A little aside before we begin with this yummy recipe.  I miss writing this blog.  But with bringing our new baby girl home from Ethiopia in May 2011 AND stepping up our homeschool program by joining Classical Conversations in Sept 2011, there has been precious little time.  Slowly,  I am perfecting our system of raising, teaching, training, cleaning, etc, etc, knowing full well that as people grow, everything will change and a new system will go into place.  So it goes.  I do always have this blog in the back of my mind, though, and look forward to writing more as that system gets perfected.  Hurry!  Before the next change comes!

Ok.  Enough of that!

We have made a variety of coffee cakes over the last few years, but THIS one is always everybody’s favorite.   The recipe without pics is at the bottom.  (I can’t remember why in the world it’s called a buckle.  I could look it up.  Naaaa.  Priorities :)

First, preheat the oven to 375 and grease 2 pie pans. Pull out your blueberries from the freezer, put them in a freezer baggie and let them thaw out in a big pan of hot water.  They should be thaw by the time you stir them in. And pull out all other ingredients before you start.

Thow into your mixer the next 7 ingredients.  You won’t mix until they are all in.

4 cups flour

Fresh ground prairie wheat flour (Using great ingredients makes me not feel so guilty about eating this, but I certainly don’t want to make YOU feel guilty if you have the regular store bought stuff.  Just do it and enjoy the moment, cause we might all go to heaven soon!)

1 1/2 cups sugar

Sucanat (unrefined sugar)

5 tsp baking powder

The cheap stuff

1 1/2 tsp salt

The good stuff.  Himalayan pink salt.  The full spectrum of minerals that our bodies need.  I drink 1/2 tsp of this salt in a mug of hot water (salt tea) almost every afternoon if  I’m feeling tired and it instantly revives me.

1/2 cup melted butter 1 1/2 cups milk

Raw milk straight from a dairy farm.  DO NOT be afraid to drink raw milk.  The “system” has misinformed us all about the hazards.  Google it.  You will see this is a major way to keep everyone very healthy.  Great for the gut where 85% of our immune system resides.  Dairy intolerance usually disappears when drinking raw milk.

2 eggs

From the local farm and grass fed chickens

NOW you can mix all this together for 30 seconds and it will look similar to this.   Store bought flour and sugar will make it a lighter color.

If you are still waiting for the blueberries to thaw, skip down and make the crumb topping.  You will need it BEFORE this goes into the oven.  And if you are STILL waiting, make the glaze.  You will use that AFTER the coffeecake bakes.

This mixer is a Bosch.  I like it much better than Kitchen Aid.

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed & drained)

Pull out the beater and stir in the blueberries with a spoon.  If they are still frozen, it will make the batter cold and be harder to stir, but it is doable.  It also might take a bit longer to cook. Spread batter in pans.

The one on the left has the crumb topping on it.  The one on the right does not yet.

Now, if you haven’t already, stir up the crumb topping in a bowl.  It doesn’t matter the order of ingredients.

Crumb Topping

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1/2 cup melted butter

There you have the flour, sugar and butter.

1 tsp cinnamon

Annnnnnnnd the cinnamon.

Mix until crumbly in a bowl with a spoon. Sprinkle the crumb topping onto the blueberry batter and bake 45-50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Hmmm.  Dirty oven on the bottom.  Not a priority.  Yea!

Now make the glaze.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

Cheap stuff

1/2 tsp vanilla Homemade stuff.  Yes!  Here is a link from my website on how to make a small 4 oz jar. And here is a link from another website on how to make a gallon, which I did last year and gave away as Christmas presents.  Cheap and so darn easy!  That’s an 8 ounce jar above and here is another one waiting in the wings!

Ok, so add the vanilla And add 4 tsp hot water Mix until smooth in a bowl with a spoon. Now set that aside, clean the kitchen, have a little more coffee, figure out your day and smile because everyone will be thrilled that you made this!

Pull out the cakes and drizzle with Glaze.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Buckle

4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

5 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed & drained)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease 2 pie pans.  Blend flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk and egg.  Beat 30 seconds.  Carefully stir in blueberries with a spoon.  Spread batter in pans.  Sprinkle with Crumb topping.  Bake 45-50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Drizzle with Glaze.  Serve warm.

Crumb Topping

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

Mix until crumbly in a bowl with a spoon.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

4 tsp hot water

Mix until smooth in a bowl with a spoon.

This recipe comes from The MOMYS cookbook and Deanna Pemberton.

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Nutrimill Giveaway from Pleasant Hill Grain!
• Rose Almond Soap – Make Your Own
• Powder Laundry Detergent – Yes, Homemade :)
• Curried Chicken & Rice (leftovers)
• Chicken Pie – Meal #3 of 3 from 1 Chicken

The view at dusk from Lalibela

Sunday, May 15, noon

Though I will, I do not feel able or qualified to write about the last 24 hours.

We are on a small prop plane, a Bombadier, that has a capacity of 75 people.

We are heading back to Addis after 24 hours in Lalibela.  Pronounced “lolly-bella.”

As we are flying over what looks like the Grand Canyon (not as deep) of this area in northern Ethiopia,

we see lone churches on the tops of mountains.  Some, the people must only be able to get to by walking.  Alters to God all over the place.

Lalibela, which I knew nothing about before we came here, is a holy city.

It is high in a mountain about 8000ft elevation.

The population is 19,000.  It is middle ages and iron-age in development.

They live in the same kinds of mud huts with grass roofs, corrugated metal walls on some.

People, goats, donkeys, sheep, chickens all walking down the streets together.  A cow here and there.

The roads were busy as we approached the city, about a 40 minute drive from the small airport.

It was Saturday yesterday.  The day when everyone from the countryside walks into town for the market.

See the market in the distance with all the people?

And here is a close-up.

It reminded me of a more modern version of maybe the people of Israel walking to Jerusalem for Passover in the days of Jesus.

They walked with pack mules to carry grain and other things to sell or buy.  Several hours later we saw the people walking home from the market carrying live or dead chickens, hardened, full size goat skins folded in half – legs and feet included, cloth, sticks and rocks for building, spices, etc.

The city, unlike bustling Addis, was clean and well taken care of.  The people all kind and happy.

The begging Catch-22

I found out, because I saw clearly, why we do not want to just give people money promoting them to beg.  I gave money several times to people in Addis.  It is all so poor and they do beg and you can’t help but help them.  We would have to harden ourselves to the compassion that we feel, but if we give like that we are complicit in their continued begging and the denigration of who they are as a people.

Here in Lalibella the people do not beg.  You can take pictures of whatever you want for the most part and they are happy to help you.  But if we as outsiders just gave them money on the streets it would begin that cycle again of what does not exist in this city anymore as of about 4 years ago when they went to great lengths to eliminate it. How, I do not know.

