Introduction

Our adoption story started on October 25, 2009 when we attended an information meeting at our church, Calvary Community Church, in Westlake Village, California.  This meeting was for prospective families interested in hosting an orphan child from Uganda for two weeks.  Karen Hardy and Theresa Jepsen led the meeting and told us about the God Cares School in Kampala, Uganda and the wonderful work that Pastor Dongo and his wife, Florence, were doing there.

Pastor Dongo with Alex (smallest boy in front) and Maureen (girl in blue shirt)

Fast forward to May 2010 and our family had completed all of the necessary fingerprinting, fundraising and praying and finally got a name and picture of the child we would host - Alex Etole!  He would be coming to stay with us in July for two weeks.  It would be a roller coaster ride for the next two months as we learned in June that the tour would be postponed a year since the children were unable to get visas from the U.S. embassy.  God intervened at the last possible moment and the embassy called God Cares School with an appointment time.  In late June we learned the children were going to be coming after all!

Alex prior to his visit in July 2010

For two weeks we introduced Alex Etole to the beach, swimming pools, Wii, Sugar Daddy candy and chicken nuggets.  During that same time, Alex introduced us to a smile and a joy that is able to overcome the circumstances he faces in Uganda.  Family and friends who interacted with Alex could see this little boy who was full of joy as he went from one experience to the next.  Two weeks went by quickly and soon we were back at LAX, waving goodbye and making plans on how we could adopt this boy who made such an impact on our family's lives.

Angie, Cailey & Jillian welcoming Alex at LAX

After the children arrived, we were told that one of the other girls in the Summer Tour, Maureen Ogwel, was Alex's sister.  Maureen stayed with another host family and we got to know her during the group outings when all the kids would get together.  What originally had started as an adoption of a young boy had turned into a brother-sister adoption. 

In August, we received word from Pastor Dongo that the legal guardian and other family members were supportive of the adoption.  Simon Peter Emolu, the brother of Alex's and Maureen's father, is their legal guardian but he is also supporting his own children and the children of another brother who had died.  The children's mother, Hellen Aigo, passed away first in 2005 and their father, John Amodoi, died in 2007. 

Alex & Maureen with Uncle Simon in December 2010

After their parent's deaths, the children moved to Kampala to live with their Uncle Simon and started attending school at the Bright Junior School.  In February 2010, they were sponsored at the God Cares School and have attended school there ever since.