Saturday April 24 First Extended Visit

We went to the orphanage at 10 am as planned. All of the kids were outside working around the orphanage. It was quite a site to see all these kids laboring away with rudimentary tools. It's amazing how hard everybody works here. Most people, including the very young and old, are working in large gardens or fields with nothing but a shovel. Anyway, Oleana got out of working to visit with us. She was allowed to bring along her friend Nadia. The first thing she did was go get the same boy she danced with in the youtube video and put on an extended routine for us. I got it all on video so they enjoyed watching it afterword. Next we were moved to a small room upstairs and the girls worked on a USA puzzle we had brought along so we could show her where we live. During this time we had the discussion about her official name (also on video). She said she wanted to have the J sound in her name like her siblings. So we suggested variations of Jolenna or Jalona to try and incorporate her existing name. She wasn't really buying this approach and wanted some more choices. It looks like I'll have a third daughter that's not afraid to speak her mind. What was I thinking? I digress. Diane suggested a name we have always liked that was Diane's great grandmothers name and she really liked it, so I would like to introduce:


Julianna Alyona Purvis


Justine and Jillian, you can switch the letters around on the wall in her room from AJ to JA. Great planning on our part.

That pretty much wrapped up the visit. We asked her if she wanted us to come back later and she said "it would be her pleasure if we would come back" so we're heading back at 4:00 PM. I'm writing this at the home of our driver and interpretor, father and daughter respectively. The parents run a foster home with 13 children and it's an amazing sight to see. Very special people. Bye for now.