Just wanted to let everyone know we are still waiting for Ella's MOWA approval letter. I believe that is all we are waiting for at this point. I did ask our agency to confirm with Temesgen, the agency's attorney, that is the last step in us passing court.
Please pray that Ella's letter arrives next week. We want her to be in her forever home.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Last Day In Ethiopia
Our last day in Ethiopia was just hard. We were finally getting used to the time change and getting a decent nights rest. I wanted to stay a couple more days rather than leave.
We spent most of the morning with Ella. Knowing that we would soon be leaving her. She was very excited to see us on the third day. She was talking, giggling and smiling. She liked to feel Steve's hair. She was much more comfortable with us.
About half way through our time with her, I noticed my passport was no longer in my backpack. I almost had a major meltdown since there was no way I would get back to the US without a passport. Dawit, our driver, took us back to our guesthouse. After going through all the luggage, I found my passport. Whew!
We went back to Layla House after lunch, but unfortunately Ella was already sleeping. We just wondered around until our afternoon field trip. We went to an Ethiopian History Museum. It was interesting, but we were not allowed to take any pictures.
When we got back to Layla House, we had to quickly say goodbye to Ella to go back to the guesthouse, get packed up and leave. After we said goodbye, we put her down and she starting throwing a tantrum. :( Thankfully, she was quickly distracted by dinner time and we were able to leave without seeing her in tears.
At the Guest House, they have a coffee ceremony for us. The coffee was wonderful and the ceremony was interesting. It was our "send off".
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Day 2 Ethiopia
The first thing on the agenda in the morning was to go see Ella. So it was a great day. We got to spend from 9-12 with her. On the second day, she came running for us when she saw us. Woo hoo! Good sign. She still wasn't giving big smiles (just small grins) or talking but it was good to see her. We played with her for quite awhile. We played with a soccer ball and of course, more bubbles. When we brought her back to the nannies for her afternoon nap, she waved good bye.
For lunch we went to an Italian restaurant. Sounds kind off odd in Ethiopia, but it was really good. Steve and each had pizza. It wasn't like American style. It was fresh tomato sauce that actually tasted like tomatoes.
Then we went to Sabahar, a silk shop. http://www.sabahar.com/ We got to watch the silk process from beginning to end. Then we went to a roadside basket shop. I couldn't believe how many baskets that man fit in this little shop. We found Hunter and Ethiopian guitar and drum there. We also bought souvenir type stuff.
We went to see Our Ethiopian Kids, sponsor children, after the silk and basket shops. Please read previous post about that adventure.
When we got back from meeting the boys, we had another hour with Ella. She was again happy to see us and was lifting her arms up to be picked up. She was starting to be more animated and started talking in front of us. However, if any other adoptive families came by they got the "serious look".
In the evening, we went to Yod Abysinnia. This is an Ethiopian restaurant with traditional Ethiopian dancing. We tried injera (which is like a sour, spongy tortilla) with different toppings. Steve and I both liked the fillings, but we did not care for the Injera. However, the dancing was really neat. It was a great ending to a good day.
Pictures are below in the next posting.
For lunch we went to an Italian restaurant. Sounds kind off odd in Ethiopia, but it was really good. Steve and each had pizza. It wasn't like American style. It was fresh tomato sauce that actually tasted like tomatoes.
Then we went to Sabahar, a silk shop. http://www.sabahar.com/ We got to watch the silk process from beginning to end. Then we went to a roadside basket shop. I couldn't believe how many baskets that man fit in this little shop. We found Hunter and Ethiopian guitar and drum there. We also bought souvenir type stuff.
We went to see Our Ethiopian Kids, sponsor children, after the silk and basket shops. Please read previous post about that adventure.
When we got back from meeting the boys, we had another hour with Ella. She was again happy to see us and was lifting her arms up to be picked up. She was starting to be more animated and started talking in front of us. However, if any other adoptive families came by they got the "serious look".
In the evening, we went to Yod Abysinnia. This is an Ethiopian restaurant with traditional Ethiopian dancing. We tried injera (which is like a sour, spongy tortilla) with different toppings. Steve and I both liked the fillings, but we did not care for the Injera. However, the dancing was really neat. It was a great ending to a good day.
Pictures are below in the next posting.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 1 in Ethiopia
We arrived at the guest house late on Satuday night 11pm Ethiopian Time (3pm MN). We met Kristie Wilkins and her daughter at the airport.
We did not get a lot of sleep that night. We were awoken by Muslim prayer call at 4 am (8pm MN time) . On the side of town we were on their is a large mosque. So over the loud speakers (think tornado siren like) you hear the muslim prayer call throughout this part of the city. Other parts of the city would have Christian prayer call from my understanding.