Yesterday we spent the day visiting the rock-hewn churches

You can so completely feel the hand of God on this city and on these people for centuries.  But communicating that is quite difficult.

In a nutshell, in the 12th century, King Lalibella went to Jeruselum.  He saw the churches there.  He believed that God was telling him to come back to Ethiopia and build these churches here.  Replicas.  A New Jeruselum.

It is in Psalms from the Old Testament that says “Ethiopia holds out her hands to God.”

So under King Lalibella these churches were literally sculpted out of the rock, deep in the ground.

Somehow, they believe God just simply led him to the correct locations to sculpt these churches; he picked the right solid rock to carve.  Much of the area is not appropriate, the rock is soft and easily crumbles.  Drainage is sculpted out around it so when rain comes in, it drains out down a hill.

The math and geometry that was required to build these without a mistake is what is phenomenal.  And the primitive tools used in the 12th century to do these works of art are just astounding.

It was 23 years to build all the churches.  We saw 3 of them.

Inside each one was an old priest, wrapped in long white clothes sitting watch over the church.

Inside on the walls were relief sculptings of biblical scenes.

Dye on the ceilings making various symbols and stories.

In the first church was a replica of the holy of holies area that holds a replica of the Ark of the Covenant.

The real Ark of the Covenant is believed to be in the city of Axum not far from Lalibela.  It is guarded for life by a monk.  No one is allowed in.

Not even the government.  It is too powerful for man to see.  The people here truly believe it is there.  I’d heard that there was a legend that the Ark was in Ethiopia but being here and hearing them talk about it, it seems it’s possible that it’s more than a legend.

The Sci-Fi channel was just here and our guide, Haile, was also their guide and translator.  Their program is about finding the Ark.  Here is a link to it. They went to all of the same churches we went to.

People come to these churches to worship and pray

Standing inside the dark, damp churches,

looking at the replica of the holy of holies, seeing the priest sitting on a stool, leaning on his cane, maybe napping a bit but with one eye always alert (didn’t feel like I should photograph him) – to say a prayer in here – is just…almost scary.  I wanted to say a prayer as I was the last one to walk out and onto the rest of our tour.  It was as if I could feel in my body the fear of God.  I mean the power of God, I think.  I felt a little shaky to even speak my prayer, but I could not leave here without.

So I prayed for Sally.  That she would grow and fulfill her complete potential that God had set out for her.  I feel that same physical sense of fear now as I write this – I want to say awe or power – but it really is the human emotion of fear.  Or maybe trepidation.  Of just the complete power of God  or maybe just an inkling of it.  Not a bad thing.  But maybe if I kept on with this thought I would arrive at a feeling of “Lord, have I really done all you are calling me to do.  Help me to decipher through those things that distract me from your voice each day.”

I guess it is that realization, that experience of feeling even just a tidbit of the power of God that can make us arrive at those feelings of humility and the fact that we can do nothing at all without God leading us, saving us, healing us.  And to speak to Him.  To know Him.  To listen to Him.  What more ultimate is there?
Who am I to even write this stuff.  I don’t know, but it is just bursting inside.  Maybe it is to no one.  Maybe just to you Father.  Whatever.  It doesnt really matter that I know.

It’s funny.  I just noticed that we have landed in Gondar and are now taking off again and these flight attendants have not once asked me to put away my tray table.  They clearly see me writing.  They announce on the speaker to put away your table.  And they always walk by and tell you to put it away.  But they are not.

I wonder if Selamawit will come back here some day when she is grown.  I would love to bring her here if she desires it.

I remember going to Scotland about 11 years ago, getting off the plane and putting my feel on the ground.  It was as if I could feel a grounding of home that was deep, drawing me to that earth.  I’d heard my whole growing-up years about the fact that we were from Scotland.  My father loved Braveheart.  I wish he could have visited before he died.  But I wonder how she will feel putting her feet on this soil.  Or how Luke will feel putting his feet on the soil of Russia.

I used to say that the Kenya safari that my grandfather took me on 32 years ago was the most amazing trip I have taken.  Even compared to all of Europe, parts of Southeast Asia, Mexico, Carribean, Morroco, but now Lalibela has taken that spot.  With the combination of what they call the Eighth Wonder of the World, the rock-hewn churches and the fact that it IS a holy city, the people, the beauty geographically and humanly, it is definitely the most spectacular place I have ever seen.  Father you have blessed me.

I don’t know why, but I deeply thank you.  Or maybe I do know why.  Because I seek you and love you and just like an earthly father, You want to give me the desires of my heart.  What a Father you are.  Adopting me in. You call me and I say yes, I DO want you.

And what a beautiful picture you give us Father to adopt into our own earthly family another child, not born of our blood, but added the same way we come to you.  You chose us, the way we choose Ilya (Luke) and Selamawit (Sally.)  Their agreement to come to us is given by you since they are unable to express it yet.

So this is, indeed a God assignment.  I hope we have done well.

Well this is WAY long enough.

Love you all and love hearing from you too!!

Peace: Selam

Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name
• Ethiopia Adoption-Part 8-Last Day Trip 1

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name
• Ethiopia Adoption-Part 8-Last Day Trip 1

Friday, May 13, 2011  6pm

Yesterday I found out more detail on how children are matched with adoptive parents.  Apparently Duni’s mother runs an orphanage and I guess has for years.  Remember, Duni was our adoption agency coordinator over here in Addis.  Many of these orphanages are private.  A person just decides to start one.  I thought they were government run, like they are in Russia.

This is Duni on the left and Caitlin on the right.  Duni is a mover and a shaker in Addis Ababa.  Everyone has nothing but good to say about how she gets things done.  Caitlin was our coordinator during the entire paper chase back in the United States.  She is located in DC at the agency headquarters and got to come to Addis while we were there.  She was so wonderful during that entire process.   We were excited to meet both of them.

So at some point when Duni moved back to Addis, she checked out about 10 orphanages, trying to find out which ones were on the up and up.  She decided on 2 orphanages in Addis, so those are the 2 with which our agency has a relationship.  I assume one is her mother’s.

Our birth mother, down in the Wolaita region about 7 hours south of Addis, hears that she can choose adoption for her baby.  Someone, from the US or Europe will likely adopt her and she will be loved and educated.  She takes Selamawit to a Kingdom Vision branch in Wolaita and Selamawit is then  transported to Kingdom Vision orphanage in Addis.

Kingdom Vision orphanage in Addis Ababa

Next, our adoption agency in Addis gets our paperwork that says we are requesting a girl in the age range of 10-24 months.  So Duni goes to Kingdom Vision (or the other orphanage she works with) and says, Do you have a girl aged 10-24?  They say, Yes, we just received a little girl.  So Duni chooses her (I am not sure what other factors play into her choice – if there is more than just the age).  I believe Duni will also take other children that, for whatever reason, she believes will be able to be adopted out from the Transition Home (even though they have not been matched yet.)  I heard this information from another adoptive parent.  If anyone wants to correct these details, I would be thrilled to hear from you in the comment section.

