Ghana + Famous Update

Four days ago, I returned from my third trip to Ghana.  I am still in recovery mode, and my house is a bit of a disaster.  I am loving being home with my kids, but the greatness of our trip is not lost on me yet.

It was one really amazing trip.  I have been to Ghana three times now, and Chris has been 21 times.  Yes, twenty.one. In 3 years.  However, this was the first trip that we have taken to Ghana alone, and it was marvelous.  I may never go with a group again :)

Chris and I got to experience life in Ghana together, and that alone made it really special.

I got to see the land and the beginnings of the foundation where our Mercy Project house will be and where our employees will live.  I got to spend sweet time with the Lord as I walked around that land and begged Him to make it holy ground and a sacred space for our families and all who gather in those buildings.

But then, the real joy came.  We got to pick up this sweet boy and spend 24 hours with him.

  Oh, man.  It was rich.

We stayed at an amazing resort near El Mina right on the ocean. 

(I apologize now for the insane amount of pictures to follow.)

It was absolutely lovely, and Chris and I probably didn't stop smiling the entire time.

We got a flat tire when we were about 30 minutes from our resort, but not even that could steal our joy.  We just walked across the street and introduced Famous to the ocean.  He loved it, and we loved being there with him.

Famous rode a horse for the first time.

He swam in a swimming pool for the first time and was not the least bit afraid but loved it.

We ate 3 meals sitting under a hut right by the beach and listened to the waves crash into the rocks.
 

We were served fresh pineapple juice right out of a hollowed pineapple.

We toured the El Mina Castle, which was one of the points of departure for African slaves to Portugal, England, and America.

We talked countless times about how amazing this place was and how we would have to come back more when we visit Ghana.

I really think the most amazing part of it was being able to bond with our son.


 
 

24 hours is not a lot of time, but it is enough to make us long for him to be home.  His tears as we drove back to his temporary home where we would say "see you soon" confirmed that desire.

Then we received the BEST news the day after we got home.  We received our I600 approval, which means we are hopefully 4-6 weeks from Famous being home!

The last step in this journey is our visa interview, and ours is scheduled for July 16.  Yes, that is only a couple of weeks from now.  Please be praying with us for increased favor in Ghana on July 16 for Chris, Famous, our POA, and the consulate who will be making the decisions.  We want to pass the first time, so Famous can get his visa and come home.
We have been in full celebration and excitement mode. 
Ready to have our family of 5 under one roof.

Swim Lessons

Last month, Micah took swim lessons.  She went every day for one week and spent 30 minutes with her teacher each time.  

 

It was seriously the perfect scenario for Micah.  One on one which meant that she got plenty of attention and couldn't just play off in a corner instead of actually participate, and only half an hour which meant it wasn't too much of a stretch for her to pay attention.

Her teacher was absolutely precious and wonderful to Micah.  She is a high school student, and I actually knew her when she was Micah's age.  Crazy.  And makes me feel a little old.

 

Our main goal was not for Micah to learn to swim laps but for her to obtain a higher level of comfort in the water.  She has always been timid and a little anxious in the water, so we wanted to help her to see that she could float or even swim if needed.  

Mission accomplished!

 

Micah was a pretty big fan of swim lessons from day one, and we are proud of our sweet girl.