Filling the Time

The countdown is on. Two more days and we will be US bound. Our time here has been a productive one of bonding and learning each other, combined with large blocks of boredom. The highlights of our days generally consist of going to the “market” to get bread / water, etc. I would describe it as a “bankrupt Sears”. It has a little of everything, but it’s all subpar.


We don’t feel nearly as comfortable venturing out on our own as we did in Ghana. Perhaps we just haven’t been here long enough to feel adventurous (thankfully). So we have mostly just stuck around the hotel.

We have developed our own little language with Béni consisting of an English-French-Lingala hybrid with a little bit of signing mixed in as well. So far it is going well. He has shown us a stubborn defiant side on occasion, yet he has also begun to submit to us regularly as his parents. He should learn pretty quickly by watching big brother Manny when we get home! We have also tried to begin learning the basics (i.e. ABC, 123) through games. He is beginning to take to it. He can count pretty well in French, and thus has taken quicker counting in English than to his ABC’s. He seems to have an extensive Lingala/French vocabulary; which I think speaks to his intelligence. And he finds it necessary to carry on fairly lengthy conversations with the hotel workers in their language. They get a real kick out of what he says… Lord only knows what he is really saying about us.

Once he learns to focus his attention, I believe he will make remarkable strides in schooling. As with the addition of any child, it will be challenging at times. The language barrier certainly adds a different dynamic. Early on we simply couldn’t explain our reasoning behind saying “no” to something. Instead, it just sounded like “no” as a permanent response – which usually displeased him. We’ve thankfully gotten better at communicating with the help of some online resources and nice locals who translate for us. At any rate, we are adapting and learning. We are ready, and thankful to God for choosing to bring Béni into our life as our son. He certainly adds an entertaining element and should provide us with humorous stories for quite some time!