Selamawit was taken to Kingdom Vision orphanage on January 1 this year and then was moved to our agency’s Transition Home (very similar to an orphanage) on January 5.   Other agencies will do their adoptions directly from Kingdom Vision orphanage (or other orphanages) and they do not have their own Transition Home.

Entrance to our agency’s Transition Home

Over the next 7 weeks our agency works to get everything ready for Selamawit to be given to us as a referral.  Things like meeting with the birth mother to confirm her wishes, meeting with doctors to confirm her health status, etc. etc.  Finally, we received her picture at the end of February.

Knowing that God has a specific plan for each of us and that things started out for these children this way FOR A REASON is such a wild and beautiful thought.  The orchestration that God wrote for a child like this and then to watch it play out is breath-taking.  That each step along the way happened as it did.  That so many different people prayed, from us, to our friends, to our agency (yes, they do) to all of the people we met in Ethiopia (a very spiritual, God-led group of people.)

Last night

So remember, we had all 5 just arrived in Addis.  We’d been up all night on the plane and were making it through the day until we could go to sleep last night and begin the transition to this time zone.

We all went to sleep at 7pm.  Everyone immediately zonked out.  30 minutes later a waiter knocked on the door and woke us up for me to sign the ticket for the water we had ordered earlier.  Argh.  Back to sleep.  A little while later the front desk called to tell us the internet was on.  Ok.  Please no more interruptions.  Finally we sleep.

We all woke up in various stages between midnight and 2am (the 2am was me – Yea!) except Meg.  She never woke til morning.

Back to sleep at about 4am.  We were supposed to have eaten breakfast and be waiting for our guides in the lobby at 10am.  At 10am we got a call from our guide in the lobby.  We were still asleep!  Wow!  Matt went down and said we need an hour.  No big deal since we were the only family they had all day today.  So Matt had the waiter bring up cinnamon rolls and cappuccinos to our room.  Sooooo delicious.  Five big cinnamon rolls, 3 beautiful cappuccinos and 2 fantas all for $3.50 which included the tip.  Pretty amazing.

We drove over to the Transition Home.

Selamawit was asleep and we want her to heal, so we met with the doctor again while she slept.  All 5 of us crammed in her little office.  She was awesome again as she was last time.   She said Sally has had a fever for 3 days and been on an antibiotic.  She said Sally never gets anything more than a cold, but it happens to all these kids often because they are living together.  Again, she emphasized that Sally just needed individual attention, love, nutrition.  She also had blood work done so I’m happy to have that for her records.  Again, she talked about God frequently and worked it into just about everything she said.   At the end I told her she should be a doctor AND a preacher.  She is also from Walaita.

Precious Angel

Sally woke up right as we were about to leave so we stayed and played with her.

The nannies thought we were taking her today and were very, very sad.  The doctor told us the tall nanny was particularly upset that Selamawit was leaving.  Apparently Selamawit is the favorite of the doctor and her nannies.  (I’m not sure if they tell everyone that, but they sure convinced me.)  And the doctor had to tell her she must be happy that Sally is being adopted.  But it was still so sad.  So when we told her we were not taking her until Monday, she was very excited.

Wow!  Isn’t her nanny beautiful?!  I love this picture of the two of them.

She is happy now that she has one more day with Selamawit.

Next was lunch.  More Italian food.  The reason for the Italian food  is that twice the Italians tried to take over Ethiopia.  Once in the 1800′s and once in 1945.  Both times Ethiopia fought back and won.  But Italian food was here to stay.
After that was a trip up Mount Entoto.  We had quite a walk through it over rocks and extremely rough land.

Mama was a trooper.

At one point she said “Why are we going this way?”  ”Because we are going to see Menilik’s palace.”  ”Well, it better be great!”  Funny.

This is Job on the left, one of our agency guides, and the man on the right was our guide for Menelik’s palace.

As we left we had about 30 small bags of M&Ms.  We gave a few to some little boys outside our bus window and a ton of other children and even their mothers came up fighting for the rest.  It was a sight. And again so sad. Both my mom and I were totally teared up.

The view of Addis Ababa from Mount Entoto.

Job and David, our driver, as we headed down the mountain.

As we made our way down the mountain I asked Job if it would be ok to stop at the next woman walking down the mountain with the huge pack of sticks on her back, and take a picture and pay her.  He said yes.  The next woman we came to was probably 50 or so.  Older.  She looked exhausted.  I was glad we came upon an older woman who we could bless.  I’m thinking she should be home tending to her flock and not doing such hard, back-breaking  labor.  But this is another world that is very hard to understand. Our surface observations are somewhat meaningless.

I gave her 100 birr.  $5.  That was a lot.  She normally would have made 1/2 that lugging that pack down the hill which took her all day to go up, cut, pile together and walk back down to Addis to sell as firewood.  Teared up again.

Saw this sign heading back in to town.  Thank goodness.

Moving On

Turns out at this point we have no hotel reservations for Monday through Thursday of next week.  Really?  I thought this was all arranged.  As I was working out leaving our luggage here while we go to Lalibela tomorrow, we realized the hotel wasn’t booked.   The guides said they would figure it all out while we are gone. I know God must have something wonderful planned!  How is that for positive? :)

Back in our room getting ready for bed.

Tomorrow morning we get up at 5am, leave here at 5:30 for a 7:30am departure for Lalibela.  It’s a 2 hour flight north. Yonas arranged for Hiley to be our guide. He says he is the best guide in Lalibela. He will be with us the entire time from airport and back again.  All transportation, guiding us through the rock-hewn churches, admission fees, etc is $4000 birr. That is $200 for all 5 of us.  $40/each. Not bad for 24 hours of care on the other side of the world.

Goat for dinner

Tonight we ate dinner in the hotel. I wanted the chicken curry, but I thought I should try the local dish so I got some kind of Ethiopian goat meat dish with injera bread. Not so good.  Oh well.
Time for bed.

Love, Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name
• Ethiopia Adoption-Part 8-Last Day Trip 1

May 11, 2011  Noon

We are all 5, Matthew, Emma and Meg (our daughters 13 and 10,) my mother and I, in our seats on Ethiopian Airlines about to depart Washington DC straight, nonstop, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  A 13 hour flight.

From Oklahoma City you must do a 16 hour layover to connect to the flight in DC to Ethiopia.  So we decided to take an extra day and do the highlights in DC for our daughters.  Perfect school, especially since we did American History this year.

May 9th we arrived at our hotel at about 6pm, had a nice Thai dinner and then went to bed early.  The next morning we left our airport hotel at 8:30am,

took a bus to the closest Metro station (subway)

and rode it into the mall area in DC.

We went to the Smithsonian Castle,

the Air and Space Museum,

Actual Wright Brothers plane.  That’s cool!

the National Gallery of Art.