We stayed at a place called Ethiopian Guest Home (EGH). It was absolutely fantastic. We had a livingroom, kitchnette, a private bathroom, a nice size bedroom and 2 balconies. The staff was phenomenal. They were so genuine and helpful. The good there was great. We had freshly squeezed juice for breakfast every morning: mango, pineapple, orange. I will definitely be staying there again when I go to the embassy appt (as long as they have openings). There motto is more than a place to stay. An American couple owns the various properties. They decided to own guest homes after adopting their child from Ethiopia. They use some of the profits from the guest home to help orphans and other children in Ethiopia.
In the morning, we met the other guests staying with us. Lance, Malissa and Ivy were from Atlanta. Scott, Georgina and Joshua were from Germany. We are hopeful that we will maintain our friendship with them for a long time. It was so hopeful to be with other families who are going through the process. Lance and Malissa were there to pick up their daughter Ally. Scott and Georgina were there to attend court like us. It was very reassuring to be around a couple that had completed the process. When you are in the process, it seems like it takes forever. However, when you see other families go home with their children it inspires hope. We also had someone who was in the same boat as us "going to court", so that was helpful too.
One of the things I did not expect out of this trip, was for my faith to grow. Lance, Malissa, Scott and Georgina were all strong Christians. It was good to be around individuals passionate about their faith. The Ethiopian people are generally Christian or Muslim. We were around a lot of Christian Ethiopians. They are vocal about their faith and what God has done for them. It was nice to be away from the politically correct world of the US.
After breakfast, Steve, Dawit (our driver) and I went to Entoto Mountain. This is the highest point in Ethiopia. I wasn't able to get a picture of this (pics are below in the next post), but women carried batches of Eucalyptus all the way down the mountain for market. They also carried huge things of water up the mountain. Kids were running all around. We visited a palace, some churches and a museum. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures in the museum. They had the Emperor and Empresses' clothing, pictures, gifts from other countries, etc. It was very interesting.
After our day on the mountain, we went back to EGH and had lunch. Gail, from AAI, picked us up after lunch to meet Ella (Thanks Gail for picking us up on a Sunday). We then went to pick up Andrew and Estee at a different guest house. It was wonderful to finally meet Estee and Andrew. Estee has been a great support system (online) for me during this process.
Then we headed over to Layla House (the orphanage). Estee and Andrew met their son, Nolan Demeke, first. He is such a handsome little baby. Then we headed over to meet Ella. She was still sleeping. The nannies woke her up for us. Quite honestly, I don't think she was too happy to be woken up. She gave us this very serious look. We held her and snuggled with her and the whole time she was looking at us like "Who are you?". The nannies explained to her that we were Mommy and Daddy. As she started to wake up, she was a little more interactive but still checking us out. I think part of the hard part initially is all the other toddlers were swarming us wanting to be held. So not only was she with us, complete strangers, everyone was trying to get our attention. We decided to leave the toddler room and take her outside so it was calmer. We brought out the bubbles. She was happy with the bubbles, but didn't want anyone else to hold them but her.
So we went around and delivered the packages and letters we had to deliver from other parents. The kids loved getting letters and packages. We also met other AAI families as we were running around. It was nice to meet Danielle and her hubbie, Rebecca and Ben and Randi. Everyone had a different story to tell and a different perspective. It was good.
We spent four hours at Layla and then it was time for Ella to have dinner. Ella went back to her room and sat in her chair and ate like a good girl. We waved goodbye and back to EGH she went. It was good to be able to talk to everyone after we got back. We turned in early at 8 pm Ethiopian time.
As we went to bed, we were grateful for to meet Ella and all of our new friends. I couldn't wait to get back to Ella tomorrow.
We did not get a lot of sleep that night. We were awoken by Muslim prayer call at 4 am (8pm MN time) . On the side of town we were on their is a large mosque. So over the loud speakers (think tornado siren like) you hear the muslim prayer call throughout this part of the city. Other parts of the city would have Christian prayer call from my understanding.
We stayed at a place called Ethiopian Guest Home (EGH). It was absolutely fantastic. We had a livingroom, kitchnette, a private bathroom, a nice size bedroom and 2 balconies. The staff was phenomenal. They were so genuine and helpful. The good there was great. We had freshly squeezed juice for breakfast every morning: mango, pineapple, orange. I will definitely be staying there again when I go to the embassy appt (as long as they have openings). There motto is more than a place to stay. An American couple owns the various properties. They decided to own guest homes after adopting their child from Ethiopia. They use some of the profits from the guest home to help orphans and other children in Ethiopia.
