Our First Trip to Ethiopia

Two years ago this month we were blessed with LJ, AJ, and JJ.

Due to a small administrative "snag", we were given a 10 day notice that we were going to Ethiopia. 10 days! Needless to say, we were scrambling around like lost children trying to figure out what was most important to do and what could be left undone until we got back. Our dog, Cookie (Princess, if you ask her), was being cared for by our close friends down the street.

The trip to Addis Ababa was uneventful, to the point of boring. Once there we met the foster home director/manager, who helped us get settled into our Suite at the Hilton. The accommodations are very westernized and the hotel is inside of a walled-in complex of buildings. It's designed to make you forget about the poor wretchedness just outside of the walls. The next day we got to meet our children for the first time.

Netsanet, Tseganesh, and Efrem came from a "well-to-do family" whose father was a teacher and mother a homemaker. Well-to-do, it seems, means a steady job. Both parents were good Christian people who had passed away several years ago and the children, with their older brothers (who were too old to be adopted) took care of themselves for about 2 years.

The girls and Efrem were very well behaved and well mannered. Both girls were typically quiet, and both answered "yes" to whatever we asked. Between the kids, they probably only knew about 30 words in English. They mostly smiled and nodded or laughed when we laughed. Poor babies. These are beautiful children (of course I say this in complete objectivity). We only got to spend about 3 hours with them that day, and they had to go back to the foster home.

The next day we went to the American Embassy where everything was finalized. An arduous adventure as always, but it was done. They are ours! To love, care for, protect, teach, nurture, and watch grow into the loving people God has made them to be.