Then we met a family friend, Hope Russell, at Old Ebbits Grill for lunch.  Next we saw the Washington,

World War II,

Lincoln

and Jefferson Memorials.

I had never seen the WWII or the Jefferson Memorials.

So impressive.  My grandfather, my mother’s father, was a doctor in Guadalcanal during WWII.

It was a very full day!

Sitting on the floor of the Lincoln Memorial.  We were beat!

It was all uneventful this morning getting to the airport.  It was nice to know our way everywhere this time.

Getting on the plane, being around all these African people, I am reminded  that I really love Africa.  Matt does too.  I hope we can return many times.

Everyone is settled now watching movies.  Sounds good to me.

Cutie pie!

Morning

Well, neither my mother, Meg nor I slept at all.  Matt and Emma did.  But I’ve had some of that good Ethiopian coffee so I’m feeling pretty fair right now.  We land in 30 minutes.

Not sure where we are staying.  I requested that we be put on the lower floors so my mom wouldn’t have to walk up all the stairs.  The reply I got to that was that they put us in a different guest house.  Really?  But I want the same guest house.  I told my mom and she said, oh I can do the stairs fine.  So then I told them and they say we are confirmed in the other guest house.  Ok, but if you can change it back to the original one, that would be great.  It is a known quantity and quite nice.  Like the breakfast area, our rooms, wifi.  Well, God has this too!

6pm

After landing, getting visas, changing money, going through customs, getting bags, and putting through X-ray, we finally get to reunite with David and Yonas.

We had another couple with us that we met on the plane who are also adopting with our same agency.  We have really enjoyed them.  Rob is a pastor in North Carolina.  They adopted their first in Russia, the second in Ethiopia and now their third, also in Ethiopia.  2 boys and now a girl.  This is their first trip.
They are staying at Yebsabi and we are staying at a different place.  Ok.  Lets be positive.

Well, it turns out we love our new hotel.

It is more hotelish than the guest house.  Is up on a hill with a view, has an outdoor cafe looking out to the view.

Our rooms connect and are on the 1st floor.  Beds are bigger and more comfortable.  We are very happy to be here.

Thank you God!  I should have been positive from the start that you had something even better planned for us.

So after getting into our rooms, we force ourselves to stay up, have a nice lunch with our new friends then head to the Transition Home.   This is Rob and Candy’s first time to meet their daughter who is 22 months.  She and Selamawit are in the same room.  They are also both from the Wolayta region.

My mom and I both teared up watching and filming for them their first meeting with their daughter.  Such a moment for people.

Selamawit had a fever this morning so when we arrived they had just taken her to the clinic to have blood drawn.  We waited about 30 minutes to see her.  She was a bit listless.  Could tell she didn’t feel good.

Ma got bit on her face by buffalo gnats right before we left the states.  That’s why it’s red.  It was that way most of the trip.  Oh well.  We joked about telling people she got beat up, but never did :-)

I could hear a rumbly chest again.  These kids get sick in these orphanages all the time.  She was not teething as much this time.

We, the girls and my mom were, of course, very thrilled to see her.

My girls!

We just all sat on the front porch again and hung out.  Matt could tell she had grown.

After that we came back to the hotel.  Had some homemade Tiramisu from our cafe and are now in various stages of going to sleep.  Hoping it goes well.

My mom has to be on arm hold (mostly with me) everywhere we go.  We cannot have her falling on this trip!

Everywhere we go, the roads, sidewalks, driveways, stairs and paths are all pretty uneven, so we really have to be careful.

That is some serious uneven stuff!

Tomorrow the plan is to go to the Transition House in the morning to have our final visit with the doctor and then we will take the girls and my mom back up Mount Entoto.  It’s a must-see along with the traditional Ethiopian dinner and dancing.  The next day we fly to Lalibela for an overnight and then back to get our girl.

Night Night.
Love, Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name
• Ethiopia Adoption-Part 8-Last Day Trip 1

Flummoxing. 6 weeks after coming home with Sally. Selamawit. She is precious, happy and a good eater. The sleeping has me off kilter though. Yes, it is a gap year. A new baby born or adopted, a major move. It’s a gap year. My friends and I have clearly decided it takes a full year. Not 3 months. Not 6 months. But a full year to find that “new normal” and get back in a stride. But oh how difficult this gap year can be.

I am supposed to relax. To just focus on getting our new little girl acclimated and adjusted to a new life. No. That’s not right. There is every other element of life that must carry on too. I am thankful that its summer and I’m not worrying much about any sort of school. A little here and there on my mind. Emma has to learn some latin words to prepare for her new class this fall. Meg needs to learn her times tables. The boys. Just read. Heavy sigh.

So the sleeping. I am falling asleep about 12:30-1am. And waking up between 8-9am. With a little dark brown baby beside me. And that is pure joy. But then the day moves on. Matt has been up and working since 5 or 6 am. He has taken the big 4 kids on a walk/run in the neighborhood. Thank you Lord they are getting exercise.

By the time Sally and I are downstairs, much of the day has happened it seems. By the time I have a cup of tea, take my supplements and eat a bowl of cereal it is after 10am. Now what? Well, we could swim. We do have a pool and it is summer. Ok, get your bathing suits on. The next day. Now what? Uhh. I have a ton of stuff on my desk I must get to. Phone calls. Appointments. The bills. You guys just play the Wii. Or watch TV. Ugh. Nooooo. I want to throw the TVs out. They are satanic. A few good things. But the bad outweighs the good.

But for now. Watch tv. Guilt tries to climb up on my back. Brush it off. Pray. God please fill in these gaps that I cannot.

And then….and then…what about God? Oh my gosh. What about God? What about the time I NEED to spend with Him every morning? What about the time I need to talk about him EVERY DAY with my children? Where is it God? Help me find it please! Force me to do nothing else but that Father!!!

Every day I think – what should I do? How should I get back on track with this? And then the dailyness of the day ensues. People are hungry. People need clean clothes to wear. What are we going to eat for dinner tonight? Much less how are we helping these little people develop character, learn and know their Maker.

A shift, Oh Lord. A drive with the man you gave me. Escape for the moment from this Truman Show. A new visual. A change. A drive home. A speech from my in-house encourager. It’s time. Time to get back on track dear one. Oh no. Really? But my relief is late at night. When no one is awake. I can read in the dark and try to find my way.

Order. Praying for something simple now. 6am. That’s all.

I’m up. All is quiet. I read Your Word. 45 minutes of straight You Lord. So sublime. So powerful. Finding order in my days Lord. The quest now. And again.

YOU ordered the universe. Order is a part of You. If I order my days correctly with You at the very beginning – then I’m thinking you will help the rest fall into place. Yes. A simple concept. A basic spiritual law of the Universe.

Order in space. Order in snowflakes. Order in the law of sow and reap.

