Day 14 Monday March 31st

Original post at 6pm TN time. Edited at 8pm TN time.

• After a 3 1/2 hour drive we made it safely to Lilongwe Malawi.
• The drive was very nice, no surprises or mishaps.
• Savannah-Hope had her visa medical exam. She weighed 16 pounds even. She is 25 inches long and her head measured 18 inches. She gained 6 ounces since I have been here which is a huge blessing as she lost 2 pounds the month before.
• Savannah-Hope is in the 5th percentile for weight and not yet on the chart for height. I plan to re-run the numbers with an adjusted age as she was only 4 pounds at 4 months old. She should be given a little leeway to catch up.
• The doctor had NO concerns. He said she was healthy and happy! Praise the Lord!
• A few days ago, I was bit by a mosquito. I kept that quiet from you all, hoping nothing would come of it. Today I got a bad headache and nausea....both are signs of Malaria. I had a blood test done at the doctor today and I tested negative for Malaria. Praise the Lord! I am still keeping an eye on it as sometimes when you are on anti-malaria medicine (and I am) the Malaria doesn't show up on the blood test. If the symptoms persist or get worse, I will go back to the doctor.
• Lilongwe is much more developed than the city of Blantyre where we had been staying .The house we are staying at is just beautiful. Even has hard wood floors. My favorite amenities are the running water, electricity and unlimited wireless Internet. WooHoo! The only bummer is I left my Skype camera back in Blantyre, so I am still not able to talk to Shane and the kids through Skype.
• We went to the Embassy so they could review the paperwork I hand carried from the U.S.. They refused to see us. They will not meet with me at all until my approved immigration form is logged-in at the National Visa Center in the U.S.
• If our paperwork isn't logged in by the end of the day today, I will not be returning to TN as scheduled on April 6th.
• Please continue to pray that our paperwork will get logged-in soon.
• Please continue to praise God with us for our many blessings.
• We met a sweet missionary family today that brought us pizza. It was nice to fellowship with other Americans. They are the ones that found us this wonderful place to stay while we are here at the capitol.
• Thank you for your prayers and encouraging comments. Please keep them coming.

Day 13 Sunday March 30th

• We woke up early and got dressed for church
• Savannah-Hope looked adorable in her smocked pink bubble suit
• Lloyd picked us up and transported us to church
• Today's message was about "Even when things aren't simple, you must give glory to God".
• Today my daily devotional was about "Stop trying to work things out before the time has come".
• I am starting to see a theme.....God is proving me right now through this trial. I am putting my trust in Him and praising Him for this opportunity to draw closer to Him.
• I have so much to praise Him for. God is good all the time.
• Today I am extra thankful for: Water! Do you believe it?!? Two days in a row we have had water!!!! I am washing a load of clothes in the washing machine right now! I can't tell you how happy I am about that! Electricity and water at the same time...two days in a row! It is such a HUGE blessing!
• Thankful for a hot meal! I had the best chicken sandwich today....maybe the best ever.
• Thankful my husband and children were in church today.
• Thankful to spend time with the children at Good Samaritan. Today I met Victoria. She is so beautiful. I have heard she is a favorite of most of the visitors. She is so strikingly beautiful. She is half Portuguese (her father was from Mozambique).
• Thankful that Mrs. Miller found two misplaced packages of bottle liners! WooHoo!
• One of the youngest boys from the Children's Home, Simion was admitted to the intensive care unit at the district hospital. He has pneumonia. He is very ill and sharing his hospital bed with two other critically ill boys. Simion has AIDS. My heart breaks for this sweet little boy. Please pray for him.
• I am asking Chrissie to post a picture of Victoria and Simion from her photo archives as I wasn't able to send photos today.
• Savannah-Hope has become an expert crawler. She is all over the place. She is so healthy and meeting her milestones. What a blessing!
• Today Savannah-Hope discovered a love for french fries and ketchup.

PRAYER REQUEST:

While you are sleeping (Sunday night) I will be traveling to the US Embassy. Please pray for:

• Travel safety
• The paperwork I have hand carried passes review.
• The National Visa Center will log-in our paperwork very soon
• Savannah-Hope will pass her Visa medical exam
• The Visa will be approved and handed to me with out delay.
• That we may return as scheduled on April 6th.

Simion

Victoria

Day 12 Saturday March 29th

Here is Clifford my daytime body guard. He is not only keeping Savannah-Hope and I safe from the thieves, he is also killing the rats and snakes. There has been one snake killed near our house since I have been here. They were trying to keep it a secret from me, but I found out. They are saying it wasn't a Mamba...but it still was a snake. Yikes!!! Clifford is such a sweet young guy. I have been keeping my eye out for a good Malawian woman for him. So far the Internet Cafe lady is my favorite prospect. I will let you know how it goes :)

Here is the picture of Savannah-Hope when I told her that we may be delayed in Malawi. She is really anxious to see her daddy and older siblings.

Here is a sweet picture of Savannah-Hope's older siblings from the airport. They are holding "flat" versions of themselves. I have been traveling with Flat Zach, Flat Zander, Flat Amelia and Flat Izabella everywhere I go. I can't wait to get home and show the kids all the pictures and tell them all the adventures their "flat" people have had.


