After 31 hours of traveling, we made it home. It was a long trip. On our last day in Ethiopia, we saw the kids one last time. We were hesitant to do this because we were afraid the kids would really begin to attach to us. Unfortunately, our concerns were realized. Even though neither Bec, I, nor any of the orphanage workers told the kids we were their parents, the kids (especially the 5-year old) seemed to know. During the visit, the kids grew increasingly clingy. And when it was time for us to leave, they both were crying inconsolably. This was difficult to experience, especially since that scene was our last memory of them. We are praying that God will give them comfort over the next few weeks before we return.
We spent the rest of the day shopping and sightseeing. Addis Ababa is an amazing city. We drove up Entoto Mountain, which has spectacular views of the city. The mountain also serves as the training grounds for Ethiopian Olympic runners. Of course, I attempted to run up a trail used by these Olympians: I'm an athlete, right? Not so much. After a few hundred yards, I felt like my lungs were exploding. The rest of the group, and especially Bec, were greatly amused. I guess running uphill at 10,000 feet is a bit different than running on flat ground at sea level.
We woke up this morning still feeling like we are in Ethiopia. Visiting the country permanently impacted us. We look forward to returning. Hopefully that will occur in 3-6 weeks. We now know our kids' birthplace and will be visiting the birth mother next trip in the southern portion of the country. Over the next few weeks, we will be preparing for this birth-mom visit and the rest of the things we need to do on the trip.
Thanks for everyone's prayers. We felt safe during our trip.
Until we return, Cumings family out.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
"They're yours"
We passed court today!! After waiting for 2 hours, we finally got in to see the judge. The judge asked a few questions and then said: "They're yours." We learned that's her way of vocalizing her approval of an adoption. So the kids are officially ours. We are excited.
After the court hearing, we visited the kids again. We had a great time with them and the other kids at the orphanage. We then had lunch and underwent some training on Ethiopian culture: how to make injera (Ethiopian bread), history of the country, tutorial on hair, and Ethiopian views on adoption. It was helpful. We then returned to the guest house and had dinner.
Tomorrow is our last day. We'll be visiting the kids again, visiting with our social worker, shopping, and sight-seeing. We're leaving at 10:30 p.m. Ethiopian time. We travel to Dulles, then Chicago, and then arrive in GR at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It will be a brutal trip.
We now start the process of filing the correct paperwork for the embassy trip, which should occur hopefully within 3-6 weeks.
Thanks for your continued prayers. We'll see everyone soon.
After the court hearing, we visited the kids again. We had a great time with them and the other kids at the orphanage. We then had lunch and underwent some training on Ethiopian culture: how to make injera (Ethiopian bread), history of the country, tutorial on hair, and Ethiopian views on adoption. It was helpful. We then returned to the guest house and had dinner.
Tomorrow is our last day. We'll be visiting the kids again, visiting with our social worker, shopping, and sight-seeing. We're leaving at 10:30 p.m. Ethiopian time. We travel to Dulles, then Chicago, and then arrive in GR at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. It will be a brutal trip.
We now start the process of filing the correct paperwork for the embassy trip, which should occur hopefully within 3-6 weeks.
Thanks for your continued prayers. We'll see everyone soon.
Saturday and Sunday in Ethiopia
We were busy on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, we visited the orphanage again: this time for 2 hours. We spent much more time with the kids. The girl continues to be very sweet and loving. She loves to ride on my shoulders and keeps asking me for candy, which of course I was happy to give her. The boy is a loving kid. He enjoys blowing bubbles and kicking a soccer ball around randomly. They are definitely beginning to understand that we will be their parents.
We also played with the other children. There are so many wonderful children that desperately want a family. It's difficult to experience. I was shocked to learn that there are 5 million orphans just in Ethiopia: out of 81 million people. Although Ethiopian culture is family-oriented, there are still a large number of orphans largely because families lack the resources to raise all their children.
After the orphanage visit, we ate at a French restaurant and went shopping. Everywhere we go, we travel in a van and with a guide named Abel. We visited an amazing store that sold artifacts from different tribes in Ethiopia. They had stacks of Bibles that were hundreds of years old written in a dead language. They also had hippo-skin shields, spears, and other really cool items that there's no way I could get through customs. Throughout the shopping trip we were constantly approached by children, young mothers with babies, and crippled people selling worthless items or begging for money. The poverty of the country really hit us hard. Despite the poverty, Ethiopian people are happy beautiful people. They are not impacted by the materialism prevalent in America. Accordingly, they are happier with far far less than Americans. We are learning much.
On Sunday, we attended an international church service. Many white people attended along with Ethiopians. It was pastored by a missionary from North Carolina. It was similar to contemporary church services in the states. And it was a great experience to worship with Christians from around the world. Later in the day, we received our training for our court day tomorrow. We then ate dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant with cultural dancing and music from various tribes throughout the country. It was an amazing experience. The Ethiopian culture is rich.
Our court day is tomorrow morning. If we are approved by the judge, we can proceed to the embassy portion of the process that we will go through during our next visit. We feel confident that we will pass, but you can never be sure.
Our prayer requests are for the court proceeding tomorrow and that the kids will have peace coping with the difficult process they are moving through.
We also played with the other children. There are so many wonderful children that desperately want a family. It's difficult to experience. I was shocked to learn that there are 5 million orphans just in Ethiopia: out of 81 million people. Although Ethiopian culture is family-oriented, there are still a large number of orphans largely because families lack the resources to raise all their children.
