THANK YOU for the donations!

Food Processor - I'd like one of these!

What we brought

Some of what we bought

Yes, that is a Calgary Flames shirt on a worker at the teff grinding mill. We'll have to bring them some Oilers shirts next time :-)

This was only a bit over 100kg...there were 2 more bags.

We were really overwhelmed with the support that so many of you gave us. From donating items to our garage sale, purchasing things you probably didn't need at our garage sale, giving money, to donating items for the orphanage, etc. we were so impressed by the generosity of our friends and family. With your help, we were able to donate the following to 3 different orphanages:

• 300kg of teff (teff is the staple grain in Ethiopia, used to make injera)
• 35L of oil
• 10 cans of baby formula
• Cereal (Corn Flakes and oatmeal)
• Food Processor with blender (they have over 60 kids to prepare meals for each day)
• Tons of clothing in all sizes
• Blankets
• Sheets
• Over 40 pairs of crocs and shoes
• Children's Medicine (various items donated by a kind soul in Edmonton)
• Medical supplies we bought there - gauze, Q-tips, hydrogen peroxide, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, etc.
• 100 bars of laundry soap
• 2 digital ear thermometers
• 1 box of photocopy paper
• 2 large bags of rice

Thank you sooo much. I know this will make a difference in many lives!

Thoughts on our trip

I was just hit with the flu so I haven't updated as much as I've wanted to but I'm on the mend now. I've had some time over the past while to think about our trip...and about Ethiopia in general...here are some things I've learned:

• I really like Ethiopia. This probably sounds dumb, but I was scared that it would be smelly and that the food would be gross and that I'd get sick...but it was nothing like that. Sure, there were some obviously bad smells near certain gutters, or by garbage dumps, but mostly it was a pleasant smell. It reminded me of camping (which I like), since there are so many little fires being used for cooking, etc. The food was quite good - we had traditional Ethiopian food twice and it was actually pretty good, and there were always good pasta options at every restaurant. The food at the guest house was great and I didn't get sick at all.
• They have great fruit in Ethiopia. I wasn't expecting to have such fresh pineapple, mango, papaya, bananas, etc. all grown in Ethiopia. The fruit we get in Canada has been picked before it's ripe, and doesn't have as much flavour - the fruit in Ethiopia was great. I had a huge fruit salad every day at the guest house, and enjoyed the 100% fruit juices at various restaurants
• I love their coffee ceremonies. I don't really like coffee...unless it's a latte, but Ethiopian coffee with some (OK, a lot) of sugar is actually quite good. The whole process of roasting beans and drinking the coffee takes at least an hour - but I really enjoyed the 3 times we were able to have this. It certainly beats the drive-thru coffee mentality we're used to here.
• The people in Ethiopia are fantastic. The staff at the KVI guesthouse were amazing - we all felt like family. I'm looking forward to going back and seeing them all again. People we didn't know were great, too. I thought we might feel unsafe or stick out like sore thumbs, but the majority of people either ignored us or just said a friendly hello. The kids, especially, loved coming up to you and saying "Hi" and shaking your hands. There were a few nights we walked down a street in Addis after it was dark, no other "faranji" (white person) in sight, yet we felt perfectly safe and at ease. Granted, in the tourist/souvenir shopping areas people were a little more assertive, but at no point did I ever feel unsafe.
• The weather was great. It was unseasonably warm in Ethiopia (from what I understand). Most days were in the low 30s, but it always cooled down at night. The guesthouse never got hot, which was also great for sleeping.
• The people are very modest. Ethiopians are gorgeous - they have beautiful, big eyes, and a huge percentage of people could be on the cover of magazines...yet they are very modest. The women ensure their shoulders and knees are always covered. Although there were times I would have loved a tank top because it was so hot, I really appreciated that they could be beautiful without having to bare it (almost) all like North Americans do. When we were there we all put out our magazines to share with the other families. Another family had adopted siblings and requested to remove some of the magazines. Although these were all "appropriate" magazines by North American standards (fashion magazines, etc.), I couldn't help but be embarrassed by them when I saw them through the Ethiopians' eyes.
• The travel and time change was really hard. I have traveled a lot in my life - to Europe, around North America...but going to Africa nearly knocked me out. I felt tired all the time, and the fact that I got sick when I got home is probably due to my body going on strike after what I put it through. I absolutely DREAD the flight and time change again...and have minor panic attacks thinking about doing it on the way home with Mebira. I almost lost it when it was just two of us, but having to look after a child on the way home who is going through so much...it really terrifies me! I will fully be relying on God during that trip...and maybe a few drugs as well. :-)