Chaos is the antithesis. Chaos is devilish. Chaos evokes evil. Anger. Murder and death. Anger toward my children because I haven’t gotten up early to be with You first. I haven’t ordered my day and a simple spiritual law has been defied. Ignored.

All the way to chaos in governments. Anger, pride, ego. That lead to war and death because, dear Lord, they have not sought you first. I pray for this country Lord – that at our next national elections – You/we would put into office men and women that understand how to order their days. To seek you first each day. To know that world order will not be accomplished without You at the helm. Amen in your Son’s name.

Thank you Lord for these days.

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• No Related Post

Emma, my mom, Matt and Meg

Journal entries from our 2nd trip to Ethiopia in May 2011

May 5, 2011

Hi all,
Well, the big day is upon us.  We are leaving this Monday, May 9th for Ethiopia.  We are taking our 2 daughters, Emma 13, and Meg 10 and also my mother.  My mom was a last minute addition.  It was actually Matt’s idea.  He thought she would have fun.  She took about 30 seconds to decide when I asked her.  So we should have quite the adventure!

We returned home from the first trip on March 31.  We waited and waited for the call that our paperwork had been submitted to the US Embassy.  Once it is submitted you KNOW that, barring anything unusual, you will be cleared within 10 days.  But you never know WHEN that paperwork will be submitted.

Names and Dates

So it was all very interesting that we found out it had been submitted on April 20.  That happens to be my mother’s younger sister, Sallie’s, birthdate.  Sallie died when she was 7 years old.  It was a horrible tragedy.  I truly do not know how a family continues on after something like this.  God bless them all greatly who have had a child die.

What a precious little girl.   Her name means “beloved.”

1 – She is who we are naming our new little girl after.  I was thinking it sure would be cool if our paperwork was submitted on her birthdate.  I was waiting on that day.  Checking for phone calls.  Checking my email.  The day ended and no word.  The next day, April 21st, I got the call.  The paperwork had been submitted yesterday.  Yeehaw!  I knew God would do on it on her birthdate!  Such a sign!

2 – Then this.  Selamawit’s birthdate, we were told, was October 30, though nobody seems to be sure.  When I pursued getting a firm birthdate, I was told, well, it might be November 7.  On the video we received from the birth mother interviewed by the social worker, she said she thought it was November 7, but it was definitely a Monday.

Well, neither October 30 nor November 7 are on a Monday, so we don’t really know which day it was.  The Ethiopian calender is completely different from ours.  And they put very little emphasis on dates.  More on seasons.   (That is actually kind of cool.  Probably makes for a slower life pace not being concerned about the day, or the time or the minute or the second!)  The adoption agency is putting October 30 on her birth certificate, because that was what they were told at some point.  So here is the kicker.

Sallie, my mother’s sister, went to be with Jesus on November 7.  I did not know that until a couple of weeks ago.  Yet, another sign regarding the name.

3 – In addition, about 6 months ago, before we ever knew about Selamawit, Matt and I were driving around.  For over a year we had been tossing name ideas around.   Neither of us had agreed on the other’s ideas yet.  All of a sudden I said “I know what we can name her!  Sally!”  Matt said “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”  Then I said, “But wait, we have to find out what her Ethiopian name will be and then name her something that will work with that.”  ”Yeah, you’re right.”  So that was that.

Now something you have to know is, up to now, I (and maybe others in our family though I don’t want to speak for them) had been a little nerval about naming a child Sally because of what happened to our mother’s sister.  But, all I can say is, supernaturally, all of a sudden, I seemed to be ok with it.  It just seemed to be the right thing to do.  Which said to me –  Yes, that is what this child’s name is supposed to be.

Then when we found out her name was Selamawit, Sally seemed like a perfect nickname.  We would leave her name as Selamawit legally, but call her Sally.  Another sign.

4 – Also, twice, when I told people that her name was Selamawit, they said “You should call her Sally.”  Oooo.  That’s a biggie.  The signs just keep coming!

A Dedication

So this particular April 20th of 2011 was a very special day.  It was on that day, a few weeks ago, my mom, my mom’s brother and his wife from Louisiana and my sisters and I attended a library dedication in Sallie’s name in Oklahoma City where she attended Wilson grade school back in the 1940′s.

My sister Evie and I at the top.  2nd row is my Uncle Bill, Aunt Margaret, my mom, other sister Louisa and her two boys, Rucks and Ed.  Bottom row is my daughter Emma, niece Amelia and daughter Meg.

We sat with the current 2nd grade classes (since she was in 2nd grade when she died) and listened to several people speak about it all.

My sister, Louisa on the left; my mother and her brother handing out new books to the 2nd grade class.

My sister, Louisa, organized this whole thing.  It was very, very emotional for everyone though I think healing for my mother and her brother.

Love this picture!  My mother, Peggy, and her brother, Bill.

My mom looking at the school’s scrap book from the 1940′s identifying her sister’s pictures.  Meg looking on.

Afterward, we visited Sallie’s and my grandparents graves.

We had a wonderful time visiting all day.  I don’t think we had seen my aunt and uncle or his family for 6 years.  They live down in southern Louisiana. We love them dearly and wish we saw them more often!

A New Day

How strange, I think, that this dedication, this day of very special family togetherness happened right between our two trips to Ethiopia.   And this particular day was the day we’d been waiting with bated breath to find out if our paperwork would be submitted to the embassy.  And my mother would be traveling with us to Ethiopia to get Sally.  To see where she came from.

With all of these synchronous happenings, I just think it is all about a completion, a fulfillment of sorts.  I don’t know.  I think God has something in the works.

Moving On

I hope to send frequent emails, though with more people on this trip and of course once Sally-girl is with us, it may be a little more difficult, but I do want these for her journal, so I AM motivated!

And we definitely will be coveting prayers as we travel.  There is a travel alert after the Osama thing.  Not worried about it.  Just praying.

We will be spending an extra day in Washington DC on the way there to show our girls around.  And then taking an overnight trip to Lalibela, Ethiopia to see the rock-hewn churches.

They say if you go to Ethiopia, you can’t miss it.  After that we will pick up Miss Sally, meet with the Embassy and head home.  We will be gone for 13 days.  See you soon.

Love, Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption-Part 8-Last Day Trip 1

Friday, April 1, 2011  9pm  Addis Ababa Airport

Right now we are sitting on the floor in the gate area where our plane will take off in about an hour.

This morning we had our usual breakfast with various other adoptive parents.  We have an omelet every day with cheese and veggies.  There is a cute chef (like little-old-man- cute) that makes a great omelet.  Matt asked if he would like a good knife when we come back and he said Yes!  and a pan too?  Sure!