In the morning, we met the other guests staying with us. Lance, Malissa and Ivy were from Atlanta. Scott, Georgina and Joshua were from Germany. We are hopeful that we will maintain our friendship with them for a long time. It was so hopeful to be with other families who are going through the process. Lance and Malissa were there to pick up their daughter Ally. Scott and Georgina were there to attend court like us. It was very reassuring to be around a couple that had completed the process. When you are in the process, it seems like it takes forever. However, when you see other families go home with their children it inspires hope. We also had someone who was in the same boat as us "going to court", so that was helpful too.
One of the things I did not expect out of this trip, was for my faith to grow. Lance, Malissa, Scott and Georgina were all strong Christians. It was good to be around individuals passionate about their faith. The Ethiopian people are generally Christian or Muslim. We were around a lot of Christian Ethiopians. They are vocal about their faith and what God has done for them. It was nice to be away from the politically correct world of the US.
After breakfast, Steve, Dawit (our driver) and I went to Entoto Mountain. This is the highest point in Ethiopia. I wasn't able to get a picture of this (pics are below in the next post), but women carried batches of Eucalyptus all the way down the mountain for market. They also carried huge things of water up the mountain. Kids were running all around. We visited a palace, some churches and a museum. Unfortunately, we were not able to take pictures in the museum. They had the Emperor and Empresses' clothing, pictures, gifts from other countries, etc. It was very interesting.
After our day on the mountain, we went back to EGH and had lunch. Gail, from AAI, picked us up after lunch to meet Ella (Thanks Gail for picking us up on a Sunday). We then went to pick up Andrew and Estee at a different guest house. It was wonderful to finally meet Estee and Andrew. Estee has been a great support system (online) for me during this process.
Then we headed over to Layla House (the orphanage). Estee and Andrew met their son, Nolan Demeke, first. He is such a handsome little baby. Then we headed over to meet Ella. She was still sleeping. The nannies woke her up for us. Quite honestly, I don't think she was too happy to be woken up. She gave us this very serious look. We held her and snuggled with her and the whole time she was looking at us like "Who are you?". The nannies explained to her that we were Mommy and Daddy. As she started to wake up, she was a little more interactive but still checking us out. I think part of the hard part initially is all the other toddlers were swarming us wanting to be held. So not only was she with us, complete strangers, everyone was trying to get our attention. We decided to leave the toddler room and take her outside so it was calmer. We brought out the bubbles. She was happy with the bubbles, but didn't want anyone else to hold them but her.
So we went around and delivered the packages and letters we had to deliver from other parents. The kids loved getting letters and packages. We also met other AAI families as we were running around. It was nice to meet Danielle and her hubbie, Rebecca and Ben and Randi. Everyone had a different story to tell and a different perspective. It was good.
We spent four hours at Layla and then it was time for Ella to have dinner. Ella went back to her room and sat in her chair and ate like a good girl. We waved goodbye and back to EGH she went. It was good to be able to talk to everyone after we got back. We turned in early at 8 pm Ethiopian time.
As we went to bed, we were grateful for to meet Ella and all of our new friends. I couldn't wait to get back to Ella tomorrow.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Our Ethiopian Kids
One of the events in Ethiopia that had the most impact on us was meeting our sponsor children. I prefer to call them our Ethiopian kids.
This post most likely will not do justice to their incredible spirit, faith and attitudes. So I'm am just going to do the best I can.
When we went into Z, M and T's home I was shocked. It was so small. Quite frankly,it was about the size of my walk in closest (which is not one of the giant walk in closests that some of you may be used to). On one side ws a set of bunk beds on the other a couple of chairs. In the front some cupboards. However, everything was very nice and neat. Their beds were made and the house was clean. My first question was, there are only two beds, where does the other child sleep? Two of them need to share a bed and they are teenagers so they are not exactly small. The place has a small lightbulb and Christmas lights for lighting. The place leaks when it rains and is cold in the winter (no heat).
All three boys go to school and do well. They understand that their educations are the key to their future. Z is an especially good student. He scores very high on the National Exams and hopes to be a mechanical engineer.
Probably about half way through the meeting I starting crying and could not stop. As both of the children's parents have died, Z (10th grade) is responsible for taking care of everything. The other two boys help and clearly respect him. However, it occurred to me they are responsible for things I could fathom expecting from American children at their ages. They manage a small budget that must cover their rent, food and clothing. They get themselves up and go to school in the morning. They are responsible for it all.
