Gotcha Day Again!

Allenni when she was found
Andrew when he was found
Andrew and Allenni were reunitedAllenni and Andrew got a mom and I got two treasures
Allenni and Andrew with Me moments after meeting each other.



Jan.28, 2009
Today is Gotcha Day again. This time it is for Allenni and Andrew. This Gotcha Day is bittersweet for us of course. On this day, one year ago, I became a mom again to two sweet children from Uganda named Mbabazi Allenni and Ndenjeye Andrew.
It is very interesting to look back and see how God orchestrated all the circumstances that brought us to these children. It actually all started while we were in China picking up Eli days after he became our son. One of the families we were traveling with in China was from Arizona and had adopted from Eastern Europe and we instantly struck up a friendship with them as if we had known them all our lives. And on the night that Eli was experiencing his first milkshake, God was setting a plan in motion to bring us our next blessings. In conversation, this couple learned that I grew up in Africa as an MK and in return told me about some friends in their town who worked in Uganda. I made a mental note to check out their work via their website when I returned to the States. Life got busy and that conversation was pretty much forgotten due to the activity of a little 4 year old in the house.
Fast forward to March of 2007 and out of the blue I remembered the conversation that Hedda and I had had and decided to look up the website. I couldn’t find it and so emailed Hedda to ask her. Surprisingly, she called me back instead of emailing me. The conversation was sort of like this, “ Wow, Melissa, this is funny that you wrote me today because I was already going to call you. My friend in Uganda contacted me to see if I knew anyone that might take two kids. I immediately knew after seeing their photo that you were their mom.” “Now Hedda, We just got back from China, we can’t adopt again. We have no money and I am tired. It’s just too soon. Besides Duane will never agree to it. This is crazy.” “Will you just look at the pictures and pray about it? I am emailing them.” Ok, but…..” Well, she emailed the pics and website info and of course my heart was taken. I cautiously told Duane about them and sure enough he had the reaction I thought he would have. Simply, “NO”. Of course that was really not a deterrent for me and so I did what I had always done in the past in situations like this. I prayed … and left their pics up on the computer screens. (I am pretty sure it was a God idea) My philosophy: Try the door and if it doesn’t open, then don’t go through it. Long story short, Duane was won over by God and we tried the door together and it swung wide open, so much so that it was very clear we were to add these kids to our family. So that is how we started on this long journey to become the parents of Allenni and Andrew.
Below is an excerpt from my journal on that day.
Jan. 28, 2008
“Today, I became a mom again. What a day!!! John had arranged for Martin and Kaboogoo( Goo-Goo) (our driver) to take us to town that morning and so we left at 7am to arrive at 8:30. Though it was only 7 miles, traffic was very congested so we arrived at 8am. As we drove into the parking lot of the High Court, Jana and I noticed a large Maribou stork perched on top of the building. Confirmation that I was giving birth in my heart today. We waited upon the balcony, with butterflies in my stomach as I went through all the emotions of what this day would bring. “Would they like me? Am I sure I can handle two more children? What am I doing? Do they understand what is going on? Will skin color matter to either of us? Will the judge agree to let me be their guardian?” A little later, Karla and Becky arrived from HFU. A few moments later, in drove a SUV carrying Allen, Andrew and Karla’s little girl, Stella. My heart pounded as I strained to see them through the car window. They parked and got out and came running up the stairs. First, they ran into Karla’s arms and when she told them, “There is your mommy”, they ran into my arms and what a meeting! All the questions that had been running through my mind melted away as I felt love flood my heart and I had MY children in my arms! They were beautiful! They knew who I was. It was awesome! “
Now, a year later, we thought they would have been home, all settled in with our family. The sequence of events that took place, preventing them from obtaining passports and traveling home with us, surprised us all but we are still trusting God to move on our behalf and reunite us soon. I am praying that soon I will lay my hands on them, it will be, “I’ve Gotcha! And this time, it’s forever, I’m never letting go!”

If you want to read the beginning of their story then click here to go to my other blog at http://journeytome.com