Shopping

Matt was feeling really yucky today.  Cramping stomach and diarrhea.  But he was being tough.  We met Job in the lobby at 10am.  He took us shopping at some wonderful streets shops.  We bought everything we needed in just a couple of places.  I bought a traditional dress for me and one for Sally.  I’m going to let the girls pick their own out when we come back if they want to.  Got some Ethiopian crosses, purses, knives, t-shirts, dolls.  That’s mainly it.

Sleep babe

During the middle of the shopping time Matt started feeling so bad we stopped in a little restaurant.  He went to the bathroom and it was a hole in the ground.  Suffice it to say, he was not enjoying himself.  Finally he just had to go back to the room to sleep.  So they called David to pick him up and Job and I shopped a little more.

Matt was hesitant to give me the money (sort of) because he knew I’d be giving it away to all the people coming up to us begging.  So, secretly, I was glad he left because then I did! :)  Really just to several.  You would get mobbed if others saw you doing it too much.  They tell you not to do it, but …..  The Bible says the poor will always be with us, so we have to help.

Little boys

So there was this little boy whose face was mauled probably by hyenas.  That happens.  It happened to the cousin’s boy we knew that was adopted from here.  This boy today  was probably 7 years old.  He kept coming up to me.  Finally after Matt was gone I gave him 100 birr.   Most people might give 10 birr or less.  Job watched him after he ran off and he was looking at it and couldn’t believe it was 100.  Job said you just made his day.  So precious.  There were a few more instances like that.  100 birr is only about $5, but that is ALOT here.

Last visit

After shopping I went to lunch with the rest of the families.  Lasagna and ice-cream with chocolate syrup.  Then back to check on Matt.  He was asleep, so then I went to visit Sally for the last time.  Lots of people with their children on the porch today.  It was so fun.  The bonding the parents have all done has been wonderful.

Sally was awake and playing the whole time.

Today I took our 5 boxes of Russell Stovers candy to the America World staff in their offices  across the street (alley) from the Transition Home.  Then I had forgotten we were supposed to give Nanny gifts too.  But I had about 5 sealed Burts Bees lipsticks so I gave that to them and they loved it.  Today for the first time I hung out with about 3 of the nannies for a while taking pictures, etc.

They were so funny kissing me and hugging me and wanting this picture and that picture.

Wonderful women.  That’s a plus!

Do we stay or do we go?

At 5pm we headed back to our Guest House.  Matt was just stirring.  We had to leave for the airport at 7pm. He still wasn’t sure if he could travel yet, but I thought, I’m packing anyway.  If we stay another day or two, that’s ok.  At about 6pm he decided to go.  Then I started getting stomach cramps and the whole 9 yards.

Anyway, we got to the plane.  David was so enamored with my new Iphone case that is also a charger.  I think it’s call mophie-something.  So I gave it to him and he was thrilled.  So wonderful to bless these precious people.

The letter

We found out at about 4pm today that our MOWA letter came through!  That is a great sign.  So many people are delayed in that area.  I talked to Duni after that and suggested she send the letters that I sent in to the judge to expedite everything also to the passport office, the birth certificate office and the Embassy.  She will and she made it sound like we could be heading back even in a couple of weeks.  I bet it’s a month at the outside.

Time to get in baby mode

I now have a ton to do.  We have no baby stuff.  We need a crib, clothes, changing table, diapers, bottles, etc etc.  That will be fun!  We also have to get things that some of the staff requested like a good quality thermos for one guy.  I’m thinking Coleman maybe.  Also a charger case for the ITouch.  Not sure if they even make those.  Some books for another.  And they are going to email me with the rest of their requests.  You bond with your guides a lot so you really want to help them get whatever they need from the US.

The language

I learned 3 words.  The language is very difficult and it took me all week to remember how to say Thank You. Yes is “ow.”  No is “alpha legum.”  Thank you is “ameseganalew.”  People love it when you even stumble through trying to speak their language.  And Addis Ababa is pronounced like this:  A-deez (the first a is a short a) Ah-bah-bah (there is no emphasis on any syllable in the last word.  They are all equally spoken).  Doesn’t that sound African now? :)

That’s it for now.  Time to sleep on the plane.  Will let you know when we return to Ethiopia.

Love and Peace,

Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption -- Lalibela -- A Holy City -- Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption -- Pt 10 -- Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 -- The Name

Thursday, March 31, 2011  10pm

Thursday, March 31, 2011  10pm

Quick summary of recent Ethiopian history.  Emperor Menelik reunited Ethiopia in the  late 1800′s from existing as many smaller kingdoms.  He died about 1915.  Hailie Selassie came to power and was in power until 1974 as Emperor.  He was liked by some because he did a lot of good for the country, but not by others because he was a monarchist. In fact, Rastafarians believe he was the messiah.   Then after a coup d’ etat,  and Hallie Selasie being killed by suffocation with a pillow by a communist, the Communists took over in 1974 and they ruled for 17 years.  It has since been a democracy, (I believe through another take over of some sort) though it is not much of one.  Not particularly free elections.  No one can own property, they lease it from the government.

This morning after breakfast we went to the Transition House to hang out with Sally.

We were there about 2 1/2 hours.

We played on the front porch again for about 20 minutes, then she started yawning and fell asleep. She slept on my chest for 2 hours.

I wonder when the last time she did that was?  So sweet.

Coping Mechanisms

As we were sitting there, one of the other moms said she had read a book about international adoption and they categorized adopted children into 4 categories.  The Sleeper, the dizzy performer and I can’t remember the other 2, but the point was she bet that Sally was a sleeper.  Her friend adopted a girl Sally’s age from Ethiopia and the first part of her new life she slept all the time.  It is her mechanism for coping with the change, the shock to the system, everything going on mind, body and spirit.

I know that sleep is the number 1 thing for any kind of healing so I love that.  She does have some healing to do.

Leaving

It wasn’t as hard to leave Luke for 3 months between trips in Russia because #1 we always new there would be 2 trips and #2 he had lived there since birth and so there was no unknown history of the first entire year of his life. #3 His physical needs of food, shelter and medical care were well taken care of, though not the love and attention of a family.

With Sally, the scars on her stomach, the unknown first 14 months of life, her wariness and/or distrust of people and her small stature described as malnutrition makes you wonder what went on.  I have no doubt in the least little bit that she will fully recover and be everything God intended her to be.  So I’m not worried.  It’s just my human/mothering protective side wanting to come out and take charge!

More food!

Next we had lunch with all the families again and yea! they had Ethiopian food.  So good.  That yummy injera bread.  They also had western food for those who wanted it.

Next a trip to Mt. Entoto

This is where Menelik resided and built his palace and founded Addis Ababa.

All the way up this mountain you would see woman after woman carrying huge bundles of sticks and branches that weighed about 80lbs.

The width across their backs of these bundles was probably 10 feet wide at least and the diameter of the bundles was about 3 feet.  Quite a site.  This is how they make a living.

At the top was the ancient Christian Orthodox Church.

They are in fasting now leading up to Easter.

