Web Site News (by Thom)

Big news for mcmali.com! Thanks to a lot of hard work from my brother Dan, www.mcmali.com has a new and improved Photo Gallery section. Pictures should load better and faster and now have a description attached to each photo. Also, there are two new categories including one that is full of pictures of our twin girls Miriam and Hannah. Please feel free to go on over to the photo page. Here is a link, but you can always find the link on the side of this page, too.

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Adoption Diary p.19 (by Thom)

We met with the social worker today. This woman has been assigned to look after the welfare of Miriam and Hannah. Honestly, I was really surprised that this happened. I didn't think that the adoption process here in Mali would be so formal. I really think the government and courts are looking out for the best interests of Malian children.
Anyway, the lady came to our house this evening. She brought a lot of paper work that we worked on together. She also needed to see the girls and make sure they were growing and being well cared for. I believe she was really impressed with how much both girls have grown. When she saw them last in Segou that was more than 2 weeks ago. They've both gained a lot of weight, and Hannah has become so much stronger. The Lord has really taken care of them, and guided us through some difficult days! The social worker also wanted to make sure our house was of good enough quality to care after the girls. Many of the questions she asked were rather amusing. Among them:

• How many wives do I have?
• What language(s) do the girls speak? (They're not even 2 months old!!)
• What school do they attend?
• How much money do I make? (Ok, that was more uncomfortable than funny. It's very awkward to talk money when the average Malian lives on less than 70 cents a day)
• To how many family members do I send money each month? (a very common practice in this culture)
• Where were the girls born? (This didn't refer to where they were actually born, but rather where were they first wanted and considered people)
  

Things went very well, though. I have another meeting with the woman Tuesday morning and we'll wrap up this part of the paperwork. Hopefully then I'll have a better idea of the next step in the process. The knowledge and wonder of what the Lord has done for us through these girls hasn't become any less novel. We can't possibly express how much we love these girls and are so glad we've been entrusted with them.

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A Day Out (by Amanda)

Today I actually went out without either of my beautiful babies. I left them at home with daddy because I was on a mission. I needed to find new bottles for Hannah. Today when I boiled the bottles to sterilize them they warped (guess I over boiled them). So now I needed new ones that would keep Hannah from spitting/throwing up too much, yet something that also flowed fast enough that it wouldn’t frustrate her. I had already decided the ones she was using were too slow she would give up on them after a few minutes and fuss so it was an exercise in patience just to feed her. So out I went to the Pharmacy. That is where we can find them here. The first Pharmacy I went to had what I thought would work so I bought one and brought it home knowing that Hannah would be close to eating and I still needed to boil it. The good news is that it worked great; hardly any fussing and she ate better than she had in a while. So I decided to go hunting for more. The first Pharmacy I went to only had that one bottle so I had seen another on my drive home and thought it would make a nice walk. It wasn’t to far from the house and off I went again leaving daddy to man the house. Well, it turned out that Pharmacy didn’t have any so I figured I could go out again a later in the car to another pharmacy. So this evening I took my final trip to another Pharmacy and met with success there I was able to buy two more bottles for her. So now Hannah has new bottles and mommy had a petite vacance.

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Adoption Update (by Thom)

I know a lot of people were praying for today as we were supposed to meet with the woman who is overseeing the adoption process of Hannah Marie and Miriam Ruth. However, I've gotten word that she won't be coming today and we will likely be meeting early next week. We've also heard that our lawyer has prepared a number of files for us to present before judges and officials. This is very good news as this is one of the most difficult parts of the whole process. We'll be sure to keep everyone updated so keep checking back here!

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Our 2nd Doctor Visit (by Amanda)

I am so excited to be writing this entry today, I know it has been a long time, but with Hannah needing so much it is hard to find the time. Today Thom and I went to the doctor and the girls were weighed. They both gained weight - Miriam more than Hannah, but Hannah has obviously improved a lot. It is an answer to the prayers of many. I have been so concerned about her and have been daily at the throne of God asking for him to work in her little body and He has. Each day she seems to be more alert and her cry gets louder and stronger. She moves around more and loves to cuddle like Miriam. We are so blessed by these little girls and God has continued to bless us with them gaining weight and strength. We still have a long path to travel and soon we should be getting some soy formula to aid little Hannah in her growth. Thank all of you who have shown your support and love for these beautiful girls by praying with us and encouraging us with little notes.
For those who like numbers here is what we were told today:
Hannah has gained about a pound and a half and is up to 5 lbs, 8 oz. Miriam gained about the same amount and is up to 7 lbs, 3 oz. It's really remarkable considering all the problems they've had plus the fact that they're still about 3 1/2 weeks shy of being full term babies (they were born July 10th, about 9 weeks early).

