We had taken a bunch of soccer balls to give away to kids.
Here we stopped along the road to give one to 3 kids that were beside the road. They were so excited and very grateful.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Leaving Tomorrow to go home
We are doing good. Patrick had been sick again for about half a day...nothing major. We have all been realy good health wise.
We are having a good time. We have been out to the country side for 2 day trips. One on Saterday and one today.
Saterday we went to the Portugese Bridge. A beautiful drive and a beautiful place. There is a gorge there. Today we went to what they keep calling hot springs, but it a pool with clean spring water. It is warm water. It was very nice. We went with a few other people. There was 8 white bodies(really white) in a pool full of Ethiopians. They had quite a show.
The Ethiopians had a great time, it was a school trip and most of them do not know how to swim. So they all stood in the shallow end of the pool.
That was quite a trip for them to go there. They also have an olympic size pool there but it was empty for a cleaning. The water was almost like bath water, so warm.
We also fed the monkeys bananas. They come and take them right out of your hand and eat them.
On the ride there we saw camels and hyenas.
We gave away soccer balls during these trips. Wow...the smile that puts on their faces. Everyone here loves soccer (football). We stopped along the road and got out and started to play with 3 kids. They thought it was great. And then they got to keep the ball. They were so greatful.
We were all wondering what they would tell their parents when they took it home.
We have had some amazing experiences happen here (good things and sad things).
But tomorrow we will try to do one more short trip and then pack and get ready to fly out at 1:20am.
I will post some pictures. I will post some video when Iget home. It does not work from here.
We thank God each day that we are healthy and that we can experience this country.
It has been really great.
We will see you when we get home.
We are having a good time. We have been out to the country side for 2 day trips. One on Saterday and one today.
Saterday we went to the Portugese Bridge. A beautiful drive and a beautiful place. There is a gorge there. Today we went to what they keep calling hot springs, but it a pool with clean spring water. It is warm water. It was very nice. We went with a few other people. There was 8 white bodies(really white) in a pool full of Ethiopians. They had quite a show.
The Ethiopians had a great time, it was a school trip and most of them do not know how to swim. So they all stood in the shallow end of the pool.
That was quite a trip for them to go there. They also have an olympic size pool there but it was empty for a cleaning. The water was almost like bath water, so warm.
We also fed the monkeys bananas. They come and take them right out of your hand and eat them.
On the ride there we saw camels and hyenas.
We gave away soccer balls during these trips. Wow...the smile that puts on their faces. Everyone here loves soccer (football). We stopped along the road and got out and started to play with 3 kids. They thought it was great. And then they got to keep the ball. They were so greatful.
We were all wondering what they would tell their parents when they took it home.
We have had some amazing experiences happen here (good things and sad things).
But tomorrow we will try to do one more short trip and then pack and get ready to fly out at 1:20am.
I will post some pictures. I will post some video when Iget home. It does not work from here.
We thank God each day that we are healthy and that we can experience this country.
It has been really great.
We will see you when we get home.
Friday, February 4, 2011
A trip through Marketo Market
This market we were not allowed to walk. We were told it is not safe.
It would take 4 days to walk. A lot of pick-pocketing. If we wanted something our driver would stop and get it. It employes 2.5 million people.
It would take 4 days to walk. A lot of pick-pocketing. If we wanted something our driver would stop and get it. It employes 2.5 million people.
Court
We went to court yesterday. We had disappointing news. We were not approved. We had met a couple from BC and they drove with us and they were also not approved. What happens is MOWA (a women's group who oversees all adoptions and children related things here in Ethiopia) did not sign a Letter of Approval for the adoptions to go through. They are not signing any more Letters of Approval for the next 10 days because they are moving offices. (this is what we were told). So for the next 10 days for sure anyone who travels to Ethiopia to go to court will not be approved. People have not been approved for things like a miss spelling in a name, a stamp not dark enough..etc. So now our next court date is Feb.25, but we do not have to be there because we already saw the judge and she has asked us the questions she needed to. But she is waiting for the Letter of Approval from MOWA. MOWA is really the ones that decide who adopts and who doesn't. We are basically approved, otherwise they would have told us long ago that we could not adopt...now it is all just paper work. So this sets us another 3 weeks further, we can not finish the Citizenship until this is approved. We have found out from many familiues who are here now with us that every story is different. No agency does things the same.