The other amazing part is that they do it with a grateful spirit and Christian heart. They do no whine or complain about their circumstance. They are grateful that they have a roof over their head and food in their stomachs. Simple gratitude. They do not spend engery focusing on what they do not have, but instead they focus on what they have. A life lesson for us all. The other part is they fully love God and Jesus. In their small place, they have 2 pictures of Jesus. They go to church regularly and thank God for their blessings.
While we were there, the kids were great hosts. They offered us tea and served it to us. It was excellent. I was sad when we had to leave. I look forward to seeing them again on our next trip to Ethiopia.
As I finish typing again I am crying just thinking of what great boys they are. My life is truly better because they are in it.
When we started sponsoring the boys, in my head I understood what it meant: food, shelter and the ability to help with expenses. However, now I have seen what it means and understand the impact of the program. This program gives children hope and opportunity. It does not provide them with an "american style living" but meets their basic needs.
I encourge you to help a child if you are able to and feel called to do so. For a small monthly amount of money, you are able to change and expand their world. If you choose not to make a monthly commitment, you can choose a one time donation to help children. If you work for a corporation, many of them have gift matching programs which allows your donation more impactful. Here is the link to the program we are participating in: www.adoptionadvocates.org/human/human_sponsor.php
If you are unable to help at this time or aleady support children, please pray for our boys and the other children of the world who need help.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Ella's Court Date
Steve and I have made it back to Minnesota. We are excited to be home and are looking forward to spending time with Hunter this weekend. That being said, we are sad that Ella is not with us.
As many of you know, Ella's file did not pass at the court date. People have asked what this means so I will do my best to explain the process. In order to pass court, your file need to be in good order. That means all the documentation or agency submitted is in good order (which is done) and MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) in Ethiopia submits an approval letter. The MOWA letter was missing from our file. This is a common occurance right now. Based on what we know, the court is hearing roughly 20 cases a day and MOWA is writing 5 approval letters (possibly more). So there are more court hearings than letters. So once the court receives the MOWA letter we will pass court and Ella will officially be our daughter by Ethiopian law. This is estimated to take about 2 weeks, but could be more depending on MOWA's schedule.
So what happens once we pass court? After we pass court, the file is sent back to MOWA for their approval to issue a birth certificate (with Steve and I as parents) and an Ethiopian passport. Once that is complete, it is submitted to the US Embassy. The US Embassy then decides if they want to review the case further or if they are comfortable with the case. From court approval to Embassy approval is roughly 6-12 weeks. We think we will be on the longer side since the Embassy runs at 1/2 staff in July.
We met Ella this weekend and she is beautiful. She was really reserved with us at first and gave us a skeptical/serious look for the first 1/2 day. Then she began warming up. By the second day, she was running for us when we got there and we would catch and occasional smile. Our last day there she was calling us mommy and papa. She was running after us and really interacting. She was speaking, smiling and giggling. I can't wait to be able to share pictures with everyone.
I will share details of our trip to Ethiopia in the coming days. It is an incredible place and if you ever have a chance to go, you should take it.
As many of you know, Ella's file did not pass at the court date. People have asked what this means so I will do my best to explain the process. In order to pass court, your file need to be in good order. That means all the documentation or agency submitted is in good order (which is done) and MOWA (Ministry of Women's Affairs) in Ethiopia submits an approval letter. The MOWA letter was missing from our file. This is a common occurance right now. Based on what we know, the court is hearing roughly 20 cases a day and MOWA is writing 5 approval letters (possibly more). So there are more court hearings than letters. So once the court receives the MOWA letter we will pass court and Ella will officially be our daughter by Ethiopian law. This is estimated to take about 2 weeks, but could be more depending on MOWA's schedule.
So what happens once we pass court? After we pass court, the file is sent back to MOWA for their approval to issue a birth certificate (with Steve and I as parents) and an Ethiopian passport. Once that is complete, it is submitted to the US Embassy. The US Embassy then decides if they want to review the case further or if they are comfortable with the case. From court approval to Embassy approval is roughly 6-12 weeks. We think we will be on the longer side since the Embassy runs at 1/2 staff in July.
We met Ella this weekend and she is beautiful. She was really reserved with us at first and gave us a skeptical/serious look for the first 1/2 day. Then she began warming up. By the second day, she was running for us when we got there and we would catch and occasional smile. Our last day there she was calling us mommy and papa. She was running after us and really interacting. She was speaking, smiling and giggling. I can't wait to be able to share pictures with everyone.
I will share details of our trip to Ethiopia in the coming days. It is an incredible place and if you ever have a chance to go, you should take it.
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