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A Praise and some Pics (by Thom)

Earlier today I shared our burden that we were having trouble getting goat's milk for Hannah. Thank you to any and all who prayed for the situation. I got a call from a pastor this afternoon who said he could have it delivered! About 3 pm, a liter of goat's milk was at our door. He said he'd come back every two days with more milk. This is a huge relief for us, as we don't know when our soy-based formula will arrive from the US.
The girls went to the doctor this afternoon and we got more good news, but I'm going to let Amanda share that later. I get the honor of letting you know we've put up more pictures of the girls to see! This link will take you to another website to see the pictures. I'm working on reworking my picture pages here to work better and hope to have that running in the next week. We'll keep you posted, of course.

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Prayer Request for Hannah

This afternoon we're going back to the pediatrician. We went for the first time last week, and we're expecting to see some good progress by both girls as they gain weight and size. Hannah has really been a fighter. Both girls are living miracles after surviving their rough start to life, but Hannah has proved especially resilient. We'll be sure to update you with their statistics after our visit.
What's pressing right now is our problem of feeding Hannah. As we've said before, she is lactose intolerant and her body can't tolerate normal formulas that use cow's milk. We've been getting goat's milk for her and we're waiting on a shipment of soy milk formula from the US. That shipment hasn't arrived yet and the goat's milk we're able to get isn't enough. We were able to get a surplus one time but that ran out yesterday. As of this moment, we don't have enough to feed her for the rest of the day. I'm trying to find other sources of goat's milk, but that hasn't been fruitful yet. Please continue to pray for finding food for Hannah, so she can continue on the good progress she's made so far.

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Something Else... (by Thom)

Hannah and Miriam are doing well today. We're waiting on a shipment of soy milk formula to arrive from the US and hopefully it will arrive soon. We've been running into problems getting goat's milk here in Bamako. It's not that we can't get it, but the quantity is much less than Hannah needs. We were able to buy more than we needed in Segou a week and a half ago, but that is about out. If we don't get the soy milk tomorrow, we might have problems. Please pray with us that it will arrive or we can find better source of goat's milk (ideally, both would happen so we can mix the two).
On another note, the girls have occupied most of our thoughts and attention but something funny happened last week at our house that wouldn't normally happen in the US: we employ a day guard and a night guard. We actually hired the night guard first and gave him his choice of assignment. He picked nights, and we were very happy with the way things worked out. Our day guard is a very nice guy and loves to help out. There is a language barrier between him and I, since he only speaks Bambara, but we get along very well. During the day, he often watches our househelp's baby and reads his Bible. There is a deep joy in him that is difficult to put into words. A little over a week ago, the night guard came to us and said (in Bambara, which Amanda tried to translate) that the guards wanted to switch rotations and he would become the day guard if it was ok with us. We were saddened but agreed, since they both seemed to want the switch.
Over the course of the week, we realized we didn't like the switch at all. We were even discussing if we could politely ask them to move back. Near the end of the week, the former day guard started asking why he was demoted and if he could have his old job back! It turns out the night guard had imposed himself. Whether he was dishonest or not we can't be sure (too many language issues) but we were glad for the opportunity to switch them back. I asked Jeanette, our househelp, what she thought and she didn't hesitate to say she liked the old system better. I didn't like doing it, but I went out and told the old night guard/new day guard through a translator that he had to go back to working nights. He was obviously sad, but we've been glad to have things back to normal.
Living cross-culturally offers up some really weird situations sometimes. I pray we can be honest and compassionate with our workers and those we interact with, that they can see Jesus through us - even when language barriers exist.
Two final notes: our day guard's name is Solomon, but he goes by Solo. I always think of Star Wars around him. I caught a glimpse of his Bible today. It was one of the most used, re-read Bibles I've ever seen. It made me very happy to have him around my growing family!