Here is my sleeping angel. How I longed to hold this precious baby for nearly seven months. My body ached for hers. Now she is here right were she belongs. She fits in my arms just like a puzzle.

Random notes from today:

• Savannah-Hope and I woke up at 7 am and ate breakfast together
• Mrs. Miller and I cleaned the house and then we got a special treat.....
• The water came on!!! WOOHOO!!! God is so good to us. We were in need of a shower after the cleaning, and He provided it. I have had three showers in 12 days.
• We washed two loads of laundry today and the water and electricity stayed on the entire time. (There is a washer and dryer here at the house but they are usually useless as we don't have running water and electricity very often).
• Lloyd my driver, came to pick us up and drove us to the Internet Cafe where I was able to send 4 new pictures after 1 hour and a whole lot of Kwatcha.
• Then it was off to the Children's Home. Mrs. Miller did some crafts with the girls and I walked around the property taking pictures and videos. The children are so friendly and so beautiful. The girls played jump rope and sang songs. I toured the garden. It was very peaceful but heart breaking at the same time. Hard to see so many orphans but so grateful for the Children's Home and all they are doing to help these children.
• I then met with Chris who is the man that will be taking us to Lilongwe for the Visa Process. We are still going on Monday....a leap of faith....please pray.
• We went back to the Gentry's House for dinner. Savannah took a bath and went to bed.
• I spoke to my mom, husband and children today. A huge highlight!
• Mrs. Miller and I sat down to watch a movie together.
• Tomorrow we are going to church and to a wedding. Looking forward to it. Right now the pre-wedding party is happening next door and it is SO loud. Sounds like they are having a little too much fun :)

Random notes in general

• Savannah-Hope can pick up her own pacifier and put it in her mouth. This is an amazing task as she is the most pampered baby in the planet and would much rather you hold her bottle for her or place her finger food inside her mouth. I am working on some thoughts about this African Princess. Amazing how Americanized she is.....and she hasn't been there yet....stay tuned....
• Savannah-Hope has learned to give "Shuggies" (Kisses) on command. But she only gives them to me. Yes, I love that! And she has given me a few spontaneous ones!
• She lays in her bed and goes to sleep on her own, waking only once a night to find her pacifier. I am blessed!!!!!
• Thandie gave her a piece of chocolate bar today, and she gobbled it right up.
• She also had Vanilla ice cream and went nuts over it. Even though she wont touch juice, I think she has a bit of a sweet tooth.
• Speaking of teeth, I think we may be getting the first tooth very soon.
• Savannah-Hope's favorite place in the whole world is in my arms. How great is that?!? She prefers me over Thandie and her nanny. She prefers the Gentry's house over the Children's Home. She cries for me when I walk by.
• No news yet on when I will be coming home with Savannah-Hope, but I have made peace with it. I know that God has placed me here at this time for a purpose. I am going to look for the joy and blessings in each day. God gave me this verse: John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

P.S. Anyone read this post and think it odd that I am in a third world country with no running water or electricity, yet I have a body guard and a driver. Too funny!

Day 11

The Gentry's House

Savannah-Hope the crawler.

Update and Prayer Request:

• The birth certificate has been received.
• Please pray that the immigration paperwork gets logged into the National Visa Center
• The visa appointment can not be scheduled until the paperwork is received.
• The window maybe closing for me to come home as scheduled, please pray that the paperwork will be logged in soon.

Savannah-Hope continues to be amazing. She is so strong and so beautiful. We are healthy and enjoying our time together. My children and husband back home are healthy and also doing well. God is good! Thank you for your prayers!

New Pictures! And Day 10

Savannah-Hope's Village


Savannah's birth father is on the far left and then her uncle. The uncle is holding Tamandani. I am holding Sidala and Thandie is holding Savannah. Standing in front of Thandie is the brother Jameson. The maternal grandmother is standing next to Thandie.

Here is the same picture but zoomed in so you can see the three girls better. The twins will be three years old the first week of April. They are so tiny. Sidala is much heavier than Tamandani, but its mostly because she is so swollen from worms.


These are children from Savannah-Hope's village.


Miriam, Margret and Peace. Miriam is an orphan from Good Samaritan. She is from the same village as Savannah-Hope and is a distant cousin. Margret is not an orphan but has come to live with Thandie so she can receive some schooling and training. Peace is Thandie's 7 year old daughter. This picture was taken in town at the ShopRite. This is the only shopping center in Malawi. It is pretty nice. You mostly see foreign visitors shopping here as most Malawians can't afford to buy anything from these stores.


Heather is a staff kid. She is one of the only girls. She is adorable!


Here are the staff babies. This picture was taken on Easter. Savannah-Hope is the only girl. Next to her is James Douglas (Heather's brother), Samuel (Henry's son) and Heath. Heath wears mostly girl clothes because Good Samaritan doesn't have any boy clothes in his size. He is only 7 months old but a big chunky guy.

