Rainbow of Promise

Johan was awake in bed playing his game before I got out of bed yesterday. Typically Tom is up around 5:30, I get up around 6:30 and Johan wakes up around 7:30 and reads until we call him for breakfast at about 8 or 8:30. Yesterday he had that Nintendo in his hands by 6:30! He probably had dreams of playing the games.

Tom worked on Patricia's cane for her yesterday - it was coming apart. As he sat out front working on it he looked up and saw a rainbow - but it wasn't raining. I took it as a sign of luck and promise of good things to come.

Yesterday afternoon we went to the swimming pool at the hotel nearby. Evidently a US Ambassador is staying there for a few days to attend a coffee summit in Ibague. I'm guessing it must be the Ambassador to Colombia, Bill Brownfield - but we're not really sure. (we were looking around for Hillary - but don't think she is here...) :-)

At the pool we met the German family that Patricia is assisting with transportation and translation. They are adopting two girls - 9 and 4 - very cute. They evidently also have siblings that have already been adopted and live in Germany. So it is wonderful that they will be in the same area together. I asked Rolf, the dad, how long their journey has been and he said they started 2 years and 9 months ago. Makes our 1 year look like nothing in comparison.

I just received an email from our friends Tom and Carol who are adopting 2 of the other children that traveled with Johan last year. They received their referral yesterday!!! That is such great news. They will be here in Colombia very soon to finish their adoption. We are so happy for them.

Johan's English is improving every day. He is starting to comprehend some of what we are saying. At dinner the other night Tom and I were talking about something that happened the previous day (I don't remember what) but Johan chimed right in with us on telling the story. I also set him up the other morning with a quiz from a website where it gives you the Spanish word and you have to choose the English translation from 5 choices. He did very well. I think there were about 550 of these and he got close to 400 correct. So his vocabulary is more expansive than I thought. (plus his perseverance of staying with the task of 550 questions!)

Unfortunately Papa leaves us today. We are going to miss him very much, but hopefully we will be following soon.

Carrie