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Adoption Diary p.18 (by Thom)

We had a couple of highlights today. First, we took our first shopping trip with the girls. It doesn't sound like much but, for those of you who have never visited Africa, shopping with just the two of us presents enough challenges. Adding in the twins was intimidating. We went and got visa photos taken, got groceries (for the first time in a month. I can only eat so much grilled cheese), and made a couple other miscellaneous stops. The girls were well behaved and we got through it well.
The second thing was much bigger: I got a phone call that the social worker who was assigned to the girls had good news. She went to the village where Hannah and Miriam were born and met with family members on both sides. The grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and everyone else had to be interviewed and give their blessing for the adoption process. Thankfully, everyone was unanimous and renounced their claim on the girls. The social worked said she'll be coming to Bamako on Friday to meet with us and examine our house to make sure our living conditions are adequate for the girls' needs.
Things have gone really well so far in the adoption process. We believe God has had His merciful hand in all of it. Please continue to pray with us for the process to continue well.

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Settling In With The Twins (by Amanda)

I have a moment of peace. I know it won't last long so I need to get in all the things I can't do when they are awake. So here I am writing another entry. It has been really hard. I spend a lot of time praying for the girls. I just had a visitor which was really nice. My language helper came and sat and talked with me for a little over an hour. She even helped feed Miriam. It was a really relaxing time. It is so nice just to have a persona holding another baby. I can put all my energy into one and not try to divide my time or feed them both at the same time which can be difficult at best. Although I have this trick that I can use to feed them both while sitting in my comfy chair. The hard part is getting them both ready and make sure their bottles are within reach. I have to say today is a good day. That's two in a row! I feel more relaxed with Hannah's health improving and Miriam sleeping well at night. God has really blessed Thom and me and taught us so much. I have learned utter helplessness and have grown to better understand my need for God's intervention my life.

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Surprises (by Thom)

Honestly, I've learned a lot in the last few weeks. I had made it nearly 30 years without changing a diaper. It was a record I was happy with. That's just one small change in my life recently.
Since we began the process of adopting Miriam Ruth and Hannah Marie here in Mali there have been many other surprises. Amanda and I wondered what Malians would think of us adopting two of their own. So far, the reaction we've gotten has been nothing but positive. They get very excited to see us walking around with the girls and want to see into their car seats. We do get some strange stares, but they're immediately followed by a big grin. Many people (pastors, lawyers, other friends) have gone the extra mile to help us adapt to our new lives with them.
Actually, the only negative reactions we've gotten so far deal with the fact they're both girls. Having twin girls is not a blessing in this culture. I've had 2 people tell me it's "too bad one couldn't be a boy." Amanda also had someone tell her it wasn't good that they were both girls. This culture values women more than some others, but not as much as I believe it should. Add the fact that there are two of them - and that is a negative in the eyes of the average Malian. Someone advised me to respond to the negativity with this: "When they get married, I'll get 100 cows for each daughter!" That would disarm anyone; it's an insanely high bride-price.
And we love them very much. I'm also surprised at how active they are. My exposure to infants has been minimal before, so I didn't know how much they squirm. Miriam seems to never lay still, even when she's sleeping. Hannah seems to get more active every day.
I've definitely learned a lot the last few weeks. We've now been taking care of the girls for 19 days and everyday has new surprises. Tired as I may be, I'm enjoying it.
Finally, I wanted to share a small French lesson with you. I love the French word for girl twins: jumelles. I'm not sure why, but I love this word and enjoy referring to them this way. Mes petites jumelles.

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A Difficult Day & A Celebration

Today is Thom's and my anniversary: 9 years! No celebration took place though; we didn't have time for one. Yesterday we saw the pediatrician and she had me put Hannah on a premie formula. It made her sick so I took her off right away. She weighs so little that she cannot afford to lose weight. She is temporarily on the goat's milk until I get soy formula for her and try that. She has vitamins now also. I am absolutely exhausted and am just functioning. It would not be so hard if they were both healthy but with Hannah needing so much extra care I do not get breaks very often during the day. I did contact the doctor about taking her off the formula and she agreed that I should just use the goat's milk until I get soy formula shipped from the States. I really hope Hannah improves soon; I do not know how much longer I can keep up with them both.

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More Baby Pics

By popular demand - to see more pictures of our beautiful little girls click here. These pics really highlight the difference in size between Miriam and Hannah.

