What an emotional and wonderful day. We met with the local social worker and our lawyer this morning. They prepped us on what to expect and an approximate time line of things to expect. Before we knew it (like within 30 minutes) they said, "all right, lets go". We of course had a bunch of emotions, excitement, nervousness, and happiness all mixed together not really knowing what to expect. The orphanage (Hogar Maria Bordoni) is only about 5 miles from our hotel. It's up the mountain and has an amazing view of the whole city of Loja. We kept imagening this small town up in the mountains but there are over 100,000 people that live in the city. We're at about 8000 ft. above sea level and the clouds hang over parts of the mountain peaks. Absolutely beautiful. Upon arriving we sat down and met with the nuns prior to meeting Marcelo. A few minutes they brought him out. He was emotional and anxious wondering if we were taking him immediatly. But after playing a little and going outside he warmed up very quickly. We played on the playground at the Hogar and as we left for lunch the main nun Hermana Conchita said, "give your Mom and Dad a hug and he came over and even gave us both kisses on the cheek. A very sweet and heartwarming moment for us. We came back after lunch and he met us at the door. We took a walk to his school and met his teachers. They showed us some of the work they have been doing and he showed us where they play. It was fun to get away from the Hogar and see where he goes for school. We went back and played with balloons and bubbles we had brought. They were a hit with all the kids. He is now calling us Mami and Papi whenever he wants to show us something. By the end of the afternoon we had quite a few quiet moments with just him walking, coloring, or reading to him. It was nice since we have had all the kids following us around. They are so sweet and precious. As we were leaving Marcelo sat in Jill's arms and kept saying, "no te vayas, no te vayas", which means "don't leave, don't leave", it was very emotional and also rewarding to know he felt that closeness after just one day. We are so blessed that he has been in this place where he has received wonderful teaching and most importantly they have given the children love. What a great day.

We got back to the hotel exhausted but got to talk to the rest of our kids via skype. It was great to see them. We miss them so much as well. I was emotional seeing them as my perspective of the importance of family has changed since the day began. What a blessing a family is!

Rich

P.S. We can't post pictures of Marcelo until we're all home, but there are a few back shots and scenery that we'll post. Thanks everyone, we love you all.