Well, those are enough deep thoughts for today...more posts to follow soon!

We're back

Well, after 27 hours we made it home! The last 3 hours were difficult for me again...I was having some intestinal issues (likely from the malaria medicine) and let's just say that having the bathroom 20 rows back was not a pleasant thing! :-)

We arrived home at 1ish and were so excited to see the girls (and my parents) at the airport! We came home for about an hour, then drove to a lawyer's to get our updated undertaking notarized, then we couriered it off...there goes another $350 for lawyer, courier and embassy!

We managed to stay awake until 7, then fell asleep the second our eyes closed. I woke up at 3, but managed to fall asleep again until 6:15. I am happy to be home and to have slept so long - we were getting used to sleeping with so many sounds (dogs, cars, cats, Muslim call to worship, etc.) that it is so nice to have silence again!

Anyway, we are so glad to be home and so thankful for your support over this time. I will be editing posts to include pictures and provide more info on our travels up north. I will also update it when we get info on our court dates...so check back again sometime! :-)

Addis, Thur

Well, we flew back to Addis today.  We had to be at the airport at 7:30, wait for 2 hours and then go on a plane for 40 minutes.  The flights have been great and punctual, but the huge wait beforehand seems a bit excessive.

Anyway, we managed to get some last minute donations and use up all of our money while in Addis today.  KVI no longer accepts VISA so we will have to wire money over to them later.  We only had 51 birr left at the end ($3?).

We are leaving in 2 hours for the airport, and then it will be another 27 hours until we're home.  I'd appreciate prayers during this time.  I don't do well traveling that long - on our way here I felt trapped/panicky the last hour of the flight and was miserable when we first got here.  I am soooo looking forward to being home, though.  I miss the girls so much.  Looking forward to catching up with everyone soon!

Bahir Dar, Wed

Hi all. We got up at 6 and left by 7 to drive to Bahir Dar from Gondor. Surprisingly, the road was great, smooth pavement and even some guard rails. 2 bridges had broken so we had to go around those, but it was no problem. Bahir Dar was great - we stayed in a fantastic lodge. Oddly, even though it is a large town of ~300,000 the internet was slower than the dial-up at the Guesthouse...so again I'll update later.

Gonder - Tue

Hi all. Internet was out in Gonder so we didn't have a chance to post. We had a great time looking at the royal enclosure, Fasilades' bath, and an old church. I'll post more when we're home and will attach pictures.

Lalibela

Hi everyone - we are in Lalibela right now. We left the guesthouse at 5:00 am (I'm seeing way too much of 4 and 5 am on this trip, I remember before we left I thought 6:00 am was bad!) in order to catch our flight to Lalibela. The plane was surprisingly big (a Canadian made Bombardier) and the flight itself only took about 40 minutes. The weather here is really hot and sunny. Once we checked into our hotel (Jerusalem Guesthouse) we looked at the rock-hewn churches. They are truly amazing - words can't do it justice so I will try to attach pictures when we get home. We had a lunch break and rest, then went to see the second set of churches. There is such a rich biblical history in each of the churches - pictures depicting so many stories from the bible, and the design of the buildings also reflect stories.

We finished our tour around 4, and after doing our email we will watch the sunset from our balcony (the views here are so beautiful, we are up on a mountain overlooking the valley below), have a quick supper at our hotel and then have an early night.