Day 10:

• I am feeling so much better today! Thank you so much for your encouraging words and especially for your prayers. I felt them. I have complete peace in God's plan. I just have moments of heartache for my family that sneaks in here and there. I understand this is a process and am so grateful for the opportunity to experience my daughter's culture. God has been so good to me!
• There are 5 very ill children at Good Samaritan. There are three children at Good Samaritan with AIDS, and all three of them are suffering extremely high fevers. Please pray for Ida, Rufina, Simion, John and Josofina.
• Today we went to the town and found a wifi connection so that I could send some more pictures for the blog. And I was able to send a few....woohoo!
• We will be traveling to Lilongwe for the Visa process on Monday morning.
• PRAYER REQUEST: We must get Savannah-Hope's birth certificate tomorrow, or we will not be able to come home as scheduled. Please, please pray that we can get her birth certificate tomorrow.

Thoughts about my husband:

I am madly in love with my husband. My heart and body ache for this man. I thank God for him everyday. But I have never gotten on my knees before God thanking him for Shane the way I have done the last few days. In Malawi the men and women don't interact in public. Even the married couples. They don't walk together, sit together, talk to each other, touch each other....no contact. In church the women sit on one side and the men sit on the other side. I was feeling guilty keeping Lloyd, my driver so busy and away from his family. Then I noticed that even when he was home at Good Samaritan and could spend time with his wife and family, he didn't. None of the men do. The men fellowship together and the women do the household chores. Because of the lack of water and electricity these women work not stop from sun up to sun down preparing meals and washing clothes. They literally beat their clothes on a rock using water that they carried on their head in a bucket that they pumped from a well. You never see the father's helping the wives. You don't see the father's holding their children. You won't see a father carrying heavy objects for the wife.

I asked a few questions about the culture and found out that affection between the husband and a wife only happens inside the home and only if it is initiated by the husband. My heart aches for these women. I can't imagine not holding Shane's hand. I can't imagine longing for his affection and desiring it but just being silent. I thank God for showing me this. I have always known that I was extremely blessed in the husband department, but seeing it even more clearly now. Shane is such an active part of our family and hands on father. Even when I am not in Africa, Shane participates in the daily care of our kids and running of our household. He cooks many of the meals, does most of the shopping, helps with the laundry, cleaning, homeschooling, the list just goes on an on from there. Shane would never stand by and watch me struggle to carry something without jumping up to help. And most of the time he has already carried it in before I tried to do it myself. I am so blessed! Shane took three weeks off from work to care for our children, so that I come to Malawi to bring our baby home. He is doing a tremendous job. I have such peace with his ability to run the home while I am gone because he runs the home with me when I am there. We are a team. Neither one of us have gotten much sleep since I have been gone. We aren't used to sleeping apart. Even the kids have noticed. Izabella told a lady in the shopping center that her daddy can't sleep at night because he is all alone. I love this man more than I can say. I love how he sees....really sees our children. He told me yesterday that the kids haven't expressed verbally that they miss me, but he can see it in them. The boys have been approaching him for hugs and kisses more than usual. Amelia continually counts the days on the calendar and crosses them off one by one. Izabella insists on being in my spot where I normally sit at home. I love how he recognizes these things in them. Shane is such a tremendous gift from God. I can't wait to place our new daughter in his arms.

Day 9 March 26th

Please lift Crystal up in prayer today. She is feeling discouraged and missing her family terribly. This has been a long hard journey. Please pray that the Lord will give her strength, peace and joy to see her through.

Crystal spent all day and quite a bit of money to send 20 pictures today, but I only received one. This pretty much popped Crystal's balloon today.

Crystal was able to view the pictures today of her children on the Blog from Easter and the Pony show for the first time. She said that for over six months she knew Savannah-Hope only through pictures on a computer screen. She looked longingly at the photos feeling deep in her heart that Savannah-Hope was a missing piece to her family puzzle. Now Crystal is on the other side of the world looking at pictures of her husband and four other children. She said now she has five missing pieces to her puzzle. She wants so desperately to have all seven Johnson's under the same roof. Please pray for Crystal today and if you have a chance please post a comment letting her know that you are praying for her. She has been very encouraged by the comments.

Sweet Video from February

Day 8 in Review

Crystal's account of day 8 (Tuesday March 25th)

