There is so much to talk about and describe and not sure how to put it in words. I do know that when we landed and visited Kena that I was even more at peace with this journey God has called us to. However much it cost and the sacrifices we've made all seemed to disappear when we landed and our eyes were opened. We want to encourage everyone if they can, to take a trip, even better a mission trip, to a third world country like Ethiopia. It puts a different perspective on life and all that we take for granted here. We've been on mission trips before and have seen some pretty rough places, but this was completely different.
I'll post pictures and then tell a little more for those who like detail.
Her cute little poof of hair. It is pretty curly, but looks very manageable.
Her tiny in hand
She let me rock her to sleep which was way more than I could ask for.
Not too sure what to think of David
Loved to chase and be chased, she'll fit in great at home.
Ready to eat lunch, she let me feed her a little then preferred her nanny.
The day at the Orphanage was about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Adama from where we stayed in Addis Ababa which is the capital of Ethiopia. We were very impressed with the orphanage building (still being worked on too) and it's staff. YWAM does an excellent job of taking care of these children who get to play with one another and are well taken care of by their nannies. There are about 9 children there now and Kena will be moved to our other agency's orphanage called the Thomas Center within the next two weeks.
Upon entering the room where they were playing, we took out our suckers and fruit snacks and were immediately flocked to. Kena grabbed a fruit snack my Jay sent and offered it to another girl first as if saying, "you try first and we'll see what happens." Smart girl. We snap a ton of pictures and watch her interact with the others. Let's just say I think she'll be able to hold her own when she meets her siblings.
They eat and play some more and finally they start getting tired and fussy. Kena finally let me hold her which I was not expecting at all. She laid her head on my shoulders and let me bounce her to sleep. My heart melted. We got her down for a nap and played with a few older children. When she woke up a little groggy (Corbett style) she let me hold her again and laid her head on my shoulders. She didn't know what to think about David, but that's ok, we've heard that's very common. When it was time to go I put her down and she started to fuss because she wanted me to hold her again. I'm not one for crying, but this totally made me lose it. Glad I brought tissues. Knowing I had to leave her for a few more months was devastating. Luckily we were only there for a short time so that she didn't get too attached or confused.
The drive back seemed long as we took everything in - the visit, the people, the sights. I realized watching these moms on the street corners that I have NOTHING to complain about being a mom in America. They carried their children on their backs with little to no food, walked in ballet flats on bumpy and hilly streets, got their daily water in an old vegetable oil container to bathe and drink with. There are no washing machines or dryers. They wash them by hand in a bucket and hang them out to dry. Their homes are typically 8x8 size rooms surrounded by metal walls and a tarp covered porch. Beyond the city the homes are straw or hay huts. Trash lined the streets everywhere, toddlers playing with bottle caps and kicking plastic bottles instead of balls. Children approached us everywhere we went asking for Birr (money). We had to say no unless we wanted to be stampeded. Disabled people laying everywhere. It was so hard. David and I agreed it gave us a clearer vision of what Jesus must have encountered in the Bible. I know God made him tenderhearted, but I also believe seeing the sick, poor, and brokenhearted made him even more so.
We were also blessed to meet another YWAM family whose son has been moving with our Kena. We stayed at the same guest house which made it even better. They have adopted before and were a wealth of information and fun to get to know. They brought their 9 yr old twin boys and in-laws with them to get a better picture what life is like in Ethiopia. Come to find out the husband's father grows pumpkins for Libby's canned pumpkin which I buy a tremendous amount of. I love pumpkin and it's not just a fall thing for me. Too bad I didn't bring a can for him to autograph :) We ran into a couple other adoptive families and it was neat to share our stories and information.
Other than the two times we were pulled over - once for taking a picture of the US Embassy (we deleted the pictures in front of them) and once on the way home from the orphanage because the police just wanted some money, it was a good and short trip. Thank you for your prayers and support. We could not do this without them and the many sacrifices that have been made. God Bless You! Please let me know if you have any questions.
tears. . .I was praying for you all week. I will continue to do so. . .that you can communicate all this to your kiddos here and to extended family and friends. That the time between now and bring Kena (how do you say it???) will be short. Oh. . .wow!
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