After the orphanage visit, we ate at a French restaurant and went shopping. Everywhere we go, we travel in a van and with a guide named Abel. We visited an amazing store that sold artifacts from different tribes in Ethiopia. They had stacks of Bibles that were hundreds of years old written in a dead language. They also had hippo-skin shields, spears, and other really cool items that there's no way I could get through customs. Throughout the shopping trip we were constantly approached by children, young mothers with babies, and crippled people selling worthless items or begging for money. The poverty of the country really hit us hard. Despite the poverty, Ethiopian people are happy beautiful people. They are not impacted by the materialism prevalent in America. Accordingly, they are happier with far far less than Americans. We are learning much.
On Sunday, we attended an international church service. Many white people attended along with Ethiopians. It was pastored by a missionary from North Carolina. It was similar to contemporary church services in the states. And it was a great experience to worship with Christians from around the world. Later in the day, we received our training for our court day tomorrow. We then ate dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant with cultural dancing and music from various tribes throughout the country. It was an amazing experience. The Ethiopian culture is rich.
Our court day is tomorrow morning. If we are approved by the judge, we can proceed to the embassy portion of the process that we will go through during our next visit. We feel confident that we will pass, but you can never be sure.
Our prayer requests are for the court proceeding tomorrow and that the kids will have peace coping with the difficult process they are moving through.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Orphanage Visit
We met the kids!! It could not have gone better. We visited the orphanage with 2 other couples. We recognized our kids immediately. The girl is gorgeous with an infectious smile and gentle demeanor. I love her. We played frisbee and soccer for a long time. She also enjoyed the silly bands we gave her and loved to color.
The boy is a handful. He's a bit of a rebel and aggressive (I kinda liked it). He's a good little guy who will be very fun to raise. I foresee that he and Bec, however, will have some battles. But both will be the better for it I'm sure.
It was a bit heartbreaking to play and interact with the other children who don't have referrals yet. They are loving kids. We pray that they will get referrals soon.
We're having dinner at the guest house tonight and will be going back to the orphanage tomorrow morning.
The boy is a handful. He's a bit of a rebel and aggressive (I kinda liked it). He's a good little guy who will be very fun to raise. I foresee that he and Bec, however, will have some battles. But both will be the better for it I'm sure.
It was a bit heartbreaking to play and interact with the other children who don't have referrals yet. They are loving kids. We pray that they will get referrals soon.
We're having dinner at the guest house tonight and will be going back to the orphanage tomorrow morning.
Addis Ababa
We had a relaxing evening with law-school friends in DC on Wednesday. The flight to Addis Ababa left at noon on Thursday. After 13 hours, we made it to Ethiopia! The flight and customs-process wen surprisingly well.
We brought 100 pairs of shoes donated by families at the elementary school Jonah and Abby attend. In addition, we packed many bags of medicine for children donated by one of our friends at Perrigo. We plan to donate these items to orphanages through our agency. We were told that bringing such large quantities of shoes and medicine could cause problems with customs in Ethiopia. Fortunately, there were no issues (they didn't even check our luggage). So 100 orphans will have new shoes this week! And others will have better access to essential medicine.
We were met at the airport by a Bethany Christian representative. His name is Abel. He drove us to the guest house we are staying at. Addis Ababa is an amazing place. The guest house is clean and comfortable. And the owner and staff are excellent hosts. As I write this, we just finished an excellent lunch and very strong coffee (I'm told she went easy on me and that the coffee gets much stronger. Don't know if I can hang).
We meet the kids this afternoon! In reality, we are joining other adoptive parents for a one-hour visit to the orphanage to play with all the kids. We are not allowed yet to tell the kids that we will be their parents. But it will still be great to meet them. We are excited and nervous. I'm trying to memorize some phrases in their language.
More to come. We appreciate everyone's prayers and support!
We brought 100 pairs of shoes donated by families at the elementary school Jonah and Abby attend. In addition, we packed many bags of medicine for children donated by one of our friends at Perrigo. We plan to donate these items to orphanages through our agency. We were told that bringing such large quantities of shoes and medicine could cause problems with customs in Ethiopia. Fortunately, there were no issues (they didn't even check our luggage). So 100 orphans will have new shoes this week! And others will have better access to essential medicine.
We were met at the airport by a Bethany Christian representative. His name is Abel. He drove us to the guest house we are staying at. Addis Ababa is an amazing place. The guest house is clean and comfortable. And the owner and staff are excellent hosts. As I write this, we just finished an excellent lunch and very strong coffee (I'm told she went easy on me and that the coffee gets much stronger. Don't know if I can hang).
We meet the kids this afternoon! In reality, we are joining other adoptive parents for a one-hour visit to the orphanage to play with all the kids. We are not allowed yet to tell the kids that we will be their parents. But it will still be great to meet them. We are excited and nervous. I'm trying to memorize some phrases in their language.
More to come. We appreciate everyone's prayers and support!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Ready despite pink eye
So I woke up this morning ready for my last day of work before leaving for Ethiopia. Unfortunately, my left eye was very red and crusted. You guessed it, pink eye! I'm thankful it happened today and not while we're in Ethiopia. Other than that, we're substantially packed and ready to go. We're both anxious about the trip and meeting the kids. We travel to DC tomorrow. We then leave for Addis Ababa on Thursday.
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