• I couldn't sleep again last night so I sent a text message to Chrissie at 3am. She called back right away and read me all of your touching comments from my last post. I was surprised to hear that my blog had over 320 hits yesterday. It is comforting and heartwarming to know that all of you are experiencing this journey along with me.
• The rats still won't die which is why I lay awake most of the night. I just know that if I fall asleep they will poke a hole in the ceiling and come falling out on my head. I am so exhausted. Mrs. Miller thinks that they are slowing down, I hope she's right. Not that I am looking forward to the smell of dead rats in the walls....but I think it maybe better than the all night soccer match.
• Brother Gentry's dog, Princess gave birth to 5 puppies yesterday. She sat on one so now there are four. Lobo is the proud daddy and has been barking like crazy to announce to every dog in a 50 mile radius that he is a daddy again. Lobo also has 3 puppies from Brother Gentry's other lady dog, Mozambique. Lobo is the Big Daddy of the neighborhood. Savannah-Hope has met the dogs and seems to like them. She has learned to say "woo woo" her attempt at "woof" "woof".
• I forgot to mention yesterday that the Kindergarten teacher from Good Samaritan, "Aunt Barbara" gave birth to a baby girl. She named her "Favor Ruth". I am so happy for her. This is her second child. Her first child, Worship died of Malaria.
• At 5am God answered a prayer. I have prayed this prayer multiple times a day for the past 8 days. Mrs. Miller has prayed the same prayer. And just when our standing water reserves were about gone....it happened. The water turned on! I still can't believe it! We have not had running water in this house since we have been here. Mrs. Miller and I quickly grabbed the hose and filled up the 4 large plastic containers. And then we each took a shower! A real shower! I washed my hair with water coming out of the shower faucet! The water shut off at the end of my shower. In the process of this water miracle, I had an encounter with a HUGE fuzzy black spider with green spots. It was really something.... and even though he got away and is lurking somewhere just waiting to jump out and get me.....he couldn't steal my joy. I took a shower! Thank you Lord!
• Wilson is the name of our main guard. He is also one of the Good Samaritan Pastors. Brother Gentry has been a missionary in Malawi for 7 years and has started over 411 churches. Wilson brought his wife and 6 month old daughter Hannah to the house early this morning for a visit. She is 4 months younger than Savannah, but about double her size. I was able to give her the blanket that Michelle made her and some clothes. And I took lots of pictures.
• At 8am I called the U.S. Embassy in Malawi. They told me to call back on Wednesday because the person in charge of Adoption Visas was off today. The appointments are only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am hoping we can still go this Thursday. Please be in prayer for this process.
• Thandie stopped by the post office on her way to pick us up today. We were hoping that Savannah-Hope's "visa medical exam" paperwork would have arrived, but it wasn't there.
• Then we headed off to the Under Five Clinic for Savannah-Hope's well baby exam. She weighed 15 lbs 6oz. She has lost two ounces since her well child check last month.
• We went on search for Wi-Fi network or Internet cafe. No electricity today at home or in town. I was disappointed because I know how much everyone would love to see some more pictures. We will try again another day.
• We took naps this afternoon.
• After our nap I called the Embassy to ask if they would re-send the medical form. They have not received my paperwork from the National Visa office, so they will not schedule a Visa appointment with me. We are running out of time. Please Please Please pray that the paperwork will be taken care of.
• Savannah-Hope's birth certificate is missing. Please pray that we can get another one issued quickly without delay.
• We are now going to eat dinner. Not sure what the plans are quite yet for tomorrow.
• Did I tell you that I took a shower today?!? WooHoo!!!!

Day 7 in Review

Crystal's account of day 7 (Monday March 24th)

• Savannah-Hope slept pretty well, I had a harder time sleeping. The rats have refused to die and have been conducting some type of soccer tournament in the attic above my head.
• Lloyd picked us up around 9am and we went to town with Thandie to pick up some supplies for Savannah-Hope's village.
• Then it was off on the long bumpy ride to the village. Lloyd drove. Mrs. Miller, Thandie, Peace, Margret, Miriam (orphan from the same village and distant relative to Savannah), Savannah and I piled into the Mazda truck.
• We arrived to the home where Savannah-Hope had lived with her mother and grandmother. Many villagers and family members gathered around. Tamandani still lives in this home with the grandmother. The other twin, Sidala lives with the paternal grandmother in the father's village. They have a 10 year old brother named Jameson who lives in the father's village but not sure with who. I found out today that the father has remarried.
• I brought clothes for the three children and food supplies for the caregivers. They were grateful but started sharing other requests that they had. The needs here are so great in this country and this is one of the poorer villages. So heart breaking.
• Tamandani screamed when anyone besides the maternal grandmother held her so it was pretty hard to get good pictures, but I did the best I could.
• We waited about 2 hours for Sidala to arrive. She went to me right away. She looks much healthier than her twin. Both girls will be three in couple weeks, but are just a tiny bit bigger than Savannah.
• I was able to get some sibling pictures of the girls in matching dresses.
• The children of the village surrounded me. I took pictures of them with the digital camera and then turned the camera around so they could see themselves. They got such a kick out of this. They have no mirrors, so most of them have never seen what they look like. They would shout and laugh. It was alot of fun.
• It is difficult to put into words how my heart was affected by the trip to Savannah-Hope's village. It will probably take a long time to process it. But since Chrissie is insistent that I give her some thoughts for the blog here it goes:

I imagine that every American who would visit this village would walk away with some thoughts in common, such as extreme poverty. You can't miss that the children are barely dressed. The ones that have clothes, they are tattered and torn...barely hanging on their bodies. They have worms, both in their bellies making their stomachs bulge out, but also in their skin making little mountains all over their arms, legs, and head. There is dirt everywhere. The homes are one room mud huts with grass roofs and mud floors. There is no furniture, no electricity, no glass windows, and no water. The people are extremely filthy.

