Final countdown

We have had a good last couple of days here in Kinshasa.  We have finally started our final countdown to coming home with Miriam. It was confirmed tonight that we will be on the flight home tomorrow because we received our DGM exit letter this evening.  Yeah! - thank you for all your prayers.

Yesterday we took an excursion to Lola ya Bonobos, which is a sanctuary for orphaned Bonobos monkeys.  It was a lot of fun and it was good to get out of the hotel.  We had been feeling a little claustrophobic.  I could have stayed for hours more but I think Miriam would have been happier playing at the hotel with us.  We had a nice lunch of an omelette and french fries at a restaurant near a little lake on the edge of the Congo river.  We saw a baby crocodile in the river. I think I was the only one excited about that.

Miriam at Lola ya Bonobos

It rained most of the day today, but we did play bubbles, Hello Kitty, put together puzzles, read books, played ball, and played with her babies.  We also went to the City Market for a celebratory ice cream.  We think she has had ice cream before because she said that she liked it.  She thought it was so cold.  We got her a cup of soft serve vanilla and I got a cup of regular scoop chocolate ice cream.  She thinks it is great that she and Helen olingi (love) ice cream.

We have been trying to prepare Miriam a little for the upcoming plane ride tomorrow.  We let her wear some earphones so she could test those out.  We also have been playing airplane, where we pretend to strap her into a seat belt and take off and fly around the room.  Please pray for an enjoyable experience for Miriam (which will mean an enjoyable experience for us and all the surrounding passengers).  We are looking forward to a hot shower, sleeping in our own bed, seeing Caleb and Helen, and settling in with Miriam.