Our real disappointment is that we will not get to see our daugter again during this visit. We will not get to travel to her village.
We did get to see her before court at the orphanage. They take out a few kids and let them play around and you can watch. We were not allowed to go to her or touch her. But the kids are all very friendly and we ended up playing with them and their soccer ball. They right away go the boys. They were all very happy and well looked after. Our daughter sat down beside Patrick on the step and another girl asked Corey to button her little sweater. It was good to see her and the nurse said she was very happy and always smiling and playing. She said she warmed up very easy to the boys at the orphanage so that was good to hear knowing she will come home to 4 big brothers.
It is back to waiting, it will happen just not as fast as we want things too.
But we have remembered that God has been with us during this journey and He will continue to be with us.
So do not worry to much about us, we are having a good time. We are going to make the most of this experience. We are going on a day trip tomorrow with the other couple from BC and a lady and her daughter from BC. Church with them on Sunday, and another day trip on Monday.
We are done touring the city for now ...we saw shacks, nice houses, more shacks, beggers, lots of taxis, and bus taxis. A lot of people all the time walking and going.
Our real disappointment is that we will not get to see our daugter again during this visit. We will not get to travel to her village.
We did get to see her before court at the orphanage. They take out a few kids and let them play around and you can watch. We were not allowed to go to her or touch her. But the kids are all very friendly and we ended up playing with them and their soccer ball. They right away go the boys. They were all very happy and well looked after. Our daughter sat down beside Patrick on the step and another girl asked Corey to button her little sweater. It was good to see her and the nurse said she was very happy and always smiling and playing. She said she warmed up very easy to the boys at the orphanage so that was good to hear knowing she will come home to 4 big brothers.
It is back to waiting, it will happen just not as fast as we want things too.
But we have remembered that God has been with us during this journey and He will continue to be with us.
So do not worry to much about us, we are having a good time. We are going to make the most of this experience. We are going on a day trip tomorrow with the other couple from BC and a lady and her daughter from BC. Church with them on Sunday, and another day trip on Monday.
We are done touring the city for now ...we saw shacks, nice houses, more shacks, beggers, lots of taxis, and bus taxis. A lot of people all the time walking and going.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
We are here!
Hi Everyone sorry it has taken so long to post but as I told you the internet here is very iffy. It was off all day yesterday. We have to buy service in blocks and somedays they run out of blocks to sell.
Anyway....we had a great trip over. Flights were on schedule. and all our luggage was here when we got off the plane.
Two taxis took us home to the Guest house. Around 4am. Bob in one with Patrick and Corey and I in with Alex and Lukas. My taxi took about 10 times to start. Bob was already gone. As we went to the Guest house we got off the main road and ended up down some small paths, had no clue where we were. They stop and honk at a gate and then it opens, then stop another gate and then it opened. Then we were at the Guest house. We ended up in two different rooms on two different floors. That did not last. Bob, Patrick and Corey came back down and joined us in our room. We had 2 double beds for 6 people. Nobody complained. We ended up with a few hours of sleep.
The next morning we ended up in 2 adjoining rooms on the 4th floor. No elevators.
Much better.
We have gone for some walks. It took a bit to get used to it all. Kids asking you to buy stuff and if you want your shoes polished...we all wear sneakers.
After seeing us a couple of times they don't ask us anymore. Now they just wave and say hi.
The food is good. They have good restaurants around with "normal" food. Lots of stores with very high end clothing.
We've met a few people here who have already picked up their child and are waiting to go home. Couple from NB here to pick up their child. Some have been here for almost 2 months because they are waiting for the visa papers to come through so they are quite knowledgable about the area and have lots of information. That has made us feel a lot more comfortable.
