2008 Arrival

We have spent the last week corresponding back and forth with Jamil and his friend, Richard at the embassy to try and coordinate a Christmas arrival. On Thursday, while I was at work my cell phone rang and completely shocking to me, it was Jamil! I said, "Jamil, where are you calling from?" and he said, "Oh Auntie, I am in Uganda!" I knew that of course, I didn't know he had a phone to call from. It was wonderful to hear his voice and at the end of our conversation he began to cry. He said that he missed us terribly and that hearing my voice made his eyes water.

We have wonderful news to pass along and some dissappointing news as well. The good news is that today, Allan Namon, was issued a passport and visa to come to the states. We praise the Lord for this for it was no small feat! Richard emailed me today, he's the head of security at the embassy in Uganda, that he trusted our family completely and was so happy that Allan would soon be coming to live with us. He said it was so good that Jamil knew us personally so that he could speak for us. What a gift that is! We are amazed at how quickly this process has completed itself and know that God has been moving swiftly to get Allan here to us.

The disappointing news is that Allan has a mild form of malaria and needs to be treated for a week before he can leave Uganda. He was very disappointed that he could not spend Christmas with us but his health is important and we want him to feel well enough to travel. So we are ancitipating his arrival here in Houston, hopefully on the 4th of January.

Joey, our contractor, and his assistant, Mark, are making quick work of the gamerom. They had to jack hammer today through over 8 inches of concrete to lay the pipe for the bathroom. The framing is complete and they will complete the plumbing in the next week. Then comes the fun part, putting in the fixtures, drywalling and eventually painting and dressing the room. I've had a lot of fun designing the space and we're all excited to see the new room completed.

Our family will be celebrating Christmas this year in Rockwall. Reflecting on all that's taken place in the last few months and the last year. We're thankfull for so many things and want to wish each of you the happiest of holidays. We think of you often and thank God for your friendships.