And then there were five...

We have a son! Meet Maz - he’s 7.5 months old and the newest member of our family! We are deeply humbled and grateful to God for the honor of being his parents.

What’s his name?
His name is Amaziah (Maz) Kyamagero Isaac Manson

Amaziah is both a Swahili and Biblical name that means, “The one who has the strength of God, is unusual and extraordinary”. But we will call him Maz in the day to day.
Kyamagero means Miracle in Luganda and refers to the name the babies home gave him at birth.
Isaac means he who will laugh.

When did this happen and was it a surprise?
We only met our son in early September after working alongside a reputable babies home here in Kampala for just under 6 months. Tim and I both decided at the beginning of this year that we’d like to “knock” on the door one last time. Finally, we were matched with a little boy that was 6 months old. Over the past few weeks our family has been visiting him daily at the babies home and beginning the bonding process.  Then, about two weeks ago everything became official through paperwork and we were able to have him begin living in our home.

How did he come to the babies home?
He came to the babies home at birth with no known family and has lived there up until now. Adoption is a precious, complex and beautiful thing and his story is just that, his. We will respect that.

How are the girls adjusting?
Hope is adjusting beautifully and slipping into her oldest sister role with ease. She’d been praying for a baby brother for a very long time and it’s been really special watching them form a special bond. The first thing she did when she saw his picture was gasp, “He looks just like me Mum!”  Eva, on the other hand, expresses her love through pinching and sitting on him. With her full weight. She also may or may not have rolled him off the couch and onto concrete tiles, “accidently”.  Other than those few incidents, she’s obsessed.

What is the process for adopting this time around?
The process has changed significantly (for the better) since we adopted Hope. With Hope we had to live in country for 3 years before we were able to proceed to adoption. With Maz, the process is only one year. We are just a couple of weeks into that. In one year from now we hope to be applying for his adoption in court. Later on, we hope to apply for his New Zealand citizenship by descent.

What’s it like for you guys having three kids?
Wonderful, chaotic, crazy, beautiful, fun and exhausting. We are so grateful to be raising our children in this laid back country. Our families are lining up to visit their nephew and newest grandchild and we stand in awe of God for his kindness in giving us a son.

Love,

#Mansonpartyoffive
#oursquad

"Not flesh of my flesh, nor bone of my bone, yet somehow - miraculously - all my own. Never forget for just one minute, although you didn't grow under my heart, you grew in it." Fleur Conkling Heylinger