Tomorrow morning we leave for Gonder and will look at the ancient castles there. Even though the flight is about 30 minutes and we're not checking bags, they want us at the airport 2 hours early. I think we'll be tired of airports by the end of this trip!

Although we are SOOO sad we didn't pass court (my eyes filled with tears just as I thought of it again) we are happy to be able to see more of the country and learn of the rich history. At home, 100 years seems old...the churches we saw today have been estimated at being constructed in 1100 AD, and some of them possibly even 800.

Anyway, the sun is going down...we will have a fun Valentine's Day celebration sunset!

Next few days

Hi all.  Well, the news is starting to sink in.  I went from anger to frustration to despair to depression to sadness and back again more times than I can count.  The implications of not passing court:  we don't get to see Mebira again until we pick her up, we aren't able to give her our gifts (although we can leave them here for when we do pass), we can't tell her who we are or who the girls are, the process is delayed for at least 6 weeks or more, and it seems that once it gets in the cycle of not passing court they keep finding new things to be picky about. 

I'm trying to not be too much of a spoiled brat about this.  Members of the birth family were in the same room as us yesterday, and when I think of them and what led them to this point I realize that things could be so much worse.  Also, the support of friends here and the many emails from you and the fact that there are 4 families who are going through this together helps as well.

We're just about to head off to book our tour.  We leave on Monday and fly to Bahir Dar on Lake Tana and will visit lots of churches there. The next day we go to the Blue Nile Falls, hopefully see some hippos and then drive to Gondor where there is an ancient castle.  After that we fly to Lalibela where there are ancient, rock hewn churches that each have a replica of the ark of the covenant. On Thursday we fly back to Addis, and then fly back home again late that night.

I'm a bit nervous about this trip - we're not exactly adventurous travelers and the idea of an all-inclusive is more our style, but it will be great to learn more about Ethiopia and the amazing culture and history here.  There is a rich history - Ethiopians claim that when the Queen of Sheba went to visit King Solomon that she came back pregnant and thus the royal line of Ethiopia was started.  (Or so I remember reading)

Today we'll do more shopping (coffee and spices), go to church tomorrow and then we're off...

Failed Court

Well, it is with a very heavy heart that I write that we did not pass court today.  A document (our undertaking) that has been used by Imagine for years now, and was approved and passed for another family 2 days ago, was suddenly deemed unacceptable this morning.

We now need to get the letter redone, resign it, redo our statutory declaration for $400 and then hope and pray it makes it for our next court date on March 21.

I am very frustrated and sad right now...it is hard to understand how things work down here.

On another note, some people have said they can't post to my blog.  I've set it so that I need to approve all comments before they show up on the blog and as I can't access my blog from here (I only post via email) they aren't showing up yet.  Don't let it stop you - I look forward to reading all comments when I have access again.

We are looking at booking a tour and getting out of here.  We may be offline for a while, depending on when we leave.

We arrive home Friday afternoon.  Thanks again for your support and prayers...we still trust that God can make the best out of this, even though it's hard to see it right now.  But in the darkest days of my miscarriages I didn't see it either, and it is because of that that we were open to adoption in the first place.  Until next time....

Court Postponed

Court has been postponed until 2pm...it probably won't affect any of you since you're all sleeping, but I thought I'd let you know.  We were on the way there, then Marta (the power of attorney) came out and told  us it had been postponed.  ARGH!  We ended up going shopping and I got some cute dresses for the girls, and a traditional outfit for Mebira.

2 more hours and we'll be at court...

We've seen Mebira

I am so excited to post that we saw Mebira today.  After waking up at 4 in the morning and lying there for a few hours we had a nice breakfast and then went shopping. I got some fun souvenirs and enjoyed the hot weather.