But then there are other thoughts that may be more individual. For me it was my kids. I couldn't help but think of Amelia, when I saw a 7 year old girl with a bucket of laundry on her head and a baby tied to her back. Or think of Izabella, when I saw a 4 year old girl selling tomatoes on the side of the road with a 2 year old the size of Maggie tied to her back. The roads are so dangerous, and she is working just to live. Only 4 years old and completely unsupervised. I thought of my boys, when I saw seven year old boys walking with machetes chopping down corn in the field. I think of my children and their decorated bedrooms, warm blankets, shoes, toys, hair bows, car seats, parents. My children have parents...two of them. They get to be educated, they don't have to work. They don't lay in bed at night shivering begging God that they may have a bite to eat tomorrow. They don't have to worry that a wild animal may get into their house, or their grass roof may cave in or catch on fire. My children have so much, but only because God has allowed us to provide that for them. This could have been us. I could have been born a Malawian woman and had to watch my children starve and beg for food. I could have been sick and sent my child with strangers to a far away land so she could live. This has been a completely life changing experience. I am not coming home the same person or the same mother. I wish that Shane and the kids could have made this trip with me. I just hope that I can find a way to portray what I have seen to my husband and children.

Easter in Tennessee

Easter morning at home.


Cousin picture. Don't worry mom, we will make room on the couch for Savannah-Hope.

Our Family is not complete without you and our baby sister....hurry home mom.

Scroll down to see how Crystal's Easter was in Malawi.

Day 6 in Review

Crystal notes from day 6 (Sunday March 23rd)

• We had a rough night. Savannah-Hope was up several times with an upset tummy.
• Savannah-Hope vomited three times in the morning, I began to get worried since she hadn't had a dirty diaper...afraid of a blockage.
• On the way to the bathroom to clean up Savannah-hope I tripped over a suitcase and twisted my knee. I clung on to Savannah tight so I wouldn't drop her, in the process I pushed her head and face right into the mess she had made all over my shirt. Missing running water! In case you are keeping track, I have fallen to the ground twice and nearly fallen 4 other times. Just call me "Grace".
• We got cleaned up and ready for church.
• Lloyd picked us up at took us to Good Samaritan for Easter morning service.
• The services were in Chichewa and then translated in English. The man doing the translating even copied the hand motions of the pastor.
• The singing was so beautiful.
• About 25 people came forward to give testimonies. It touched my heart how grateful the people are here. They thank God for everything they have, and they have so little in comparison to us. They truly see that riches aren't found in material things. They are so full of the joy of the Lord.
• I didn't realize that I had to stand in front of the church and introduce myself. I was caught off guard but it went okay.
• I was able to meet the precious staff babies today. I held them and made pictures. None of them cried. I gave them the blankets Michelle made them. They were so grateful.
• I met Blessings and his siblings today. Please ready their story here.
• I was able to talk to my Pastor today. He prayed with me. Its hard to be so far from home. Thanks Pat for encouraging me.
• I also chatted with my family. So thankful for cell phones and international calling plans!
• Thandie tied Savannah-Hope to my back today and we took lots of pictures.
• We left Good Samaritan at 4pm and headed back to the Gentry's House.
• Savannah-Hope made a dirty diaper. Praise the Lord!
• There is a good chance that we will be going to Savannah-Hope's home village tomorrow. I brought matching dresses to get sibling pictures of Savannah and her twin sisters. This is going to be a tough visit on my heart.
• Please be in prayer for the immigration paperwork to arrive at the U.S. Embassy. Also pray about the Adoption Visa interview (date not yet set). I am not sure what they are going to ask me. Please pray that it goes well and is processed quickly.

Bella's Pony Adventure

Hi Mama,

I went to the Pony Show. I waited my whole life to see my ponies. They were all there. I had a great time with Daddy and Amy. I love you mama!

Bella

Day 5 in Review

Crystal's account of Day 5 (Saturday March 22nd):

• Savannah-Hope slept in her bed last night waking up a couple of times for her pacifier. She joined me in my bed at 7am. We snuggled for awhile and then decided it was time for breakfast.
• Savannah-Hope had rice cereal with apple blueberries. Mrs. Miller made bacon, eggs and cinnamon rolls (okay so roughing it isn't all bad).
• We watched a Baby Einstein Video and then a family video so that Savannah-Hope could see her brothers and sisters.
• We rested and took a nap together
• Savannah-Hope has only had one dirty diaper since I have been here, I think she could really use another one. I have tried giving her juice and water which she spits out and then screams. She also didn't want any baby food that would help in this department. And a warm bath was not an option because the electricity kept shutting off before I could get some water heated.
• Tried the ridiculous knee pads again. She worked like crazy to pull them off her legs and then enjoyed using them as a chew toy.
• Mrs. Miller worked on putting booklets together for the Bible College.
• I was able to talk to Shane for quite awhile as he drove the girls to Chattanooga to see My Little Pony Live. I can't wait to hear all about it.
• I also talked to Mimi, Poppy and the boys.
• Clifford, one of our guards, came today to kill the rats in the attic. I can hear them playing soccer above my head at night and am afraid they are going to fall through the ceiling and land on me. Clifford is my hero!
• I had an upset tummy most of the day and used up quite a bit of our standing water supply to flush the toilets.
• Funniest moment: I was laying on the couch with Savannah sitting on my tummy facing me. I placed a burp cloth over hear head and said "where's Savannah??". She then let out the hugest man sized burp you ever heard. I pulled the burp cloth off and we both laughed.
• Sweetest moment: I got my first spontaneous kiss from Savannah today!
• Tomorrow we are going to church at Good Samaritan. I am excited to finally spend a holiday with Savannah-Hope. When we first accepted her referral, we thought that she might be home for Halloween. Then Thanks Giving for sure....then Christmas, New Years, Valentines, St.Patricks.....but no. Easter is tomorrow, our first holiday together.

