Meeting Kalina

On Monday we held Kalina! She's two months old. Her birthday is actually June 28. She has beautiful deep brown eyes. She stared very intently at us. The nuns are really nice at the orphanage. It's a Mother Teresa orphanage in Dhaka called Missionaries of Charity. One nun told me that even though Kalina can't talk yet, she understands love and can feel that I love her. She's very delicate and feminine. We could just visit for a short time because we had to meet the magistrate about the adoption. Today we go to the American Embassy to get approval to bring Kalina home. Please continue to pray for us.
Bangladesh is very different from the US. Traffic even scares Nadeem! There are rickshaws, scooters, buses, and cars all over the road. Nobody stays in their lanes or follows traffic rules. There are beggars everywhere. Even small children have come to me and refused to leave. They'll even follow you down the road knocking on your car window. It is a bit hot here, not much hotter than home, but there is often no air conditioning. Hasan's apartment ("flat") is nice and has air. This is a religious holiday month (Ramadan), so the people fast from sun-up to sun-down. We often hear the call to prayer outside. We eat as usual. For breakfast we eat eggs and fruit like at home. For other meals we eat the Bangladesh food. It's sort of like Indian food. Nadeem and I both like it. Hasan's family is very kind and hospitable. They've helped us enormously with the adoption. We have recovered from some mild jet lag and are glad to have more energy. Unlike the US, you don't go places quite as freely. Traffic is so bad that it takes 1 hour to travel 10 miles. There is a lot of poverty. So far we've only had time to focus on the adoption process, so I can't share much else about the places in the city. Hasan says that Dhaka is about the size of Suwanee.
I'm eager to share more good news about Kalina and the adoption soon! We do have photos. If technology cooperates, I'll try to post some. Thanks again for your love and prayers.
"And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28