Then, at about 3 we were picked up to go to KVI Orphanage.  It was only a 5 minute drive away and I was a bit nervous before we got there, but mostly felt kind of numb.  I have been dreaming about that day for so long, yet when it actually came it was totally surreal.  We pulled into the compound and then they brought all of the older kids out to see us.  There were about 15, ages 4-13.  We brought some bouncy balls, bubbles and balloons to play with them and it was a bit overwhelming when this onslaught of kids came as soon as we opened the bag.  It was hard to keep track of who was who, and some ended up getting 3 while others didn't get any, but it seemed to work out in the end.

Anyway, I'm getting off track here.  We didn't recognize Mebi at first.  She looked different than her referral pictures, but still so cute.  She is quite dark (typical for the Wolaita area she is from) and has looser curled short hair.  She is a bit shy and stood back from the group a bit.  We weren't allowed to physically interact with her (no hugs, holding hands, lifting her up) but because we brought the toys it was a great way to play with her.  We bumped balloons back and forth with numerous kids, and had some almost one on one time playing with Mebira.  She has a beautiful smile and giggled a bit.  She is so sweet and I wish we could have just taken her home right then.  She is thin (but no thinner than G&E were at that age) and is a bit taller than my waist.

At the end we were given a tour of the facility, and right at the end Mebira came all by herself and grabbed my hand.  I had to let go after a few steps, but it was so special to have her come right up to me and do that.

We are feeling a bit more optimistic about court on Friday...we really appreciate your thoughts and prayers, especially in the next 36 hours as that is when the MOWA recommendation letter needs to be written.  I'll post more on Friday, hopefully with good news about court!

In Addis

Hi all.  We finally made it to Addis this morning.  Our last flight was good (quiet and smooth) but we still only slept about 3 hours and I was ready to go crazy by the end.  After a very exhausted morning (I did nap 1 hour), and a bit of an emotional adjustment, we ended up having a good day.  KVI is really nice - our room has a closet, bed, small table and attached bathroom, and the staff here is fantastic.

The weather is quite warm, with a breeze.  We have had a great time catching up with all of the other adoptive families here.  At the KVI there are 3 other families here for court, and 2 additional families have picked up their kids so it's been really neat to compare notes and observe how the first few days are going for those with their new kids.

Tomorrow we'll do some shopping in the morning and then see Mebira in the afternoon.  We've heard that they're quite strict about interacting with Mebira...we won't be able to hold her or interact with her at all.  I'm hoping we can still see a bit of her personality - I'm so curious as to what she's like.

Friday we have court (Thursday night for you)...I'm still really hoping and praying we'll pass.

Well, it's just about 7 and that's about as long as I can keep my eyes open.  We're going to head to bed and I'll update again after we've met Mebira.

London

Hi all. Well, we made it to London. We both only slept about 3 hrs on the plane. Luckily it wasn't very full so we were each able to take 2 seats and stretch out. Unfortunately there were a ton of very loud 2 year olds on the plane and we only had about 1 hour when someone wasn't shrieking or loud. We arrived here at 9:30am and then took a bus to our day hotel. Don't get any ideas about us getting a hotel for a.few hours...it was purely for sleeping purposes only.:-) There was a McDonald's close by so we went there for lunch and then had a nap. We were worried about sleeping too much during the day so we thought we'd come to the airport a bit early. The high end shops here are amazing! I'm hoping to get a Pandora charm on our way back to have as a memory of this trip. So far we're doing all right. We've each had moments of.exhaustion and feeling under the weather but so far we're ok. We're hoping we can sleep on the plane tonight so that we can enjoy our first full day in Addis tomorrow. BTW, I'm posting this from,my phone so I apologize for any typos. Until tomorrow...big hugs to G&E!!! Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android

And We're Off...

Well, I'm feeling a bit nervous today. The next 12 days will be lifechanging, I'm sure.

Arvid got up at 6 this morning, and I decided I should wake up, too. Yes, me, awake at 6 am. Personally, I think 6:00 is one of those times of day you should only see once, but I'm hoping by getting up that early that I'll be extra tired and be able to sleep on the plane tonight.