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Our First Dr. Visit (by Thom)

Today we went to the pediatrician for the first time. Another missionary in Bamako suggested someone, and we are very grateful for that. Amanda called the doctor on the phone and quickly realized that communicating medical terms in another language is very, very difficult. It turns out the doctor speaks wonderful English! She is a very nice Malian lady who was trained in Canada. She examined the girls and was very understanding of our concern for Hannah. She doesn't look like she's gained much weight, and she hasn't. The doctor prescribed some special formula with vitamins and some medicine. Miriam checked in very well. The doctor had a hard time believing they were twins! For all you numbers-people, Miriam was 50 cm long (19.7 inches) and 2.67 kilograms (almost 6 lbs). Hannah was 46 cm (18.1") and 1.7 kg (3 lbs, 12 oz). It's kind of weird to think of 6 lbs as a big baby, isn't it?
The doctor did say Hannah was strong for such a small baby. Miriam showed very well in the reflex tests. Can you tell I love to brag about my girls?
Despite some good news on Hannah, she still has an uphill climb. It's amazing she's lived through what she has already, but she needs to begin gaining weight. In two weeks Miriam has gained two pounds on her sister. Hannah really needs to start catching up here. Please continue to pray with us for her health, her weight, and our direction with Hannah.

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Diary of an Adoption p.17 (by Amanda)

August 14^th

Each day as I get up I am tired and joyful at the same time. I am thankful just to touch Hannah and know she is alive. She seems to get a little better each day and for that I praise God. I love them both so much and am excited to see what God has planned for us as a family and for them as individuals. Hannah is more alert each day as well as stronger. She is changing, but it does not seem fast enough for me. Miriam has just sky-rocketed in growth. She hardly resembles the baby we met just two weeks ago. I hope that in two weeks I can look at Hannah and say she doesn’t look anything like the baby we brought home.

I hope to get to a pediatrician with the week, but I am not sure how to do it without a car. Hopefully the car will be fixed soon and I can get them in to see the doctor. Miriam is sleeping really well now so we get more rest at night. Hopefully soon I will be able to let Thom sleep at night and I will take care of them both.

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Diary of an Adoption p.16 (by Thom)

August 14
What a weekend! We returned home Saturday (with the girls, of course). We spent most of the afternoon adjusting things around the house so we could care for the girls better. I got to call my mom and as I was talking Miriam let out a big cry. She wanted to talk to Grandma!
Hannah is continuing to improve on the goat's milk. We brought a bunch of it from Segou but now we have to find a local source. This can be difficult because normally they mix the goat's milk with the cow's milk as soon as they can.
Sunday was like a parade through our house. We had people coming to our door to greet and offer congratulations for the twins. It was very nice and we were stretched a little in our language abilities, but I found myself doing better than I expected.
Today I learned something unexpected: We had been told that Miriam and Hannah were born on July 4th. Today we received the official paperwork of our custody and it stated they were born July 10th. Part of my wants to make a joke about women always wanted to fudge their ages. :) Seriously, because they were born way out in the bush here in Mali, in a house, and because the mother passed away in childbirth, it is difficult to gather accurate information. We'll do the best with what we have. Right now, we're waiting for birth certificates and later this month the social worker assigned to the girls will visit our house. Our lawyer told me today that he expects we can finish the adoption process by the middle of September! Please keep praying for that, and for Hannah's and Miriam's health.

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Pics of the Twins!

I'm working on getting a page set up on our website for the twins, but admittedly my hands are very occupied these days. Two girls + two parents = not much free time. Anyway, in the meantime, I've added some pictures of the Miriam and Hannah at our Flickr page. Stop by and admire by clicking here. Their parents are very proud!

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Diary of an Adoption p.15 (by Amanda)

August 12
Exhaustion has set in, especially for Thom. He cannot stay awake to feed either baby and is in a learning process – one that states when they sleep you sleep. Right now it is peaceful. Both girls are asleep. Thom is asleep too and most of the work I wanted to get done is finished. When they all get up I think I will change the girls and give them a sponge bath. God has really worked a miracle in Hannah. She seems to be doing really well and she is sleeping much better. I think in a day or two the worst physical illness issues will be behind her. I can even see a little fat coming back with muscle tone. Well, for now I am done and am going to take this moment to sleep, too!