A few words about Savannah-Hopes clothes:

Today I set out to go through Savannah-Hope's belongings. This was so much harder than I thought. I am looking through the clothes and thanking God for the many blessings he has given to Savannah. Then at the same time I am thinking about all the babies I have seen just wrapped in cloth and no clothes. Other babies wearing clothes that are filthy with huge holes. How can I not leave these clothes for them, when I am going back to America where we have a WalMart on every corner. Then I will see something that was bought and hand-picked for Savannah, and I think about how much she has lost in her little life, how can I take something from her that belongs to her. Then I think okay lets just go through and see what she needs. I think right away that she doesn't have any fancy church socks and she doesn't have any shoes. Then immediately I am reminded that 90% of the people I have seen here have been barefoot. Does my 10 month old baby that doesn't walk really NEED shoes? Then I see her birthfather's face in my mind. He came to Court two days in a row to give consent for the adoption....barefoot. He doesn't own a pair of shoes. He is a grown man that works everyday in a field and he has no shoes. I put her clothes in some stacks and then got so sick to my stomach I just put them aside. I think I will have Thandie come over and help me sort this out another day. The word "need" really takes on a new meaning when you have been in the poorest country in the world for five days.

Day 4 in Review

Crystal's account of Day 4 (Friday March 21st):

• I was woken up by the sweetest baby ever wanting to play at 4:30 am
• We ate oatmeal together. Savannah is eating food better but only if you hold her while you are feeding her. She will eat finger food if you hold it or place it inside her mouth. No sign of teeth.
• Savannah-Hope heard a house alarm go off in the distance and danced and boogied to the noise. This kid loves to dance!
• Dressed Savannah and I both in yellow. Savannah was wearing a pink skirt. When we were all dressed and ready to go Savannah-Hope spit up her iron supplement, which required a total change for her and partial change of clothes for me. Now Savannah is wearing a denim skirt with brown and pink onesie, pink socks, brown shoes, and pink hair bow.
• Lloyd picked us up and drove us to the airport where we received Mrs. Miller's two missing suitcases. WooHoo! Mrs. Miller transported Savannah-Hope's diapers, so we were extra excited to get the suitcases. There is no running water here so washing cloth diapers really would not be my idea of a party. I will never complain about washing clothes in my washer at home ever again.
• We then went to the Internet cafe. I spent 1200Kwatcha and was only able to attach one picture to an email. Very frustrating. I will never complain about my computer at home ever again.
• Today like the three days before, I have seen lots of people walking with different items on their heads. Lots of barely dressed children that are extremely dirty and hungry.
• We then went to Good Samaritan Children's Home. This was my first time seeing the orphanage and the place where Savannah-Hope has spent her last 6 months. The staff and children were very welcoming. I got to meet some of the children and recognized many of them from Chrissie's blog. I was happy to finally see Peace, who seems to be handling the separation from Savannah-Hope better than I expected. Thandie is also handling the separation well. It has really helped her that Savannah-Hope is so comfortable in my arms. I am so grateful that God answered this prayer for us.
• At 5pm we headed back to the Gentry's house which is up on a steep hill. I hadn't eaten anything since our 4:30am oatmeal and was praying for electricity so we could have something hot to eat. I was so hungry that my stomach was growling on the ride home. Savannah could hear it and began dancing....I am telling you this kid loves to dance....even if it is to tummy sounds. We were happy to find the electricity on and quickly heated up some delicious soup. As soon as we sat down to eat it the electricity went off. So we got hot food but no hot water for dishes or baths tonight. Mrs. Miller, Savannah-Hope and I ate by candle light.
• I then tried to put the little princess down for bed, but she decided that playing next to me on the bed with her toys by flashlight was a much better idea.
• Savannah-Hope crawls on her hands and feet. She wont put her knees down. I even tried putting the rediculous knee pads on that Chrissie insisted on sending with me. Savannah-Hope threw a fit and insisted that I remove the knee pads at once. I may try them another day.
• Tomorrow we are having a "nothing day". We are staying home and catching up. We pretty much hit the ground running when we got here. It will be nice to rest. I will probably go through Savannah-Hope's clothes and toys to see what she's got in which sizes, whats coming home, whats staying behind and what she needs. She really has been so blessed and has much more than I was expecting.
• I was able to talk to Mimi, Shane, Amy, Bella, Zander, Zach, Retta and Nana (in that order) today. Hard to hear that Shane is so sick, but even sick he clearly has everything under control. The kids seem to be doing just fine. I can't wait to see them with Savannah-Hope. 15 more days.