They do not eat meat, dairy, or alcohol at all.

They do not eat breakfast or lunch, but they do eat dinner after 3pm.  They go to the church and stand outside around it, here and there, and pray for the 2 1/2 hour service that ends about 3pm. Inside there is a guy singing these songs on a loud speaker the whole time.  It’s quite a site.

You really have to be careful taking any pictures here in Ethiopia.

You always have to ask, but sometimes you really don’t even want to ask.  It’s somewhat insulting.  But then you can recognize those times that they would love for you to take their pictures and pay them for it, so we did some of that.  Children running every where wanting things from you.  They had a few small gift shacks.  I bought Sally a gold metal ethiopian cross and a wooden one both about 10-12 inches tall.  Will put that in her special box.

Ethiopia in the Bible

There was a small museum next to the church that we were guided through.  Clothes that previous emperors had worn, old parchment bibles, ancient gifts to leaders from other countries, etc.  (no pictures allowed.)  There was a key verse on one picture, Psalm 68:31.  I just looked it up and it is this:  ”Princes shall come out of Egypt;  Ethiopia shall hasten to stretch out her hands (with the offerings of submission) to God.”  That is from the amplified bible.

Last Night Out

Tonight Matt, Yonas and I went out to dinner.  He took us to a Beer Garden.

It was their microbrewery. They made a light and a dark.  We had a beer and dinner.  Yonas was telling us there are really no street names. You just tell a taxi you want to go to a certain place or somewhere that is near a certain landmark.

We had a wonderful dinner mostly talking about Ethiopian history and culture.  He was curious about lots of things about America.

Colors

One thing I have noticed here and it is sort of just becoming a formed idea today, is that there is no racism. Skin color seems to be irrelevant to them.   I started to realize that the first 5 minutes we were here when I was explaining to the birth mother that our good friends have dark skin and after I said it,  I sensed it was a stupid thing to say.   Hopefully Yonas knew and didnt translate it.  I was worried that she would worry that her daughter would be dark brown in our light brown house.  I really think that was the furthest thing from her mind.  And I see the same thing after spending these days with our guides.  So refreshing.  Update: they ARE surprised that people think about skin color.  Here the conflict is between the various ethnic groups.

Of course we have our  history of slavery.  There was slavery in Ethiopia too, but mostly in a domestic way, in the homes, not in outside farming or producing something.  And, of course,  today’s slavery, child trafficking, is a major problem. The Ministry of Womens Affairs (MOWA) is in charge of trying to figure out ways to improve it.

Tomorrow is our last day.  Our plane leaves at 10:15pm.  We will do some shopping and  hang out with Sally one last time.  Pray for me on that one :)

Love and peace,

Allison

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name

March 30, 2011  Wednesday  10:30pm

So this morning the big decision was, do I wear mascara or not? Am I going to cry during or after court, or not?  I did in Russia, but I think maybe a big part of that was court was very stressful there.  It was probably around 45 minutes with essay questions and we were prepped with lots of things that we needed to say.  I was writing acronyms on my hand to remember everything.  So it was sort of a release, partly, when that was over.

Just say “Yes”

We have heard this time it will be about 6 questions and the correct answer to all of them is “Yes.”  And that we will only be in there a few minutes.  So, this time I’m really not stressed at all.  I choose to wear mascara.

Time to go

At 9:30am we head to the courthouse.  Dressed up.  I actually have the same dress I wore to the Russian court and Matt has on his same tie.   They pull the van up to that same totally nondescript, narrow, maybe 5-story building without even a sign in front, courthouse.  Here we are, they say.  Oh, ok.  Is this it?  Right then, we watch 12 prisoners, 2×2 in handcuffs walk into the door we are about to walk into.  Oh wow!  Ok.  I find myself being just a little jumpy in Addis now.  I feel like I could totally see a riot breaking out on any street corner.  And I don’t even watch the news that much.

Still nerval (my dad always used to say “nerval and excital” and it made me laugh)

Finally later tonight I ask Matt, “am I being silly to be sort of jumpy and a little scared around here.”  No not at all he said.  I mean I have traveled a lot.  The closest I might have come to being nervous somewhere was Thailand or Morocco or Mexico, but honestly I wasn’t scared in any of those places.  They seemed totally safe.  Matt was reminding me that this country is in total poverty.  The average daily wage is $1.  Chaos reigns here so even though it seems ok now, there is potential when you have those kinds of characteristics.  And add to that, the pick-pocket experience yesterday.

About to walk into court.

We head up those 3 flights of stairs again.  Out of breath.  I see that there is an elevator, but it doesn’t work.

Waiting

We go back into that same 20×20 bare room with chairs around the edges and a big window looking out on Addis.  There are about 35 people in there.  We and 2 others seem to be the only non-Ethiopian people in there.  We sit down and just about everybody is staring at us.  The judge is not there yet.  We end up waiting for a good 30-45 minutes.  Job is with us today.  A different guide.  So he and Matt sit there and talk about the Ethiopian culture, different ethnic groups, the languages, etc. etc.  Everyone else was pretty quiet.

Be calm

I found out that yes, everyone in there WAS there for something adoption related.  Birth parents and adoptive parents.  And all those people in there on Monday were there for the same thing.  Surprising.  That is all this judge does.  So that explains why everyone was staring at us.  Many, if not most perhaps, might have been wondering if we were going to be the new parents of their child.  That’s heavy.  Matt was texting a lawyer friend about the beer in Ethiopia.  Great.  Trying not to get uptight.   I’m worried we aren’t even supposed to have cell phones in there, but then I realize several people are looking at their cell phones, so I pull mine out and try to be involved in it.  I had to do something.

Simpler times

Sitting there you get the feeling that this is more like it was when judges began back in Moses’ day.  For us, it is so modern all about rules and procedure and briefs and motions, but here it seems like just a bunch of people hanging out, quickly in and out of the judges chambers, trying to get someone to just tell them what to do.  Matt agreed with that assessment.

Our Turn

Finally we are called in with the court coordinator who Job hands us off to.  A young man.  The judge’s office is very small.  Long and narrow.  She is behind a metal desk.  We sit in 2 chairs in front and to the side.  Matt is closer to her.  The court coordinator sits sort of behind us.

She asks us, You have other children?  Yes.  How do they feel about this adoption?  They are very excited about it.  Why Ethiopia?  Matt answered all these questions.  On this one he tells her a story about a cousin who adopted a boy from Ethiopia that we sat with at a wedding 5 years ago.  We were so impressed with him.  He was about 15, etc.  You have met Selamawit?  Yes.  You wish to adopt her?  Yes.  You realize that after today there is no way, not matter what, that this decision can be changed?  Yes, we understand.  And you still wish to adopt her?  Yes.

That was it.  At that point I added a few comments about how interested we had been in this country for quite a while.  She smiled and thanked us.  We thanked her and left.  She was probably in her  40′s and very pretty.  Serious, busy, somewhat demure, and kind.