We're off to church, then a quick lunch, then to the airport for our flight to London. We have an 11 hour delay there (we've booked a day hotel so we can shower/nap/stretch out) and then we have another long flight to Ethiopia. We arrive there at 7:30ish am on Tuesday morning Ethiopian time. Yes, Tuesday morning. I am SOOO dreading this flight but really excited to be able to see Mebira.

The overflowing of support and well wishes has been amazing. We feel so cared for and are blessed. Two friends (thanks Caroline and LuAnne!) and my mom also gave me verses, which are so encouraging. I've posted them here:

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know".
She also said "It's our job to pray, it's His job to answer, Trust Him to do His job!"

Psalm 138:3 "When I pray, God answers me. He encourages me by giving me the strength I need."

Isaiah 40: 31 "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

I will carry those with me and read them often. One thing about this trip is it is bringing me literally to my knees in prayer. As much as I don't like things to be out of my control, I think that's when God has me where he wants me. :-)

I'll try to post again en route if possible. Until then...

Court

Well, we found out another family in the same predicament as us didn't pass court yesterday...so our chances are pretty slim. I'm a bit grumpy about it because OUR BIRTHDATE DIDN'T CHANGE...only the date of the certificate...and this is one of those changes we got caught right in the middle of. But there's nothing we can do and at least I'm prepared for it.

We do have a backup plan, though which I'm hoping will help. If we don't pass court, we've been in touch with a tour agency and hope to do some last minute touring around northern Ethiopia. We'll make the best of it and explore as much of the country as we can...and have a bottle of champagne ready at home for the day we do pass court. Hmmm...except I don't really like champagne that much...maybe I'll have a fizzy can of coke instead. :-)

Dreaded Documentation

Last week we received some unfortunate news about our documents. We've had to frantically update things since we received the referral. Unfortunately, the last thing we had to update (marriage and birth certificates) are now newer than our statutory declaration (list of documents) which is notarized, legalized and authenticated at the embassy. There's a chance (I really hope it doesn't happen!) that the ministry in Ethiopia may not like this (really, it's not like we changed our birthdate or marriage date!) and may request us to send everything to the embassy again, for another $300 and another delay.

I was a bit down about this last week...but then decided that it's out of my control and there's nothing that I can do about it (or could have done). A friend I've met on our online adoption community is in the same boat and expressed exactly what I was feeling on her blog. She's given me permission to post it here - thanks Ruth (I've edited it slightly to match our situation)!

It's going to be OK. Maybe not on February 11th, but it's going to be ok. As desperately as I want to pass court while we're there, as much as I want to hear the judge grant us the right to parent Mebira, as devastated as I'll feel if we don't pass on the first try...it's going to be ok.

Here are two thoughts to consider:

1. God is in control. As my mom wisely told me last week, He already knew that this wrinkle was going to materialize, and He's already got it figured out. Nothing can happen that is counter to His will. So I can relax.

2. God is in control. If we don't pass court while we're there, there is no doubt that we'll be very disappointed...it will change the trajectory of our trip, and have a number of implications for our second, pick-up trip, bringing the girls, etc. But you know what? We'll deal with it and get over the disappointment, or at least reconcile ourselves to it, and we will prepare ourselves for a longer wait until we get through court. I have a deep and abiding sense of peace that we will pass court...whether it's the first time or not. God provided the way to Mebira; he will be faithful.

If I want to be a person of faith, then I need to choose to live my faith now. Now, when it matters. It won't mean a lot if I say this after we pass court. It's easy (well, easier), afterwards, to say that I believed God would be faithful to the plan I believe He gave us for our family. I want to go out on a fragile limb of faith and say now that I believe God has a plan for our family and that it was He who provided everything in this adoption. I choose to rest in the knowledge and belief that He will see it through to completion.

So whether we pass court or not, I still believe that God has a plan and is good...all the time.

Having said that, we appreciate your prayers and support over this time. The Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) needs to review our documents before our court date and could be looking at them any day now. We pray that this latest bump would not be an issue at all, and that we would pass court and be able to have a real visit with Mebira while we're there.