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Diary of an Adoption p.14 (by Thom)

August 12
OK, this is a couple of days late, but we have been granted legal custody of the girls! At this moment, Miriam Ruth and Hannah Marie are officially part of our family. It was such a small thing; we only had to write a one page paper and sign it. Still, having it done is such a relief. I don't have to worry as much now about someone coming and taking them away from us.
This past Tuesday I was reunited with my girls - Amanda and the twins. I hadn't seen them since early Thursday morning and it was so nice to see everyone. We met in Segou, which is about 2 1/2 hours drive from Bamako. Amanda was at the hotel and surrounded by other missionaries who wanted to see the girls. I had to wait in line to see my own! Miriam looked so much healthier. She has added a lot of weight and looks like a normal chunky baby now. Hannah, though, makes me want to cry. She wasn't able to digest cow's milk, which is in formula, so she was getting pedialite. That gave her some vitamins, but no protein and no way to gain weight. Actually, she lost a lot of weight and, we were told later, was very close to death. However, we were able to get goat's milk which she could drink. It was such a blessing the way the hotel staff adopted our family into theirs. They called Amanda "maman" and me "papa" and always wondered what they could do for the girls. They even made sure we got goat's milk delivered, that it was pure (no cow milk mixed in, and pasturized it for us!
Anyway, I don't enjoy waking up 5 times a night. I don't enjoy dirty diapers. But I love being their dad, and everything else is trivial next to that.

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Diary of an Adoption p.13 (by Amanda)

August 12
I have been extremely busy with the twins as well as getting ready and going to field forum. Hannah has been so sick, which has caused me a great deal of fear for her. She hadn’t had anything but pedialite for three days because the formula kept causing diarrhea. God gave me this precious gift and I am afraid that he will only let me keep her for a short time. We have switched to goats milk for her and it seems to be working, but for some reason the fear remains. I know that this fear is not of God and that I need to trust Him for the outcome in our lives whether or not we feel it is good or bad. I guess my fear lies in the fact that I am afraid that His outcome will not be the one or ones I want. So I pray to God to give me joy in each moment that little Hannah lives. Today Thom and I started the paper work also so it begins and soon these little babies will be officially in our care.

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Diary of an Adoption p.12 (by Amanda)

August 7
Hannah is not having severe diarrhea, but she is still having some. We have tried tube feeding but she was so fussy we went back to bottle feeding. Gail just gave her to me so she could get to sleep because Hannah has just continued with this pitiful cry. I have been reading my Bible and praying. There is nothing like having children to bring out our most basic need of God. In my heart I have dedicated them both to God. I know God can use them in His glory. I prayed for healing for Hannah and to bring comfort to sleep. I really believe God gave an immediate answer because she is now restng peacefully in her car seat. I am going to continue ready verses and praying. God looked down; He saw how black and selfish my heart is and yet He chose to overlook it because of His Son and went above and beyond all I deserve and gave me the very desires of my heart: two beautiful children to care for. With each day that brings more meaning as I try to imagine giving up Hannah or Miriam in a similar way. The other thing God gave this night was peace. I was crying broken-heartedly one moment then realized I was calm and at peace. Oh, it’s time to change Miriam. That’s all for now.

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Diary of an Adoption p.11 (by Amanda)

August 5
I do believe Hannah is doing a little better each day. I feel so inadequate for what she needs. I love them both so much and I feel like God has given me these precious gifts and I am not even able to take care of them correctly. I need to sit back and recognize that if God gave me these girls like I believe He did then He also give me and will continue to give me the strength and wisdom to take care of them. I pray that I will recognize my strength given by God and God alone.
(Pause)
After a few minutes of reading and prayer I am feeling slightly better, but not perfect. I am praying and hoping that God will give us an answer to Hannah’s illness. At this moment she is back on Pedialight. Tonight Terry and Barry Newman came and Terry is helping Gail take care of Hannah. She is now on an IV Drip. It has been a very emotional day for me. I am trying to go to sleep now so I can take care of Miriam better.

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Diary of an Adoption p.10 (by Amanda)

August 4

Today the babies are a month old. So I am going to take a few pictures after I feed them and wash them this morning. Hannah has been ill she has had diarrhea and been dehydrated. I think today she may be turning the corner. Last night every time I got up to feed them I would pray over them. I want her to be healthy. I want her to become a glory to God. I need to finish up because she is crying and I need to fix her formula.