Update from Crystal

Crystal tried for over an hour to attach pictures to an email. She was only able to attach this one....but its worth it...so cute!

Embassy Appointment:
The U.S. Embassy in Malawi is located in Lilongwe which is far far away from where Crystal is staying in Blantyre. The embassy is closed today for Good Friday and Monday for Easter. She will be calling the embassy on Tuesday to schedule an appointment. Appointments are only granted on Mondays and Wednesdays. This appointment could not be scheduled ahead of time....she tried. Crystal has been told prior by the Embassy that they will not schedule an appointment until Johannesburg South Africa has received Crystal's US Immigration paperwork directly from TN. It is still unclear if this paperwork has been sent, but we are doing everything we can to insure that this paperwork has been sent and logged in. I will keep you updated. At this point, I would say it is very unlikely that Crystal will be coming home early. Please be in prayer for the paperwork to arrive where it needs to go and for the adoption visa to be granted without complication.

Roughing-it:
Crystal has not had any running water at the house where she is staying since she arrived. She has not had a shower since she left America. Crystal is able to heat water for baths as long as the electricity is on....which comes and goes. She has not seen any snakes...thank God! But can hear little critters running around on the roof while she sleeps.

Savannah-Hope:
Savannah has completely attached to her mommy. She wants no one but Crystal. She wants to be held constantly and is very snugly. Savannah-Hope doesn't like to get on the floor and play, she just wants to be hugged, kissed and loved on. She has tried a few finger foods but she wants them placed in her mouth for her. She refuses to pick them up herself. Crystal says she has another little princess on her hands. Crystal is making a few adjustments to her eating and sleeping schedule and Savannah-Hope is responding well. Crystal couldn't be more thrilled with how Savannah is doing.

Transportation:
Please be in prayer for a hedge of protection around Crystal and the baby as they travel about Malawi. They have been having trouble with the vehicles breaking down. The roads are so bad in Malawi that the cars break easily. The Malawians also do not grasp the concept of preventive maintenance on the cars...which is a long story.....but leads to broken vehicles. Even the walk ways in Malawi are dangerous. Crystal has fallen once (at the airport) and nearly fallen two other times. Thandie showed Crystal the spot where I fell and broke my leg last August. She told Crystal be very careful on this corner. You must step across from the curb to the street, do not step in the gutter....step across....do not put your foot down. Crystal says no problem, I got it. She goes into the bank, exchanges some dollars into kwatcha....comes out of the bank so convinced someone is going to rob her that she gets distracted, doesn't pay attention and steps down instead of across. She went to fall but them some how jumped up and made it to the street. It is a miracle from God that she didn't fall to the ground and break her leg.

Prayer Request

Crystal's mom sent me a message tonight asking for prayer for Shane. He still has a fever, sore throat and has been diagnosed with an ear infection. Please lift him up in prayer.

Pictures from Home

Hi mom! Surprise! We got our first stripes in Karate! We knew you would be so proud of us. We miss you mom, but are having a good time with Dad. We are so happy to hear about Savannah-Hope being adopted. Please bring her home to us soon. Oh and don't worry, Bella is fine...she was just busy when we took these pictures. Love, Your Big Kids

Adoption Granted!!!

Praise the Lord the adoption went through today at 5pm (10am TN time)! Thank you for your prayers!!!! Savannah-Hope is officially a Johnson.

Whats next? A trip to the American Embassy. More details on that to come. For now we are Praising God for our miracle!!!! It surely was a miracle!

Pictures from Crystal

Court got bumped back a few hours. Still hoping it will happen today. In the meantime, Crystal went to the Internet cafe and sent these pictures.

Mama's Gotcha!

Crystal's face, this ones for you Gwen.

Savannah in the ERGO

So where are my brothers? I've been looking at their pictures...

Helping Mama unpack

My product (RED) outfit fits....woohoo! And I love my new baby doll.

Pray! Pray! Pray!

Wednesday 3:30pm TN time (10:30pm Malawi time)
I just got off the phone with Crystal. Crystal is not able to make outgoing calls to the U.S. but she can receive calls. She is going to bed now. Savannah-Hope has been asleep for about 3 hours. Crystal says they have had no running water and the electricity went out a couple of hours ago. Both running water and electricity are a luxury that will come and go during her stay. The water was also off at the Court House today so Crystal had to go to the bathroom in a little bucket and then a Malawian lady took it outside and poured it on the grass.

Savannah-Hope has been on a baby food and finger food strike. She just wants bottles...lots of them. She is wearing a size 2 diaper and fitting 6-9 month clothes. Her feet are very tiny and remind Crystal of Emily Rui's foot when she first came home. Savannah-Hope still has no teeth and is only saying one word "nana". Those of you who know Crystal well, will know that she has an obsession for car-seat safety. I just loved the mental picture she gave today of the rickety van speeding down the road on the wrong side of the road with Savannah standing up on the seat in the car. I can still hear Crystal saying "I never....".