It is a completely different world. There are police everywhere with guns. But we don't see any one using them. We haven't seen any crime. When you are in a store they follow you around like a criminal. Before we entered a mall we got patted down and scanned for guns.
This afternoon we are going to the orphanage at 2:30pm. Someone is coming to get us and we will go there and just see the place and see her in a group setting. We do not get to talk with her.
I will let you know more later. We are doing good. Patrick is a little sick but it could just be all the different things, nerves, heat, etc.
It has been really warm so we are enjoying that.
Anyway....we had a great trip over. Flights were on schedule. and all our luggage was here when we got off the plane.
Two taxis took us home to the Guest house. Around 4am. Bob in one with Patrick and Corey and I in with Alex and Lukas. My taxi took about 10 times to start. Bob was already gone. As we went to the Guest house we got off the main road and ended up down some small paths, had no clue where we were. They stop and honk at a gate and then it opens, then stop another gate and then it opened. Then we were at the Guest house. We ended up in two different rooms on two different floors. That did not last. Bob, Patrick and Corey came back down and joined us in our room. We had 2 double beds for 6 people. Nobody complained. We ended up with a few hours of sleep.
The next morning we ended up in 2 adjoining rooms on the 4th floor. No elevators.
Much better.
We have gone for some walks. It took a bit to get used to it all. Kids asking you to buy stuff and if you want your shoes polished...we all wear sneakers.
After seeing us a couple of times they don't ask us anymore. Now they just wave and say hi.
The food is good. They have good restaurants around with "normal" food. Lots of stores with very high end clothing.
We've met a few people here who have already picked up their child and are waiting to go home. Couple from NB here to pick up their child. Some have been here for almost 2 months because they are waiting for the visa papers to come through so they are quite knowledgable about the area and have lots of information. That has made us feel a lot more comfortable.
It is a completely different world. There are police everywhere with guns. But we don't see any one using them. We haven't seen any crime. When you are in a store they follow you around like a criminal. Before we entered a mall we got patted down and scanned for guns.
This afternoon we are going to the orphanage at 2:30pm. Someone is coming to get us and we will go there and just see the place and see her in a group setting. We do not get to talk with her.
I will let you know more later. We are doing good. Patrick is a little sick but it could just be all the different things, nerves, heat, etc.
It has been really warm so we are enjoying that.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Packing....
It is Thursday...the day before we leave. A snow day.
Patrick, Corey and I just packed 4 suitcases full of donations for the orphanages.
Thanks to the generosity of people we have antibiotic creams, tylenols, vitamins, clothes, shoes, coloring books, crayons, pencils, toys, and much more. In total 200 lbs of goodies.
Bob & I will have to fit all our clothes into the carry-ons.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Our Adoption Process
We started our Adoption process in the Fall of 2007.
We found an agency, Kids Link International Adoption Agency, now known as Imagine Adoption. The Social Worker came to visit, the paperwork started. On June 14, 2008 our papers arrived in Ethiopia. Now it was just a matter of waiting..and waiting...and wait some more...
On July 13th, 2009 we received the news, on the 11 O'Clock Evening News, that our agency had declared bankruptcy. We checked the emails and websites and the news was right. What now??
A lot of tears, prayers and time later we got the news on September 22 that the proposal to restructure was voted on in favor by most of the shareholders(adopting families).
Imagine Adoption was approved to have a liscence to keep going on Oct.1st, 2009.
We started to get hopeful again as we continued the wait...
We found an agency, Kids Link International Adoption Agency, now known as Imagine Adoption. The Social Worker came to visit, the paperwork started. On June 14, 2008 our papers arrived in Ethiopia. Now it was just a matter of waiting..and waiting...and wait some more...
On July 13th, 2009 we received the news, on the 11 O'Clock Evening News, that our agency had declared bankruptcy. We checked the emails and websites and the news was right. What now??
A lot of tears, prayers and time later we got the news on September 22 that the proposal to restructure was voted on in favor by most of the shareholders(adopting families).
Imagine Adoption was approved to have a liscence to keep going on Oct.1st, 2009.
We started to get hopeful again as we continued the wait...
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