from GMI permanently.
But leaving GMI
didn't come without a couple extra bins to take back for FTO (Feeding The
Orphans)…a wonderful organization helping many homes in Ghana, including GMI.
It's the least we can do to help with ridiculous shipping costs!
I, at the same time,
am on the phone with Sprint to unlock the phones so Joe can use them in Ghana.
Who knew they had to be unlocked???
The guys say good
bye to the boys.
It was hard on
Scott.
It was hard on the
boys.
The boys cried.
Hard.
And my heart is once
again breaking.
That ache.
Even worse now.
I cannot describe
the ache.
It is physical.
And I hurt.
From the inner most
part of my being.
It is like I am
there saying goodbye again with Scott.
I sob.
Nancy cries with me.
I feel sick from the
ache.
Please Lord, bring
them home soon.
We beg.
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