Crystal was able to talk to Shane (who is sick with a high fever) and the kids today. She was also able to speak with Nana and Retta. She is so far from home, but is comforted by your prayers. Please keep praying. Mrs. Miller has lots of pictures and a video saved on a CD. She is going to try to upload them to an email tomorrow. As soon as I get them, I will put them on the blog. Please pray for the Court Hearing that is scheduled for 3/20/08 at 8:30 am (1:30 am TN time).

Wednesday 12:30pm TN time (7:30pm Malawi time)
Crystal's Malawian cell phone has been repaired so she is able to receive phone calls! Praise the Lord! She was able to talk to her mom and will be speaking with Shane and the kids in about an hour. Today didn't go totally according to our plan, but it wasn't without blessings. God is worthy of praise all the time! Today Savannah-Hope crawled for the first time. Crystal was able to capture it on video! Savannah has taken right to the Playtex nurser bottles which is a huge blessing because they are much more sterile. Crystal has extremely limited access to running water. Savannah-Hope is also loving the Playtex Binky pacifier which was another huge blessing considering their very long day in town. Crystal says that Savannah-Hope couldn't be more wonderful if she tried. She thanks all of you for following along on the blog and asks for your prayers regarding the Court hearing.

Wednesday 11am TN time (6pm Malawi Time)

Please be in prayer for a new Court Hearing scheduled for Thursday March 20 at 8:30am (1:30am TN time). Please pray without ceasing.....

Crystal and Savannah-Hope had a very long day today and are settled in for the night.

Crystal says, "Savannah-Hope is wonderful and doing great".

All is well, Praise the Lord!

Wednesday March 19, 1:30am TN time (8:30am Malawi time)

I just got off the phone with Crystal. She sounds great! She and Savannah-Hope slept snuggled up together and had a wonderful night. Crystal is wearing Savannah-Hope in the Ergo Carrier as they head on their way to take care of some paperwork for Court. Please be in prayer for the Court Hearing. She will try to get us pictures with in the next couple of days. Until then here are some new ones from the memory card:

Crystal is in Malawi!!!

Tuesday 5pm TN time
Crystal is feeding Savannah-Hope a bottle right now! More info to come after Court. Thanks for your prayers.

Tuesday 4:15 pm TN time
Crystal just arrived at the Gentry's house.

Tuesday 3:35pm TN time
I just got off the phone with Crystal! The plane rides went well. She had a little trouble switching airlines due to the weight of her luggage, but all of her luggage arrived. None of Mrs. Miller's luggage arrived.

Tuesday 3:20 pm TN time.
Crystal arrived safely to Malawi about 20 minutes ago!

Surprise Blessings

The adoption Court hearing is scheduled for 2pm on Wednesday March 19th. Malawi is 7 hours ahead of TN so please be praying at 8am.

I received a digital media card today from Good Samaritan, Savannah-Hope's orphanage. And guess what it contained....new pictures! WooHoo!

Stay-tuned....more updates later today.....

Travel Update

I will be doing some guest blogging for Crystal while she is on her journey to Savannah-Hope. She left Nashville this afternoon with Mrs. Miller. She was able to take all of the items with her that she was hoping to take. Shane said that the children did okay saying good-bye to their Mama. Probably hasn't hit them quite yet how long she will be gone.

Nice Suprise

Tonight was our small group meeting. We are doing a study on John 3:16. Our small group buddies surprised us with gift cards for Shane and the kids to go to dinner while I am in Malawi. It was such a great surprise and tremendous blessing. The kids are so excited to go on dates with daddy.

Things are coming together. Everything that needs to go in my suitcase is in my house but a few things still need to be rearranged. But nothing else needs to be purchased or gathered, so that is a huge blessing. One child or another in our family has had a respiratory infection, croup, vomiting and ear infections this week. They all seem to be on the mend, praise the Lord. Tonight we installed a Skype camera on our home computer and hope to use it in Malawi so Savannah-Hope and I can communicate with Shane and the kids. We still have a few technical glitches to work out, but we are hopeful that it will work. I am heading off to get some sleep. Only two more sleeps until I head to Malawi. Thank you for your prayers!

Adventures in Packing and an Ergo

Lots of packing going on here at the Johnson house. Below is how beautiful my suitcase looked before I weighed it and found that it was 10 pounds over the limit. Last night I had to re-pack, re-arrange and re-assess what really needs to go and what I can leave behind. I had to take everything out of the packaging. Hoping I am closer to the weight. I still may have to send some items with Mrs. Miller. She has been such a tremendous blessing to my family and I haven't even met her yet.

The goal is to make each of these bags weigh 50 lbs.

Here is Izabella trying out my new Ergo Carrier. Savannah-Hope is used to being worn on Thandie's and the Nanny's back. They tie her on with a piece of material with no buckles or latches. I want Savannah-Hope to feel secure and have the opportunity to be carried on my back, but I need something a little more secure than the piece of material. I would be too nervous she would slip out while I was tending to her siblings. So I have been looking for a soft structured carrier that could be worn on my back. The Ergo comes highly recommended by attachment parenting experts and can be worn on the back, front and side position. It also has an amazing weight capacity and can even hold a 4 year old comfortably on your back.