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Diary of an Adoption p.9 (by Amanda)

August 3

Last night Thom was sick and I thought the girls might be also. I am so glad that I have Gail around to explain and help me because Hannah is so small she makes me nervous. She also had diarrhea. They are so tiny and seem so fragile. Hopefully she will start gaining more weight soon. Miriam on the other hand seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. I have less fear for her. I am so thankful for them; they are so precious to me. Soon they will grow bigger and be healthier and life will take on a somewhat normal pace. We are supposed to be signing papers on Tuesday or Wednesday. I pray that God will be in the entire process that He will continue to keep the road clear. I also pray that He will continue to work in my heart as I watch these girls that I will leave my fears and worries in His hands, that I will keep and take His promises in the work to heart.

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Monday Update (by Thom)

Today we head to Segou. Amanda's coming from Koutiala with the twins and I'm leaving from Bamako. I talked with Amanda a bunch over the weekend and she said she had a chance to weigh the girls. Miriam is doing quite well and is now about 5 pounds. Hannah has been sick and actually lost weight. She's down to 3 lbs 2 oz. The nurses have started feeding her with a tube, which is quite difficult for Amanda to see. Some of her illness seems to have stabalized, though, so I'm hopeful she will start eating again and gain her weight back.
Tomorrow or Wednesday should be the big day for signing papers with the father! After that's done, we'll have legal custody of the girls and can officially begin the adoption process. Because we'll be in Segou this week, we won't have regular internet access, but I'm going to try and find a cyber cafe so I can post a couple of pictures of the girls and some updates: especially if we have news of the father.
Thanks for all the emails we've gotten and the prayers we know have gone out. They mean a lot to us, and even more to Hannah.

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Update on Everything (by Thom)

This post is a couple days late, but I wanted to say I got back safely to Bamako.
WOW! What a week. I haven't even begun to get my head around it all. Let me begin with a brief recap of what's begun to happen in our lives:
July 26th. It was a Wednesday afternoon and I was in the mission office when the phone rang. It was a missionary from Koutiala. She's a nurse and she told us some news that could change our lives. Details were sketchy at first, but she told me that there were two girls, twins, born out in the bush and their mother had died in the process of childbirth. The father didn't want the girls and she (knowing we were interested in adoption) wanted to know if we wanted one or both of the girls. I knew the answer right away (and that answer terrified me!) but I needed to talk with Amanda. I told her about the girls and before I had asker her if she felt the same way she said "Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes!"
Our next step in the process was to get the girls to safety. They were born 9 weeks premature and were very small and still living out in the bush. By Thursday evening, they were safely in Koutiala in the custody of our mission's nurses. Before Amanda and I could take custody, though, we needed the father's signature to give them to us.
This has proved difficult, and we're still waiting on this. Please pray with us that this will happen next week. In the meantime, the nurses were already understaffed and were having time keeping up with normal hospital stuff and taking care of the twins. On Saturday, they asked if we would come to Koutiala and look after the girls, even though their official custody was with the hospital.
We left for Koutiala Sunday morning. On the way our car broke down. This is a long story in itself so let me just say we didn't get to Koutiala until Monday afternoon. That's when we got to meet what might be our future daughters for the first time. We had names ready, and they seem to fit them well. Miriam Ruth and Hannah Marie were born July 4th and are beautiful, small, wonderful, fragile, and perfect. They are a blessing beyond my imagination.
Because of work stuff in Bamako, I needed to get back and Wednesday our car was fixed enough to drive it. I took the Thursday morning bus to Segou (about 1/2 way between Bamako and Koutiala) where the car was and drove it home - very, very slowly. The car needs major engine work now and we'll know more later.
Amanda stayed in Koutiala and doesn't have internet access, which is why she hasn't had a journal entry in a couple of days. She's very tired (obviously). We also are concerned about Hannah. She's having a hard time drinking formula. We're going to try soy milk next, and goat milk probably if that doesn't work. Because of this, Hannah's not gaining weight and is under 4 pounds. Miriam is growing fast, though.
This is a very challenging week we have ahead. Our whole field is getting together for a conference and we are supposed to meet with the twins father Tuesday or Wednesday to gain legal custody of the girls. We are also faced with the repairs of the car. Please pray for the girls' health, too.
We'll keep you posted as we have opportunity, of course.

