First Few Days

We have an uneventful trip to Ethiopia. But it was long. We left at 1:30 pm Thursday and arrived in Addis Ababa at 9:00 pm (2:00 pm Michigan time).

After arriving at the guest house, we immediately went to bed because we were leaving at 7:30 am for the trip to see the birth mom.

The kids are from Boko, a small village in the southern potion of the country. It's near the city of Walaita, where we are to meet the birth mom. Walaita is a 6-hour drive from Addis. We traveled with a driver, a social worker, and another couple from Minnesota. The drive was long, bumpy, and hair-raising at times. Apparently, people, livestock, and vehicles all use paved roads for travel--many times the same lane. Of course, this does not stop the vehicles from traveling at break-neck speeds. I honestly think our driver could compete in some Nascar races in the U.S. Throw some people and livestock on the track and he wins easy. Let's just say Bec was in prayer much of the ride.

But we made it. After having lunch, we drove to the orphanage where the Minnesota couple's kids were relinquished. We had mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, we could see how the visit went for the other couple. On the other hand, our anxiety continued to build. We were speechless as we drove through the city: such poverty and horrible conditions. When we arrived at the orphanage, we discovered that the birth mom had been there for hours. Bec and I sat outside the room while the meeting took place. It was such a sad and awkward situation. How do you interact with the mother of your adopted children who just recently gave them up? It was an emotional experience for the other couple, especially when the mother talked about her hopes and dreams for her children and her request for them to return to Ethiopia some day. I don't even know how to process what the birth mom is going through.

After saying goodbyes, we drove to the orphanage where our children were relinquished. Our hearts were racing. We were brought to a small dark room that contained a table with two chairs on either side facing each other. After some time waiting, we expected there was a problem. There was. Our children's birth mom was having trouble reaching the orphanage. So the meeting was postponed for a few hours. As I write this, we are sitting in our hotel room resting and anxiously awaiting the meeting.