Final Stages

Today marked another movement toward closing out the time in Brazil. We were surprised last night to be told that we had an appointment for emergency passports today. We didn’t really know what to expect, because we didn’t really have much information to go off of other than the location – in one of the shopping malls. So midday, we headed off toward one of the more (if not the most) luxurious malls in Curitiba. It is probably our kids least favorite (much to our relief) because we don’t buy anything at all, we avoid all stores (because just glancing in the widows risks heart attack), there is nothing to do in the mall, and the food court options are very slim. They do have a McDonalds and we are pretty sure that we have equaled our lifetime trips to McDonalds just in this past month (how does one get McDonald’s to support you?). Thankfully it is budget friendly even though it is not health friendly.

Afterward we went to our appointment not prepared for it to take 3 hours. For all but about 20 minutes of that, we were all just sitting and waiting. Thankfully the kids actually did quite well especially considering that we were not equipped with activities. But a few rounds of thumb war, rock/paper/scissors, some snacks, and plenty of sitting on mom and dad’s laps helped to pass the time. Afterwards the lawyer told us that she has never gotten an appointment this fast – in fact, after tomorrow, there is not any legal reasons for us to need to stay in Curitiba. But because this was unexpectedly fast, we only booked tickets to leave next week. On the bright side, this gives us time to close things out well and figure out how to pack, tidy up, and leave well.

We celebrated with a special ice cream treat (more expensive…although still considerably cheaper than Munich) that left everyone stuffed and fully sugared up. Onwards to home, bath time, and unexpected bumps (dad’s gate FOB not functioning due to waterlog, a single toilet suddenly losing water pressure, no water pressure last night which thankfully returned this morning). The boys do not like to go to dark places by themselves (the outdoor access shower, the basement where the laundry is, etc.). While dad accompanied them, a few small conversations broke out. This is how we start to slowly discover histories – little, single sentences at a time. It is like a faucet that has had the water turned off for a long time – single droplets form initially that gradually, with time, build toward a normal flow. But in the middle there might be some violent spurts. It is piecing together their stories from what they are comfortable sharing, when they are comfortable sharing. It is a lot of waiting, not pushing, and listening closely. Mom has gotten some of this with the girls when conversations about hair have come up. Dad has gotten some with the boys at very random points. Tonight was like this – a few sentences that gave insights into why they are dog shy, why the dark is terrifying. A few days ago, a little more about life before the orphanage. These are parts of their stories that only they have the right to share with who they chose and when they choose. But to maybe give you a small insight into things, dad asked the boys about a happy memory they might have from before their time in the orphanage (this was an attempt to get the conversation going and start on a lighter note). Both quickly responded that there were no happy memories at all. Only bad memories.

We are grateful that we know and serve a God who can redeem bad situations – He has done that for all who are His children. Yet, it is tragic to think that a child’s assessment of the first 7-10 years of their life is only negative. This also gives some insights into why visiting the orphanage is so important to them (Lord willing we will get to do so tomorrow). For them, the happiest years of their lives were spent there. We pray that they will be able to look back one day and see how the Lord was using even evil circumstances to bring about an ultimate good – His salvation and a new family. And we pray that they will look back and be able to say that as bright as the orphanage days were by comparison, joining our family was exponentially better (even if they don’t get cell phones and computers and gaming consoles….despite talking about these non-stop!).

One of the breakthrough points in connecting with the boys especially came during our train ride the first week after coming home together. We would love to share a few photos. We are a bit biased, but we think it is interesting to see these differences reflected in the photos.