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Diary of an Adoption p.8 (by Amanda)

August 2

My favorite part at night when the girls are eating is just watching them in the quiet stillness. They kept me awake for most of the late night and early morning. Then later in the morning a little after three they began sleeping better and so did I. I have fears that somehow the paperwork won’t get signed to give us legal custody of the twins but I am going to continue to trust Him because I really feel that this is His doing. God has protected the girls so far against staggering odds and I know he will continue doing so. Thom was supposed to leave today to get the car and go back to Bamako but we felt it would be better for him to wait and leave tomorrow morning.

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Diary of an Adoption p.7 (by Amanda)

August 1
Yesterday we left Segou to come to Koutiala. Our car has major problems but we’ll deal with them as we know more. The best part of yesterday was getting to see and hold the girls for the first time. They are so tiny; each weighing around four pounds. They need to eat about every two hours and they go trough diapers really fast. I have a chart Gail (a missionary nurse here) gave me to monitor their health and keep track of the medicines they take. Last night they kept me awake about every hour or so. Always one was awake fussing or needing something. This morning I got help in the form of a daughter whose father works at the guest house. So I took a quick nap. I love these little girls so much already; they’re deep within my heart.

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Diary of an Adoption p.6 (by Amanda)

Today I got to meet the girls. In the first picure I'm holding Miriam Ruth. In the 2nd, Thom has her and I'm holding Hannah Marie.

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Diary of an Adoption p.5 (by Amanda)

July 30 (part three)

This is one of the most bizarre experiences of my life. I am sitting in my car sharing food and drink with Malians while I wait for Thom to get here with the mechanic. I have about 5 men outside talking in Bambara and watching me write. It is not stressful at all and normally I would be in tears. God in His mercy has provided me with companions for the time. I think God is helping to prepare me for the unexpected and to go with the flow.

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Diary of an Adoption p.4 (by Amanda)

July 30 (part two)

Well, things do not always work out as planned. Thom and I got about 55 kilometers outside of Segou when our car broke down. So I have been sitting and waiting for a miracle. I was looking forward to seeing my twin girls today and now I don’t know when it will happen. Life seems to throw some curve balls sometimes. I am really disappointed, but I’m sure worse things could happen. I keep praying for a miracle but I guess I should be joyful with God providing for my needs and sometimes giving me miracles like the twins. I am sure that there will be days like this in the future where not everything works but God still provides the necessities. So today right now I am praying for the necessities because God is already fulfilling one of my dreams.

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Diary of an Adoption p.3 (by Amanda)

July 30

Today Thom & I leave for Koutiala. I am so excited that I could not sleep this morning. Yesterday I talked to a friend who said she had two infant car seats to give us. It is definitely a praise. I did not know where I was going to get one, much less two. On top of that it’s a gift and I do not have to buy them. I decided since I as up to take a relaxing bath. I think I will write more later. I seem to be running out of thought; after I see the girls I am sure I will have plenty to say!

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Adoption Update (by Thom)

First, let us apologize for the long delay in sending out any information on the adoption process. Amanda and I were able to get to Koutiala Monday to see the girls, who we are calling Miriam Ruth and Hannah Marie. They're beautiful little girls and Amanda burst into tears the first time she saw them. They were born on the 4th of July and were 9 weeks premature. It's nothing short of a miracle they lived in the conditions they did. On the way to Koutiala we had some serious car problems. We were stranded in the middle of nowhere. I ended up hitchhiking to Segou (about 30 miles) and walking another 6 or 7 miles and with the help of a mechanic we got our car towed into town. That was Sunday. Today is Wednesday and I was supposed to return to Bamako today but the car wasn't ready. Our plan is for Amanda to stay in Koutiala and take care of the girls and I will take a bus to Segou tomorrow morning and ride back to Bamako in our car with the mechanic. He's put a temporary fix on the problem (it's engine related and I don't know enough about cars to explain it very well, except that there are problems with the pistons and the head gasket blew out) and thinks that I can get it as far as Bamako (about 200 miles).
We haven't had internet in Koutiala, so that's why there haven't been any updates lately. I got a ride to a place today, but without a car, it's not easy!
Please pray for us. The whole situation isn't easy, and combined with the emotions of seeing the girls and the sleepless nights that have ensued, we're a little on edge. Of course, we're also very happy and are hoping for a quick adoption process!

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