WE ARE ON-LINE!

Oh my goodness.... we stumbled out in the heat tonight to make a trip to our favorite store and decided to do a bit of exploring guess what we found????  I am so excited I can barely type.  We can now be on-line!!  For less than a dollar an hour we can connect with the outside world. 

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for ALL who have been praying for us.  I am so muddled in my brain I honestly can't type straight.  Spencer is posting our blog for us for the day as we were Skyping with him only recently and we haven't tried to Skype from this computer yet.  We are just enjoying reading the comments and feeling a part of the outside world.  We just can't believe we have had internet access all this time!!

We are doing well.  Tired, extremely hot, hungry for meat, homesick but at peace.  We love Aaron.  That is putting it mildly.  He is starting to like us.  He has got a drop-dead smile and laugh that makes our hearts melt each time he graces us with it.  He is an overall happy little fellow and will laugh at the drop of a hat.  Literally.  So our hearts melt pretty constantly.  We are still just fun playmates to him but he definitely likes playing with us.

He is in a groupa of about 30 or so boys of all ages.  His is the highest functioning group and he is one of the youngest.  We figure that dear little Aaron is the highest functioning child there.  He definitely doesn't belong here.  What we are seeing is definitely heart-wrenching on every level.  There are about 130 boys total in the institute.  From the first visit we have been impressed with the director and her staff.  Their job is unbelieveably hard but they are beyond patient, very loving and extremely gentle with the boys.  (It is an all male institute).  Aaron's group only has two caretakers to watch over all the boys and they have their hands full.  They lack everything.  No playground equipment, toys, supplies etc.  It is a poor institute but they work with what they have been given.  In the fall, a group from Holland will be arriving to give them some training in how best to help the most disabled children. 

We will try to post pictures tomorrow.  For those who asked - Aaron has Arthrogryposis.  He is in worse shape than we understood, but it has not caused us to reconsider this decision.  The first time we saw his dimples, we were sold.  From what we have observed, his legs and hips are fine.  His feet are affected.  At one point he had surgery with rather intense scars that run along his feet and up his legs.  His arms are in definite need of repair.  He can't bend his elbows or his wrists and his fingers are pretty stiff.  To watch him fall is heartbreaking. 

I have so much to say but will end this so I can enjoy catching up on e-mails.   Our facilitator is coming back tonight.  The institute director has already finished her part of the paperwork which is a major praise.  She likes us and wants us to have Aaron!!  Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!