One of the biggest adventures of our lives

Once we received the email advising us of our court date for Miss "T" the surreal moments started.  It was a frantic Tuesday of calling the family and making plane reservations.  We ended up leaving exactly one week after we received that email.  There was so much baggage!  Our community was so amazing though.  The 3 black duffel bags were FULL of donations for the orphanages in Ethiopia. 

We ended up flying into DC and catching a Flight to London.  We were able to spend 11 hours in London.  Since the airport isn't really all THAT exciting we left the airport and took a tour of the city!

It was pretty cool.  We were able to see many of the sights around London.

Then back on a plane to Addis Ababa.  I wasn't really sure what I was expecting out of arriving in Africa.  As we were descending and looking upon the first sights of the African landscape I was in awe.  I've traveled before, but nothing like this.  Nothing so far out of my comfort zone.  It was a perfect start to our journey in Ethiopia.  We were landing as the sun was rising on the Ethiopian countryside.  Absolutely beautiful!

We arrived in the terminal, found our bags and headed out.  I am so extremely thankful for the men from the guest house that were there to pick us up.  People often ask me if I was ever afraid while I was in Ethiopia.  My answer . . . absolutely not!  The people were so very friendly.  The men that owned and operated the guest house and took care of us went above and beyond to interact with us and help us while we were there.  I can't say enough good things about this amazing group of people!

Once we had the car loaded we were off to the guest house.  Kevin and I are normally fairly quiet people.  However, the car rides over there took that to a whole new level.  We were in awe as we drove the streets of Addis.  We didn't say anything because we were trying to absorb every ounce of our daughter's culture that we could.  We have so many pictures of the streets and atmosphere of that city.  However, none of them can capture the human-ness that we witnessed there.  It seemed like life was so much more "real" there.  People walking everywhere.  Cattle being driven right through the streets of the city.  Cars buzzing and dodging in and out of traffic.  There was so much to see and so much to process while we drove through the city.

 

 We were able to stay at an amazing guest house.  If you ever have the chance to travel to Ethiopia we highly recommend them.  We arrived at the guest house and unloaded.  Breakfast was served and then we patiently waited for someone to take us to meet and pick up our daughter.  We drove to the transition house about 5 minutes away.  It was an even more surreal moment than all the rest.  Walking up the steps and seeing our sweet little "T".  She gave the most beautiful smile and let us hold her.  To say it was an emotional experience would be a vast understatement.  After 18 months in the process.  After praying for her before we even knew her name.  After staring at pictures and skyping her on Saturday mornings.  We were FINALLY able to hold our daughter!

We were able to stay with her for 3 days and 2 nights.  Our first day was spent reading books, putting together puzzles, playing with the other children, blowing bubbles, and attempting to take a nap! The first night we were there we, along with the other families at the guest house, went to an Ethiopian buffet restaurant. The food we ate was great.  However, I would definitely say that Kevin and I are culturally adventurous people.  For some, it is definitely an acquired taste. 

The second day we were there was our court date.  We went to court in the morning, but they did not have our paperwork there.  So we had to return in the afternoon. We had waited for this court date for so long.  It was nerve-wrecking sitting there and waiting.  However, we were in with the judge for 5 minutes.  Really and truly.  We waited all this time.  Filled out all of this paperwork.  We were in there speaking with the judge for 5 minutes.  Anticlimactic really.  We passed court and headed back to give Miss "T" a huge hug . . . for the first time as her parents!

We tried to soak in so much during this short trip!  They held a coffee ceremony at the guest house that afternoon.  For me, someone who LOVES coffee . . . this was awesome.  I wish there was a way to "take a picture" of the smell that was in the room.  Absolutely amazing.  The woman there roasted fresh coffee beans over a fire, ground them, and then supersaturated boiling water to make the coffee.  I've had a lot of coffee over the years.  Some great, some terrible.  This cup of coffee was by far the most wonderful coffee I had ever had.  Now sadly . . . nothing will ever compare!

That evening we hung around the guest house and enjoyed time with the other families and children.  We also had the opportunity to meet a lovely young lady, "M^".  She was very quiet and shy.  Little did I know how much meeting her that evening would impact me!

(At this point in time we had no intentions of adopting another child.  We were in Ethiopia for "T"s adoption.  That was all.)

Our last day in Ethiopia we went shopping.  The shopping area was like nothing I had ever seen before.  Shops everywhere, people everywhere.  We were so thankful for the young man from the guest house that accompanied us there.  We were able to purchase dresses for all the girls and a few gifts for others.  We went out to eat at a lovely restaurant that served both American and Ethiopian food.  That afternoon came the sad time of saying good-bye to "T".  

We spent several hours at the transition house playing with all the children.  They had so much fun with playdough!  It was nice to sit with all of them around the coffee table and watch the children interact with the nannies and each other.  We were also able to see and interact with "M^" again.  She had already painted her nails with the nail polish I had given her the day before!  There were many smiles exchanged and of course right upon leaving and extraordinary amount of tears. 

We headed back to the guest house.  We were able to talk with some of the other families more.  However, one of the most wonderful and unexpected things of this trip were the relationships we developed with the folks that operated the guest house.  That evening we were able to talk with them and get to know them.  We met more of their family then too.  It was an awesome evening of standing at the gate and developing friendships!  We hope to maintain those friendships and watch them grow over time.

Later that evening it was time to pack.  That's when it all hit us.  A moment that will forever be in my memory.  We stood in our 3rd floor room at the guest house sobbing.  Not just crying . . . we're talking the gross, snotty, weeping that happens when you are moved beyond just sadness to something deeper.   I have very rarely experienced that feeling in my life.  We were very sad to leave "T".  It hurt us to have this new daughter and then to leave her for 4 weeks (or more).  However, we knew that we would be coming back.  The part of this that moved us even more was that we were leaving "M^".  We were leaving . . . to come back in a few months . . . and to take "T" home.  However, there was no one coming back for "M^".  She was there.  No family was seeking to adopt her.  She was in a orphanage that in a few short years she was age out of.  And then what?  I don't even what to think about that . . .  We sobbed.  And packed.  And sobbed some more.

Our flight left Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the middle of the night.  We flew back to London and then on to Washington DC.  Because of some delays we were stuck in Chicago and arrived home a day late.  It was a grueling journey home.  Partially because of the jetlag, partially because of the sadness of leaving.  However, it was wonderful to be home with our other girls.  We were met with wonderful smiling faces and signs up everywhere.  Our dear friends were so kind and thoughtful.  They took such good care of "M*", "S", and "K".  We are so very very grateful!

And now it's time to start thinking about our next journey to Ethiopia . . .