Now what?

We walked out into the hall and talked to Job and the coordinator.  They spoke Amharic, the major language, and then Job translated to me.  I wanted to know since we had expedited, could we expedite the rest?  What about the MOWA letter?  Was it here?  No.  Not yet.  But he expects it today or tomorrow.  I said we need to make a decision about whether to stay or go.

As we walk out of the building, Job tells me what I really already knew, but was still trying to pursue.  The judge has no power in these other areas.  Once we get that MOWA letter it will be about a month until our Embassy interview.  There is just no way around it.  Ok.  That’s fine.  We go home this Friday night.  We come back probably in about a month with the girls.

A Bigger Plan

I really do think God has a plan  and it is important for these girls lives to see Ethiopia and where Sally is from.

Intellectually, I’m glad it is settled and it’s ok, though emotionally I can’t stand leaving her here.  She is starting to bond with us this week and now we are going to leave her, just like her mother did.  Abandonment issues.  I just have to hand this over to God and know that it will be ok.

Let’s Eat

Next we head to lunch with the rest of the families.  There are about 30 of us at the table this time.  Again it is western food.  Mexican.  I really do think Matt and I are the rare ones that would prefer to eat Ethiopian every meal.  It’s ok though.  We have great conversations with everyone.

One mom that just came in this morning was about to meet her 2 new children, about ages 5 and 6 AND the birth mother.  She was asking all about my meeting.  She was very nervous.  Of course, as I start to tell the story, 3 of us all burst into tears again.  My goodness, I’m getting tired of crying, but this whole trip the tears are just at the edge of popping out every time I turn around.  Whether it’s just with Sally or seeing other children without parents or seeing new families meet their children for the first time, or seeing the total poverty of this city and the real meaning of “scratching out a living”  right in my face.

To see Sally again

After lunch we go to the transition house with a different new mom that just arrived.  Husband couldn’t come.  She was also seeing her 5 year old for the first time.  And a couple who were seeing their children for the second time, though Matt and I had not seen them.  So we three families hung out on the porch of the transition home all afternoon playing with our children and watching the 30 older children out on the playground.

The little 5 year old girl who had never seen this woman was brought out to the porch.  The nanny holding her hand.  The nanny pointed to her new mom.  The other couple was taking pictures for her.  And that little girl went right up to her with open arms and a huge smile and just hugged her right away.  She finally got a mommy.  Ok.  I’m crying again right now.  Oh it is just such a sight.  She’s known for a long time that children meet these people that look a little different.  They play with a certain child and then that child leaves with these people.  They know what is going on and they want it too.

Time to be pampered

Around 5pm we left and the van dropped me off with Job at the spa.  Oh boy.  I spent the next 3 hours there getting a pedicure, then manicure, then massage.

My only picture from the spa

Each thing was an hour.  The total bill was $43.  Everything was excellent!  A perfect french manicure and pedicure by an about 55 year old woman who really knew what she was doing and also an awesome massage.  Verging on the hard side, but very, very good.  She called me madam.  Sweet woman.

**For those of you reading this to your children, you might want to read the rest first and then decide whether to read it or not.  Don’t want to scare anyone.

It’s dark outside again

Before my massage several other moms, that were there too, were heading back to the guest house.  I saw them and they said the driver would come back and get me when I was done.  He was a new guy that I did not recognize.  I thought “I hope I recognize him.”  So when I was done at 8pm it was dark outside.  The lady at the register said your driver is outside.  Ok.  I walk out, in the dark, alone and see about 10 drivers and tons of cars.  Ugh.  Where the heck is he?  A few come up and ask if I need a taxi.  No.  Then he comes up and in very broken english says “Adoptive parent?”  Yes! But many white people like me are, so I said, were are you going?  I wasn’t going to tell him.  I needed him to prove he was the right guy.  He said the right guest house.  Ok.  lets go.

Taking Notes

Jumpy again and now, damn, I’m alone and its dark and we aren’t supposed to go out in the dark.  He locks the doors.  I decide to take exact notes on my iphone (and pray) of where we are going in case he is going to kidnap me.  Then I can just email it to someone, assuming there is wireless.  Unlikely, but just in case, you know.  I know my mind is racing, but I thought that was smart. :)  A few blocks.  Big shopping center. Turn right.  Left at tall light and pointed roof.  2 blocks.  Curve right.  Pass Malawi Embassy.  Turn left.  Around a circle to a 90 degree right. Pass Addis Guest House on left.  Digital studio on right.  Ahhhh there is my sign.  Yea!

Really?  Seriously?

Matt has been hanging out doing not much for 3 hours.  He and Yonas got their wires crossed and never hooked up.  He is bored and hungry.  Ugh.  I know he is going to want to go out.  And it’s dark!  I am hungry too though.  He said he talked to another couple and it is safe to just walk back down to that street of shops, head left, go 2 blocks and there is a nice restaurant.  Ok.  I’ve been pampered and he has been waiting.  I will go.

And it is scary again

You can see people checking you out all the time.  You feel like they are trying to walk close to you to grab something or mess with you.  We walk fast, holding hands and finally get to the restaurant.  Relief.  It’s sort of a thatched roof-type place.   A big open fire grill they are cooking on. Looks like some upstanding people eating there.  About 5 tables of people.  I feel safe.  It’s a local place.  All Ethiopians and sounded like one table of french people.

Potential is in the air

We have a very nice dinner and great conversation about this country, about maybe sending in our dossier again to adopt again.  Who knows.  We both seem open to it, though we want to give Sally a good chance at being the new baby.

The route home

At the end of dinner Matt plans out our strategy for walking home so that when we turn the corner to the alley to go to our guest house, we have the best chance for not being followed.  Heavy sigh.  Ok, lets do it.  Part of it is not appearing afraid.  Pray again.  The streets are almost deserted now.  We walk by about 4 or 5 obvious prostitutes.  They want to talk.  Are we there, are we there?  Not yet.  Ah, there it is.  Matt also had a flashlight.  He was really watching all around us.  We get there, bang on the tall metal gate and we’re in!

The gate to our guest house.  Of course, this is during the day with the guest house behind me.

A close up showing outside the gate.  As if you needed my “play by play”

And a look at the vans we drove around in.

Time for bed.  Not sure what tomorrow holds.  Love you all!!

Allison

PS  We will not be walking on those streets with the girls on the next trip says Matt, day or night.

PSS We find out later that prostitution is legal.  I would think so.  It IS a way for these women to make a living.

Tweet This Post

You might like one of these posts too.

• Ethiopia Adoption – Lalibela – A Holy City – Part 12
• Ethiopia Adoption Video of Trip #1
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 11
• Ethiopia Adoption – Pt 10 – Back to Africa!
• Ethiopia Adoption Part 9 – The Name