Getting to know Miriam and the DRC



Internet service (and electricity) have been very cantankerous the past couple of days so we have not been able to upload photos.  We have been very busy getting to know Miriam and a little of the country where she was born.  Miriam's vivacious personality continues to bubble out and we are having a great time watching her figure this whole thing out about having a mama and papa.  Her laugh is contagious.  She is strong willed and has an opinion on almost everything.  Unfortunately (or fortunately?) she often states her opinion very rapidly in Lingala.  Despite the language barrier, God has equipped us (like Acts 2) to figure it out most of the time.

We have taken a couple of walking excursions through Kinshasa.  You can tell that Kinshasa is one of the largest cities in the world (over 10 million people) because the streets are so crowded with people.  People walking, people shopping, people selling everything from watches, clothing, bananas, and phone cards, people sitting and talking, and people begging.  I am reminded of the Sesame Street song "One of these things is not like the other".  Let's just say that if someone were looking for us, they would not have a hard time picking us out of the crowd.  The sweetest little old lady (koko mwasi) was sitting on a corner and told Miriam how beautiful (kitoko) she is and praised God for us.

There are now several families from our agency here picking up their children and some of the children were good friends of Miriam at the orphanage.  It was a combination of sweet and sad watching Miriam be a mama to one of her younger little friends.  It was sweet seeing her take a bow from her own baby doll's (which she named Helen) hair and give it to her friend.  We are so thankful though that she can just be a little 4 year old girl and not have to be a mama any longer.  This little girl has had to grow up so much in 4 short years.

Mama and Miriam with matching toe nails

Miriam with her friends from ZAPE