At Home

It's Friday, the end of the first week in Boston. Here are John, Susan and Jackie outside of the house this morning. This is the beginning of a day on the town with Matt. (Photography by Matt)

John With a Pal

John seems to make friends wherever he goes....

At the State House in Boston

John and Susan toured Boston today. John found his way from the State House, to Quincy Market, to the Charles River, all without taking out his map. He is thinking about applying for a job as a duck tour driver while he is here. They saw many beautiful parts of town, saw some interesting people, and also met a new friend, Dawn.

Relaxing

After our wonderful but hectic day, it was nice to go home and relax by hanging out and watching Seinfeld on DVD. Susan is laughing out loud (as are we) while we watch Kramer, George and the gang. Jim Carrey has also come to be a favorite, specifically Dumb and Dumber. Physical comedy knows no boundaries.

Susan's First Lunch in the U.S.!

From Ddegeya Village, a region with houses made of mud and no electricity or running water, to the insanity of downtown Boston, Susan and her guardian John, were slightly overwhelmed. To ease the transition, we headed for lunch at Karibu, an authentic Ugandan restaurant just outside Boston.

Susan, a quiet and shy young girl, was comforted to hear Luganda, her local language, being spoken by the restaurant owners. We dined to traditional matooke and G-nuts and were spoiled by the staff.

After lunch Susan opened gifts prepared by children from Bethlehem, NY and various refugee families from Atlanta. Cards, games, crafts and MP3 players were unwrapped, in hopes to make their hospital stay more comfortable. Susan thanked everyone for their generosity the best she could with the language barrier.

As most mothers do, we wanted to make sure everything was in order before our departure back to Albany. The most pressing matter we wanted Susan to understand - what stopped all conversations after lunch as we paused to listen to John translate the sum of all that was happening . . ."We care about you and only want the best for you. We hope you will accept us as your family not only now, but forever."

They're Here! - Tubasanyukidde (Welcome)

A group of 8 enthusiastic members of Team Susan waited anxiously at Logan International Airport for the arrival of John and Susan. The team engaged each other with stories and they practiced Luganda, Susan's native language.

As with any airport pickup there was a little confusion. The team in one area - the travelers in another. The confusion was quickly replaced with excitement and smiles when Susan recognized the Engeye t-shirt. She pointed to the woman, who was Theresa, and the connection was made. The moment we have prayed about, planned for and at times thought would never happen was here....they were here....we were here...together!

Thank you Bill Hurley and Family for taking our picture.

A Big Welcome to Susan from Bethlehem, NY

A big thank you to Hamagrael Elementary School in Bethlehem, NY and the Kids Helping Kids Program for their amazing, beautiful, thoughtful gifts, signs and cards for Susan. A special Team Susan SHOUT OUT to the classes of Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Szczech and Mrs. Schade for their generosity and kindness.