She smiled!

I didn't have a lot of expectations for my first meeting...all I hoped for was a smile. I was not disappointed! My words will not express how wonderful today was, but I'll give it a shot.

We spent the morning with my attorneys and they informed me that there was a very big meeting today. Hopefully things are moving in the right direction and we will hear some really good news soon! Please keep praying! I cannot leave my sweet girl here! We went to Doreen's school in the afternoon. I couldn't wait to meet her. When we arrived we were ushered in to the headmaster's office. We sat on a bench against the wall and I was thanked for being Doreen's "sponsor." Lynne clarified that I was actually adopting her and asked if we could see her. When she walked in she was so shy! But she did sit close to me and rested her hand on my leg. After a few minutes she reached for my hand. Ahhhh....! When I introduced my mom as her "jjajja" (grandma), she smiled the sweetest smile!

We left after just a few minutes. It wasn't the emotional first meeting I'd imagined, but it was sweet. We went back to pick her up from school at 4:30 (yes, she goes to school from 7:30am-4:30pm!). When we got there, her birthmother was waiting to meet us. That was when I lost it. She and I hugged and I couldn't stop the tears. She sweetly whispered in my ear, "Don't cry, don't cry..." which just made me cry harder.

We left in Lynne's car and went for ice cream. Sweet Baby Girl likes chocolate! She tasted mine (coconut) and seemed to like it as well. We bought "real" food for her mother, and she kept staring at it. Finally, I offered the leftovers to her and she chowed down. She capped it all off with a soda and a smile. We had good but simple conversation with her mother. She assured me this is what she wants. It was hard, but I'm thankful to have the opportunity to get to know this selfless woman.

We walked down to their home and caught a glimpse of life in the slums. Along the way, Doreen stopped, turned, and reached for my hand. My heart soared! Their house is tiny. We only spent a few moments with them there, took some photos, and then left. We agreed that I will pick Doreen up from school tomorrow and she will stay with me from now on. Please pray for her.

So here are a few things I learned about her today:

*She has a good appetite.

*Her favorite foods are rice and matoke.

*She knows her numbers and letters in English.

*She has a deep voice. So cute!

*She is ticklish.

*She has a great giggle!

*She sticks her tongue out a little when she smiles.

*She nods "yes" to everything...basically, she doesn't understand a word I say.

*She is a cuddly girl and likes holding hands.

*She is only 5 years old...not 6!